A new month - And 30 ways to explore the science around you!
Welcome to the Virtual Science Education blog post. Sometimes we need to hit the reset button and take a deep breath - after all science is supposed to be fun as we explore our world and make connections to everyday events. We’re going to think of May as a Science Challenge Month - bring your A game and check under rocks, empty your window sill, freeze stuff and watch things melt. Let’s science!
What can we do at home to have fun with science?
Science is more than facts that old people figured out a long time ago and put into books - science is exploring and asking questions and being wrong and…having fun. Let’s use this challenge to take a second - think - why did that happen?
science is everywhere - even at home!
Here is your board - cross off the squares as you complete the challenge.
Use a notebook to record your observations and questions or take a picture to share with classmates and family.
There are no rules or requirements other than - have fun and enjoy!
Something That Makes Vibrations
Day 1 @NGSSphenomena 30 day challenge..... something that vibrates. What you got @jenkinschem? #phenomenon #NGSS #ngsschat pic.twitter.com/cEgZlfZz95
— Mary Courtney (@CourtneyChem) May 1, 2020
Day 1: something that vibrates. I can feel it under my feet & when I put my hand on my car. Is this an “old car” thing or an “all car” thing?
— Gavin Jenkins (@jenkinschem) May 1, 2020
Also go easy on her - she’s 22 years old!!! @CourtneyChem @EastEpo @NGSSphenomena pic.twitter.com/xdfrBg1Eru
Day 1:SOUND ON! Something that vibrates! How can my ears hear the wind chimes? Would I still hear them underwater?
— Ms. Ellison (@MsEllison18) May 1, 2020
What questions do you have??@NaplesCSD @jenkinschem @NGSSphenomena pic.twitter.com/JpeKmPJS6i
Day 1 of @NGSSphenomena 30 day challenge.....Something that makes vibrations 📳#NGSS #ngsschat #FindObserveInvestigate #COVID19#homequarantine
— BLHSwithMsCook (@BlhsCook) May 1, 2020
(Turn your volume up) pic.twitter.com/Ve3CJd9DXY
Day 1 of @NGSSphenomena 30 day challenge. Something that vibrates. Let’s do this @leadinsci @rvccngss @rach_sav @MikeTeachNJ @HanssonJhansson @CarlDessie @KateBruno75 pic.twitter.com/kQy3Ybgqma
— 𝓑𝓻𝓲𝓭𝓰𝓮𝓽 𝓐 (@BridgetA007) May 1, 2020
Embarking on the 30 day Phenomena Science Challege. Day 1 Something that vibrates. Had a little help from my daughter. @CharihoRegional @dflamturnover @aromano122 @Andrea_Spas https://t.co/sCjWUyWbYg pic.twitter.com/l55ByGm3uV
— Amy Williams (@AKWinRI71) May 1, 2020
Day 1: something that makes vibrations. How and why do cats purr? Shoutout of course to my favorite #selfiso buddy Lilac @NGSSphenomena pic.twitter.com/flRjZohakU
— Madeleine Grandon (@Ms_Grandon) May 2, 2020
Day 1 bonus: something that vibrates! What in the world is going on here? @jenkinschem @EastEpo @NGSSphenomena pic.twitter.com/TvAVaSs3Yc
— Mary Courtney (@CourtneyChem) May 2, 2020
An Insect for 5 Minutes
Day 2 of @NGSSphenomena 30 day challenge. Found this minuscule spider while doing yard work. Observed it for 5 minutes moving around on decaying organic matter. #lehsd pic.twitter.com/JABJ0h0Cwd
— 𝓑𝓻𝓲𝓭𝓰𝓮𝓽 𝓐 (@BridgetA007) May 2, 2020
Day 2 - follow an insect!
— Gavin Jenkins (@jenkinschem) May 2, 2020
Doing some gardening and landscaping today. Found SO many insects. Why do they love to live under rocks?
Is it safer? Is it darker? Is it cooler? Is the soil different? How far down does their home go? How far wide?@NGSSphenomena pic.twitter.com/TOD7ERtq0h
Day 2: follow an insect. Found aquatic insects on the Wood River using surface tension to move around. They sometimes went below the surface as well. @CharihoRegional @dflamturnover @Andrea_Spas @NGSSphenomena pic.twitter.com/IKChEFeciY
— Amy Williams (@AKWinRI71) May 2, 2020
Day 2 - follow an insect. I’m not sure it’s classified as an insect, but it came to me to investigate my empty bowl. I wonder why he stays on the edge? Doesn’t it want the blueberry leftovers? @NGSSphenomena @EastEpo @jenkinschem @KimberlyFluet pic.twitter.com/P2WyqwiPi5
— Mary Courtney (@CourtneyChem) May 3, 2020
NGSS 30 Day Challenge. Observe an insect - ladybug eating an aphid. @NGSSphenomena pic.twitter.com/3hAImTA1iW
— Marcus Evangelista (@MEvangelistaSci) May 5, 2020
Found this spider a couple of weeks ago. Have never seen this type before. Had no luck figuring it out online. Any ideas? pic.twitter.com/Dz2RV5M8a6
— Analisa Chapman (@SenoraChapman) May 7, 2020
How Ice Cubes Melt on Two Different Surfaces
Day 3 of @NGSSphenomena 30 day challenge. Observe how ice melts on 2 different surfaces. Asphalt and painted wood. #lehsd pic.twitter.com/JKGfkEnkMd
— 𝓑𝓻𝓲𝓭𝓰𝓮𝓽 𝓐 (@BridgetA007) May 3, 2020
Day 3: How ice melts on different surfaces. Plastic vs. Aluminum. So much to say about this phenomenon: heat transfer, phase transitions, melting, systems, materials, temperature vs heat. @NGSSphenomena @CharihoRegional @dflamturnover @Andrea_Spas pic.twitter.com/di3LZx713j
— Amy Williams (@AKWinRI71) May 3, 2020
Day 3 @NGSSphenomena - this timelapse was ~10 minutes long. It’s 60 degrees here in NY. Didn’t fully melt in video. But based on the video, what surface do you think resulted in faster melting? Plastic or cardboard? pic.twitter.com/b6xjGqosdb
— Gavin Jenkins (@jenkinschem) May 3, 2020
30 day science challenge, Day 3: I predicted the ice cube on the rock would melt faster... find out if I was right!
— Ellen Ellison (@MsEllison18) May 4, 2020
Why does it melt faster in water? Why does water freeze and not air?@NGSSphenomena pic.twitter.com/Pz149coJ6V
How Many Different Sounds From Outside Can You Identify
Day 4 of the @NGSSphenomena 30 day challenge. Outside, I can identify bird calls of the cat bird, the goldfinch, and tufted titmouse. A hummingbird just buzzed into my feeder & a woodpecker is out there somewhere! Also, one car just drove by I my 5 minutes outside. #ngss #lehsd pic.twitter.com/O96Uxw2lru
— 𝓑𝓻𝓲𝓭𝓰𝓮𝓽 𝓐 (@BridgetA007) May 4, 2020
Day 4 of the 30 day science challenge: ID outside noise... what’s that rushing?
— Ellen Ellison (@MsEllison18) May 4, 2020
How can wind make noise as it moves through the air? Why are more birds out in the morning?@NGSSphenomena @ my physics phrends...? pic.twitter.com/xo2faGjt7B
Day 4 - how many outside sounds can you identify? On my daily walk in my neighborhood today, I could hear the wind, some wind chimes, traffic on the nearby highway, and lots of birds. Can you identify the birds by their calls? @jenkinschem @NGSSphenomena @KimberlyFluet pic.twitter.com/HmdatvqaTs
— Mary Courtney (@CourtneyChem) May 4, 2020
Day 4: Sounds of outside. The Wood River at Wyoming dam. Nature sounds can be loud. @NGSSphenomena @CharihoRegional pic.twitter.com/yQTYqGecRK
— Amy Williams (@AKWinRI71) May 4, 2020
Day 4 @NGSSphenomena sounds I hear: chickens crowing, dog barking, birds chirping, wind chimes chiming, car driving down the street, me bumping into a chair on my deck, leaves ruffling in the wind. pic.twitter.com/KtZpeC7MWl
— Gavin Jenkins (@jenkinschem) May 5, 2020
How Fast Different Objects Fall
Day 5 of the @NGSSphenomena 30 day challenge. Investigate how fast different objects fall. SLow motion video of A binder clip and a glue stick. What causes the objects to fall as they do? #lehsd #ngss #sciencerocks pic.twitter.com/CjqWokTfL3
— 𝓑𝓻𝓲𝓭𝓰𝓮𝓽 𝓐 (@BridgetA007) May 5, 2020
Day 5: How fast objects fall. 2 different sized leaves. Leaving me with more Qs about how cameras work than gravity...
— Ellen Ellison (@MsEllison18) May 5, 2020
Why does the lens autofocus at reg. speeds but not slo-mo? How does a cam. take a slo-mo video? How is it diff. on a camera and not an iPhone? @NGSSphenomena pic.twitter.com/x0xqB4v35t
Day 5 of the @NGSSphenomena 30 day challenge. Investigate how fast different objects fall: pillow vs penny. You can hear the clink of the penny on the tile as well. @jenkinschem @CourtneyChem @CenteratWarner pic.twitter.com/CJHuLb4Vv5
— kfluet@gmail.com (@KimberlyFluet) May 5, 2020
Day 5 @NGSSphenomena challenge: how fast objects fall. Chicken egg vs. plastic tupperware. I missed the cardboard target 😭 but this was still fun.
— Gavin Jenkins (@jenkinschem) May 5, 2020
My biggest Q is - what would happen if I had a plastic “egg” vs egg?
What q’s do you have? @EastEpo @CourtneyChem pic.twitter.com/W0DGbiah6Q
Day 5: Speed of falling objects. First softball vs. Ping pong, then softball vs baseball. Results were not as expected so decided to try a control: softball vs softball. Reproducible release of the object is important to control exp error. @NGSSphenomena @CharihoRegional pic.twitter.com/2yqQxFcFc3
— Amy Williams (@AKWinRI71) May 5, 2020
Day 5 of the @NGSSphenomena challenge: how fast do things drop? In honor of #CincoDeMayo, I chose cat toy vs jalapeño pepper! @jenkinschem pic.twitter.com/COZrypsmJW
— Mary Courtney (@CourtneyChem) May 6, 2020
Gather Seeds - Can You Make Them Grow
Day 7 @NGSSphenomena - starting our veggie garden from seed this year, and grew some cat grass! pic.twitter.com/5TKzyP2SC4
— Gavin Jenkins (@jenkinschem) May 8, 2020
Day 7: no new seeds, just some propagating plants, mystery veggies, and super cool root systems.
— Ellen Ellison (@MsEllison18) May 7, 2020
What mysterious plants and seeds have you found? Why can some plants propagate and others don’t? @NGSSphenomena pic.twitter.com/x8vZrLqcIz
Not necessarily mystery plants but wanted to share these purple beauties that I have been admiring the last few days in my flower beds pic.twitter.com/PEJlxNo1OF
— Analisa Chapman (@SenoraChapman) May 7, 2020
Day 6 of @NGSSphenomena 30 day challenge. Gather seeds and see if you can make them grow. I had a bit of a head start on this one! Every year I gather seeds from my garden harvest for next year’s plants. Here are my yellow hybrid tomatoes. Yum! pic.twitter.com/na6TMqGHc7
— 𝓑𝓻𝓲𝓭𝓰𝓮𝓽 𝓐 (@BridgetA007) May 7, 2020
A Cool Science Story From Someone You Know
Day 8: a cool science story from a great friend.
— Ellen Ellison (@MsEllison18) May 8, 2020
Where is science in your home? How do you do science at home?
**stay tuned for some answers from @NaplesCSD 7th graders!@NGSSphenomena pic.twitter.com/r8zTQ2sVak
Day 7 @NGSSphenomena 30 day challenge. A science story from someone you know. 7yo daughter: Mommy this silverware is really hot. I guess the sun heated it up. I wonder why is so much hotter than the table? Me: YES! Let’s investigate. #NGSS #sciencerocks
— 𝓑𝓻𝓲𝓭𝓰𝓮𝓽 𝓐 (@BridgetA007) May 9, 2020
2 Different Rocks You Find And Describe Them
Our resident scientist is 5 yo. She loves science and started her 30 day challenge today! @NGSSphenomena pic.twitter.com/ETfrsM4sMR
— Dr Rachael Tarshes (@rtarshes) May 5, 2020
Post written by Chris Zieminski and TJ McKenna for ngssphenomena.com
Comment below, or email ngssphenomena@gmail.com.
