Hey there, curious minds! Have you heard of the Air Quality Index (AQI)? It's like a weather forecast but for the air we breathe. This nifty index tells us how clean or polluted our air is and what that means for our health.
What's the AQI? The AQI measures the quality of the air using numbers and colors. It ranges from 0 to 500: the lower the number, the cleaner the air, and vice versa. Picture it like a traffic light: green means good air quality, while red signals unhealthy air. What Does the AQI Tell Us? The AQI focuses on specific pollutants like ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Each pollutant gets a rating, and the overall AQI reflects the highest of these ratings. It tells us if the air might affect our health and how. Interpreting the AQI Levels
How Can We Use the AQI? Keeping an eye on the AQI helps us plan our day. If the AQI is high, maybe consider indoor activities or using masks if heading outside. It also guides us in making choices for a healthier lifestyle and encourages actions to improve air quality. Remember, understanding the AQI isn’t just about numbers; it's about taking care of ourselves and our planet. When we know the air quality, we can make informed choices for a breath of fresh air! The Kiddie Science Lab is currently an air quality monitoring site. Find out how the local air is doing HERE. ![]() This Sunday we will be setting our clocks back by an hour, marking the end of Daylight Savings Time. The old saying, "spring forward, fall back" sums up what we do with our clocks. In the spring we move one hour ahead, in the fall we go back an hour. But why? Although there are exceptions to Daylight Savings Time (Hawaii, parts of Arizona, and US territories don't recognize the time change), most of us end up changing our clocks twice a year. The reason why involves some science. Due to the tilt in the Earth’s axis, summer days have more hours of sunlight than in winter. As the sun creeps up over the horizon earlier and earlier in the day, we end up with lots of sun in the very early morning hours when the majority of people are still asleep. The idea of Daylight Savings Time is to shift the clocks so that the extra daylight instead occurs at the end of the day, when people are actually awake. Usually on the second Sunday in March, we move the clocks ahead by one hour at the start of Daylight Savings Time. In other countries, this is called Summer Time. When fall arrives, less hours of sunlight means the days become shorter. At this point, usually the first Sunday in November, clocks are returned to their Standard Time and we "fall back" by an hour. This change in time allows us to make the most out of the diminishing daylight hours. When we explore a topic, we expose young scientists to the vocabulary, tools, and activities related to our subject. During our exploration of geology and paleontology, we made observations of rock and mineral specimens and created sorting categories based on criteria of color, shape, and size. We used hammers to open up geodes which young scientists were able to take home and add to their collection.
Rocks and minerals are not the only things beneath our feet! Young scientists excavated authentic fossils and explored prehistoric amber. We created replicas out of clay and explored the details in our creations. We became geologists and paleontologists as we explored the clues found on the ground on our amazing planet! When you look at a leaf, what do you see?
Here at the Kiddie Science Lab, and in our partner schools, we've dived into a hands-on exploration of leaves, trees, and plants. Our goal is to guide young scientists into looking at the trees and plants in their community differently. We want them to appreciate how amazing plants/trees are, and to look at them with scientific eyes. To reach this goal, we have spent the last six weeks exploring the anatomy of leaves, observing pine cones from near and far, learning basic leaf/tree identification, and providing direct care to plants. With autumn upon us, it's a perfect time for leaf exploration! Some ideas you can try with your young scientist: Collect Leaves Go on a nature walk and collect leaves! Back at home, categorize them according to color, shape, size, ect. This simple activity helps young scientists compare and contrast observable features of leaves. Older scientists may wish to learn more about the trees in their community by learning how to identify the leaves collected. Common NYC trees include oak, maple, gingko, and ash. You can learn more about the trees in your neighborhood through the NYC Street Tree Map. Leaf Rubbings Combine science and art with a simple leaf rubbing. A leaf rubbing allows you to still explore leaf anatomy while not having to keep the leaves around for very long. We suggest finding a dry leaf that is fully intact and using regular copy paper (card stock paper is too thick). For younger scientists, the paper can be folded in half and the leaf placed inside. If you have a clipboard, you can clip the leaf's petiole with the paper on top. We recommend placing the leaf 'face down' so the rubbing is done from the underside of the leaf. Leaves in the Supermarket Once you start learning about leaves, you seem to find them everywhere! At the supermarket, take a close look at what foods are leaves. Here's a clue: it's much more than lettuce! See how many leaf products you can find.
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My son LOVES these classes, so informative, hands on and fun! Loading PurpleAir Widget...
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