This year in Science at the Jean-Rivard branch, we’ve been keeping busy with a variety of activities and experiments. We’ve explored everything from nature, the human body and chemistry to energy, physics and much, much more. Here is a sampling of some of the activities we have done.
One of the the highlights this past May was when we studied volcanoes. With the help of YouTube, we looked at clips of volcanic eruptions that showed not only how big and powerful volcanoes can be, but also their captivating beauty. The young scientists were very fascinated and curious. After looking at real volcanoes on the Internet, we made our very own volcanoes and made them erupt using a simple chemical reaction. Using flour, we made a dough to create the volcano itself. Next, for the eruption, we mixed water, a few drops of dish washing liquid, red food colouring, baking soda, and finally vinegar. It was exciting, as well as fun to see our volcanoes erupt and spew « volcanic ash and lava ».
Earlier this spring, we also explored the beautiful world of flowers. We learned the names of different types of flowers and the importance of pollinators like bees and butterflies for spreading flower seeds. After watching a short film on bees, the young scientists were fascinated by these complex, social creatures. After understanding the importance of pollination and flowers themselves, we planted our very own flowers! We planted pansies as shown in the picture above. A few weeks later, the scientists took the flowers home for Mother’s Day!
Keep an eye out on this blog for more science activities at the library throughout the summer!
