Labs

Exploring Aquatic Ecosystems: Fish Biology and Macro-invertebrates

By: Meghan Thoreau, OSU Extension Educator, Community Development & STEM, Pickaway County

This April students were introduced to aquatic ecosystems and learn about aquatic life and aquatic energy pyramids. The aquatic energy pyramid, also known as the aquatic food web or food pyramid, illustrates the feeding relationships and energy flow within aquatic ecosystems. Here’s a breakdown:

Levels of the Aquatic Energy Pyramid, from the bottom up:
  • Primary Producers (Phytoplankton): Microscopic plants, such as algae and cyanobacteria, that convert sunlight into energy through photosynthesis.
  • Primary/First Order Consumers (Zooplankton): Small animals, like cope-pods and krill, that feed on phytoplankton.
  • Secondary Consumers/Intermediate Predators (Small Fish and Invertebrates): Fish, such as minnows and bluegills, and invertebrates, like dragonflies, mayflies, and caddisflies, crayfish, or snails that prey on zooplankton and macro-invertebrates.

  • Tertiary Consumers/Top Predators (Large Fish and Aquatic Mammals): Apex predators, including large fish (Largemouth bass, Northern pike, Muskie, Walleye), aquatic mammals (river otters, alligators), and birds (herons, egrets, ospreys, or eagles,) that feed on secondary consumers.

Department of Natural Resources Fish Hatchery. (n.d.). Aquatic Biomass Pyramid Display. Detroit Lakes, MN. Retrieved from https://www.behance.net/gallery/10046285/Aquatic-Biomass-Pyramid-Display.

The students learned how to take a plankton sample, use a dropper to create a slide, and work a microscope to examine for plankton and various aquatic insects in their samples. They also discussed what aquatic macro-invertebrates are and the many types of animals that fall under this category.

Aquatic macro-invertebrates are small, multicellular animals that live in water and lack a backbone. They are typically visible to the naked eye and play crucial roles in aquatic ecosystems. Examples include:
  • Insect larvae (mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies)
  • Crustaceans (crayfish, shrimp)
  • Mollusks (snails, clams)
These organisms are important indicators of water quality, serving as food for fish and other aquatic animals, and helping to break down organic matter, many of which are depicted below:

Blue Ridge Discovery Center. (2015, June 18). The Aquatic Macroinvertebrates of Wilson Creek. https://blueridgediscoverycenter.org/blueridgediscoverycenterblog/2015/6/18/the-aquatic-macroinvertebrates-of-wilson-creek

Live samples were made available for the students to identify and categorize into groups, which they learned enables scientists to infer water quality.

Students also learned the parts of a fish and use a dichotomous key to identify the fish to family level. Students studied multiple fish species (fresh and print) to handle and identify. An aquatic OSU Ohio Sea Grant Educator conducted a fish dissection for the group, with a focus on identifying internal anatomy and as time allows, discussion on fish as food.

Students finally got hands-on experience creating their own custom fishing lures, combining artistry and engineering to design effective lures that mimic the movement and appearance of baitfish, ultimately gaining a deeper understanding of the science behind fishing and aquatic ecosystems.

Lure making is the process of creating artificial fishing lures that mimic the appearance, movement, and scent of prey to attract fish. It involves various materials and techniques, such as:

  • Shaping and molding plastics, woods, or metals
  • Adding hooks, weights, and hardware
  • Applying paints, coatings, and finishes
  • Incorporating attractants like scents or sounds

Lure making allows anglers to customize their lures for specific fishing conditions, target species, and personal preferences.

Peer-reviewed by: Tory Gabriel, OSU Extension Specialist, Program Manager, Ohio Sea Grant College Program.

The Science of Concrete, and Why it Matters!

By: Meghan Thoreau, OSU Extension Educator, Community Development & STEM, Pickaway County

The Science of Concrete

Concrete is a composite material made from a mixture of cement, water, aggregates (such as sand or gravel), and admixtures (chemical additives). When cement comes into contact with water, it undergoes a chemical reaction called hydration, which forms a hardened paste that binds the aggregates together.

The Concrete Mixing Process

The process of mixing concrete involves combining the ingredients in the correct proportions and mixing them until a uniform consistency is achieved. The mixing process can be done manually or using a machine.

Making Concrete Stepping Stones

To make concrete stepping stones, you will need:

  • Concrete mix
  • Water
  • A mold to shape the stepping stone
  • A release agent to prevent the concrete from sticking to the mold

  • Optional: decorative aggregates, such as small rocks or shells, to add texture and visual interest

Basic process for making concrete stepping stones:

  • Prepare the mold: Before pouring in the concrete mixture, make sure the mold is clean and dry. Apply a release agent to prevent the concrete from sticking to the mold.

  • Mix the concrete: Follow the instructions on the concrete mix package to combine the correct proportions of mix and water. Mix until a uniform consistency is achieved.
  • Add decorative aggregates (optional): If desired, add small rocks, shells, or other decorative aggregates to the concrete mixture for added texture and visual interest.
  • Pour the concrete mixture into the mold: Pour the mixed concrete into the prepared mold, making sure to fill it to the top.
  • Vibrate the mold (optional): If you have a vibrating tool, such as a vibrating plate or a tamping tool, use it to vibrate the mold and eliminate any air bubbles in the concrete. If not, tap side of mold with firm finger tips for two to three minutes.
  • Allow the concrete to set: Let the concrete set and harden in the mold. This can take anywhere from a few hours to overnight, depending on the temperature and humidity.
  • Remove the stepping stone from the mold: Once the concrete has hardened, remove the stepping stone from the mold. If necessary, use a release agent to help release the stone from the mold.
  • Seal the stepping stone (optional): To protect the stepping stone from the elements and extend its lifespan, apply a concrete sealer according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

  • Seal the stepping stone (optional): To protect the stepping stone from the elements and extend its lifespan, apply a concrete sealer according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

 

Color Science, Abstract Art, and a C.S.I. Chromatography Lab Challenge

By: Meghan Thoreau, OSU Extension Educator

Enjoy the program highlight video above. This past November students engaged in several hands-on activities that allowed them to learn more about chemistry by adding a little color to it.

Chemistry of Milk and Soap Molecules 

First students experimented in a rainbow milk activity where they learned first hand about how cow’s milk and soap molecules interact with each other by add food coloring to the mix to visual the reaction.

milk chemistry poster

https://i0.wp.com/www.compoundchem.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/The-chemistry-of-milk-v2.png?ssl=1

Cow’s milk contains water, fat globules, proteins, minerals, and vitamins that are spread throughout the liquid. Of this composition, fats and proteins are very sensitive to changes in the milk solution they comprise. Whereas detergent, such as dish soap is made up of anionic, non-ionic, and amphoteric surfactants.

soap chemistry poster

https://i0.wp.com/www.compoundchem.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/The-chemistry-of-a-dishwasher.png?ssl=1

Sufactants help with wetting, degreasing, and foaming in the washing processes, where as non-ionic surfactants improve the functional properties of liquids, so they act as surfactant auxiliaries.

https://melscience.com/BE-en/chemistry/experiments/colors-v2_milk/

What happens chemically with the soap molecules and the fats in the milk?

The soap’s polar, or hydrophilic (water-loving), end dissolves in water, and its hydrophobic (water-fearing) end attaches to a fat globule in the milk. The molecules of fat bend, roll, twist, and contort in all directions as the soap molecules race around to join up with the fat molecules.

 

experimenting with milk and soap

Student adding soap molecules to milk sample.

What does the term hydrophilic mean?

Well let’s break it down. The  prefix “hydro” means water and the suffix “philic” means loving. Thus hydrophilic means water-loving. A hydrophilic molecule is a molecule that can mix and interact with water.

water loving diagram

To observed this chemical interaction, we added food coloring drops into the milk, dipped a tooth pick or q-tip into dish soap and poked it into the milk and chemistry was witnessed before their very eyes.

The opposite of hydrophilic is hydrophobic, substances that repel water, “hydros” for water and “phobos” for fear.

More Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions: Creating Abstract Art by Applying Chemistry

 

abstract art

Student created abstract art by applied chemistry.

To continue reinforcing this concept of molecular play, students were lead through another chemistry experiment were they made abstract art with shaving cream, food coloring, and paper.

Soap is an interesting molecule because it has both hydrophilic and hydrophobic components, or what we call amphipathic, depicted in the image above. A soap molecule looks a bit like a snake, in which the head is polar and hydrophilic and the tail is non-polar and hydrophobic.

soap molecule diagram

https://www.themacbath.com/blog/2016/6/27/back-to-basics-what-is-soap

Shaving is a foam that is comprised of soap and air. Food color is a dye that was dissolved in water, and is therefore hydrophilic. Students added a few drops of food coloring into a tray of shaving cream. The food coloring can only interact with the hydrophilic head of the soap molecules and thus has limited mobility.

The students take advantage of this limited mobility characteristic of the shaving cream’s chemistry and take a tooth pick and swirl the drops of food coloring for a few seconds. They then take a sheet of paper and place it on top of their shaving cream and add a little pressure.

Paper is composed of cellulose with is comprised of polar hydroxyl (or oxygen and hydrogen) that make paper very hydrophilic. The food coloring which is also very hydrophilic, can spread very easily across the paper to stamp a distinct pattern from the shaving cream to the paper; similar to a printing press, but her used for abstract art printing.

Chromatography C.S.I. Lab

The students started the last experiment, by learning how science terms can be broken down and be very informative by just understanding how terminology is used. For example, the club activity used Chromatography,  chromat/o means “color” and –graphy means “the process of recording,” therefore chromatography is “the process of recording color.” The break down of science terms can be very specific and informative to learning.Just like photography is “the process of recording a light” which was the original science process behind how traditional photographs were developed.

Or take Instagram, the social media company, used a terminology naming approach to describe their social media site. Insta- means “instant” or quickly produced. Gram means “to record,” so Instagram means “to record instantly.”

Students preparing to start the C.S.I. Chromatography lab experiment.

Now back to the student run C.S.I. Lab experiment, students began lab technicians that analyzed evidence in theft case of, Who done it? The were given six different pens found in possession of six suspects and a ransom letter left by person who stole a Christmas tree.Students analyzed the evidence by studying the black ink in six different pens vs. the black ink sample found on the ransom letter. The students already were clued into what Chromatography was because they learned to how to breakdown the term. They were involved in “the process of recording color,” more specifically by separating components of the black ink samples, into two phases, stationary to mobile phases, and then compare the results against the black ink sample of the ransom letter.

Students adding black ink samples of six pens to the chromatography paper.

Chromatography paper is a powerful analytical tool. Students added the six ink samples to the paper. They allowed the paper to slowly absorb water, which in turn took the station ink sample and the ink sample and allowed it to move through the fibers of the paper into its mobile phase. This process separated the ink substance which is a low-molecular-mass and move it between its stationary phase and mobile phase.

chromatography results

Student C.S.I. lab sample comparison of ransom letter and six black ink samples collected.

The results were very conclusive and turned over to the Pickaway County’s Sheriffs Department to further inform their investigation of who stole the Christmas tree case.

Understanding Chemical Reactions and Exploring Careers in Chemistry

By: Meghan Thoreau, OSU Extension Educator

Chemistry is a part of everyday life. This month we focused on improving our students’ understanding of the importance of chemical reactions in our lives in producing many of the things we take for granted. We also worked on improving their recognition and comprehension of what is involved in a chemical change through hands-on chemistry labs. Check out our two-minute program highlight video for a recap below:

Students learned the five signs of a chemical change firsthand:

  1. Color Change
  2. Production of an odor
  3. Change of Temperature
  4. Evolution of a gas (formation of bubbles)
  5. Precipitate (formation of a solid)

Students learned that atoms are the smallest units of elements that still retain the element’s properties. And that, atoms contain electrons, neutrons, and protons. In addition, they learned that each element is defined by the number of protons in its nucleus. Students used a periodic table handout to find the different elements we used in our hands-on chemistry labs.

Then we expanded to explain how elements can combine and form molecules. In a chemical change, the molecules in the reactants interact to form new substances.

Atom Diagram Images – Browse 13,302 Stock Photos, Vectors, and Video | Adobe Stock

Another important aspect of the program was exploring the many careers in chemistry. Take a moment and click through the Careers in Chemistry Prezi presentation with your child or use it in your classroom. The data used comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) is a valuable online resource to explore and is also available through the CareerInfo app. Both Web and the App, include 300+ occupational profiles that cover about 4 out of 5 jobs in the economy. You can browse job profiles by occupational group or top lists—or find a specific job type with a simple search and learn information that will impact education and career planning decisions such as median pay, entry-level education, on-the-job training, number of new jobs projected, growth rate, and career highlight videos, on the hundreds of occupations that provide most jobs in the United States. Click on a QR code to download the CareerInfo app to your mobile devices now!

 

 

November’s Foldscope Microscope and Biology Lab Challenge

By: Meghan Thoreau, OSU Extension Educator, Community Development & STEM, Pickaway County

Program Highlight Video

A Foldscope is an ultra-affordable, paper microscope. It was designed to be extremely portable, and durable, and to give optical quality similar to conventional research microscopes (magnification of 140X and 2-micron resolution). The Foldscope brings hands-on microscopy to new places and is especially great for our young STEMist to learn and explore with.

Students learned the basic components of a microscope, built their origami microscopes (as a take-home STEM project), and engaged in a hands-on biology investigation lab.

Image source: STEM Club Foldscope Presentation, go.osu.edu/foldscope

Students also engaged in a club discussion on different research methods used in science.

QUANTITATIVE DATA collection which is in a numerical form that can be put into categories, in rank order, or measured in units of measurement. This type of data can be used to construct graphs and tables of raw data.

VS

QUALITATIVE DATA collection which is empirical, observations, surveys, or interviews. This type of data provides insights into the problem(s), and helps to develop ideas or hypotheses for potential quantitative research. Used to uncover trends and dive deeper into the problem.

The Foldscope is a learning product that can be self-assembled and includes art through hands-on origami, photography, and drawing what is observed. Foldscope is used in classrooms in over 130 countries worldwide. You can skim through the presentation by visiting go.osu.edu/foldscope.

October’s Halloween STEM Challenges, Part 1: Science of Color, Vision, and Phosphorescent

We covered a lot of material last month. We thought we’d take advantage of the spooky mystery themes of Halloween and challenge our students to become science detectives, experimenting with hands-on activities involving chromatography, perception of vision, and phosphorescent slime chemistry. We also learned about atoms, electrons, batteries, LEDs, and simple circuits.

Two Minute Video Highlight of Program

DAY 1

Chromatography

The students became CSI lab technicians, tasked with solving a who-done-it pumpkin theft. All that was left at the scene of the crime was a letter demanding cookies! No fingerprints were found, but six suspects were brought in for questioning and all six had different black markers on their person. The marker evidence was tagged and brought to the CSI lab along with the random letter for further analysis. Marker samples were taken and a chromatography test was performed by our young lab technicians.

Chromatography is a laboratory technique for the separation of a mixture (more specifically separation of molecules) and in our case black marker ink molecules. The ink was dissolved in a water solution process of mobile to stationary phase, revealing distinct ink-finger prints for comparative analysis against an ink sample taken from the random note. The students discovered different ink molecules travel at different speeds, causing them to separate and reveal distinct color patterns that could help identify the pumpkin thief from the six suspects.

People don’t often pick up a marker or pen and think of molecules,  but ink and paints are made up of atoms and the molecules, like everything, follow rules. Ink and paints follow the standard CPK rule, which is a popular color convention for distinguishing atoms of different chemical elements in molecular modeling (named after the chemists Robert Corey, Linus Pauling, and Walter Koltun). Basically, certain elements are associated with different colors. For example,

  • Hydrogen = White
  • Oxygen = Red
  • Chlorine = Green
  • Nitrogen = Blue
  • Carbon = Grey
  • Sulphur = Yellow
  • Phosphorus = Orange
  • Other = Varies – mostly Dark Red/Pink/Maroon

Teays Valley High school mentor, Drew Dean, assists elementary students with our chromatography lab.

PERSISTENCE OF VISION

Persistence of vision refers to the optical illusion that occurs when visual perception of an object does not cease for some time after the rays of light proceeding from it have ceased to enter the eye. The discovery was first discussed in 1824 when an English-Swiss physicist named Peter Mark Roget presented a paper, “Explanation of an Optical Deception in the Appearance of the Spokes of a Wheel when seen through Vertical Apertures” to the Royal Society in London. Shortly after, in 1832, a Belgian physicist Joseph Plateau built a toy that took advantage of the optical illusion trick. (Photo below source: http://streamline.filmstruck.com/2012/01/07/the-persistence-of-persistence-of-vision/)

The toy made images move independently but overlapped them or when placed in a series made them look as if they were walking, running, juggling, dancing. This concept soon laid the foundation for early filmmaking. (Photo below source be: http://1125996089.rsc.cdn77.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/persistence-of-vision-transit.jpg)

The students learned how our eyes report basic imaginary back to the brain, or rather how our eyes perceive shapes, their motion, and their relative position from other objects. The students discovered that eyes are not simple windows to the world. Eyes do not see what is, but instead, see approximations.

PHOSPHORESCENT SLIME

The students learned how different objects glow in the dark. First, students learned that heat is a good emitter of light, such as a fire or an old-fashioned light bulb, but heat isn’t always required to make something appear to glow. For example, bedroom glow-in-the-dark stickers, glow sticks, or fireflies do not require heat. The stickers and even certain types of rocks, like the Bologna Stone, require several hours of light to charge them in order to later glow. But glow sticks and fireflies, do not require heat or light, but instead, deal with chemistry where two different elements are mixed together to make a ‘luminescent’ compound.

We talked about phosphorescence and the process in which energy absorbed by a substance is released slowly in the form of light. Unlike the relatively swift reactions in fluorescence, such as those seen in a common fluorescent tube, phosphorescent materials “store” absorbed energy for a longer time, as the processes required to re-emit energy occur less often.

Finally, we let the students become chemists and make their own phosphorescent slime for later glow in the dark fun after the compound was charged by light. The young chemists used measuring devices to concoct their spooky slime recipe.

Make another batch at home with your young chemist:

  1. Add 20.0 mL of glue to cup
  2. Add 15.0 mL of water to cup
  3. STIR!
  4. Drop of preferred food coloring
  5. STIR!
  6. Add a drop of glow in the dark phosphorescence paint
  7. Add 12.0 mL of BORAX solution
  8. STIR! It will be runny until you take it out of the cup and start to play with it.

 

The Red Planet: Learning about Mars Missions

By: Meghan Thoreau, OSU Extension Educator, Community Development & STEM, Pickaway County

Access the Red Planet: learning about Mars Missions presentation here.

Students learned about the Red Planet and the history of Mars exploration that date back to the early 1960s. We saw the first close-up photographs of Mars lunar-type impact craters in 1964 from NASA’s Mariner 4 and started studying its solar winds. Six decades later we are witnessing another phase of global exploration of Mars. Last July 2020 approximately 7 months ago three spacecraft launched to Mars.

Why did they all launch around the same time?

Launches to Mars are best attempted every 26-months when our two planets align in their orbits for the shortest trip.

February’s Mars Missions

The first mission to reach Mars was the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Hope Mission. The country has never launched a mission beyond Earth’s orbit before and hopes to drive a new economy around science and not oil. Hope’s pro entered Mars’ orbit on February 9, 2021, and will stay in orbit between 12,430 and 26,700 miles above the surface, completing a revolution of Mars once every 55-hours studying the atmosphere of Mars and the AMrtian weather.

UAE photo source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanocallaghan/2020/07/13/the-united-arab-emirates-is-about-to-launch-its-first-ever-mission-to-mars/?sh=15af8fbd3a60

The second interplanetary mission to reach Mars came from China’s Tianwen-1 (Heavenly Questions) robotic spacecraft consisting of an orbiter, deployable camera, lander, and rover. The spacecraft entered Mars’ orbit on February 10, 2021. China may become the third nation to reach the surface of Mars! The science objectives its mission hopes to achieve:

  • create a geological map of Mars
  • explore the characteristics of the soil and potentially locate water-ice deposits
  • analyze the surface material composition
  • investigate the atmosphere and climate at the surface
  • understand the electromagnetic and gravitational fields of the planet

Photo sources: https://www.cnet.com/news/chinas-tianwen-1-mars-mission-is-arriving-at-the-red-planet-what-you-need-to-know/ and https://www.cnet.com/news/chinas-tianwen-1-mars-mission-is-arriving-at-the-red-planet-what-you-need-to-know/

The NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover landed in Jezero Crater on Mars on February 18, 2021, and will search for signs of ancient microbial life, which will advance NASA’s quest to explore the past habitability of Mars. The rover has a drill to collect core samples of Martian rock and soil, then store them in sealed tubes for pickup by a future mission that would ferry them back to Earth for detailed analysis.

Perseverance will also test technologies to help pave the way for future human exploration of Mars, including deploying the first Mars helicopter, Ingenuity, a technology demonstration to test the first powered flight on Mars.

Earth Benefits from Space Exploration

Private companies and government space programs are shaping the future of space exploration. The research and engineering effects going into these missions have a direct benefit to Earth as many of the technologies and uses can also be applied here on Earth. Read this Culture Trip article, The Earthly Benefits of a Mission to Mars, to learn more.

Hands-on Virtual Mars Base Camp Challenges

Each club member received Mars Base Camp Kit and together we explored Mars challenges together virtually through Zoom. The Landing Zone Surveyor challenge allows youth to discover features on the surface of Mars that are important, selecting a safe landing site, learning about the Martian landscape, and determine where to set up a future base camp.

NASA lives and breaths the engineering design process. There have been over a dozen surface landing attempts to land on the surface of Mars, but with each attempt, a learning process occurs through the successes, failures, and re-engineering for future space missions.

Image from Planetary.org

Together we all dropped parachutes onto a grided Mars surface. This involved some skills and unknown variables in the parachute deployment. There were several possible outcomes, some failures, and some successful rover landings.

Together we identifying the different landing sites both visually through photographs and imagery. We shared reading out loud the associated landing site cards and gained a better understanding of the varied Martian landscape. We learned a lot of essential geography terms, such as channel, dune, fault, ice cap, impact crater, lander, lava flow, orbiter, remote sensing, rover, and volcano, and learned how they compared to the geography of Earth.

STEM club member participating virtually in Landing Zone Surveyor Challenge

The second Mars challenged we tackled was the Red Planet Odyssey. This activity involved learning more about simple circuits, simple motors, power, mechanical gears, and how they all work together with using the engineering design process to build a STEM rover and solve basic mechanical problems.

Bowling Green State University Scholar Shares Her Research Experience

By: Allison Cheek of Bowling Green State University, Candidate of Math and Science Education

Research Experience

This past fall, I was an incoming college freshman and I was told I would be participating in a research group. As a scholar of Bowling Green State University’s Science and Math in ACTION Program, I was allowed to participate in a research group. Research is part of our first-year requirements in the program. I thought that was very intimidating, having to conduct research with a team, as well as moving to a college campus and beginning college classes for the first time. Reflecting over this past year, I could not have been more wrong about being a part of a research group! Being on a research team has been an enlightening and satisfying experience. 

Illustration: an urban heat island. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech, https://climatekids.nasa.gov/heat-islands/

Research Focus: Urban Heat Island

I joined a research group that focused on finding the hottest and coolest places on Bowling Green State University’s campus. Bowling Green is part of an urban heat island. An urban heat island occurs when the temperature is higher in a city than the surrounding rural areas because there are so many man-made structures in one place, such as asphalt parking lots, buildings, concrete structures, and cars. 

Camera Technology

My group and I wanted to find the hottest places on campus and find ways to cool the temperature on campus. We collected data each week at twelve locations throughout campus. Five locations were natural, such as; ponds, grass, and green roofs. Seven locations were man-made, such as roofs and asphalt parking lots. At each location, we recorded the air temperature and surface temperature by using infrared thermometers, as well as FLIR thermal cameras. 

FLIR T540 Professional Thermal Camera, photo credit: https://www.flir.com/

Roofing Systems

After collecting data for eight weeks, we concluded that the parking lots and roofs on campus had the hottest temperatures. After extensive research, we found that solutions to lower the temperatures on Bowling Green’s campus are to plant trees and vegetation, as well as implement green roofs and stone roofs. 

Green and stone roof systems diagrams, credits: http://www.coninnco.com/building-envelope/dow-building-solutions/inverted-roof-systems, http://godfreyroofing.com/commercial/education/roofing-articles/introduction-to-green-roofing/

Solutions

Using our conclusive solutions, we wrote a Green Fund Grant Proposal to BGSU to implement stone roofs to coat the roof of a dorm with no air conditioning, to cool temperatures. 

 

Graph 1: Natural vs. Man-made Surface Temperature and Air Temperatures created by Allison Cheek and an aerial image of McDonald Hall’s proposed roof site, at Bowling Green State University.

Seek Out Researching Opportunities

Being part of this research team was extremely rewarding for me. We were able to collect data, collaborate ideas, and attempt to implement a solution to cooling BGSU’s campus. I have seen the scientific method come to life with the process of research. Being able to participate in research at a university has been a wonderful experience and I would highly recommend participating in exploration if given the opportunity. This experience has helped me apply my scientific knowledge and make a difference by improving Bowling Green’s campus.

I am grateful to the ACTION Program and to my research advisor, Dr. Jodi Haney, for making this opportunity possible!

Photo: Left Allison Cheek, right Alyson Blunk, research students at BGSU.

 

Chem Basics and Career Exploration

By: Meghan Thoreau, OSU Extension Educator

Last month our young STEMists tacked chemistry basics, the periodic table, what makes up an atom, and chemical and physical changes. (Note: 360-video @ the end of the post!)

DAY 1

The students started the club session with an interactive presentation highlighting several careers in chemistry. All the careers mentioned have a short career highlight video to provide good visualizes of what the jobs entail, as well as how much additional education is expected. The students also learned the differences between credentials, such as an Associate Degree, a Bachler’s, a Master’s, and having a PhD. We were only able to allow the kids to pick five or six careers during the club, so please sit down and re-explore the interactive presentation with your child at home!

Figure 1: Image from the program presentation by Meghan Thoreau, go.osu.edu/chemistrycareers.

They learned about atoms, which is made up of three tiny kinds of particles called subatomic particles: protons, neutrons, and electrons. The protons and the neutrons make up the center of the atom called the nucleus and the electrons fly around above the nucleus in a small cloud.

Figure 2: Photo by Meghan Thoreau captures one of Ms. Walley’s many chemistry wearables. The sweater shirt depicts the element Helium. Helium’s atomic parts are pictures to the right.

Figure 3: the periodic table.

The students then began exploring the periodic table and how elements are organized and what different forms the elements exist at room temperature. They further familiarized themselves by playing a couple of games: Element Scrabble, spelling words with the element’s symbols and Periodic Table Battleship, strategically call out the period, the group, and the name of each element to sink their opponent’s ships.

Figure 4: Photos by Meghan Thoreau depicting element scrabble and periodic battleship learning games.

DAY 2

Students applied what they learned from Day 1 about chemical and physical changes to the hands-on chem labs. They learned that chemical changes have certain indicators: change in color, gas produced, temperature change, light produced, precipitate forms, or are irreversible.

The students broke up into groups and did a series of chemical experiments to see first hand what chemical changes look, feel, and smell like.

Figure 5: video highlight of STEM Club: Chem Basics by Meghan Thoreau produced in iMovies. Retrieve from: https://youtu.be/peZvyjRWB9s.

If slime is still permitted in your household and you’re looking for a Super Fluffy Slime Recipe try this:

  1. put 3 cups shaving cream in a bowl
  2. Add in 1/4-1/2 tsp of baking soda and stir
  3. Mix in 1/2 cup of glue and stir
  4. Add 1 full tbsp of saline solution and a coating on hands
  5. Mix until mixture forms a fluffy slimeball

Next month Dr. Brooke Beam, OSU Extension Educator from Highland County will lead us into learning about 360 technology and video and photo production. The students will be exposed to 360 educational VR experiences for an immersive learning adventure. Testing out the new 360 camera, here’s a clip below:

Figure 6: 360 short video highlight of STEM Club: Chem Basics by Meghan Thoreau produced in GoPro. Retrieve from: https://youtu.be/6JUQny_TdPI.