ingridscience

Make sure the short pencils have good points.
As shown in the photo, lay the long pencil between the two short pencils, with the points of the short pencils above the end of the long pencil. Tape together.
Make a rectangle of cardboard.
Using the points of the short pencils, push holes in the centre of the cardboard rectangle. Use a pin or other sharp object to help if needed.
As shown, bend two opposite corners of the cardboard slightly, in opposite directions, to make crude helicopter blades.

To launch, hold the pencils upright, using the holes in the cardboard, rest the helicopter on the pencil tips.
Spin the launcher rapidly, by spinning the long pencil between two flat hands (look at the position of the hands in the two photos).
The helicopter will lift off the launcher and rise a little before spinning off sideways.

Play with the size of the cardboard, the angle and size of the bends in the cardboard.
How high can it fly?

The forces involved:
As it spins, the bends in the cardboard direct the flow of air downwards. The push of air downwards, results in an equal and opposite reaction (Newton's Third Law) pushing back up against the helicopter. This is the force of "lift", which keeps it up in the air.
Eventually as the spin slows, the lift is not as great, and the force of gravity pulling it to the ground dominates and it falls.

For a simple (but very powerful) shooter:
Cut the neck off the balloon and fit it over the end of the toilet roll, leaving a pocket hanging.
Tape securely all around with duct tape.
To fire:
Drop the ammunition down the tube.
Grab the balloon pocket along with the ammunition.
Pull the balloon back, aim well, and let go.

Coins project fast out of this device, so only use with students that can be monitored closely, and who can obey rules around which way to fire and where to stand.
Foil balls still move pretty fast, but are not as dangerous.

The forces involved:
The balloon stores elastic energy as it is pulled back. As it is released it converts this energy to kinetic energy which pushes the ammunition forward. Air resistance eventually slows the ammo down, and gravity pulls it to the ground.

Convert to a rocket launcher/projectile:
Tape the balloon to a stiffer tube, and secure inside a long tube.
Add fins and a streamlined nose to the long tube.
Place the rocket over another long, stiff tube. Pull back the rocket so that the balloons is stretched. Release.

As described on the Exploratorium website (www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/hoopster.html):
Cut the card into strips, about 1 X 5inches long.
Tape one piece into a loop, and another two into a larger loop (by taping them end to end first).
Tape the loops onto each end of a straw, lined up with each other.
Throw the hoopster like a spear. It will rotate and fly quite well.

Play around with variations on the basic hoopster, and compare how they fly (make sure to have several trials with each):
change the number of loops
change the orientation of the loops
change the length of the hoopster by adding straws (push one end into another)
add weight with paper clips or modelling clay
etc. etc

Discussions of the forces involved:
The forward motion is called thrust and is generated by our arm pushing it forward.
The air moving around the loops gives it lift so that it can fly for a while.
Air resistance eventually slows it down and gravity brings it to the ground.

Free experimentation in small tubes:
Instruct students to half fill a small tube with room temperature water. Then drop in one or more of the water types (salty/cold/warm). Watch whether the drips sink or float. Use coloured pencils to show observations. Then try adding different combinations of water to see where they settle.

In general, salty water will settle lowest, then cold water, then warm water will stay on the top (note that after adding salty water, the salt mixes in and will make the whole tube salty, so that cold water will stay near the surface, sometimes even above a red layer (that is warm but now has some salt mixed in). Students will get their own unique results depending on what order and how much of each water type they add. They should be encouraged to look closely and observe water flowing in the tube when they add each type.

Modelling world-wide ocean currents
The heating of the surface of the ocean, and freshwater flow into the ocean changes the temperature and salinity of the ocean. Warmer water is less dense than cooler water, and saltier water is more dense than less salty water. Denser water sinks below less dense water, so the differences in temperature and salinity causes water to move, driving ocean currents.
The thermohaline circulation of ocean water (called the ocean conveyer belt) flows around the world. Warm water from the Tropics is driven North by wind. In the North Atlantic it cools. Evaporation and ice formation in the North also makes the water more salty, making it more dense. The cooler, saltier water, sinks, displacing the bottom water, which flows south beyond the equator to Antarctica. These cold bottom waters flow around the globe and eventually mix with warmer water and move to the surface in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The cycle is completed when warm surface waters head north again.
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/436189main_atlantic20100325a-full.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermohaline_circulation
Surface Ocean Currents: Gulf Stream (North Atlantic Ocean), Brazilian Current (South Atlantic Ocean), Agulhas Current (Indian Ocean), Kuroshio Current (North Pacific Ocean), East Australian Current (South Pacific Ocean).

Ocean mixing feeds the animals of the ocean.
Cold Antarctic surface water sinks, forcing the nutrient-rich deep water to rise (40 million cubic meters/second). The nutrients feed algae and other plants, which feed krill, which feed baleen whales, as well as penguins, seals, and seabirds.
Try this video on Antarctic krill - http://oceantoday.noaa.gov/animalsoftheice_krill/ (The krill themselves cause vertical ocean currents as they swim on mass to feed on algae at the surface. Nutrients are drawn upwards in their current.)

Ocean currents are used by animals for migration.
Loggerhead turtles migrate from Florida to the open ocean (where the young are safer), then return as adults. Atlantic Leatherbacks travel from Caribbean to Nova Scotia to feed on jellyfish. Pacific Leatherbacks have the longest migration on Earth: they are born in Japan, migrate to Mexico to feed on crabs, then head back to breed, nest. The Green Sea Turtle rides the East Australian Current, though does not go out into the open ocean (Crush in Finding Nemo).

Modelling air flow in our atmosphere
Air is warmed by the sun, predominantly at the tropics. This warm air rises, and cooler air sinks (just as the warm water rises and the cool water sinks). This movement of air in our atmosphere creates winds.
In addition, ocean currents, caused by differences in temperature and salinity of the water, move heat around the globe.

To demonstrate larger scale cold, warm and salty water flow and layering in a clear-sided box
Fill the box with room temperature water.
Elevate one end of the box to make a sloped bottom.
Drip each of the water types (salty/cold/warm) in turn and watch them sink (salty/cold) or float (warm) in the water, and flow along the bottom or surface.

Mix 3:1 water:soap in a bottle or tray, gently to keep bubbles to a minimum. Add a couple of drops of food colouring.
Move the water around: tip the bottle back and forth or drag a finger through/blow on water in the tray.
The pearlescent particles show the movement of the water.
Watch the swirls (turbluence) in the water, and find the sometimes unexpected patterns that result from water flow.

For discussion on ocean currents:
In the ocean, tides and winds push the water around. Obstacles such as land or underwater mountains create turbulence as the water hits them. All this movement of the water, much of it turbulent and moving in complex patterns, both on a large scale (e.g. along a coastline) and small scale (e.g. around a reef) churns and mixes the oceans' water.
See http://naturedocumentaries.org/839/perpetual-ocean-nasa/ “Perpetual Ocean from NASA” for excellent video of turbulence patterns in the world's oceans.
Water movement brings food to animals that can't move, and moves nutrients and heat around.
Some animals have a profound effect on ocean water mixing e.g. krill move en masse to the ocean surface to feed on algae, creating a moving current of water that brings nutrients from the bottom of the ocean to the surface. Phytoplankton (single-celled plants) at the ocean surface can then feed on these nutrients. When they die they sink to the bottom, cycling nutrients back to the deep ocean. http://www.antarctica.gov.au/magazine/2006-2010/issue-15-2008/science/k….
Some animals use these ocean currents to migrate: Loggerhead turtles migrate from Florida to the open ocean (where the young are safer), then return as adults. Atlantic Leatherbacks travel from Indonesia to Nova Scotia to feed on jellyfish. Pacific Leatherbacks have the longest migration on Earth: they are born in Japan, migrate to Mexico to feed on crabs, then head back to breed, nest. The Green Sea Turtle rides the East Australian Current, though does not go out into the open ocean (Crush in Finding Nemo).

For discussion of the movement of air in our atmosphere:
The turbulence patterns in the tray are the same as the turbulence patterns made by air flowing in our atmosphere (as both water and air are fluids, so behave similarly). When air flows past islands, mountain ranges or other obstacles, turbulence patterns are created. Visual of atmospheric turbulence patterns shown by clouds: http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view.php?id=72646

Focus the sun's energy on one point with a magnifier.
Test different materials to see if they can ignite. Do not stare at the focused spot of light for long - it will hurt your eyes.
(Dried grass ignites but printer paper does not.)
The magnifier focuses the sun's energy to a point, which is hot enough to ignite things that are really thin and dry.

Show the materials to the students.

Tell them that they will build their own devices that can make itself fly, or shoot a small object made from the materials, in a safe manner.
Introduce the idea of elastic potential force - the energy stored in a stretched elastic band or balloon can be used to fire. When the elastic returns to its original shape, it loses energy, and the energy is transformed to motion energy of the projectile.

Support original ideas, constant modification, while guiding to make the design better.
Encourage device development if necessary by breaking down the components of the device: what will produce the power (e.g. elastic band, balloon), what will be the structural strength (e.g. chopstick, possible stick, straw), and projectile (e.g. balled up paper, toothpick).

There are an infinite number of possibilities as to what they can build.

To make a sheet of sugar crystals:
Combine the sugar and water in the heat-proof container. Heat on a stove top to dissolve the sugar, stirring to help the sugar grains dissolve. Be careful not to heat it to much so that it boils over. The sugar solution is very hot, so best if an adult handles it while heating.
Pour into a shallow baking dish, or leave in the container it was heated in. A shallow layer will yield more crystals.
Place in an undisturbed spot. Crystals are seen in two days, a week is best to allow the crystals to grow larger.

The crystals form as the sugar molecules dissolved in the water come out of solution, to form a solid.

Crystals grow down from the surface or up from the bottom of the tray. Chip out a group of crystals and rinse very briefly in cold water to remove the sugary syrup. Allow to dry. Look for the shape of the sugar (sucrose) crystals. They are monoclinic prisms.

To make sugar crystals to eat:
Students will love to eat the crystals that they make. They are pure sugar, so very sweet - only a small amount for a child is needed.
After pouring the hot sugar solution into a baking dish, lay over the mesh. Students write their name on a popsicle stick, then are assisted in lowering the popsicle sticks through the mesh into the sugar solution. Use a clothes peg to support the stick on the mesh.
Crystals will grow on the popsicle stick where it is immersed. The sticks will need to be chipped out of the layer of crystals that form on the top of the sugar solution. Once the syrup is licked/washed in cold water off the crystals, their shapes can be seen quite well.