Ask A DFW Expert: 5 Easy Science Projects To Do At Home

Tynessa Morgan-Craft
Dallas Paleontological Society
Brookhaven College, Building H
Ellison Miles Geotechnology Institute
3939 Valley View Lane
Farmers Branch, TX 75244
(817) 355-4693
www.dallaspaleo.orgTynessa Morgan-Craft has served as the Education Chair of the Dallas Paleontological Society for the past several years. She has many years of experience as a science teacher in elementary schools as well as serving special needs populations. She strives to promote science and the love for paleontology through community digs and events designed for young learners.

Glow In the Dark Water Balloon FightYou can create your own glow in the dark water to use under black lights! There are several low cost options; however, highlighters are particularly easy. Not all brands of highlighters work, so it is wise to test the highlighter by writing a few samples under a black light. Once you have found a working marker, remove the felt ink reservoir and soak in a clear container of water until the ink is evenly distributed throughout the container. You can enjoy the glowing water as is, or you can use it in water gun or water balloon fights. Adult supervision is recommended as the fluid is not safe for consumption.

Food Chains And WebsDinner time can be hectic, but imagine what it is like in the animal kingdom! For younger children you can begin with animals that they are familiar with, such as a lion. For more of a challenge, have your child select a small plastic animal from a bag blindly and brainstorm what would make a delicious meal for that creature. Remember that all food chains and webs begin with the sun, which provides light for plants (producers) to create their own food. A food chain will include a linear chain from the sun to a single ultimate, or apex, predator. Food webs, however, offer numerous predators or consumers leading to the apex predator. Think of the difference as dinner with a picky toddler versus a buffet!

Fossil HuntMineral Wells Fossil Park is a free park that provides visitors with a glimpse into a prehistoric marine environment that predates the dinosaurs. Visitors are invited to hunt for a variety of finds including trilobites, corals, crinoids and primitive shark teeth. The park is incredibly family friendly and even young children can find their own treasures. Or dig in your own backyard and sort the different types of rocks and fossils you find. Like a paleontologist, create a map and record where you found each one to make predictions on where you could find more.

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Make A Potato ClockMany of us remember our own science fairs and the infamously weird potato clock. Of course, the potato was not generating the electricity itself, but acting as a conductor. This should be a good enough reason to get a kid to eat potatoes, but have you ever wondered which other fruits and vegetables make good conductors as well? Grab two galvanized steel nails, a D cell battery, an LED light and three pieces of coated copper wire and find out! Wire the circuit in the following order, remembering to wrap the wire around the top of the nails at least three times. Begin the circuit by wrapping the end of the first wire around the bulb. Wrap the other end around the top to the first nail. Insert the nail into your chosen fruit or vegetable. Insert the second nail into your sample and again wrap the second piece of wire around the top. The remaining end of the second piece will contact the bottom, or negative end, of the battery. Your third piece of wire will contact the top, or positive end, of the battery. Finally, you will wrap the remaining end of your third piece of wire around the bulb. Once all of your warps have been completed, touch the second and third pieces of wire to the respective ends of your battery. Check to see if your hypothesis was correct!

Bending Plants To SunlightThis project involves an extended period of time. Gardeners may be familiar with the phenomenon of phototropism, or the ability of plants to actually bend towards the source of sunlight. In nature, sunlight typically shines down from above, providing the necessary energy for plants to photosynthesize, or produce their own food. When such a valuable commodity is only available in a limited area, a plant's gotta do what a plant's gotta do, and the stem of the plant will begin to grow noticeably in the direction of the light source. This is most easily demonstrated for youngsters by growing their own bean sprout in a small container. As the sprout is able to peek over the top of the container, try moving the light source to one side for a few days and watching as the sprout plays follow the leader with the light. Don't worry, you are not harming the plant, and moving the light source to the opposite side for a few times will encourage the plant to self correct its posture.

Related: Real Science Student Using Math/Science To Spin Way to Success

Kena Sosa is a freelance writer in Dallas. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.