by Alex Scheeline
The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, on the national mall in Washington, D.C., has an especially fascinating exhibit on Thomas Edison. The exhibit highlights the development of electricity and lighting, and, more generally, invention. In late 2017, I visited an area that featured a set of lamps—including a low-pressure sodium vapor lamp, a mercury lamp, an incandescent lamp, and a compact fluorescent lamp.
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College level, experiments, High School level, Middle School level, Physics, science fair, STEM | Tagged: color, diffraction, DIY, experiments, hands-on science, light, phenomenon based learning, phenomenon-based science, physics demonstration apparatus, science, science fair project, spectra, spectrascope, STEM, ultraviolet | 
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Posted by Donna Giachetti
by Ted Beyer
The sun is, on average, about 93,000,000 miles (149,668,992 kilometers) away from us. That’s pretty darn far. In fact, if the sun went out right now, we would not know about it for about eight minutes. Not to worry, that’s not going to be a thing to fret about for quite a while—a couple of billion years last time I checked.
That huge (try 109 times as big as Earth) ball of fusion reactor up in our sky is arguably responsible for all of the energy we use on Earth. Not just solar power, but all of it. Fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas) were created from ancient plant and animal matter—which all lived because of the sun.
Image source: Stanford Solar Center
Hydropower is only possible because of the water cycle (best look that one up on your own, they won’t let me make these posts too long). Wind power relies on, well, wind—and that is a byproduct of the warming and cooling of the atmosphere—and that’s the sun doing that warming too. Atomic power uses heavy elements like Uranium, which was created in the hearts of suns.
I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea.
4 Comments | astronomy, College level, Earth Science, Elementary level, High School level, Middle School level | Tagged: DIY, Educational Innovations, energy, green science, hands-on activity, homeschool, light, parent friendly, science, thermal energy, ultraviolet | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
by Nancy Foote
It’s always fun to put a new item on the curiosity table to see how my students will react. The newest addition was Arctic Flare UV Sensitive Putty, a gift from our friends at Educational Innovations.
Leave a Comment » | Chemistry, College level, Elementary level, experiments, High School level, Middle School level | Tagged: blacklights, Educational Innovations, energy, experiments, fun experiments, hands-on activity, homeschool, light, parent friendly, PBL, phenomenon based learning, phenomenon-based science, science, ultraviolet, variables | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
During the summer, we love getting outdoors and soaking up the rays (with sunscreen, of course)! Before you head outside, take a look at our hand-picked summer science videos. If you have your own favorite summer science video ideas, please share them with us in the comments section below!
Leave a Comment » | Biology, College level, Elementary level, High School level, Middle School level | Tagged: DIY, Educational Innovations, fun experiments, hands-on activity, homeschool, parent friendly, PBL, phenomenon based learning, phenomenon-based science, Physics, science, ultraviolet | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
Relax! School is out and it’s time for some fun. Pour yourself an ice-cold lemonade, get settled into your favorite chair (or hammock) and enjoy our sizzling collection of summer science humor. You might also get a kick out our UV Light humor page, from a previous issue of our newsletter.
If you have a favorite cartoon or joke, we invite you to share it as a comment below.
Leave a Comment » | College level, Elementary level, High School level, Middle School level | Tagged: Educational Innovations, hands-on science, homeschool, parent friendly, PBL, phenomenon based learning, phenomenon-based science, science, thermal energy, ultraviolet | Permalink
Posted by Donna Giachetti
