April Science Blog
Date: 24th May 2023 @ 3:15pm
Welcome to our April Science Blog!
Do you love learning about the world around us? If so, you will love our Science Blog!
Each month you will:
- Learn about a famous scientist and their work
- Find out what to look out for in nature this month
- Discover fun facts about different areas of science
- Have a go at a scientific investigation
- Test your knowledge in our Quiz
We hope you have fun!
Scientist of the month
ROSALIND FRANKLIN (1920-1958)
Rosalind Franklin is probably best known for not getting the credit she deserved for her part in the discovery of the structure of DNA.
Rosalind’s work on DNA was actually only a part of her impressive career. She also conducted pioneering work into the structure of viruses!
Rosalind Franklin’s X-ray images of DNA played a huge part in the discovery of its double helix structure. The twisted ladder shape allows DNA strands to hold huge amounts of information.
Find out more in this fact sheet:
What to look for in nature in April
At last, April is here! With flowers coming into bloom, bees and butterflies emerging, and lots of our migrant birds returning, April can feel like a wildlife party in the garden.
Slow worm
Now’s the time to keep your eyes peeled for sight of the silky slow worm, as they’ll soon be coming out of hibernation. Slow worms look like snakes but are actually legless lizards that thrive in warm, humid conditions. They eat slugs, snails, insects and other creepy crawlies, so they’re a friend to the gardener.
Once they’ve emerged from hibernation, slow worms too will be on the lookout for a mate. Female slow worms incubate their eggs internally, giving birth to live young in the late summer. She usually has around eight babies, which can fend for themselves immediately.
Cannibal Caterpillars
April marks the emergence of one of our most abundant butterflies - the orange tip. One of the earliest butterflies to be seen, orange tips can be found flitting through meadows, woodland glades and hedgerows, as well as gardens with tasty flowers.
The bats are back
Head out at dusk on calm evenings from now onwards and you might be lucky to see bats on the wing. Many of our bats emerge from hibernation in April, hungry after a long winter’s sleep. They’ll be hunting voraciously through April to build up their depleted reserves, ahead of mating season in May.
We have 18 species of bat in the UK - one you’re most likely to see in gardens is the common pipistrelle. Despite its tiny size, a pipistrelle can get through 3,000 insects in a single night! You can cater for bats in your garden by planting night-scented flowers that attract moths and insects for the bats to eat. Honeysuckle, night-scented stock and evening primrose are beautiful choices.
Fun Facts!
HUMAN FACTS
*Humans share 60% of their DNA with fruit flies.
ANIMAL FACTS
*Grizzly bears can run up to 30 miles an hour!!
FACTS ABOUT THE SUN
*The immensely strong gravity of the Sun keeps objects in the solar system orbiting around it.
Try this at home:
Have a go at this month’s investigation, “Easter STEM Challenges”.
Why not share what you do in the Kid Zone on the School Blog?
Science Quiz
How much do you know about Space?
Here are 20 questions to test your knowledge.
1. What is the closest planet to the Sun?
2. What is the name of the 2nd biggest planet in our solar system?
3. What is the hottest planet in our solar system?
4. What planet is famous for its big red spot on it?
5. What planet is famous for the beautiful rings that surround it?
6. Can humans breathe normally in space as they can on Earth?
7. Is the sun a star or a planet?
8. Who was the first person to walk on the moon?
9. What planet is known as the red planet?
10. What is the name of the force holding us to the Earth?
11. Have human beings ever set foot on Mars?
12. What is the name of a place that uses telescopes and other scientific equipment to research space and astronomy?
13. What is the name of NASA’s most famous space telescope?
14. Earth is located in which galaxy?
15. What is the name of the first satellite sent into space?
16. Ganymede is a moon of which planet?
17. What is the name of Saturn’s largest moon?
18. Olympus Mons is a large volcanic mountain on which planet?
19. Does the sun orbit the Earth?
20. Is the planet Neptune bigger than Earth?
The answers will be on May’s Science Blog.
Here are the answers to the Human Body Quiz from March’s Blog:
1. The cerebrum
2. Iris
3. Melanin
4. Quadriceps
5. True
6. Keratin
7. The skin
8. Bone marrow
9. False (there are 206)
10. 2
11. Larynx
12. Nostrils
13. Taste buds
14. Vertebrae
15. A double helix
16. Circulation
17. Ribs
18. The esophagus
19. True
20. Epidermis
Need even more Science?
Starters for STEM are 10 activities that parents can use at home to help children develop their science, technology, engineering and maths skills. These activities are easy to resource and provide children with the stimulus to talk about the world around them. If you see a link, you can explore how to extend these activities, you will need to sign up, for free, to access these materials.
