At Halloween, Science Is Cooler than Ever

October 9, 2014

Donna Giachetti, Educational Innovationsby: Donna Giachetti

“In the spring
a young man’s fancy
lightly turns to thoughts of love.”

 —Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Alfred may have a point, but these days our thoughts turn to darker, spookier things—zombies, ghouls, witches, monsters and ghosts (more about them later, scroll down to the end of the blog).

Why is autumn one of our favorite times of year?

Let us count the ways:

  •     A new school year…
  •    Cooler temperatures…
  •    Warm, cozy sweaters and boots…
  •    A procession of colorful fall foliage…

But best of all, there’s the anticipation of HALLOWEEN! What a wonderful time to be a mad scientist! Read the rest of this entry »

Leave a Comment » | Elementary level, experiments, Middle School level, static electricity | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Tami O'Connor

How to Make Goldenrod Paper

February 5, 2014

Tami O'Connor, Educational Innovationsby Tami O’Connor

Gone But Not Forgotten

Goldenrod Paper - Educational Innovations BlogMany years ago at Educational Innovations we had heard rumors that our wonderful goldenrod paper that served as an easy to find indicator paper was being discontinued for environmental reasons.  If you haven’t seen it before, it is was a golden-yellow paper that turned a deep red when it came in contact with a base like washing soda or Windex®.  The process was reversed if an acid such as vinegar was sprayed on the paper.

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13 Comments | Chemistry, Elementary level, experiments, Middle School level | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Tami O'Connor

Real Life Air Pressure | Examples of Air Pressure in Everyday Life

February 1, 2014

Ted Beyer, Educational InnovationsSticking Your Nose Where It Doesn’t Belong!

by Ted Beyer

At Educational Innovations, our management staff meets often to coordinate all of the goings-on here. All sorts of topics come up, both business related and science related.

More than two years ago, our Director of Operations, Ken Byrne, shared a story with us relating to his brand new travel-style coffee mug, which he had gotten as a gift. I am sure you have run into these things many times – an insulated vessel with a liquid/air-tight cap. The cap, of course, has a hole along one edge for you to drink your beverage.

The story was one of many great examples of air pressure in everyday life.  It went like this –

He was trying to drink his coffee, but, every time he tried, nothing would come out. He kept thinking that he must be using his new mug incorrectly – perhaps he had missed an instruction or technique unique to this cup that was designed to help prevent spills or something. No, no, that could not be it — he could pour it out, easily enough, but whenever he brought it to his lips to drink – nothing…

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9 Comments | Elementary level, Middle School level, Physics | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Tami O'Connor

The Chemistry of Silver Tarnish

January 18, 2014

Ted Beyer, Educational InnovationsEvery Dark Spoon has a Silver Lining – Using Chemistry on Silver Tarnish

by: Ted Beyer

The holidays have just passed, and for most people, part of the celebration involves getting out the “good” china and flatware to set a festive table. Like most people, I have a few pieces of silver and silver plate that don’t get a lot of use, but are nice to use on special occasions. Thing is, over time, silver tarnishes – it turns dark, and if allowed to continue long enough, it turns black. So out comes the polish and you get to spend all kinds of time polishing it. And with silver plated items, if you do that often enough, eventually, you will polish the silver completely off!

The Chemistry of Silver Tarnish - Educational Innovations Blog

The Chemistry of Silver Tarnish - Educational Innovations Blog

But wait – science will come to the rescue!

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62 Comments | Chemistry, High School level, Middle School level | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Tami O'Connor

DIY Kaleidoscope

December 10, 2013

Norm Barstow, Educational Innovationsby: Norm Barstow

When I was an Elementary Science Coordinator, I used to visit the five schools in my district and each year introduced the Pringles® Kaleidoscope as part of the Sound and Light unit. At that time I used microscope slides, and it became quite a challenge to have the students line up and tape nine slides to make the triangular prism.  Fortunately, Educational Innovations began to carry Kaleidoscope Mirrors (SM-3), thus making the task much easier.

Here is all you will need to build a Pringles® can DIY kaleidoscope in your classroom.

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2 Comments | Elementary level, experiments, Middle School level | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Tami O'Connor

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