Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Liv's a Scientist

I know it's been a while since I last posted something, but midterms and papers kept me pretty busy these past couple weeks.

Anyway, this past weekend, we took Livie to a science fair at the University of Iowa's research park. Liv had a blast! She had fun, even though it was raining! At one point, she even said, "I want to be a scientist when I grow up!"

The science fair had a ton of hands-on activities for kids in K-12. She got to gather data, record data, see some microscopic medical photos (what germs look like magnified hundreds of times, what the heart looks like, seeing a plastic skeletal replica of the foot's bones, and other stuff like this), as well as learning some physics basics with blocks and marbles going down little ramps.

Just before I took this first photo, she had picked out a "little parachute guy" (one of those plastic "army" guys with a parachute attached to it). One scientist stood on a step-stool and dropped it, while another one timed its descent with a stop watch. Then, Livie got to help measure how far away it had landed from its intended target.


 After having the time/distance data recorded in the computer, she got to put her yellow dot on the chart. 


She was excited that this kind of "fun stuff" was actually science! I told her that there are so many kinds of science that are just as fun as this! Even looking at the moon and other planets through a telescope is science! She was very impressed with that bit of information.


She even got to make a bracelet based on a butterfly's DNA, which she made out of two strands of color-coded beads.

All in all, it was a fun way of getting her interested and excited about science.

6 comments:

Jill said...

What a great and fun way to interest kids in science!

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

That bracelet idea is very cool!

Michaele said...

What a great way to get kids interested. I have always loved science.

Nancy said...

I love how the University has all of these events for the kids. She looks so cute with her bracelet. :)

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Woohoo, this Ozark Farm Chick was always a science buff and your little Livie scientist is just an adorable inspiration.

As a retired educator this gal knows the word could use more great scientists! :O)

I'm so happy I popped in to say Howdy today!

From the happy hills and hollers of the Missouri Ponderosa, ya'll have a beautifully blessed weekend!!!

Randy said...

That is awesome.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...