7. Share your social studies mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Category Archives: Science Mini Spark
#29: Calming the Waves
If you like being out on water but aren’t keen on waves, you might want to consider bringing some olive oil with you. In this mini spark you will see that just one tablespoon of olive oil poured over water can spread out within minutes, calming the waves around you.
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your science mini spark recording page: #29: Calming the Waves
2. Watch this teaching video. Record all of the vocab words from the video on your recording page. Add a short definition.
3. Read these questions to get prepared for the next video.
- Why does the olive oil spread into a layer one-molecule thick?
- Why does oil calm the waves on the surface of the lake?
- How does Dr. Greg Kestin use the lake experiment to calculate the size of one molecule of olive oil?
- What is invisible glass? What are its practical applications?
4. Watch this PBS video. As you watch the video, you will hear the answers. Record each of the answers on to your recording sheet.
5. Share your STEAM mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
#27: Explore Elements
The periodic table has been on quite the adventure for over 150 years, like a superhero collecting elements! Now, with 118 different elements, it’s like the ultimate science party where every element has its own dance move. Who knew chemistry could be this much fun?
1. Set up your science mini spark recording page: #15: Explore Elements
2. Watch this video and record at least 5 details from the video on your recording page.
3. TED Ed joined forces with the people at Periodic Videos to bring us the what-is-what on each element of the periodic table. Watch this video about hydrogen. Record 5-10 details about hydrogen on your recording page.
4. Choose a new element from this playlist. Watch the video, and on your recording page make a fact page about the element with at least 10 pieces of information.
5. Share your science mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
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#26: Geckos Defying Gravity
Geckos are a type of lizard as you know, but did you know that they differ from other lizards by laying eggs in pairs, vocalizing with chirps and barks, lacking eyelids, and having sticky toes for climbing walls? Learn more about our world while studying geckos!
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your science mini spark recording page: #26: Geckos Defying Gravity
2. Read the following writing prompts before you watch the video.
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- What are spatula? If the spatulae weren’t shaped like spatulas, would it be better for them to be shaped like spheres or cubes? Why?
- Explain the process that makes the geckos feet “stick” to surfaces.
- Talk about how the geckos sticky feet can help humans create new materials. How could this help humankind?
- Optional: There is a section in the video about electrons and charges. You do not need to understand this 100%, just watch and listen to the narrator explain the process. If you want to explain this in your final project you are welcome to do so.
3. Watch this TED Talk. Pause the video to take notes that will help answer the prompts above. You may need to watch the video more than once.
4. Choose one of the prompts listed above and create a 3-4 sentence response on your recording sheet.
5. Read this fact page and National Geographic Kids. Record 5-10 facts on your recording page that are new to you. If you read the page and did not find any new facts, do some outside research so you can add 5-10 new learnings to your recording page.
6. Share your science mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Keep learning about Geckos. Your work on this mini spark can count one the first project on the Great Geckos Badge at the EY website.
#25: How Do Lungs Work?
Breathing. How do we accomplish this crucial and complex task without even thinking about it? Let’s learn about these hard working organs.
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your science mini spark recording page: #25: How Do Lungs Work?
2. Watch this TED-Ed lesson which takes us into the lungs to investigate how they help keep us alive. Record at least 5 details from the video on your recording sheet.
3. Your lungs make up one of the largest organs in your body, and they work with your respiratory system to allow you to take in fresh air, get rid of stale air, and even talk. Take a tour of the lungs by reading this article. Record 5 vocabulary words with definitions.
4. Choose one of these prompts and respond with 3-5 sentences
- Why do you think the body’s cells need oxygen?
- Why is it better that the lungs are spongy rather than empty like a balloon?
- How do you think your breathing and lungs adapt when you’re exercising?
5. OPTIONAL: Lungs are important for breathing, but also for talking. Do research to find out how your lungs allow you to talk. Create a visual explaining how this process works. Include as many details as possible.
6. Share your science mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
#24: Orangutan Lessons
Orangutans are the largest tree-dwelling mammals and the most solitary of the great apes. The three species—Bornean, Sumatran, and Tapanuli—are critically endangered due to habitat loss.
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your science mini spark recording page: #24: Orangutan Lessons.
2. Watch this TED ED video and record 3 details from the video on your recording page.
3. Read 9 facts at this information page from World Wildlife. Choose 3 and record what you learned.
4. Read this journal from scientist who photographed orangutans in 2022. Write down the 3 main lessons on your recording page.
5. Share your science mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Jane Goodall is a scientist who is helping endangered animals. Check out the Jane Goodall Badge at the EY Website.
#23: Rachel Carson
In an era when the threats to our environment were largely overlooked, marine biologist and author Rachel Carson courageously called on the US government to step up and safeguard both its citizens and the planet. Her passionate advocacy illuminated the urgent need for environmental protection and inspired a movement that would change how we view our relationship with nature.
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your science mini spark recording page: #23: Rachel Carson
2. Watch this intro video lo learn about Rachel Carson. Record 3 of her accomplishments on your recording sheet.
3. Read about DDT and record 3 details on your recording sheet.
4. Read this Silent Spring book summary. On your recording page choose TWO of these questions to answer in two sentences or more. Reminder for your teacher that the answer key can be found in the science mini spark folder.
- What evidence does Rachel Carson provide to support her claim that the introduction of chemicals is making the earth unfit for life?
- How does Carson differentiate between the effects of inorganic chemicals used before World War II and the chemical pesticides introduced later? What implications does this have for pest control practices?
- In what ways does Carson suggest that the interaction of multiple chemicals can increase cancer hazards in polluted waters? Analyze how this complexity affects public health policies.
- Carson discusses the destruction of beneficial biological species due to chemical treatment of soils. What are the potential long-term ecological consequences of this destruction?
- How does Carson’s notion of “delayed physiological symptoms” challenge the traditional understanding of safety regarding pesticide exposure? Provide examples from the text to support your analysis.
- What criticisms does Carson raise about the government’s role in pesticide regulation and public safety? How does her perspective reflect broader concerns about environmental governance?
5. Share your science mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
#22: Tremendous T-Rex
The T. rex was one of the largest predators to ever roam the Earth. It could grow up to 40 feet long and stand about 12 feet tall. This dinosaur weighed between 11,000 and 15,500 pounds, which is roughly the size of a school bus and as heavy as an African elephant.
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your science mini spark recording page: #22:Tremendous T-Rex
2. Read this article to refresh your memory about this giant creatures. Take detailed notes with at least 5 facts on your recording sheet.
3. T.rex Discoveries lessons: Go to the this page and watch the T-rex discovery lessons. Record at least 5 things you learned.
4. T.rex Anatomy and Behavior: Go to the this page and watch the T-rex Anatomy lessons. Record at least 5 things you learned.
5. T.rex Sense and Appearance: Go to the this page and watch the T-rex Sense and Appearance lessons. Record at least 5 things you learned.
6. Share your science mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Check out the dinosaur badges at the EY Website.
#21: Solar Eclipse Science
Is an eclipse worth seeing? You bet! Join us to find out everything you need to know about watching an eclipse.
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your science mini spark recording page: #21: Solar Eclipse
2. Watch this video and record 3-5 interesting details.
3. To earn this mini spark choose an option.
- Use the dates from the video and create a mini timeline with 5-8 items about the history of eclipses.
- Create a teaching page a with 5 details and 3 drawings about a pinhole camera projector, how to make one, and how it works.
- Use the information from the video to write a step-by-step that explains what to expect during an eclipse.
- Use the vocabulary words from the video to create a mini eclipse dictionary page with at least 8 terms.
4. Share your science mini spark recording page with your teacher/EY coordinator.
Check out the math behind a solar eclipse math mini spark!
