| girls | in |
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| girls entering grades 6-8 | |||
june 23-24, 2012 |
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featured sunday presentation:
Physics
in Action!
- after lunch feature presentation
See a physicist lie on a bed of nails, kids standing on light bulbs without breaking them, a ping-pong ball shot through an empty can, a magnet taking a minute to fall to the ground, a light bulb glowing without wires and a racquetball that shatters when thrown against the wall. Learn how rockets work, why ice skaters can spin so fast and why bicycles are easier to ride fast than slow.
Eric Gansen, Ph.D., Chemistry, UW-La Crosse
program descriptions:
Barbie Bungee
We’ll be sending a Barbie doll bungee jumping and use mathematics to make sure her ride is as fun packed as possible without letting her break any bones.
Heather Mathison, Ph.D., Mathematics
Close Up!
Smile... it's time for your close up! Well, for the specimens that is... A caterpillar looks very different when viewed at 60 times its normal size! What will a flower petal or a bug's wing look like under magnification? Get ready to think BIG as we collect living organisms, dissect, and use microscopes to view the complexities of a world much smaller than ours.
Tim Gerber, Ph.D., Biology
Color My World: Chemistry of Pigments and Dyes
Learn why Kool-Aid doesn't stick to cotton (but will stick to wool), and try dyeing cotton and wool with various dyes, including natural pigments. Dye eggs pink, then watch them change color as they dry, and find out why. Learn about the effects of pigments on our bodies, when we eat colored foods.
Heather Schenck, Ph.D., Chemistry
Crime
Scene Investigation: The Case of Jason Worth
A missing heir, Jason Worth, comes from a world of money, power and mystery.
Student sleuths will use the same tests that a forensic scientist would use to
discover who kidnapped Jason Worth by analyzing blood samples, finger prints and
other evidence to solve the crime.
Faye Ellis, M.S, Biology
Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend
Have you ever wondered why rubies are red or why diamonds sparkle in the light? These and other properties which make certain gemstones so valuable arise from the fact that they are crystalline substances. In this workshop, we will explore different properties of crystals (such as color, luster, and hardness) and will talk about how these properties are related to the arrangement of the atoms within a crystal. Part of this exploration will involve actually "growing" crystals in a laboratory, as well as using computer models to investigate the different ways in which the atoms that form crystals can link together. We will also describe some common practical uses for crystalline substances, including solar cells and liquid crystal displays.
Janet Kirsch, Ph.D., Chemistry
Havoc in Hogville
The town of Hogville has a problem; many of its residents have been infected with the bacteria Salmonella! The town needs your help in finding the cause; was it a result of swimming in Swine Creek or from eating at the Pizza Hog? Learn how scientists use antibodies as a biological research tool to track down the source of an epidemic.
Faye Ellis, M.S, Biology
Lovely Lips Laboratory
Ever wonder what goes into making a little tub of lip gloss? Want to try making your own? In the Lovely Lips Laboratory, you'll learn about the properties of the ingredients that go into making lip gloss, then it will be up to you to decide how you're going to combine them together to make your own personalized lip gloss formulation!
Nadia Carmosini, Ph.D., Chemistry
Movie Production through Computer Programming
Learn the basics of computer programming by writing, directing and filming a
movie script. Construct a virtual 3D world involving dancing figure skaters,
singing frogs, and polar penguins. Using programming script, direct and record
your movie using a virtual camera.
Kenny Hunt, Ph.D., Computer Science
Renewable You
What is renewable energy? What can we do with it? Why do we
care? Learn about sources of renewable energy, how we use
them, and build devices powered using alternative sources of
energy!
Seth King, Ph.D., Physics
What is in that Diaper?!?
Have you ever seriously thought about what's in a diaper? Not a used diaper, a new disposable diaper! Exactly how much water can a diaper absorb, and why? You'll find out how diapers work by taking a (clean!) diaper apart and experimenting with the super-absorbent polymers inside.
We'll also explore what polymers are, how they are made, what sort of strange properties they have, and then how they are made to be useful in various applications. You'll go on a polymer hunt, finding and classifying some polymers you use every day and don't realize it.
Donna Staarup Bossman, Ph.D., Trane
When Light and Matter Collide, There's Chemistry
From the colors we see in a rainbow to glow-in-the-dark toys, light-matter interactions are the source of these phenomena. We will investigate what matter is and how light can be reflected, absorbed, and even emitted from matter. An investigation of some common household items with unusual light-matter interactions will be undertaken.
Kendric Nelson, Ph.D., Chemistry
Why So Wishy-Washy?
Ever wondered how it is possible for scientists to not have a clear, direct,
and simple answer when it comes to chemical forensics? Student will perform
experiments to identify unknown analgesics and will examine two methods for
visualizing latent (invisible) blood. Then students will discover easy missteps
that can lead to misinterpretation.
Sandy Koster, Ph.D., Chemistry
