sagira Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 We have finished our science curriculum for the year (BFSU - yay!) and now each one of my children are getting ready to work on their month-long science investigations, lewelma-style. Thing is, this is my first time doing this and I'm not sure how to proceed from their ideas. If lewelma will be reading this, I would appreciate it if she chimed in :) My youngest (6) wants to bake chocolate chip cookies with different types of flours (cheap, mainstream, fancier). This is fairly straightforward - I think - and I need to keep everything else the same and only change the flour. interview more than 4 test subjects, take copious notes. My oldest (10) wants to somehow collect all the data on volcanoes and using this data (somehow) to predict volcano eruptions. I'm like :huh: and need help with this. Is this feasable? How do we go about this? Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 We have finished our science curriculum for the year (BFSU - yay!) and now each one of my children are getting ready to work on their month-long science investigations, lewelma-style. Thing is, this is my first time doing this and I'm not sure how to proceed from their ideas. If lewelma will be reading this, I would appreciate it if she chimed in :) My youngest (6) wants to bake chocolate chip cookies with different types of flours (cheap, mainstream, fancier). This is fairly straightforward - I think - and I need to keep everything else the same and only change the flour. interview more than 4 test subjects, take copious notes. My oldest (10) wants to somehow collect all the data on volcanoes and using this data (somehow) to predict volcano eruptions. I'm like :huh: and need help with this. Is this feasable? How do we go about this? Any ideas? I'm so glad that you decided to try investigations! What fun! cookies: I would have the subjects answer different questions using a numeric scale (some people do: 1 strongly disagree to 5 strongly agree). So for example, chewiness (1 not chewy at all to 5 super chewy), mouth appeal, etc, rather than have them just describe what they thought. With numbers, you can actually do some graphing (which is always really cute with a 6 year old). :001_smile: As for predicting volcanoes, personally, I would try for a different project given that this is your first one. I assume you don't have an sensitive seismometer laying around your house. However, if your 10 year old is adamant that he wants to study volcanoes, then I would suggest that he models volcanic eruptions. He could use the standard baking soda and vinegar thing, but then build different volcanoes for it to come out of - high/short, big/small opening, different types of lava (mix it with ketsup to thicken etc). Then you could measure how high the lava shoots out, or how far it travels, etc. You would want him to do research on different types of volcanic eruptions and how they form different land forms (caldera's, cones, flats, etc). Happy to kick some more ideas around, Ruth in NZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted July 2, 2014 Author Share Posted July 2, 2014 Thanks, lewelma! I ran these suggestions by my oldest and he would still prefer to do volcanoes (BTW we live nowhere near one). I like your idea of building different volcanoes with different materials and measuring the distance of spewing and such. Ketchup for thickness? Would have never thought of that. Wonder if molasses would be too thick ha. I'm excited and nervous at the same time, but thrilled that we are doing this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted July 2, 2014 Author Share Posted July 2, 2014 I also love the research idea! We had touched upon volcanoes with BFSU 2, and it sparked his interest. I will let you know if I have any more questions :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Ketchup for thickness? Would have never thought of that. Wonder if molasses would be too thick . The molasses might attract ants :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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