Science Sampler Adventure 2

Monday was all about butterflies. We took a tour of the Museum’s Butterfly Garden and recorded our observations in our journals. We also completed a scavenger hunt! Later, we did a hands-on activity to demonstrate the differences between butterflies and moths as well as observe some actual specimens.  We learned that some butterflies and moths use camouflage as an adaptation to protect themselves from predators. To demonstrate this, we played a game in which we pretended to be predators. We used straws as our beaks, and it was our job to try and pick out as many butterflies as we could in 10 seconds. For our craft on Monday, we made our very own butterfly wings!

Tuesday we built bottle rockets! We worked in groups of either 2 or 3 to sketch and build a rocket that we launched later in the day. Using a bike pump and a special attachment, we pumped air into our bottle rocket. We then pulled a string to release the build-up of pressure causing our rocket to propel high into the sky.

Wednesday we went to the Arboretum. We talked about how some animals use camouflage for defense, then played a game in which we tried to camouflage ourselves in the peony bushes.  We were also each given a set of cards with various animals and plants found in the Arboretum to complete a scavenger hunt.

Thursday was all about natural disasters. We made volcanoes and erupted them using baking soda, vinegar, and dish soap! We also talked about how tornadoes form, and used tornado tubes to mimic and view the eye of a tornado. Our group also used different sounds such as clapping, stomping, and snapping to create a story and imitate the sounds of a thunderstorm. We also discussed earthquakes. We built a structure over two desks using building blocks. The space between the desks represented a  fault-line to demonstrate the destruction that can happen during an earthquake.