February 7, 2017
To put it simply, we think thermal energy is cool! Many of our best-selling discrepant event demos are related to thermal energy, as you’ll see from the reviews below. With our Ice Melting Blocks, you can ask your students to predict which block will melt an ice cube more rapidly… Use a Chemical Heat Pack to challenge your class to figure out how heat—usually associated with melting—can be produced by a reaction that turns a liquid into a solid… Or dazzle them with Nitinol Memory Wire that changes shape upon heating!
If you have a favorite Educational Innovations product, send us a comment below. We’d love to share your review with your fellow teachers and science lovers.
Leave a Comment » | 
College level, Elementary level, energy, High School level, Middle School level, Physics | Tagged: discrepant event, Educational Innovations, electricity, energy, experiments, hands-on activity, hands-on science, homeschool, kinetic energy, parent friendly, PBL, phenomenon based learning, science, science fair project, STEM, thermal energy | 
Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
October 7, 2016
by Dr. Kenneth Lyle
The demonstration
The Poly Density Bottle is a fascinating demonstration primarily due to the phenomena being counterintuitive to what one would expect. The bottle containing white and blue beads suspended in a clear and colorless liquid is shaken vigorously, distributing the beads randomly throughout (bottle A). Upon standing, the beads separate from one another (bottle B) with the white rising to the surface while the blue sink to the bottom (bottle C). Then, the two sets of beads move towards one another (bottle D) meeting near the middle (bottle E). This demonstration can be easily repeated again and again. And, once prepared, it can be stored for subsequent use year after year. No additional preparation is required. Read the rest of this entry »
2 Comments | Chemistry, College level, density, Elementary level, experiments, High School level, Middle School level | Tagged: density, discrepant event, DIY, Educational Innovations, hands-on activity, homeschool, parent friendly, PBL, phenomenon based learning, phenomenon-based science, science | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
September 23, 2016
By Ken Byrne
Someone once told me that all magic is science, and all science is magic. To me, a magic show is a series of puzzles for me to solve, trying to figure out just how they pulled off an illusion. My favorite science demonstrations are much the same. I love those demonstrations that make me scratch my head and ask, “Why?”
Here is one of my favorites that is easy and inexpensive. It feels like a magic trick, but it is all science. It simply involves rolling a cylinder down an inclined plane. Sometimes the cylinder will roll down quickly. Other times it will crawl down slowly. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Chemistry, College level, density, Elementary level, experiments, High School level, Middle School level | Tagged: density, discrepant event, DIY, Educational Innovations, experiments, fun experiments, hands-on activity, homeschool, parent friendly, PBL, phenomenon based learning, phenomenon-based science, science, STEM | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
September 9, 2016
Back to School with Discrepant Event Science!
by Mike Matthews
After a restful summer (which included a move to a new school!), classes are finally back in session! I always begin the year with a set of activities that challenge students to practice science process skills (observing, recording data, asking questions, etc.). My approach includes a series of quick “discrepant event” demos that captivate (and baffle) my students. From trying to figure out why two ice cubes melt at dramatically different rates to brainstorming explanations for how a sealed opaque balloon suddenly starts self-inflating, these demos engage students, assess their science skills, and emphasize the processes and habits that scientists use to inquire about the world around them.
Read the rest of this entry »
1 Comment | College level, Elementary level, High School level, Middle School level | Tagged: discrepant event, Educational Innovations, fun experiments, hands-on activity, homeschool, parent friendly, PBL, phenomenon based learning, phenomenon-based science, science, STEM, variables | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
August 15, 2016
Whenever we attend a science convention, we bring plenty of density demos. They are invariably among our best showstoppers! There is something wonderfully confounding—and compelling—about watching a (seemingly) heavy object float against our expectations, or seeing (seemingly) identical beads travel in separate directions. This curiosity is the heart of why discrepant events are so valuable to educators.
Is it magic? No, it’s density!
Is your favorite Educational Innovations‘ density product on this list? If not, write to us in the comments below and let us know what we forgot!
Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Chemistry, College level, density, Elementary level, High School level, Middle School level | Tagged: density, discrepant event, DIY, Educational Innovations, fun experiments, hands-on activity, homeschool, parent friendly, PBL, phenomenon based learning, phenomenon-based science, science, variables | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
