Sunday, April 26, 2009

Science Fair

I enjoy science, and I think science experiments are fun. I like the idea of playing with science in order to allow students to see the fun in it. However, I hate all that they require for science fair entries these days. BUT Tim is required to do a science fair project. I still don't know if we will get him to do everything that is supposed to go along with it. I did my best to come up with an experiment that would be fun for him.

So we did an experiment with Mentos and Diet Coke, the viral video has been seen by most people on-line if you haven't seen it check out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKoB0MHVBvM

Tim's question is does this work with Mentos and other sodas as well. His hypothesis is no, if it worked with other soda why does everyone always talk about Diet Coke and Mentos.

So here are the pictures of our experiment

Regular Coke:
Diet Pepsi:

Diet Coke:
Caffine Free Diet Coke:

Coke Zero--too many of the mentos didn't fall into the bottle so this was a failed experiment

Rootbeer--Also had a number of the mentos that did not make it into the bottle.


Tim then tried to attempt one of the things mentioned on his life list. Drink Diet Coke with mentos.

He wasn't able to actually drink it, and he said it didn't really count because all we had was Diet Pepsi and not Diet Coke.

So, now we are done with the experiment portion of the science fair project, now the horrible part of making a poster and writing it up :P

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Earth Hour


Earth hour this year was March 28th at 8:30. At my house we switched off the main breaker to live without electricity for one full hour. I think the kids lit every candle I had in the house including fitting as many candles as possible onto a plate. By the end of the hour it was one giant candle, and some of the middle flames were flooded out.

So what do you do for an hour with no electricity? I enjoyed the complete silence. The kids and I also sat around and made life lists. Things we want to do during our life.

Tim's list
  • Learn to Kick flip
  • Get pilot's license
  • Go to My Chemical Romance concert
  • Save a life
  • Put a bad guy in jail
  • Drink diet coke with Mentos in mouth
  • Set a world record
  • Sky dive
  • Ride a roller coaster
  • Build a skate park
  • Visit a fortune teller
  • Make a sculpture
  • Learn fencing
  • Get ears and nose pierced
  • Go snowboarding
  • Go to a skate camp
  • Learn how to swallow fire
  • Get a tattoo
  • Learn magic
  • Surf board
  • Learn Japanese
Kara's list (warning she is very ambitious)
  • Learn to skateboard
  • Get a minister's license
  • Visit different churches every Sunday for a few months
  • Build houses in Haiti
  • Get a pilot's license
  • Backpack across Europe or S. America
  • Go on a cruise
  • Go to Mecca
  • Work with bees
  • Go to a concert
  • Run a marathon
  • Change a life
  • Volunteer at the Red Cross
  • Set a world record
  • Master fast shoe tying
  • Try pie
  • Go on Aftershock (a roller coaster)
  • Buy a banzai tree
  • Visit a fortune teller
  • Learn fencing
  • Read the 2nd Harry Potter
  • Make a sculpture
  • Visit Wall Street stock market
  • Get ears pierced
  • Ice Skate
  • Snowboard
  • Go to summer camp
  • Learn to cook
  • Work at Renaissance fair
  • Write a book
  • Read all Holy Books (Bible, Koran, etc.)
  • Sell Jewelry
  • Get a tattoo
  • Be a street performer
  • Learn to juggle
  • Be a storm chaser
  • Learn magic
  • Live in Spanish speaking country for 6 months.
  • Surf board
  • Go to Japan
  • Donate blood
  • Publish a photograph
  • Ziplining
  • Make own clothes
  • Go to circus

My List

  • Go white river rafting
  • Have my fortune told
  • Visit Washington DC
  • Write a book
  • Take kids to all 50 states
  • Try surf boarding
  • Finish my Master's degree
  • Learn how to sail
  • Live in a foreign country
  • Find a hobby that I am passionate about
  • Travel through Europe
  • Swim in the Mediterranean Sea
  • Vacation at an Ashram
  • Take a belly dancing class
  • Straighten Tim's hair (done--see picture below)
  • Try oil painting (Bob Ross style)
  • Testify as an expert in congress
  • Spend an entire day at a wild meadow next to a small stream (my happy place)
  • Ziplining
  • Scuba dive