AboutRalph Salier-Hellendag Expertise Science Fair Judge for many years and experience with robotics, biology, chemistry, industrial processes, metalurgy and metal forming.
Experience Science Fair Judge for many years and have helped several students get to state level competition. Most recently 2 of my students received state level awards and one went on to the nationals in Washington DC.
Education/Credentials BA Archaeology - Anthropology
MA Business Anthropology
Question QUESTION: I have to organise a science week for 8-9 yr olds based on a fairy story which will generate scientific problems in connection with electriciy or alarms,As a non-scientist can you help me please ? Julia
ANSWER: Hi Julia,
This is a tough one!. Do you have any fairy stories in mind? How about the Harry Potter stories? If you would kindly provide some direction as to which fairy stories you would like to work with, then it would make it easier for me to provide some direction.
Some simple ideas would be a "potato clock" or a "Lemon Light" or a "wacky compass". These are very similar to each other and very simple.
I await your further communications....
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QUESTION: Beauty and the Beast was originally suggested. However your ideas sound great especially as I have to do "Lighting up" or "Alarms "too in D.T. Quite honestly Harry Potter would be fine, Roald Dahl "Witches", Norman Juster's "Phantom Tolbooth," Terry Nation's "Rebecca's World," Paul Jenning's " Unreal" and "Unbelievable" are all very popular and very wacky. I would rather do those stories anyway. So whatever you recommend, I will find it. I know about books but I could look forever and not see the Science implications.Many Thanks Julia
Answer Hi Julia,
I am reasonably familiar with the Harry Potter Stories and there are a number of things that are done with the wand that could be translated to scientific problems. Lets take a look at the phrase "NOX" which is used to put out the light at the end of the wand (used as a flash light) so. A battery in a wand with an on/off switch could be built using a flash light bulb etc...
The Pensive used by Dumbeldor to store memories and then look at them at a later date, this is akin to a video system with an LCD screen, the LCD being Liquid Crystal. I"m not sure how this could be set up but perhaps a bowl of water on top of a video screen?
Of course the potato clock or lemon flash light both could be dressed up to be something magical I suppose. For these, you will need wire, clips, copper and zinc strips and a fixture for a light bulb or the ability to connect a clock to the wires.
Sparks could also be made but this may take a bit more energy. Although this can also be done with steel wool and a lemon battery as descibed above. The steel wool should catch fire!
The wacky compass is made by wrapping a wire from the lemon around the compass and this generates a new magnetic field which is different from North and by turning the circuit on and off can make the needle swing wildly.
Try going on line to www.google.com and put in simple electric system and see what comes up.
