One of my favorite parts of hosting Science Mondays on KUSA-TV 9News is having guest helpers… and yesterday was no exception. I spent the afternoon with Sophie (6th grader) and Makayla (4th grader) as we experimented with different versions of the Bubbling Lava Lamp experiment.
Since this is live television, there’s no retakes or do-overs, as they call them. As you’ll see in the video, these sisters stole the show. When I watch other television science demonstrators work with kids, one of the things I look for is how scripted and rehearsed the kids are. As great as Mr. Wizard was back in the 1960s, his kid helpers were so overly scripted that it was comical. For example, when Mr. Wizard asked why the egg went into the bottle, little Susie replied, “Is it because the combustion in the flask created a rise
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Step aside Mr. Wizard. Move over Science Guy. Take a seat Mr. Spangler. There’s a new scientist in town. It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s Science Kiddo!
My team @SpanglerScience on Twitter recently tweeted with Christian’s mom right before he performed his first online video experiment. They posted Christian as Science Kiddo making a Lava Lamp with a test tube, water, oil and food coloring. There’s nothing better than getting your hands dirty and doing science at the kitchen table. We love what you are doing science superhero, so keep up the good work.
I always love the opportunity to share some of my favorite inexpensive science experiments. One of our favorites at the Spangler Science offices is making your own “lava lamp.” We take this one on the road, and it’s always a hit with teachers looking for unique, budget-friendly projects. Just add take a Baby Soda Bottle test tube, a True Colors tablet and a little oil and water… now you have your own bubbling potion. Just watch the video to find out how it works.
It was easy to see that this Steve Spangler session at the NAEYC 2006 Conference was going to be a little different. The stage was filled with the usual Spangler stuff… a vacuum cleaner, eggs, a saw, bowling balls, toilet paper rolls, giant bags, an aquarium of water, a violin bow, plenty of Alka-Seltzer, potatoes, Diet Coke and, of course, Mentos. Even before Bobbi finished the introduction, there were Mentos Geysers erupting and people running!
My thanks to everyone who attended my session at the NAEYC 2006 conference in Atlanta, Georgia. You’ll find links to the experiments and activities that I shared during the session as well as a few favorites that didn’t make it into the list of 20 Cool Science Activities Under $20. Click on the link below to download a PDF of the session handout:
