Teach `em Young!

I just thought I`de share a Candid picture I took today in the Lab, this is NOT a setup! this is Really what we do when Mommy is out at the gym or shopping or whatever...



she`s only 2.5

do you Involve/Teach your kids Science, and have any pics anecdotes or opinions?

Yes! This is exactly the age at which to first introduce kids to science.
Even though she might not know an anion from an onion, chances are
she'll be intrigued by the stuff boiling in the flask and the liquids
changing colors, thus sparking a lifelong interest in understanding
the workings of the physical world.

I got my first exposure to the world of science when I was knee
high to a microscope ---- here are some highlights.

When I was 4 years old, my dad would bring in discarded televisions
and other electronic equipment. We would dissect them to see what
was inside. In retrospect, I see that this is an excellent activity for
children and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Looking under the
cover will dispel any notions of electronics as mysterious black boxes,
substituting the real magic of electromagnetic theory for superstitious
notions of electronics as modern-day genie bottles. Also, I
remember Graf's book of safe and simple electrical experiments,
having fiddled around with electroscopes, electrostatic pinwheels,
electromagnets, etc. at a tender age. By the time I got to high school,
I learned the basis of electronics and amassed a sundry collection
of coils, capacitors, tubes, transistors, and other electronic components
and having fun with the high voltage department of mad science.

While I was starting school (first or second grade or so), my mom showed
me how to compute areas and volumes. That got me started on my
mathematical career --- in a few years, I was reading books from the local
library and used bookstore, culminating with teaching myself calculus in
the summer after the eighth grade. I pretty soon began my career as a
research mathematician by exploring the properties of numbers and other
abstract systems for myself.

Between the chemistry set and a chemist uncle , I got started on that
subject. Pretty soon, I had my lab and a darkroom set up in the basement.
Even though I may not pursued it professionally (officially, I am mathematical
physicist with general relativity theory as specialization but my interests are
quite broad), I have certainly kept up an interest in it, as my participation
here attests. Also, now that I moved back to the part of the world where I
grew up, I am slowly in the process of turning that juvenile lab into the real
thing. I'll be sure to post more here as lab construction proceeds and I
acquire a proper place to perform experiments, as opposed to jugging
test tubes on the kitchen table.

Generally speaking, most of the toys I got when I was a kid were science
related (a fact that really hasn't changed as I grew up ). I also have
fond memories of a shopping trip to Edmund's when I was small and of
my dream of having a laser (which came recently came back in spades
when I found a cache of laser pointers in the local dollar store --- time to
build some funky optical devices (e.g. interferometer) and eventually try
laser pointer holography
(http://www.buildcoolstuff.com/gallery/holograms.html) ).

Based on my life experience, I would also recommend reading biographies
of scientists to young children as my parents did and having pupils write
reports on the lives of scientists as my math teacher did. This shows the
human side of science, gives exposure to what doing science at an
advanced research level is like (as opposed to what one gets in the
classroom) and presents quite a different cast of role models from the
usual parade of politicians, athletes, and celebrities.

While I do not have children and the teaching I have done is in the
university as opposed to the elementary school, I have found a way
to "give back" for these opportunities via the internet. I am quite
active in the PlanetMath community ( http://planetmath.org ), having written
something like 5% of the encyclopaedia as well as being up to my
knees in the administration and business end of that project. Websites
like that one and this one have the potential to help kids interested in
science by providing information, mentoring and community.

Glad to see the mad-scientist-in-training and am already looking
forward to reading her posts a dozen years or so from now

P.S. If you haven't done so already, consider showing her the Golden
Book of Chemistry Experiments when she is ready for it --- it is now
available online via chemistry.about.com (which also has a lot of
other useful stuff for kids).

Are you calcining a blackboard eraser on that tripod?

YT, that is a very nice pic, it makes me smile
I have shown the pic to my wife. She told me you should be proud of your daughter

We now have three kids (almost 12 years, almost 10 years, and a newborn baby), and I also on a regular basis do experiments with the kids (not with the baby ). I started doing that when they were 4 or so. I have shown them many nice experiments, such as adding a solution of acidified KMnO4 to a solution of Na2SO3, or adding a solution of BaCl2 to dilute H2SO4. The simple color changes and precipitations. The kids really love this kind of things.

Now, when they are a little bit older, I let them do experiments on their own. I purchased a C3000 chemistry set and this is for the kids. I separate my own lab from the kids (it contains too dangerous things, such as high voltage equipment, really toxic chemicals like SOCl2 and Br2).
Our oldest daughter now also is interested in the theory behind the experiments. I explained a little about atoms and molecules and that if a chemical reaction occurs, that atoms are rearranged. At that level she perfectly understands.

Most important indeed is to raise interest. The most succesful activity I had with the kids in this direction was an experimenting and chemistry party. When our oldest daughter became 10, her party was arranged as chemistry party. I let them make volcanos from paperpulp, NaHCO3, vinegar and some orange food coloring, I let them make 'secret writing ' with dilute K4Fe(CN)6 and made this visible by spraying dilute FeCl3 on it. Finally, i let them blow up balloons by putting in some NaHCO3, some NaHSO4 and adding a small amount of water. The kids really loved this kind of activities. Finally I did some demo experiments (dissolving a coin in conc. HNO3) and igniting a pyrotechnic mix by means of a magnifying glass and sunlight.
This party was very succesful, and I even received positive comments from parents. The kids were talking about it, and the parents gave positive feedback on this as an original idea and a very good and educating activity.

[Edited on 11-1-08 by woelen]

Teaching

LOL, Nope

it`s a 300 fin alu heatsink, it gets a little cold in here and there`s no Active heating plumbed into the house, so this makes a very nice convection heater.

my Daughter points at it and says " Bunsen burner, HOT... Dangerous!"

I`m in the process of finding the space in here to put up a little shelf for her, she has several books already, a 10 vol series about different sciences and Making things, especially for kids, we have a glass tank in here also (you can just see it in the pic) with "Things we find in Nature" inside it, different rocks and leaves and berries and shells etc...
I did have a rats skull complete with teeth, but I can`t find it??

we have Wheat, Barley and Rye growing in 400ml beakers, and we frequently go through all the herbs and spices in the kitchen smelling them, she even Wafts! rather than nose-in-bottle

and of course, this can only get better over time as we expand into more grown-up things and make Kites and water rockets and things that require some planning.

it`s comforting to know that she won`t be Entirely subjected to this Watered down, Dumbed down, scared of our own shadow excuse for education rife today in most schools, she will at least have a Chance!

Very nice to see young children learning chemistry.

Well I myself am still a kid (turned 15 yesterday) and I also started early (with the age of 3). Wen I was 5 years old I got my first real equipment (glass test tubes, beakers, measuring cylinders...). Bu then I was still to young to work with real chemicals so I mixed paints. Then I stopped being interested in chemistry but at the age of 12 I started again. But now I got real chemicals. With the age of 13 I started to work with more dangerous chemicals (bromine, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, ammonia, chlorine, benzene, heavy metal salts, dichromates...) and started to make things that go BOOM (AP was the first). With the age of 14 I became interested in metalworking along with chemistry. So I started to cast metals (first time I cast lead was with age of 11). Brass, bronze, copper, aluminium, zinc and lead. I also weld and cut various shapes from metal plates with angle grinders. And also I started to make small and large cannons using homemade BP and whistle mix(not alone, but with some friends). But I didn't abandon chemistry, only reduced it. And that was when I first started to nitrate things (nitroglycerin, methyl nitrate, ethylene glycol dinitrate, nitrobenzene). I was lucky that the chem. teacher supported my hobby and gave me and my friend who is also interested in chemistry (and also has a home lab) most of the dangerous chemicals (including picric acid). And we are respected for things we do (especially explosives). And as I see in america kids that like science are considered geeks and most of them hide their hobby Now until the end of winter I will do experiments and then I will stop for some time to rest because If I do something too long I get tired from it. But later I will continue. Winter is the best time because I live in a tourist area so I cant blow things up at spring or summer but now in winter there is a little people here I live and they know what I do.

The earlier you start, the better!!

well I can assure you we will NOT be "blowing things up"!
she will be taught Properly and within the Law (we do after all want to KEEP this Lab and it`s equipment).

you can teach about Energetics in good and interesting ways With OUT having to make a nuisance of yourself or destroying things or breaking the law, be certain of this!
the same way you can teach Nuclear Fision without having to make a reactor, besides a box full of loaded mouse traps and ping-pong balls is tons more Fun


[Edited on 12-1-2008 by YT2095]

Quote:

Originally posted by Zinc And as I see in america kids that like science are considered geeks and most of them hide their hobby The earlier you start, the better!!

Mouse Traps

YT, I went through several chemistry sets growing. I also remember the pin pong ball
and mouse traps setup for demonstrating the chain reaction. That's clever way
to demonstrate that process !

Quote:

Originally posted by YT2095 Quote: Originally posted by microcosmicus Are you calcining a blackboard eraser on that tripod? LOL, Nope it`s a 300 fin alu heatsink, it gets a little cold in here and there`s no Active heating plumbed into the house, so this makes a very nice convection heater.

Hehehe .....I have done almost exactly the same thing
as a sort of "chill chaser" in the work area , with a large
Meker burner and I just open the valve nearly all the way
until there is about a foot and a half long 3 inch wide blast flame coming out the top ( have to be careful of the ceiling , even at 12 feet ) .....and in about five minutes the whole
room is nice and warm

Quote:

Originally posted by YT2095 you can teach about Energetics in good and interesting ways With OUT having to make a nuisance of yourself or destroying things or breaking the law, be certain of this! the same way you can teach Nuclear Fision without having to make a reactor, besides a box full of loaded mouse traps and ping-pong balls is tons more Fun

If you need 9ml to see an explosive effect you need a classier material! Now when single crystals or fractions of a drop can detonate with brisance...stuff like tetrazoles and alkyl perchlorates...those inspire awe... AP, not so much.

Electroylsis and the hydrogen 'pop test' is one of the simplest experiments, and safe for any age, I know I was electrolysing with a 9V battery various solutions long before I even had my science courses covering the difference between a mixture and a solution, meanwhile I was self learning the metal activity series.

I do admit, when I got my first chemistry set, it bored me. Far too many white precipitates, which I considered uninteresting. I believe I electrolysed every tame chemical I got in that set with a 9V battery however.

I think it is important to show kids as many aspects of chemisry as possible, if I had just seen precipitates and solutions, I would have lost interest in chemistry, but 9V batteries and pencil leads hooked me. And later seeing a nitrocellulose(at a magic show) demonstration and flame colous of metal salts in elementary school hooked me again.
Every kid has a certain trigger, otherwise they end up in video game oblivion.

Interesting you say, davster, for me it was also NC that my brother made (hehe he had my mum buying the acids at the pharmacy, and I was there as a little boy, and still remember the fuss they made... but they gave it nonetheless) which ultimately was the trigger for the interest in science. Then the electronics kit I got for christmas, and also this certain oxidising weedkiller a friend obtained... you are right, there are triggers, and I found mine, or rather, it found me

Well, to keep with the theme of this thread, mind as well encourage the youngsters to sport the safety apparel. This is Carol and she is 2.9 years old.

[Edited on 1/13/2008 by chloric1]

Indeed, my Daughter has her very own pair of Safety Goggles as well as clip on filters for Laser demos.

she`s also constantly washing her hands as she`s seen me do it so many times, she`s like my Shadow and follows me everywhere!