This is how our garden looks eleven weeks later. We've added compost tea and egg shells to reintroduce nutrients into the soil. The egg shells in particular help tomatoes thrive.
Can you tell how much growth has taken place?
So much growth!! The recent heat wave sizzled a few of our leaves, and our tomatoes didn't seem too happy about it. Nonetheless, we've been busily growing and harvesting food from our garden!
This is how our garden looks eleven weeks later. We've added compost tea and egg shells to reintroduce nutrients into the soil. The egg shells in particular help tomatoes thrive. Can you tell how much growth has taken place? Try this at home: turn your kitchen into a science lab! Simple experiments like making slime or baking soda volcanoes can spark a lifelong love for science.
Engaging in kitchen science activities is a fantastic way to introduce kids to the wonders of chemistry and physics, using everyday items you already have at home. Here are a few fun and educational experiments to try: Baking Soda Volcano: Mix baking soda and vinegar in a small container to create a fizzy, bubbling "eruption." This classic experiment demonstrates an acid-base reaction and the release of carbon dioxide gas. Rainbow Milk: Add a few drops of food coloring to a plate of milk, then dip a cotton swab in dish soap and touch it to the milk. Watch as the colors swirl and dance, illustrating the interaction between fat molecules and soap. Oobleck: Mix cornstarch and water to make a substance that acts like a liquid when poured and a solid when pressure is applied. This experiment explores the properties of non-Newtonian fluids. At Kiddie Science, we believe that science can be explored everywhere, even (especially) in your own home. These simple experiments not only provide hours of fun but also lay the foundation for a deep understanding and appreciation of scientific principles. So, roll up your sleeves, gather your ingredients, and turn your kitchen into a mini science lab! Interested in learning more about air quality and how it affects your health? Check out the following resources for more information:
Particulate Matter Basics from the Environmental Protection Agency Particle Pollution and Health from the NYC Department of Health Outdoor Air Quality (information and links) from NYC Health Introduction to Indoor Air Quality from the EPA What Makes Indoor Air Unhealthy? from the American Lung Association Build Your Own Corsi-Rosenthal Box Filter video from Washington Post Thanks to PLGNA, we will be raffling off an indoor air quality sensor during the event. All you have to do is RSVP and show up for a chance to win! Dear community,
For a while now, I've been publicly talking about air quality and advocating for more access to information. Not long after the record-breaking hazardous air quality we experienced in June 2023, the Kiddie Science Lab became an air quality monitoring site, and our data is publicly accessible by anyone worldwide. While helpful, if we're not all on the same page about what this information means, it's no longer meeting its intended goal. This is why we'll be hosting a community presentation and discussion on air quality and what it means for you. Thanks to support from Con Edison, PLGNA, and feedback from our community elders, this is a free event for the benefit of YOU! This workshop will provide an overview on the biology of breathing, what the AQI colors and numbers mean and why they matter. We'll also discuss indoor air quality and the pollutants that affect our health. Finally, we'll provide information on what you can do to address air quality concerns you may have. There will be plenty of time allotted for questions, and PLGNA is generously donating light snacks. I would love for this to be a full-house event, as an informed community is an empowered one! Tell a friend, family member, and neighbor about this and RSVP at the link below. See you on Thursday, July 11th at 7pm at the Kiddie Science Lab. -Ms. Carmen As we wind down another school year, check out what we've been up to the last few weeks at the Kiddie Science Lab! Young scientists in our after school science program have been focusing on Earth science. They established and help care for the backyard garden while engaging in hands-on explorations of geology, the water cycle, botany, and soil composition. During Science Saturdays, we're diving into engineering! Young scientists have been exploring basic engineering principles though hands-on explorations. We've been using small motor skills such as folding, cutting, and using tape to create basic items that improve our understanding of how engineering (and physics) works. Our Big & Little Scientists have been getting messy while learning and exploring! We've spent time in our gardens, learned to use science tools, conducted basic experiments, learned lots of science vocabulary, and became ornithologists! Our growth has been amazing and we've learned a whole lot together. Our messy workshops are often one of the most fun, which was exactly the case during our Slimy Science exploration. There was slime on pants, shirts, and hair (and our bathroom floor was wowwwww), but not only did we get it all cleaned up, we learned too! Thank you for learning and growing with us at the Kiddie Science Lab!
|
Loading PurpleAir Widget...
BLOG TOPICS:
All
|