What Is a Black Hole?

Make a topographic map!

Make a topographic map! Build your own mountain and make a topo map of it! A topographic map, or "topo map," is a way to show mountains and valleys on a flat piece of paper. Topo maps are handy and necessary for many uses, including building roads and hiking trails in the mountains. The map shows where the hills and valleys are and how steep they are. What you need: A lump of clay or Play-Doh® about the size of a coffee mug. Piece of cardboard or large tile on which to work the clay Piece of dental floss, about 2 feet (around 60 centimeters) long Ruler Piece of plain, white paper Long pencil 2 toothpicks What to do: Put the lump of clay on the cardboard and shape a mountain about 4 inches high. Making the map is more fun if you make your mountain a little lop-sided or oddly shaped. However, the mountain should be flat on the bottom. Use the long pencil to poke two holes straight down through the center of the mountain. Make sure your two holes go all the way through the mo...

Build a Bubble-Powered Rocket!

Build a Bubble-Powered Rocket! Build your own rocket using paper and fizzing tablets! Watch it lift off. How high does your rocket go? Print this page for the instructions. Suggestion: Find a grown-up to do this activity with you. Materials: Paper, regular 8-1/2- by 11-inch paper, such as computer printer paper or even notebook paper. Plastic 35-mm film canister (see hints below) Cellophane tape Scissors Effervescing (fizzing) antacid tablet (the kind used to settle an upset stomach) Paper towels Water Eye protection (like eye glasses, sun glasses, or safety glasses) Hints: The film canister MUST be one with a cap that fits INSIDE the rim instead of over the outside of the rim. Sometimes photography shops have extras of these and will be happy to donate some for such a worthy cause. Keep in mind: Just like with real rockets, the less your rocket weighs and the less air resistance (drag) it has, the higher it will go. Making the Rocket You must first decide how to cut your paper. ...

What Is an Aurora?

If you're ever near the North or South Pole, you may be in for a very special treat. Frequently there are beautiful light shows in the sky. These lights are called auroras . If you're near the North Pole, it is called an aurora borealis or northern lights. If you're near the South Pole, it is called an aurora australis or the southern lights. This beautiful view of the aurora was taken from the International Space Station as it crossed over the southern Indian Ocean on September 17, 2011. What makes this happen? Even though auroras are best seen at night, they are actually caused by the Sun. The Sun sends us more than heat and light; it sends lots of other energy and small particles our way. The protective magnetic field around Earth shields us from most of the energy and particles, and we don't even notice them. But the Sun doesn't send the same amount of energy all the time. There is a constant streaming sol...

AK Learning Box

Search This Blog