January Science Blog
Date: 24th May 2023 @ 2:56pm
Welcome to our January 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
ISAAC NEWTON (1643 – 1727)
As well as figuring out why objects fall to the ground and why planets orbit the Sun, Isaac Newton showed that white light is actually made up of a range of colours and used a prism to show this. Did you know the Hubble Space Telescope is based in Newton’s reflecting telescope design?
You can split white light into all the colours of the rainbow by shining a torch through a prism in a dark room. Or you can get the same effect by blowing bubbles outside. When white light shines through the film of the bubbles, it is reflected and dispersed, splitting white light into its different wave lengths and showing all the colours.
Isaac Newton also created the Laws of Motion.
What to look for in nature in January
Battling Robins
Ah the robin: that beautiful cute cuddly little bird seen in peaceful Christmas card scenes and the Netflix animation Robin Robin. But all isn’t quite what it seems…
Robins are actually tough as nails with fire in their belly as well as on their chest. A good feeding patch is well worth defending, and that is exactly what they are doing when you hear them singing in mid-winter or see them chasing off anything that might have an eye on their worms.
The Winter warbler
The UK winter weather used to no place for a wise warbler. But now the sight of a blackcap is becoming more and more common, with many showing up in gardens. In fact that is one of the big reasons why they stay – because the snacks we put out gives them a reliable source of food - making up for the cold grey weather. If you want to encourage black caps to your garden, try putting fruit such as apples or fat in the branches of trees or your hedge.
Frisky Foxes
January is when they’re at their most vocal, with their screeches and screams echoing through the blackness and scaring the living daylights out of those trying to sleep. They don’t really mean any harm, they are just looking for love or fighting off rivals.
Once couples pair up they spend a few weeks patrolling their territory and hunting together, forming a strong bond. The female also seeks out a place to give birth to her pups once spring arrives. These could be in purpose-built dens or equally underneath your garden shed!
Fun Facts!
HUMAN FACTS
*Did you know eating cheese at the end of a meal can help neutralise the acids in your mouth and reduce the chance of tooth decay?
ANIMAL FACTS
*A platypus is a mammal that lays eggs!
FUN SCIENCE FACTS ABOUT BONES
*The smallest lightest bone of the human skeleton is the stapes found in the middle ear.
FACTS ABOUT THE SUN
*The Sun was formed from a huge cloud of dust and gas called a stellar nursery. Matter left over from the formation of the Sun formed the other planets and bodies in our solar system.
FACTS ABOUT THE WEATHER
*The eye of a storm is the calm centre of a tropical storm.
Try this at home:
Have a go at this month’s investigation, “Painting on ice”.
Why not share what you do in the Kid Zone on the School Blog?
Science Quiz
How much do you know about Water?
Here are 20 questions to test your knowledge.
|
1. True or false? Sound travels faster through water than air? |
|
2. Water is made up of what two elements? |
|
3. What is another name for a tidal wave? |
|
4. True or false? The Indian Ocean is the biggest ocean on Earth. |
|
5. The solid state of water is known as what? |
|
6. Can the average human survive without water for a few days or a few weeks? |
|
7. True or false? Pure water is tasteless. |
|
8. Nimbus, cumulus and stratus are types of what? |
|
9. True or false? Water is an example of a chemical element. |
|
10. Does water cover more or less than 50% of the Earth’s surface? |
|
11. True or false? Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit). |
|
12. When water is cooled, does it contract or expand? |
|
13. Water freezes at what temperature? |
|
14. True or false? Water is easy to compress. |
|
15. What is the chemical formula of water? |
|
16. The deepest point in all of the world’s oceans is named what? |
|
17. True or false? The consumption of bottled water has risen significantly over the last few decades. |
|
18. Pure water has a pH level of a around what number? |
|
19. What is the longest river on Earth? |
|
20. True or false? Ice sinks in water. |
The answers will be on February’s Science Blog.
Here are the answers to the Plants Quiz from December’s Blog:
|
1. Botany |
2. Photosynthesis |
|
3. True |
4. Pollination |
|
5. Resin |
6. False |
|
7. Maize (corn) |
8. Vine |
|
9. True |
10. Cherry tree |
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.
