A Tribute to Scientists....and the First Week of School!

Well the first week of school is wrapping up and it has been going great so far!  In class this week we are beginning to identify our stereotypes of what comes to mind when we think of scientists....  and then breaking down those barriers and exploring just how diverse "being a scientist," really is!........Enjoy!

Sci·en·tist:   /ˈsaɪəntɪst/ [sahy-uhn-tist

 –noun:     an expert in science, esp. one of the physical or natural sciences.

- noun:     a person who studies or practices any of the sciences or who uses scientific methods.

  (1834, coined from Latin. scientia )

Bill Nye/The Science Guy

Stephen Hawking

http://www.topnews.in/people/stephen-hawking

Mr. Hawing is a British theoretical physicist and cosmologist, whose scientific career spans over forty years. His books and public appearances have made him an academic celebrity. He is known for his contributions to the fields of cosmology and quantum gravity, especially in the context of black holes.  Hawking has a neuro-muscular dystrophy that is related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a condition that has progressed over the years and has left him almost completely paralysed.

The Scientist - Coldplay (with lyrics)

Rosalind Franklin

A young, female scientist who used x-ray diffraction to decipher the structure of DNA (double helix)

                                                                   Ms. Frizzle!

Enthusiastic science teacher brining joy and curiosity everywhere...via magic bus!

George Washington Carver

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and the strong -- because someday you will have been all of these."
- George Washington Carver-

Making Ice Cream: A Lesson in Thermal Energy Transfer.

A hot summer afternoon can leave my body craving ice cream!....Currently my favorite flavor is Mint Patty from Golick's Dairy Bar in Dover NH. My husband is more a Strawberry Cheesecake fan at the moment.

While it is simple to order a cup or a dish from a local stand, it is more fun to make your own! If you are baby sitting for the summer or have younger siblings, you can even make an afternoon out of it! Be sure you are ready for the vigorous shaking, it can be a real work out....

So here is how making ice cream is science! (View the video provided for instructions and recipe)

The outer container is used to house the ice. Ice melts naturally because thermal energy (heat) likes to move from "hot" to "cold" places (high to low concentrations). So the thermal energy from the environment wants to transfer (move) to the ice which has less thermal energy. When heat is added to the ice it breaks the bonds in the ice and causes it to change state, from a solid to a liquid (melting). Salt is added to the ice in the outer container to depress, or lower its freezing point.....making it even colder and the melting process slower!

Another transfer of energy occurs simultaneously. The yummy mixture in the inner container has more thermal energy than the outer container, so again, heat transfers from the inner container to the outer container. When heat is removed from the inner container the mixture changes phases from a liquid to a solid! Yum!

Finally by shaking it with you hands, you are adding even more energy into the universe and speeding up the process!

Enjoy!