Pamela Parks of Oglethorpe County Elementary in Lexington, Georgia. and Mark Judkins of Skillin Elementary School in South Portland, Maine have the remaining two gardens from Naturalyards. Pam won for submitting over 90 entries and Mark was the name chosen at random from the teachers who submitted more than 5 entries. Naturalyards will be working with these teachers on everything from building to planting their garden. The students will get to help with planting and assembly, and tending to the garden for years to come. We can’t wait to see pictures of these gardens in the coming months!!

The 2011-12 Kids’ Science Challenge is now closed for entries. The judges are eagerly reading all entries and the winners will be announced, on the KSC website, on May 2, 2012. The winners will then set-off to work with a KSC scientist to see their entry idea become a reality, and blog about their experience right here!Missed the deadline? Don’t worry there is always next year if you still in grades 3-6. Follow us on Facebook to get up to the minute updates or sign up for the KSC mailing list. Just because the contest is closed does not mean you should stop visiting the KSC site. You can continue to enjoy all the games and activities all year round. Stay tuned because you never know when we will introduce something new!

Dave Clark, a 6th grade teacher at Wilbur Middle School, in Wichita, KS encouraged his students to enter the 4^th annual Kids’ Science Challenge. He submitted 116 entries by the January 15th deadline. Making Mr. Clark the winner of the first of 3 gardens for his school. Wilbur Middle School will receive a $3,500 gift certificate to use towards a Naturalyards school garden kit. From planning to planting, Naturalyards will assist the winning schools in building the school gardens of their dreams. One exciting aspect of the Naturalyards gardens is that even younger students can help with the assembly.

Two additional teachers will win a prize from Naturalyards at a later date. So collect your entries and get them in the mail by the February 29, 2012 deadline!!

The Kids’ Science Challenge continues to bring creative thinking to kids nationwide.  Check out these imaginative kids in Virginia Beach, VA.  Their teacher, Pam Northam, modified the Crow Creativity Activity by using materials found in their science lab such as the Erlenmeyer flask instead of a clear tube, and attached candy to a loop of tape instead of a basket (since the neck was too small). Students were given the opportunity to chose everyday objects to use, and no instruction other than to get the candy out without lifting the flask. You can see from the photos what a great time they had with this activity.  They also watched the video clip research with the actual crows, and we did some comparative anatomy with human and bird brains.  What are you doing with your students to learn more about the KSC topics?

Kids' Science Challenge

The new Kids Science Challenge is coming up fast. After the great ideas we got last year, I can’t wait to see what the kids will come up with this year. The competition will open for entries on October 1, and all entries must be received by February 29, 2012. Check back regularly many new videos, lesson plans and hands-on activities coming to the KSC site throughout September.

Pic 1: Sona getting ready to do an experiment in Derek Lovley’s lab at UMass, Amherst; Pic 2: Sona and mud battery; Pic 3: Sona and Ashley Franks in the lab; Pic 4: Guided by Graduate Student Jessica Smith, Sona performs an experiment in the lab; Pic 5: Sona visits animal lab at UMass.

Pic 1: Peyton playing golf; Pic 2: Peyton and Daniel Savin (Assistant Professor of Polymer Science & Engineering) in his lab at the School of Polymers & High Performance Materials; Pic 3: Peyton and Olivia McNair (AGEP Scholar – Chemistry, PHD Candidate – Sports and High Performance Materials);
Pic 4: Peyton in Daniel Savin’s lab; Pic 5: Peyton in Daniel Savin’s lab; Pic 6: Peyton and Daniel Savin (Assistant Professor of Polymer Science & Engineering) in his lab at the School of Polymers & High Performance Materials; Pic 7: Peyton and Daniel Savin (Assistant Professor of Polymer Science & Engineering) in his lab at the School of Polymers & High Performance Materials.

We woke up early to drive back to Boston. Since our flight was late in the afternoon we had decided to go to the Boston Science Museum. There we saw the dinosaur exhibition, that had lots of real dinosaur bones, and some that you could touch! We looked in the math area, and read about woman in science. We also saw a movie about Sue, the largest, most complete, and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex ever discovered. I learned about how she was found, why they think she died, and why she was preserved this well. While I would have loved to stay longer, we had to leave because we had to go to catch our flight. We drove to the airport returned the car and jumped into the plane to start a whole new adventure in Washington D.C. and New York City! The trip to Boston was so much fun – Mr. Metzner and his team really went out of their way to make it an unforgettable experience – My only regret is that I am too old to enter it again – But now that I know how it feels to win I am going to seek out similar competitions – So watch out world – I will be back soon! ciao for now

It was so much fun. I got up early since we had to be there at around eight-thirty, and ate breakfast. My mum and I then carpooled with Mr. Metzner to UMass Amherst. At the parking lot we were given a warm welcome by science writer Janet Lathrop  & her colleague who presented both of us with t-shirts. Then we went inside and I met the scientists: Ashley Franks, and Derek Lovely. They showed me a presentation on what they do in the lab, and told me that we would be doing some of the experiments that day. They then gave me some more t-shirts, the Kids Science Challenge winner’s certificate, and a notebook to record data in.

Then the fun experiments began. Ashley led me to a lab where his one of his colleaguesRoberto showed me microbes that breathe in Uranium like we breathe in oxygen. Then he took a test tube that was just plain Uranium (test tube 1) and a test tube that had the microbes with the Uranium (test tube 2) in it and put them in UV light. We had to wear special equipment since UV light can make you go blind. In the UV light test tube 1 lit up bright neon yellow, and test tube 2 lit up as a peach color. Roberto told me that if we every needed to cleanse water that had been contaminated with Uranium we could use these microbes.

Then we headed down a few stairs to meet Jessica(another scientist in the lab) there I got to fill my own test tube with microbes by injecting needles filled with them.  Then carefully carrying my test tube we walked to the oven which looked more like a mini fridge than a oven. I had to wear special gloves(oven mitts) since it was about 200 degrees in there. I put my test tube amongst the many that already lay there. The point of the experiment was to demonstrate how fast the microbes multiply under high temperatures – the reason behind which is unknown - She promised that she would send me pictures of it after it starts growing.

Then it was break and we went back the place where I first met the scientists. There was coffee, tea, and pink lemonade. Plus cookies and fruit. There was also a reporter who interviewed  me (http://www.gazettenet.com/2011/06/15/umass-researcher-teams-up-with-youngster-with-high-hopes-for-science?SESS7183c1c79170a74798e98417eed5c67a=gnews).

Then it was time to make a microbial fuel cell kit with Ashley Franks. We first went into this sealed chamber to see some of the ones that he had made. And he showed me one that has been powering a little light for a year! Then it was time to make one. He showed me that we were going to make the easiest one: a one from kit. We opened up the kit to find a plastic container, a chip, wires a l.e.d. light etc. Ashley had already gotten fresh mud from a local pond, and was telling me that the more that the mud stinks the more better it will work. Then I took handfuls of rotten-egg-smelling mud and put it in the plastic container. Then on top of that goes a black foam piece that had a wire connected to it. Then we put more mud and another piece of foam with a red wire. We poured some water on top to make sure that the mud doesn’t dry out. Then we took the two wires and pulled them through the two holes on the top and attached them to the little chip then we put the light on the chip, and in a few weeks the light will start flickering. Ashley even gave me my own to take home to CA and send him the results to compare which mud is better.

After we headed down to the cafeteria where we had an amazing lunch. I did not know that university cafeterias served exotic food like pad thai noodles – And they even had a waffle maker where u could make one from scratch!

Then began my fun afternoon schedule. My first stop was Professor Susan Leschine.  She talked to me about green biofuels she has made. She showed me the anaerobic where they keep all tests that that they need to be conducted in oxygen deprived conditions. Then she got a slide with microbes on it and put it under a microscope so we could see these microbes move they can move as much a the average person can run in proportion to their size. It doesn’t look like they are moving but you can see little squiggles. Then we talked about science and my idea.

Next we went to Professor Duncan Irschick who studies reptile motion. He showed us lizards, geckos, a bearded dragon, and a turtle.  We also tried an experiment. We put a lizard on a ramp tilted upward to see if it would run but it didn’t. Then we tried a gecko because we thought that might stick better since its feet can stick upside down. It did run up, except at the end it jumped in to the camera, and when Duncan tried to catch it, it fell into the tank with the turtle and got mad since it hates water.

Lastly I went to meet Peg Riley. She showed me her three mascots: Charles Darwin the bearded dragon, Monty the python, and Doc the parrot. She and her use the three fun animals as props when they visit local school and teach young kids about science. They said they hope to extend this program to CA and that maybe I can help out. They gave me magnets, pins, another t-shirt, and pens. Then they showed me polymers, and when I said that I don’t have them they gave me a almost full pack. Plus a pack of cards with facts on the side.

After all that fun we went back to the hotel changed and went out for dinner with my family, Mr. Metzner  and a number of the members of the UMass faculty to a great place called Fresh Side. After a nice meal and some yummy ice cream we returned to the hotel – But I still had too much energy so my sister and I decided to head to the pool where we swam and played  until Midnight  -  A great way to end an amazing day.

We left the hotel really early, and checked out, and left our baggage with the front desk. We soon got onto the T and got off at Harvard Square and walked around looking for breakfast, when someone recommended Zoe’s. We walked along way until we found it. After we walked around the Harvard campus and I recognized some of the places from The Social Network. Later we walked all the way to MIT, where we got to go inside the the main building and see some of the labs, and classrooms(from the outside). We found the subway, took it back to the hotel and grabbed our luggage and drove to Amherst which took about an hour and met Mr. Metzner for dinner at Paul and Elizabeth’s. The food was amazing. And by the time we checked in to our hotel it was super late, but was not tired at all(I was excited about the next day, when I get to meet the scientists). (photos: 1. MIT 2. Harvard)