Paws on Science

WOOF! On Saturday, we spent a few fun filled hours at the Pacific Science Center for their third annual "Paws-on Science" event. It's an opportunity to talk with dozens of UW scientists about their work.

There were about three dozen stations set up all around the science center. We made it to most of them (33 in all!) and the kids had a chance to interact with 60+ scientists from all sorts of fields of study.

They learned about seismology, saw an invention to help water run up hill, learned about genetics, molecular and cellular biology, autism, measuring the salinity and temperature of oceans, rainfall measurement, tsunamis and thermal cameras. In a booth about how microbes help plants, they got to create their own endophyte and plant and learn about symbionts. CJ named his endophyte Purple 2. Annabelle named her endophyte Star Flower.

The kids had a chance to build a solar powered car ...

and they each had a chance to sit in a race car built by mechanical engineering students.

We picked up an intriguing flyer that says "Medical school not for you? Be a scientist instead!" produced by the Biomendical Research Programs at the U of W. The flyer includes links to 15 different areas of study, from bioengineering to epidemiology to genome sciences and pathology. Cool stuff!

They also learned how helpful viruses are being used in medicine, including in the fight against muscular dystrophy. They even had a chance to build their own beneficial virus.

They also attended a mini nursing school where they learned about germs and got to experiment with stethoscopes.

At another station they participated in a fun experiment with "elephant's toothpaste."

They had a fun time watching the hydrogen peroxide coming apart in a chemical reaction.

We were super happy to learn about a groovy, searchable database of science and math songs: SingAboutScience.org! Just to to their site, click on 'find/add songs' and off you go. You'll be singing ditties about molecules, dark matter, and quantum physics in no time!


As we made our rounds from station to station, the kids collected passport stamps. When we finally had to leave, we returned to the passport table to show their work and receive a token for their efforts. The young woman at the table was blown away by the kids' passports. She said they had, by far, visited more booths than any other kids. I would have liked to hit a few more, but we were already WELL over our 2 hour parking zone limit and risking a hefty ticket as it was.

Of course, today, I asked the kids to each write about three of the stations they enjoyed the most on Saturday. CJ wrote:

Paws On Science: By: CJ

Paws on Science was a event that took place on March 30-April 1, 2012. It's Raining It's Pouring tells you where the most rain is. It can also tell you where the most water comes. Sing About Science and Math can show you that music can go with science. It can also tell you that science can be fun. Germ hunters can make you learn about the germs in our everyday world. It can also tell you how to fight them.

Annabelle wrote:

Paws On Science - My 3 Top Favorite Booths by Annabelle

   My first favorite booth was the cirus booth because I love studying the human body. It was also fun because you could make a 3-D pentagon with toothpicks and clay balls.

   My second favorite booth was the tsunami alert booth. It was very fun because there was a little tub with a fish bowl 'island' where you could make a tsunami with a scoop. We also got a Cartesian diver!

   My third favorite booth was the endophyte booth because you can make up your own endophyte and plant to show where your endophyte lives.

My favorite booth was where a pair of scientists were measuring brain waves. When we arrived at the station, a young Indian man in a white lab coat was using a wand like instrument on the temple of a 13-ish girl. He was having a hard time getting a reading from her, and he kept tilting her head to and fro, and his fellow scientist adjusted a couple of settings on the machine.

Eventually, it was our turn. CJ hopped into the chair immediately, and I thought to myself, "Well this is going to be interesting ..."

As soon as the scientist touched the want to CJ's temple, the meter literally shot off the charts. The two scientists got wide eyed and exchanged OMG type comments. "Scale it down! Scale it down!" the man with the wand directed the woman manning the machine. She changed some settings so that CJ's activity could fit on the screen.

There were a number of "You have very big brain" and "you must be really smart" comments from the scientists. I told them likely the activity was a reflection of every YouTube video CJ has ever watched. They chuckled at that. When they were done, the kids each got a print out of some of their results.

Annabelle was up next, and they didn't have any trouble finding her brain waves, either. : )

All in all, it was an amazing, inspiring, enriching event and we're so lucky to be able to enjoy it. (Oh, and did I mention the Husky marching band and cheerleaders performed on site, too? Bonus!)

By the time we got home, Annabelle was holding her head lamenting, "I don't know what kind of scientist to be - I like them all!"

EARTH HOUR: Saturday evening, from 8 to 9, we observed Earth Hour. According to the Earth Hour Web site, more than 5,200 cities and towns in 135 countries worldwide participated in the world's largest environmental awareness event. The event's goal is to create a global community committed to creating a more sustainable planet.

To help our hour with no computers, no TV and no lights pass by pleasantly, we played a Mad Libs card game. It was lots of fun, and the kids both said they really enjoyed Earth Hour. Maybe we should do it more than once a year. ;)

FIELD TRIP: Sunday morning brought us blue skies - something we hadn't seen in sooooooo loooong. We decided we simply had to get out of the house. We pointed the Honda north and our first stop was Richmond Beach Park, along the sound and west of Shoreline.

It's 39+ acres of gorgeous, with a long sand-and-round rocks beach, lots of driftwood and, on a breezy day, an army of kite surfers.

Wow oh wow does kite surfing look like fun. Man those guys rip along SO fast, doing flips and jumps and tricks all the while.  

We walked the beach and the kids enjoyed the playground on site, and we checked out a big human sundial by the picnic shelter.

 

We continued northward, trying to hug the shoreline as much as possible, and wound up finding a pocket park called Kayu Kayu Ac Park. Per the city of Shoreline's Web site, its name is pronounced Ki-U Ki-U Atch (ki like kite, U like the letter U and Ac is atch like in watch), and the name is a common Native American term that was used to describe the Richmond Beach area as well as the native plant kinnikinnik.

The park is nestled right next to railroad tracks and has some interpretive signs onsite about the railroad history in the area. The park has a nice view of the sound and a small playground.

We continued north, through Edmonds, and came to yet another park along the sound - Haines Wharf Park. The park itself is a gem - cut into a hillside with a super long, super fun slide down the cliff.

Across from the park was rather spectacularly destroyed building atop a pier (Haines Wharf). A local told us for years it was where people could rent little motor boats to go fish the sound. 

According to an article I found online on The Herald's Web site, strong winds blew the dilapidated structure down in January of 2011. Reportedly Capt. H.F. Haines built the wharf in 1939 and the (now collapsed) boathouse atop it was brought over from Irondale, near Port Townsend, by barge.

Our last stop was the Diamond Knot restaurant in Mulkiteo. The kids love that place, because they bring them a platter with pizza dough and toppings and they get to make their own meal. In addition to being novel, it actually tastes great, too!