Science Sleuth

After the pinewood derby, we went to Science Sleuth at the University of Missouri.

I weigh ten pounds on the moon. I weigh 68 pounds on Earth. Gravity is made because of the spinning of the earth. 

This is a skull of a mouse that we found in an owl pellet. An owl pellet is made of hair and bones of animals that the owl eats. The owl coughs up the pellets and you can find pellets in the woods where owls live. 

Now we are at a finger printing station. I am putting my fingers on an ink pad. Then I put it on a paper and my finger showed. Fingerprints are important because everyone's is unique. Then I put my fingerprint on a balloon and then the helper blew it up. We could see the fingerprint very well because it got really big. 

The next station taught me about Bernoulli's Principle. I have a straw in my mouth and I'm blowing on it to make the ball fly. When I blow through the straw, the speed of the air changes the air pressure around the ball, which makes it float. That principle is what helps scientists design airplanes. 

In this station we learned about air pressure. The helper put a can with a little water on a little stove. Then when steam was coming out of the can, he took the can, turned it over, and quickly put it in cold water. Air pressure crunched the can! Then he recycled the cans.

This was the circuit station. We learned that conductors can make electricity work. Metals and humans are examples of conductors. Insulators cannot make electricity. Plastic, rubber, wood, and paper are examples for insulators. Wires are made out of metal inside and plastic on the outside so you won't get electrocuted or shocked. 

The last station was all about animal bones. For example, there were toucans, anteaters, bison, wolves, coyotes, squirrels, and sea otters. 

It was really fun. I learned a lot of science.