Events Calendar July 3 Earth furthest from the sun (aphelion) July 5,6 Moon near Saturn and Antares July 8 Full Buck Moon July 10 Daytime moon easy to see this week July 23 New Moon July 28 Moon near Jupiter and Spica July 29, 30 Delta Aquaria Meteor Shower - Best views in early morning before dawn Science at Charter Have you been noticing the many butterflies and moths that are active this time of year? In my yard the Swallowtails love the wild fennel. It was covered with Caterpillars a few weeks ago and now they have formed Chrysalis. Do you have a nature photo to share? Email [email protected] to include it in the next newsletter. The Night Sky This Month On July 3 the Earth is at its furthest from the Sun for this year at a distance of 94,505,901 miles (152,092,505 km). The earth is said to be at its aphelion. Perihelion is when it is closest to the sun. Many students and adults alike falsely believe that the seasons are caused by the Earth moving closer or further from the sun due to its elliptical orbit. You can help your child avoid this misunderstanding by pointing out that it is summer now even though we are much further from the sun then we are in January. The seasons are caused by the Earth's tilt - not its distance from the sun. During summer in the northern hemisphere the north pole is tilted towards the sun and in winter is tilted away. The moon pairs with Saturn early in the month and later meets up with Jupiter. The full moon this month is called the full Buck's moon because that is when bucks grow fuzz on their antlers. Try This at Home Cooking with your kids is a fun way to teach them math and science. I have been enjoying using "Eat Your Math Homework" by Ann McCallum. My family just made fruit "fibonacci sticks" as described in the book. The fibonacci sequence is a pattern observed often in nature. It begins 1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21.... The Kids Cook Mondays organization has many good suggestions for cooking with kids. When kids cook they learn about measurement and they observe many chemical reactions. You can point out the reason different fats/oils are used for baking based on their melting or smoking points. You can explain that baking soda is used to make baked goods rise because it undergoes a chemical reaction in which gas is produced. Yeast is a living organism that makes bread rise because it breathes. The last time we made yeast bread we took an extra packet and poured it in bottles with water at different temperatures and also one with no sugar. In The News See Through "Glass" Frog Discovered. Its heart can be observed beating due to its transparent skin.
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Events CalendarJune 3 World Ocean's Day Festival Sea Center (SBMNH) 10-4 FREE June 7 UCSB Design and Engineering Showcase 2-5 pm June 9 Full Strawberry Micro-Moon June 15 Saturn at Opposition June 21 Summer Solstice June 24 Solstice Parade and New Moon June 29-30 Moon near Jupiter Science at CharterDo you have any science related information, experiences, amazing nature pictures, or news to share? Please email me at [email protected] so that I can include it in the science newsletter. In response to last months discussion of science related tv shows, Charter parent Ashley Richter said: "Another really great show on Hulu is "DIY SCI." The host does all kinds of science experiments, many which you can replicate at home. The content is really engaging, especially the "magic" tricks he performs, followed by the science behind them." Around Town![]() June 3 World Ocean's Day Festival Sea Center (SBMNH) 10-4 FREE The ocean defines our blue planet and supports all life on Earth. Celebrate and support this global day for healthy world oceans by meeting with local marine scientists. Enjoy a fun filled day with activities, music, learning and much more! Fun for all ages! ![]() June 7 UCSB Design and Engineering Showcase at Corwin Pavilion main event 4-5pm, posters 3-4pm. Every year, the Capstone Design Project program offers senior undergraduates throughout the College of Engineering the opportunity to work in teams to solve real-world problems over the course of their senior year at UCSB. Many of these projects are developed in collaboration with industry partners or UCSB research labs. At our Design Fair & Showcase, the student teams all present and demo their final products and showcase their creativity and hard work. June 23, 24 &25 Solstice Parade and Activities 2017 Festival: June 23, 24 & 25, Alameda Park | Parade: Noon, Saturday June 24th, State St. EarthSky.org has information about what causes the summer solstice and what to notice. Maker Mondays and STEAM Sundays (Curiosity Lab) at Central Library. My son and I finally made to a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) Sunday at the library. We went on a Star Wars theme day. There were arts and crafts, construction, math (measuring light sabers) a lesson on static electricity (the force) as well as many people in costume. This was a very fun FREE one hour event. Based on my experience I recommend STEAM Sundays as a fun science related activity for elementary students and their families. I haven't yet tried Maker Mondays but look forward to doing so this summer. Has anyone else tried either of these activities? Helping Your Child with MathMany parents and children struggle with math anxiety. In fact parent attitude about math can affect student attitude as well. It turns out there is no such thing as a math person. Everyone can get better at math. The following New York Times article describes the situation. Stanford professor of mathematics education, Jo Boaler, has a website with resources for parents to support their children in math. This includes a FREE online course for parents and students to help develop a growth mindset about math. Bedtime math is an app recommended in the New York Times article. It gives age appropriate math puzzles to do with your child before bed. Fending off math anxiety New York Times https://www.youcubed.org/parents/ http://bedtimemath.org How to learn math free online course The Night Sky This MonthThe days will continue to stay light later as we approach the summer solstice on June 21st. That does make it harder to sky watch with the kids. There are some fun things to watch out for however. This month's full moon on June 9 is known as the strawberry moon as this is often when strawberries are ripe. This year's strawberry moon is also a micro-moon because it is the day this year that the moon is furthest from the earth so it appears a bit smaller than usual. This month also presents some fun planet watching. On June 15 Saturn will be at its closest and brightest position of the year. Towards the end of the month Jupiter will appear near the crescent moon. Try This at HomeFew things are more popular with kids right now than slime. Make some slime then listen to the podcast below to learn more about it! Slime Recipe: In one bowl mix 1 oz. glue (about ¼ of the glue bottle) and ¼ cup water. If you want colored slime, add food coloring to the glue and water mixture. Lift some of the solution out of the container with the stir stick and note what happens. Add ¼ cup of Sodium Tetraborate (Borax) Solution to the glue and water mixture and stir slowly. The slime will begin to form immediately. Lift some of the solution with the stir stick and observe how the consistency has changed from Step 1. Stir as much as you can, then dig in and knead it with your hands until it gets less sticky. This is a messy experience but is necessary because it allows the two compounds to bond completely. Don't worry about any leftover water in the bowl; just pour it out. When not in use, store the slime in a plastic bag in the fridge to keep it from growing mold. - See more at: https://www.homesciencetools.com/learning-center/how-to-make-slime#sthash.OwuT9qjw.dpuf The Science of Slime: What is it and why are we so obsessed with it: Brains On Podcast. In The NewsStunning new dinosaur fossil discovered: National Geographic Article.
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Leise Thomason-BA Biology Brown University Categories |