Science Diary Blog

 In this project, we shared our own science observations and learned from others by reading and commenting on their posts. Writing comments helped us see science in different ways and reflect on our learning together. Selman- Onur: Explaining to Children Why We Get Sick Aslıhan-Ebru :Why do birds fly in a V format? Muharrem-Hatice:How is yogurt formed? Elif-Merve:Why Do Cacti Have Spines? Ayçin-Ahmet:Why does it snow? Hilal-Sıla:Scientific Explanation of Dissolving

  Scientific Explanation: Ants are very good at finding their way, even though they are small insects. They use several scientific methods to navigate. One of the most important ways is by using pheromones , which are special chemical smells. When an ant finds food, it leaves a pheromone trail on the ground as it walks back to the nest. Other ants smell this trail and follow it to reach the food. Ants also use visual landmarks , such as rocks, trees, or buildings, to remember their path. Some species can recognize the position of the Sun and use it like a natural compass. This helps them know the direction they are moving in.  In addition, ants use a method called path integration . This means they count their steps and remember how far and in which direction they have walked. By combining pheromones, visual clues, and distance tracking, ants can return to their nest accurately, even after long journeys. Child-Friendly Explanation: Ants are tiny, but they are very smart explo...

  Scientific Explanation: Young sunflowers show a behavior called heliotropism . This means they move their heads to follow the Sun across the sky. During the day, their stems grow faster on one side than the other, which makes the flower turn toward the sunlight. At night, the growth pattern changes again, and the sunflower turns back to the east to wait for sunrise. This daily cycle helps the plant get more light for photosynthesis, which supports better growth. When sunflowers become mature, they usually stop moving and face east permanently because it helps attract more pollinators in the morning. Child-Friendly Explanation: Sunflowers love the Sun. They follow it like a friend! When the Sun moves across the sky, the sunflower slowly turns its head to watch it. At night, it moves back to face the sunrise, like it is getting ready for a new day. This helps the sunflower get lots of light so it can grow tall and strong. When the sunflower becomes an adult, it stops following th...

  Scientific Explanation: Sand is formed over a very long time through a natural process called weathering. Rocks are slowly broken into smaller pieces by wind, water, ice, and temperature changes. Rain, rivers, and waves rub rocks against each other, causing them to crack and wear down into tiny grains. These grains are carried by water or wind and settle in places like beaches, deserts, and riverbeds. Most sand is made of quartz because it is very strong and does not break easily compared to other minerals. Child-Friendly Explanation: Sand has a long story!  A long, long time ago, sand was part of big rocks and mountains. Wind blew on the rocks, rain washed over them, and waves pushed them again and again. Little by little, the rocks broke into tiny pieces. These tiny pieces traveled through rivers and oceans until they became sand. Every grain of sand is like a tiny traveler. Some sand comes from mountains, some from seashells, and some from volcanoes! That’s why sand can f...

  Scientific Explanation : Taste perception is controlled by taste buds located on the surface of the tongue. Each taste bud contains sensory receptor cells that detect chemicals in food. When food dissolves in saliva, these chemicals stimulate the taste receptor cells and generate nerve signals. These signals travel to the brain through the gustatory nerves, where they are recognized as different tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. The sense of taste also works together with smell to create full flavor perception. Child-Friendly Explanation : Our tongue is like a detective!  It helps us know what food tastes like. When we eat something sweet like chocolate, the tongue says, “Yum!”  When we taste a lemon, it feels sour and makes our face scrunch up!  Salt makes food taste strong, sugar makes it sweet, and bitter tastes a little yucky. Our tongue works like a tiny helper inside our mouth — it tells our brain what we are eating!  Open-Ended Questions: -...

  Scientific Explanation: The Moon does not actually change shape. It looks different because of the Moon’s position as it orbits Earth. The Sun always lights one side of the Moon, but we cannot always see the whole lit part from Earth. As the Moon moves around Earth, different amounts of the illuminated side become visible. These visible changes are called moon phases, and the cycle takes about 29.5 days. Child-Friendly Explanation : The Moon is always round, just like a ball.  But sometimes, we only see a little piece of it — like a banana shape  — and sometimes we see the whole Moon big and bright! The Moon moves around Earth, and the Sun shines on it. When the Moon moves, the shiny part we see changes. That’s why the Moon looks different on different nights. Open-ended Questions: -What shape does the Moon look like today? -Do you think the Moon will look the same tomorrow? -Have you ever seen a full Moon or a tiny Moon? Which one did you like more? Hands-on Activity: ...