Science Diary Blog

     Scientific Explanation: When something is in water, there are two forces acting on it. Its weight and the force of the water pushing up, the upthrust. If the weight is equal to or less than the upthrust, it floats. Things that float are buoyant. If the weight is greater than the upthrust, it sinks. Child-Friendly Explanation: Water is strong! It can push things up. When something is light, like an apple, water can hold it up and it floats. But if something is heavy, like a stone, water cannot hold it and it sinks to the bottom.   Open-Ended Questions: -Why do you think some things float and others sink? -Can you think of something heavy that still floats? How is that possible?   Short Hands-on Activity: Help children fold a small paper boat (use thicker paper if possible). Fill a bowl or tub with water and place the boat gently on top. Watch how it floats. Then, slowly add small paper clips or coins one by one. Ask the children to notice when the boat start...

  Scientific Explanation: Many insects are very small or have colors that match their environment. This is called camouflage . Camouflage helps insects hide from animals that might eat them, or lets them surprise their prey. Some insects also stay very still so they are hard to see. Child-friendly Explanation: Some insects are very smart! They change their color to look like a stick or a leaf. This way, other animals can't see them easily. It's like they are playing a hiding game! Open-ended Questions: What other animals can hide like that? How can we find an insect that is hard to see? If you could change color, what color would you choose? Short Hands-on Activity: Cut out small paper insects in different colors — green, brown, yellow, and red. Hide them around the classroom or playground by sticking them on objects of the same color (for example, a green insect on a green plant). Ask the children to find the insects! After the game, talk about which insects were easy or hard ...

  Scientific Explanation: A rainbow appears when sunlight passes through tiny raindrops in the air. The light bends and separates into many colors — red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. This process is called refraction . We can see a rainbow only when the Sun shines behind us and the rain is in front of us. Child-friendly Explanation: When the Sun comes out after the rain, sunlight meets the tiny drops in the air. Each drop breaks the light into colors, like magic! That’s why we see a rainbow — it’s the Sun playing with rain. Open-ended Questions: -Why do we only see rainbows when the Sun and rain happen at the same time? -Do you think a rainbow has an end? Why or why not? Short Hands-on Activity: Fill a glass with water and put it near a sunny window. Hold a white paper so that sunlight passes through the water and falls on the paper. You will see rainbow colors appear. Talk with children about how the water bends the light, just like raindrops do in the sky.