Explore science facts, intriguing scientific discoveries, and hands-on activities to try yourself at home. The perfect way to spark an interest in science and t...
Amazing animals – eel science with Kelly Osterberg
Let’s get slimy with five fascinating fast facts about eels, an intriguing story about long-finned eels from Kelly Osterberg, an educator who knows a LOT about eels, and a gooey eel activity for you to cook up at home.
Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda Sercombe. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.
https://www.creativescience.com.au
Episode content:
00:00 Introduction and fast facts
02:21 The lives of long-finned eels
09:05 Glass eel noodle activity
WaterNSW Warragamba Dam website https://www.waternsw.com.au/nsw-dams/greater-sydney-dams/warragamba-dam
WaterNSW Education website (for Teachers) https://www.waternsw.com.au/education
Glass Eel Noodle Activity instructions
You will need:
A heat-proof cup, such as a teacup or a small mug, 2 tablespoons of potato starch, 1 tablespoon of boiling water, a metal teaspoon, a small saucepan, a stove, and a strainer.
WARNING! An adult must do the steps that use boiling water.
WARNING! Glass eel noodles have a very chewy texture. They should not be eaten by very young children or anyone who has trouble with chewing food.
Add the 2 tablespoons of potato starch to a heat proof cup, such as a teacup or a small mug.
Add 1 tablespoon of boiling water to the potato starch and mix thoroughly using a metal teaspoon.
Use your hands to knead the mixture until it forms a smooth dough.
Break the dough in half and then divide each half into about 6 equally sized pieces.
Roll each of the 12 pieces of dough into a thin eel shape, about 5 to 7 cm long.
Boil water in a small saucepan and add the eels to the boiling water, one at a time, so they don’t stick to each other.
Boil the eels for about 15 minutes until they are almost completely transparent.
Use a strainer or colander to carefully strain the eels and then rinse the eels in cold water.
--------
12:02
Extreme energy – sunny science
Things are really going to heat up with five fascinating fast facts about the Sun, a deep dive into Solar radiation, a question about the Sun exploding, some history of solar power, and a sunny science activity for you to try yourself at home.
Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda Sercombe. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.
https://www.creativescience.com.au
Episode content:
00:00 Introduction and fast facts
02:21 Solar radiation
04:19 Is the Sun going to explode one day?
05:59 Solar power
08:01 Tracing shadows
You will need: A sunny day, a hat and sunscreen, a small toy, for example a LEGO figure, a pencil, and a piece of paper. You might also need something heavy, like a few rocks, to stop the piece of paper blowing away in the wind.
--------
10:10
Amazing animals - sea slug science
Let’s get slimy with five fascinating fast facts about slugs, a deep dive into sea slug adaptations, a question about why slugs have slime, a look at a sea slug citizen science project, and a slimy substance for you to make yourself at home.
Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda Sercombe. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.
https://www.creativescience.com.au
Episode content:
00:00 Introduction and fast facts
02:20 Sea slug adaptations
04:26 Why do slugs have slime?
06:10 Sea Slug Census
08:26 Sticky tapioca slime
You will need: Help from and adult, a small saucepan, a spoon, a stove, one quarter of a cup of cold tap water, four drops food colouring, and one quarter of a cup of tapioca flour.
iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/
Search for ‘Sea Slug Census’
--------
10:36
Bubble up – food science
It’s time for some bubbly science with fascinating fast facts about the bubbles in food, a deep dive into chemical reactions in the kitchen that make carbon dioxide gas, a question about eating acidic foods, some history of bubbly drinks, and a fizzy lemonade recipe for you to try yourself at home.
Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda Sercombe. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.
https://www.creativescience.com.au
Episode content:
00:00 Introduction and fast facts
03:01 Chemical reactions that make carbon dioxide gas
04:26 If vinegar is an acid, how can it be safe to eat?
06:09 Bubbles in drinks
07:46 Bubbly lemonade activity
You will need: A citrus juicer, a fresh lemon, a drinking glass, some cold water, a teaspoon, sugar, and sodium bicarbonate, otherwise known as bicarb.
--------
9:40
Glow science - luminescence
Get ready to glow with fascinating fast facts about luminescence, a deep dive into living things that make their own light, a question about how things glow, some scientific uses for a fluorescent molecule, and a glow-in-the-dark activity for you to try yourself at home.
Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda Sercombe. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.
https://www.creativescience.com.au
Episode content:
00:00 Introduction and fast facts
03:30 Bioluminescence
05:50 How does luminescence make things glow?
07:32 Green fluorescent protein
09:59 Finding luminescent objects
You will need: A UV torch or blacklight and a collection of objects that you think might be fluorescent or made from a glow-in-the-dark material.
Build a Blacklight instructions from National Science Week 2024 ‘DIY Science’:
https://www.scienceweek.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Build-a-blacklight.pdf
Explore science facts, intriguing scientific discoveries, and hands-on activities to try yourself at home. The perfect way to spark an interest in science and to feed the minds of science-curious children aged 8 to 12 years. Jenny Lynch is a science show presenter, writer, and science kit inventor, with a knack for making complicated scientific ideas fun, fascinating, and easy to follow. Matilda Sercombe is a young presenter with a passion for sharing fast facts and posing intriguing questions.