Toady-Woady Times Two

Source: Google Images

We went to the pet store a couple of weeks ago in search of something new to add to our tank, something we could add to our fish family and came home with two African Dwarf Frogs. I highly recommend them, they easily overcome the blues when you buy them in pairs (or just more than one at a time) and they play together all the time. I am IN LOVE with these things!

Teaching the kids about how to take care of them and letting them pick them out in the first place has been a rewarding thing, let me tell ya.They are tickled pink that they have a living thing in their room (we decided to keep them there, separate from the fish because it's just easier to take care of everybody that way- their needs are a little different from the fishies').

We just pick a random time of day to sit quietly and observe them doing what they do, like swimming vigorously to the top only to float down gracefully slow like a parachuter, one on top of the other. They also sit on each other's backs when they get scared sometimes and that's endearing, too, like they're comforting one another, and NO, they're not mating.

Source: Google Images

One thing to get used to: they play "Freeze" quite often and it took a full week for my mini-heart attacks to subside, everyday five times a day saying "OMG are you dead? Please don't be dead!?!" only to tap the tank and get good, strong, healthy movement. I'm smitten with these guys and so are the girls. I pray we have many happy days ahead of us together! Here's to you Toady-Woady 2 and Toady-Woady 3 (another story for another day...)!

Chemistry for Kids, Part 5: Endothermic & Exothermic Reactions

Lesson 5/Week 5: Endothermic & Exothermic Reactions

Review/Introduction

Today we will be working with some acids and a base we learned about before: Vinegar and Citric acid (which is found in fruits like lemons and oranges), and baking soda, which we use for lots of things such as cooking, removing bad smells, and cleaning.

Remember that when you put an acid together with a base, they create something called a reaction. A reaction between chemicals happens when two chemicals are mixed together and the molecules of one chemical break their bonds and form new ones with the molecules of the other chemical to form a new chemical. A reaction does not always have to include adding chemicals together, though.

Endothermic Reactions

Endothermic Reactions are reactions that need energy in the form of heat, to happen or proceed. You put heat INTO it.
Examples of some endothermic reactions:
-Ice melting is an example of an endothermic process** (not a reaction) (corrected this oversight as per the 11/13/12 comment below)- it needs heat energy to happen.
-Trees and plants use an endothermic reaction called photosynthesis to make food. They need the heat and light from the sun to do this.

• The intake of energy may be observed as a decrease in temperature as the reaction proceeds. Once the reaction is complete, the temperature of the mixture will return to room temperature.
Source: http://chemistry.about.com/cs/howtos/ht/endothermic.htm\\

Activity: Feel an Endothermic Reaction

• Mix Citric Acid solution in a plastic cup with baking soda solution
• Allow kids to place two fingers into the cup to feel the reaction. They should feel it bubble more vigorously and their fingers should feel cold after a bit.
• Ask them to describe what they feel/felt. See if they can explain where the heat in their fingers is going.
• Explain: When you put your fingers in the solution, it will bubble and speed up because you're giving the acid and the base mixture the heat energy it needs to get going and keep going.
• Also, it's taking the heat from your fingers so your fingers will feel cold in the solution and when you remove them.
  

Exothermic Reactions

Exothermic Reactions give off heat as they happen. They are the opposite of an endothermic reaction.
-When salt is made from Sodium and Chlorine (remember our periodic table), this is a reaction that gives off heat, or an exothermic reaction
-When you light a match, this is an exothermic reaction


Activity: Feel an Exothermic Reaction
Make Hot Ice ahead of time according to the recipe and method at the link below. Touch it to demonstrate how it crystallizes. Let the kids feel it giving off heat.
Source: http://chemistry.about.com/od/homeexperiments/a/make-hot-ice-sodium-acetate.htm

**I tried making this and got nothing TWICE and this did not work for me either time. I have no idea what I did wrong but I'd be interested to know if you're able get it to work.** 

Activity: See a chemical reaction between Mentos & Diet Soda (Teacher-Demonstrated, Outdoors)- An exothermic reaction

What we did: We used a bottle of Diet Coke (because there's no sugar, it easily washes away without becoming sticky) and added the Mentos to it using a rolled. I used I strongly recommend if you want real fireworks that you add at least half to three quarters of the pack. I stuck with a website's recommendation of "4 Mentos" and this was a disappointment for me, although the kids thought it was great either way. Needless to say, I will be repeating the experiment with a bigger "bang" next time. Can't wait!

Show video either before or after demonstration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjbJELjLgZg&feature=related

Source: http://chemistry.about.com/od/reviewsproductguides/gr/stevespanglermentossodageyser.htm

Activity: Coloring Page: http://www.kookerkids.com/Coloring/school_days/chemistry.htm


All images taken from http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/

Ice Skating: The Coolest Lesson EVER!!

B/N: Written Sunday 2/20/10
We taught our 5 year old to ice skate today and it was the best thing ever. We'd never been out on the ice before and I was deeply regretting the hefty admission fee right away, but once I got used to how oh-so-very-slippery that stuff is, I did quite alright.

Image Source

Determined to help my baby girl enjoy herself, I did everything I could to chase away that intense, scary look on her face and I'm so glad that in the end my efforts were not in vain. We decided on a whim to go out to do something as a family, MIL and out-of-town niece included, and the wheel stopped on ice skating. My saucer-sized eyes glazed over at the thought of finally going, but then I thought 'Why not, I've been meaning to do this forever. I can do this'.

So today, I bit the bullet and it wasn't nearly as bad as I'd feared: everywhere I looked I saw dangerous, sharp blades, 60mph skaters zipping through the heavy, unsteady crowd, lots of careless, carefree falling and the hardest, most unforgiving ice EVER (mommy gasp!), but as they say, good thing worrying definitely works because none of the stuff I worried about ever came to pass.

I can roller blade pretty well so I drew on this skill to help me (safely) ice skate. Once I got my confidence up and became more comfortable, I was giving mini-lessons to my daughter, my husband and two total strangers on how to...ready for it?...skate backwards! And to think I was petitioning DH to dole out over $200 for lessons, pfft!

It was the most fun I've had- we've had in along time and we'll definitely do it again. We have to- the baby girl was asking to go back again really, really soon. Mission accomplished.