Classic-4
The Classic Four, material heroes!
Just as children are captivated by the extraordinary abilities of their favorite superheroes, they can also be inspired to explore the wonders of the natural world. Our engaging series, designed for young minds aged 6-12, combines the excitement of superheroes with the fascinating world of science. Join our superhero team as they use their incredible powers to explore the wonders of the natural world. From the elastic abilities of Rubberman to the elemental control of the Fire Person and Gas Woman, each superhero brings a unique perspective to our scientific adventures.
Rubber Man: Elasticity and Restoring force
Activity! Play with Stretchiness
Activity! Rubber Band Car
Use rubber bands (which follow Hooke's Law) to power a small toy car.
The stretched rubber band stores potential energy, which is converted to kinetic energy to move the car.
Activity! Rubber Band Powered Boat
Activity! Rubber band Powered
Activity! Tension (and magnet) Microphone
You can make a microphone out of a paper cup, some magnets and some wire.
Activity! Weighing Scale
Activity! Barbie Bungee:
The interesting science of bungee jumping, but for your toys!
Activity! Door Alarm
A simple device uses a spring mechanism to create an electrical contact when a door is opened, triggering an alarm. Key components:
- A spring
- A small switch or contact points
- A battery
- A buzzer or small LED light
The spring keeps the circuit open when the door is closed. When the door opens, the spring compresses, closing the circuit and activating the alarm or light. Adapted from Instructables: "Simple Door Alarm"
Activity! Rubber band Magus Launcher
Activity! Popsicle Catapult
Activity! More Complex Catapult
Activity! Launcher
Gas Woman: Invisible Gas
Activity! Charles' Law with Balloons and Bottles
First place an empty glass bottle in the refrigerator to cool it down. Then, stretch a balloon over the mouth of the cold bottle. When ready, place the bottle into a bowl of hot water. You'll notice the balloon begin to inflate as the air inside the bottle heats up and expands. Next, move the bottle into a bowl of ice water. The balloon will start to deflate as the air inside cools and contracts, demonstrating the relationship between temperature, pressure, and volume.
Activity! Avogadro's Law with Balloons
Activity! Fountain Bottle
Fill a 2-liter bottle halfway with water. Insert a straw, sealed with clay. Blow hard into the straw to create a fountain
Activity! Boyle's Law With Marshmallow
Place a marshmallow in the syringe and cover the tip of the syringe, then pull back on the plunger. Observe how the marshmallow expands as pressure decreases. Push the plunger in to increase pressure and watch the marshmallow shrink. These experiments visually demonstrate Boyle's Law, which states that the pressure and volume of a gas are inversely proportional when temperature is constant.
Activity! Windball
Activity! Air Pressure Can Crush
Heat a small amount of water in an empty soda can. Quickly place the can into cold water. The can crushes due to the pressure difference
Activity! Move Water with Air
Activity! Dunked napkin
Place a crumpled napkin in a plastic cup filled with air, then turn the cup upside down and put it in water. The napkin will stay dry because air and water can't occupy the same space at the same time.
Activity! [air cannon](https://www.abrowndesign.com/Air%20Vortex%20Cannon.pdf?target=_blank)
Activity! Heavy Smoke
Activity! Air in the Food
Activity! Upside Down
Put a dry piece of paper or card on top of a cup, then turn the cup upside down. The air pressure will push the paper up into the cup, keeping the water from falling.
Use a compass to draw a 2 in (5 cm) circle. Inside, make a smaller circle in the center 1/2 in (1.27 cm). Draw lines from center circle out (16 to 18) using a ruler. Cut out the radiating lines. Give each blade a little twist. Place a needle or pin through the paper center and onto a cork or playdough. Hold in front of moving air to see if it works.
Activity! Air Pressure Defies Gravity:
Put a ping-pong ball in a funnel -Blow hard into the narrow end
Activity! Air Sculpture
Activity! Egg in a Bottle
Light a match and drop it into a glass bottle. Quickly place a peeled hard-boiled egg on the bottle opening
Fire Person: Combustion and Depletion
Activity! Burning Ice
Activity! fireproof balloon
Activity! Candle Seesaw
Activity! Firesnake
Activity! Smoke Ventilation Demonstration
Based on Bernoulli's Principle that as the speed of a moving fluid (liquid or gas) increases, the pressure within the fluid decreases.
Create a cardboard representation of a house. Make sure to cut out windows. Place incense in the box (make sure it is on a fire proof dish). Use a fab to create airflow near a window. What happens to the smoke?
Activity! Put It Out! Cannon
Activity! Homemade Extiguisher?
Activity! Lava Cake
Activity! Burn Calories
Rock Man: Solidity and Stability
Activity! Make Metamorphic
(from Children's Museum Houston)
Activity! Sedimentary Creation
(from Children's Museum Houston)
Activity! DIY Igneous
(from Children's Museum Houston)
Activity! Edible Earth
(from American's Museum of Natural History)
Activity! Dorodango (Japanese Polished Clay Ball)
Activity! Terracotta
create a traditional terracotta cooling system, start by placing a smaller terracotta pot inside a larger one, ensuring there's space for water to flow between them. Fill this space with sand or gravel to retain moisture. Then, pour water into the smaller pot. The terracotta's porous nature allows water to seep through its walls, cooling the air around it. For added efficiency, you can position a small fan to circulate the cool air.
Activity! Nazca Lines
Activity! Skipping Stones
Activity! Trash Talks??
Activity! Make Your Own Dino Eggs
Activity! Egg Dig
Bury an uncooked uncracked egg in the sandbox - challenge child to dig it out without cracking the egg!
Activity! National Fossil Day (Oct 16)
Activity! Make a Dino Roar!
