Table of Contents:
Materials:
5 paper cups
2 straws
Single hole puncher
Push pin
Sharpened pencil
Directions:
Take one paper cup and, using the hole puncher, punch four holes opposite each other (like a square) near the top of the cup
Push two straws through the two pairs of holes that are opposite each other
Take the other four paper cups and punch two holes that are about an inch apart in each cup
Push each end of the straws through the two holes of each of the four cups. To do this, you may need to slightly push the cup together to line up the holes and then push the straw through.
Make sure that the cups are facing the same direction (the openings of the cups should not face each other) and that the cups are all below the straws.
With parental supervision as needed, push the sharpened pencil through the center of the main cup (with four holes and straws in it) and move the pencil around to make the hole more flexible.
Push the eraser side of the pencil through the hole you just made
Line up the eraser with the center of the straws where they cross over each other
Ask a parent or get parental supervision to push a push pin through the two straws.
DO NOT push the push pin all the way. Instead, make sure there is enough space so that the cups and straws can rotate. You can test this by blowing in the cups and seeing if do not move, move easily, or fall off the push pin.
Test out your anemometer by blowing on the opening of the outer cups, placing it in front of a fan, or putting it outside on a windy day!
Explanation:
An anemometer is a device used to measure wind speed and direction. Anemometers are used for weather stations, ship navigation, aviation (airplanes), and more. There are many different types of anemometers, but the one that you made is a cup anemometer. The number of rotations of the cups in a set time period provides information about the average wind speed. By looking at how fast your anemometer rotates, you can see where and when the wind speed is faster or slower.
Materials:
Paper towel roll
Clay or tape
Paper plate
Marker
Paper
Directions:
Attach a paper towel roll to a paper plate using clay or tape to secure the bottom of the stick
Find a clear spot that has direct sunlight on it outside of your house. Place a piece of paper on the ground
Place the paper plate on top of the piece of paper
Use the marker to mark where the shadow of the paper towel roll falls onto the piece of paper
Repeat step 4 three more times, each after an hour has elapsed
Explanation:
After each hour, the shadow moves, as shown by the markings on the paper. This is because of the Earth’s rotation! It takes 24 hours for the Earth to make one full rotation. This means that if you marked off where the shadow was at 3 pm one day, and came back to see the shadow the next day at 3 pm, it would be in almost the exact same spot!
Materials:
Leaf from a living plant or tree
A clear container
Small heavy object (like a rock)
Optional: scissors
Directions:
Fill a clear container with water.
Remove one leaf from a living plant (preferably one that is outdoors) with the stem still attached using scissors or just your hands. Try to get a medium-sized leaf.
Quickly place the entire leaf into the water, including the stem.
Place a small heavy object on top of the leaf if needed to keep it fully submerged under water.
Take the container to a sunny window or outdoors on a sunny day and leave it for 1-2 hours.
After 1-2 hours, check for air bubbles on your leaf!
Why did this happen?
Explanation:
Through a process called photosynthesis, plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make their own food. Because you took the leaf from a live plant, it was still photosynthesizing when you placed it in the water. The leaf used the water from the bowl, sunlight from either your window or outdoors, and carbon dioxide from the air to make sugars (its food) and release oxygen. The bubbles you see on the surface of the leaf are oxygen bubbles that are released during photosynthesis. This is the opposite of how you breathe! You breathe in oxygen that is produced by plants like the leaf and breathe out carbon dioxide that is used by plants for photosynthesis. So, you and the plants around you work together to breathe!