Did you know that this week is National Recycling Week? Well, it is! :- And, in celebration of this week, we have been busy educating the girls about the importance of recycling while also having a blast doing science experiments at home, inspired by the hit series, "Annedroids," which launched on Amazon Prime Instant Video in July of this year. If you follow my blog, then you have probably read posts about this show, and how my girls and love it. If you are not familiar with "Annedroids," which is available through Amazon Prime Instant Video, then here is a quick synopsis and trailer, so you can see what you have been missing. :-)
Show Synopsis:
"Annedroids is a science-based live-action action-adventure series designed for 4 to 9 year old children. The premise of the series, which follows the adventures of young scientist-inventor Anne, her friends Nick and Shania and the androids Anne has created, provides rich opportunities for learning about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In particular, watching Anne and her friends conduct their experiments and create their inventions will allow viewers to observe the processes of scientific inquiry and technological problem-solving in action while also learning about science concepts and seeing positive attitudes towards learning exhibited.
The focus in Annedroids on the processes of scientific inquiry and technological problem-solving (the science and engineering practices Performance Expectation Area) is particularly valuable from an education standpoint, as these processes are critical to science education, yet often are not well understood. This is a real educational strength of the show."
There has always been a disconnect when it comes to girls and science. I remember back in school I was pushed more into the business administrative field rather than math and sciences. But, I had a love for science and health and made a point to take classes, which were predominantly filled with boys, so that I could learn all that I could about science. Yes, math was never a strong point for me, but science and health topics did come easy, and thus I pursued this further in college, where I received a degree in public health.
But, just like I saw in high school, college science and math classes were predominantly men. I told myself that if I had girls in the future, that I would introduce them to science at a young age, so that they would get excited about, like I was. And, if they wanted to pursue classes or a job in this field, I would help them be successful. Now, years later, I have two girls and am making every effort to expose them and teach them about science. From educational shows that talk about science to doing fun in-home science experiments, I love watching the girls' eyes light up as they learn all about science.
When I first heard about Amazon Prime Instant Video making a show, where the lead character would be a young girl around 11 yrs. old age, and how the show would be about science and the girl's love of building things in her junkyard using recycled items, as well as doing science experiments with her friends based on hypothesis she had, I knew this would be a great show not just for my girls, but for all the girl out there. My girls and I have been watching this series from the beginning and now the show is in its second season. Each and every episode of "Annedroids" which is only available through Amazon Prime Instant Video, are filled with new science concepts, fun projects and experiments that you could do at home, as well as offer up a great dialogue for parents and kids to talk about what they saw and learned.
With National Recycling Week this week, I wanted to do some fun activities with the girls at home, and looked to Annedroids for inspiration. Both of my girls love when we do science experiments at home (especially when they can be hands on, too), and loved the Helping Hand episode from Season One, which was about chemical reactions. After looking online and to the show for experiment ideas, I came up with a few of fun experiments that the girls were able to help my husband and I with this past weekend.
Savannah -- Practicing "Safety First" with Her Goggles :-)
You can also add in a few drops of food coloring to see how the food coloring moves from the oil layer and mixes with the water. Pretty neat, huh? See...science is fun! :-)
Reusing the ingredients from the first experiment, we did another fun experiment with the girls which only needed the addition of an Alka Seltzer tablet. The experiment is called "Easy Lava Lamp" and the instructions are below:
Materials Needed:
- Water
- Clear plastic soda bottle
- Vegetable oil
- Food coloring
- Alka-Seltzer tablet (or other tablets that fizz)
Instructions:
- Pour water into the plastic bottle until it is about one quarter the way filled.
- Pour enough vegetable oil into the bottle with water until it is almost full.
- Wait until the water and oil separate and then add a dozen or so drops of food coloring to the bottle.
- Watch as the food coloring falls through the oil and mixes with the water.
- Cut the Alka-Seltzer tablet into smaller pieces (about 5-6) and drop one by one into the bottle, waiting for the fizz to stop after each one.
- When the bubbling stops, add another piece until the tablet is used up. Enjoy the show!
We ended up saving the best science experiment for last -- Elephant Toothpaste. :-)
Materials Needed:
- Empty plastic soda bottle (16 oz.)
- 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide (3% or stronger)
- 1 pkg. of yeast
- 1/4 cup of warm water
- dish soap
Instructions:
- Parents: Pour the peroxide into the empty soda bottle
- Kids: Place a few drops of food coloring into the bottles filled with peroxide.
- Kids: Squirt a few drops of dish soap into the bottle and swirl to mix.
- Parents/Kids: In a cup, mix the yeast and warm water for a few seconds to combine. Pour the yeast mixture into the bottle with the peroxide. Then, move back a bit. Watch what happen!
After you are done with the experiment, you can talk to your child(ren) about what they saw.
Let them observe and feel the foam, which will be warm to the touch.
Talk to them about the chemical changes that occurred. Note: If you use strong hydrogen peroxide (6% can be found in beauty stores), the reaction will be bigger. :-)
Let them observe and feel the foam, which will be warm to the touch.
Talk to them about the chemical changes that occurred. Note: If you use strong hydrogen peroxide (6% can be found in beauty stores), the reaction will be bigger. :-)
The girls had so much fun doing the above experiments and are looking forward to more (as promised) that we will do during the week. If you are looking for something fun to do with the kids, or are looking to exposure your daughters/granddaughters to science, why not make an afternoon of it by doing some of the above science experiments. And, if you are an Amazon Prime member, make sure you check out this wonderful series for kids. It is hard to find a show where the lead character is a girl, and this show has just this. "Annedroids" will get the girls in your life excited about science by turning recycled items into something new, as well as creating their own hypothesis and solving them through science. Like they say, "One person's junk is another person's treasure"...and the Annedroids episodes show just how much fun it is to be creative and turn trash into your own treasures.
So, why not join me during National Recycling Week and see what treasures you and your children can come up with, or explore science with the above science experiments we did with the girls using items found around the house. Have fun!
Don't forget to follow "Annedroids" on Facebook and Twitter to stay up-to-date on new episodes, news and more about this fun educational show from Amazon Prime Instant Video for kids --
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
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