Steve Spanglers Summer Science Guide

as seen on
2014 Steve Spangler Inc. All Rights Reserved Englewood, CO 80110 (800)223-9080 SteveSpanglerScience.com
A WORD ABOUT THIS EXPERIMENT GUIDE
Great teachers never miss the opportunity to create a learning experience out of something that kids love and thats
exactly what this experiment guide is all about, connecting some fun science with a great holiday. The activities all have
a great gee-whiz factor while introducing children to some cool scientific principles in a sneaky way. Its important to
read through the brief instructions that accompany each activity to get the flavor and story before you begin.
SAFETY!
Everything in this kit has been thoroughly tested and is not considered to be hazardous if used with adult supervision.
Thats right the activities in this kit require adult supervision. This kit is not intended to be popped open and tossed at
a kid with the instruction, Have fun. Instead, you might want to use this opportunity to interact with a few ankle-biters
and learn a little science at the same time.
Remember that this is a science kit and science can be messy. There are liquids, so you will get wet. Stuff falls on the
floor so youll need to clean it up so people dont slip and fall. Dont put chemicals in your eyes or ears and dont
eat your experiment. Trust us, they dont taste good and its a bad thing to do. The bottom line is that this science kit
requires adult supervision and common sense simple concepts that ensure a fun and safe experience.
FILM CANISTER
EXPLOSIONS
as seen on
WHAT YOU NEED
WATER
FLAT FIZZERS
FILM CANISTERS
ADULT SUPERVISION
1 2
Fill the film canister approximately 1/4 full with water. Fill the film canister approximately 1/4 full with water.
3
Fill the film canister approximately 1/4 full with water.
HOW DOES IT WORK?

The first part of this experiment is just a variation of the classic Alka-Seltzer film canister rocket. The same principle is
at work here. In both cases, carbon dioxide gas builds up so much pressure the lid is forcibly launched. With an Alka-
Seltzer tablet, the CO2 is produced as a result of a chemical reaction. With the soda, the CO2 is produced as a result of
vigorous shaking. This provides a good contrast between a physical and chemical change.
The fizzing you see when you drop an Alka-Seltzer tablet in water is the same sort of fizzing that you see when you
mix baking soda and vinegar. The acid mixes with the sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to produce bubbles of carbon
dioxide gas. If you look at the ingredients of Alka-Seltzer, you will find that it contains citric acid and sodium bicarbonate
(baking soda). When you drop the tablet in water, the acid and the baking soda react to produce carbon dioxide gas.
The gas keeps building up until finally the top pops off. The lid of the canister is the path of least resistance for the gas
pressure building up inside, so it pops off instead of the stronger sides or bottom of the canister bursting open.
We can thank Sir Isaac Newton for what happens next. When the build up of carbon dioxide gas is too great and the lid
pops off, Newtons Third Law explains why the film canister flies across the room: for every action there is an equal and
opposite reaction. The lid goes one way and the film canister shoots out of the tube in the opposite direction.
HOMEMADE
ICE CREAM
as seen on
WHAT YOU NEED
1 GALLON PLASTIC JAR

CRUSHED ICE
ROCK SALT
2 ZIP-LOCK BAGS
HALF AND HALF
SUGAR
VANILLA EXTRACT
GLOVES
ADULT SUPERVISION
Fill the jar half full with crushed ice and add 6 tablespoons of rock salt.
Mix it up. The jar will be cold, so use gloves.
2
Mix 1/2 cup half and half, 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla in a bag.
Seal the bag inside the other bag and put it in the jar.
Mix it up for about 20 minutes. Remove the bags from the jar and enjoy!
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Just like we use salt on icy roads in the winter, salt mixed with ice in this case also causes the ice to melt. When salt
comes into contact with ice, the freezing point of the ice is lowered. The lowering of the freezing point depends on the
amount of salt added. The more salt added, the lower the temperature will be before the salt-water solution freezes.
For example, water will normally freeze at 32 degrees F. A 10% salt solution freezes at 20 degrees F, and a 20% solution
freezes at 2 degrees F. When salt is added to the ice (or snow), some of the ice melts because the freezing point is
lowered. Always remember that heat must be absorbed by the ice for it to melt. The heat that causes the melting comes
from the surroundings (the warmer cream mixture). By lowering the temperature at which ice is frozen, you were able to
create an environment in which the cream mixture could freeze at a temperature below 32 degrees F into ice cream.
ADDITIONAL INFO
Did You Know? In 1846, Nancy Johnson invented the hand-cranked ice cream churn and ice cream surged in popularity.
Then, in 1904, ice cream cones were invented at the St. Louis World Exposition. An ice cream vendor ran out of dishes
and improvised by rolling up some waffles to make cones.
SOLAR OVEN
SMORES
as seen on
WHAT YOU NEED
PIZZA BOX
2 CLEAR SHEET PROTECTORS
BLACK CONSTRUCTION PAPER
TAPE (CLEAR & DUCT)
BLADE
THERMOMETER
BBQ SKEWER
GLUE
TIN FOIL
RULER
PEN
ADULT SUPERVISION
Measure 2 inches from each side and mark with a pen. Cut out 3 sides of the square to create a flap.
It will look like this when it is done. Measure and cut tin foil to line the bottom of the pizza box.
3
Apply glue to the bottom of the box
4 Lay the tin foil in the box and smooth it down
Apply glue to the inside of the flap. Attach a piece of tin foil to the inside of the flap.
Cut a piece of black construction paper that is smaller than the bottom of the pizza box.
6
Tape it to the bottom of the box with clear tape. Separate the sheet protectors so they are one layer of plastic.
7 8
Tape the layers of plastic together. Tape the plastic as tight as possible to the inside of the pizza box.
This is what it should look like. Poke small holes about 2 inches apart in the side of the box.
10
Wrap a thin piece of tape around the skewer as shown.
11
Tape it to the side of the box to create a kick-stand for the lid. Load up your oven with treats.
12
Add a thermometer to test how hot your oven becomes. Set your solar oven in the sun and watch the smores heat up.
Enjoy!
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The Solar Oven is what is more widely known as a solar cooker and works on the principle of converting sunlight to
heat energy and retaining the heat for cooking. To make the process work, you cover as much of the box as possible
with reflective material in order to catch as much sunlight as possible. In this case, you are using tin foil. The tin foil not
only catches the light, but reflects it as well. This catching and reflecting makes sure that the majority of the sunlight that
makes it into the oven is caught and used.
The cooking surface is black construction paper because the color black retains color very well. If youve ever worn a
black shirt on a sunny day, or sat down on the black seat of a car in the summer, you know that black surfaces absorb
and retain a lot of heat. Ouch! You could actually absorb even more heat with a more conductive black material, like
metal. However, it would make creating your oven a much more difficult process.
As heat is retained by the construction paper, the air molecules inside the oven are heated by the paper. Each molecule
slowly becomes heated through convection until the temperature inside of the oven rises significantly. The increased air
temperature then transfers heat to the smore. Next thing you know, youre chowing down on delicious, melty smores!
SINKING SODA
SURPRISE
as seen on
WHAT YOU NEED
WATER
DIET SODA
REGULAR SODA
VARIOUS 12OZ CANS
ADULT SUPERVISION
1 2
Place the regular soda into the water. Now add the diet soda.
Try adding several kinds of 12 oz cans.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
This demonstration is an excellent way to learn about density. We are all familiar with the basic concepts of sinking and
floating. Objects less dense than water float, and those more dense than water sink. Empty cans float, rocks sink. This is
only possible because of differences in density.
If both diet and regular soda cans are placed on a double pan balance scale, it would be clear that the regular soda is
heavier than the diet soda. This demonstrates the difference between mass and volume. Mass refers to how much stuff
exists within an object. If something is heavier than another object, it contains more mass. Mass is measured in grams.
Volume, on the other hand, refers to how much space an object occupies. For fluids, volume is usually measured in liters
(L) or milliliters (mL). There are 1000 mL in one liter. This is what we were referring to when we told you that the cans
contained the same amount of liquid - 355 mL. Since both cans have the same volume, the heavier can must have a
greater mass. We can now conclude that the heavier can is more dense than the lighter can.
Diet sodas usually contain aspartame, an artificial sweetener, while regular sodas use sugar. Take a look at the nutritional
information on the side of the cans. Notice how much sugar is in a regular soda (look under carbohydrates). Most
regular sodas have about 41 grams of sugar. How much is 41 grams? Try 18 packets of sugar like the ones you might
find at a restaurant! Yikes! Thats a lot! Diet soda is flavored with a relatively small amount of an artificial sweetener
(like aspartame) which is 200 times sweeter than an equal amount of sugar. Therefore, only a tiny amount of aspartame
is needed. Both sugar and aspartame are more dense than water, which can be easily demonstrated by adding small
amounts of each to a container of water (they sink). So it is actually a matter of how much of each is used. The 41 grams
or so of sugar added to a can of regular soda make it sink. The relatively tiny amount of aspartame used in diet sodas
will have a negligible effect on the mass, enabling the can to float.
Why do cans of diet soda float? It is all due to the fact that there is a little bit of space, called headspace, above the
fluid in each can of soda. This space is filled with gas, which is much less dense than the soda itself. It is this space above
the soda that lowers the density of diet drinks just enough to make them float. Sugared drinks also have this headspace,
but the excessive amount of sugar added makes the can more dense than water.
COLOR CHANGING
UV BEADS
as seen on
WHAT YOU NEED
UV COLOR CHANGING BEADS

SUNSCREEN AT 3 DIFFERENT SPFS
SHARPIE
ADULT SUPERVISION
1 2
Fill the bags with beads. Label the bags.
Put sunscreen on each bag.
Spread it evenly across the bag and let it dry.
This is what it will look like.
Place them in the sun and observe your results.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The UV Beads contain different pigments that change color when exposed to ultraviolet light from any source, including
the sun. The beads are all white in visible light. In UV light, depending on the pigment added to each bead, you will see
different colors. Each bead will change color about 50,000 times before the pigment will no longer respond to UV light.
The term light is often used as a generic word to describe many different forms of light such as incandescent light,
fluorescent light, or sunlight, for instance. However, not all light is made up of the same energy. Using Energy Beads,
you will be able to uncover an invisible form of light energy called ultraviolet light. None of the energy in the ultraviolet
region of the light spectrum is visible to the naked eye. Just as there are many different colors of wavelengths in the
visible spectrum (red, yellow, green, blue...), so are there many wavelengths of ultraviolet light.
First, there is long wave ultraviolet light (300 to 400 nanometers), which most of us recognize as black light - the light
that is often used to make decorations glow in discos and theatrical productions. Long wave UV passes easily through
plastic and glass.
Short wave ultraviolet light (100 to 300 nm) is used to kill bacteria, hasten chemical reactions (as a catalyst), and is
also valuable in the identification of certain fluorescent minerals. Unlike long wave UV, the short wave UV cannot pass
through ordinary glass or most plastics. The shortest wavelengths cannot even travel very far through the air before
being absorbed by oxygen molecules as they are converted into ozone.
UV Beads are the perfect tool for understanding how solar radiation can be harmful and to recognize preventative
measures that can be taken to reduce the risks associated with exposure to sunlight. When you expose bare skin to
sunlight, your skin will either burn or tan (which doctors warn is still not healthy for your body). UV radiation wavelengths
are short enough to break chemical bonds in your skin tissue and, with prolonged exposure, your skin may wrinkle or
skin cancer may appear. These responses by your skin are a signal that the cells under your skin are being assaulted by
UV radiation.
MOSS
GRAFFITI
as seen on
WHAT YOU NEED
MOSS
BUTTERMILK
BABY DIAPER OR WATER GEL
BLENDER
MEASURING CUPS
PAINT BRUSHES
WATER
MEASURING SPOON
ADULT SUPERVISION
1 2
Measure 60 mL of buttermilk. Measure 350 mL of water.
Transfer the buttermilk and the water to the blender.
3
Add 2 clumps of moss to the blender. Extract the water gel from a baby diaper. (see page #)
4 5
Add 2 tsp of water gel to the blender. Put on the lid and blend.
Blend until smooth.
6
Apply the moss paint to a textured surface. Caution if

Transfer to a bucket for painting. applying to painted walls because it will remove the paint.
Mist moss daily for several weeks until moss begins to grow. You may need to mist more often in dryer climates.
This is what it will look like.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Moss Graffiti is a completely natural and green way of creating artwork to be shared with the world. All of the
ingredients are natural and harmless to the environment. These facts all make Moss Graffiti a brilliant alternative to
sprays that contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and a host of other chemicals and
products that make Mother Nature unhappy.
This green graffiti works by using moss, one of the heartiest organisms on earth. Youve probably seen moss on rocks,
trees, houses pretty much anywhere. Moss is incredible at retaining water, and with the addition of superabsorbent
polymer, like our Water Gel, the blended concoction is very, very efficient when it comes to water. Once youve painted
on your design, all it takes is a few sprays of water a day to keep your graffiti on track for growth. With enough sun,
youll have a mossy green piece of art in no time!
SEED
SPHERES
as seen on
WHAT YOU NEED
SEEDS
SOIL
NATURAL CLAY
MEASURING SPOONS
BOWL
ADULT SUPERVISION
1 2
Knead the clay to soften & flatten it into a disc shape. Add 1/2 teaspoon of soil % 1/4 teaspoon of seeds.
Knead the ball until the soil & seeds are evenly distributed.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Sometimes, gardening and planting seeds can be very boring. This can especially be the case if you are a young
scientist that loves action and excitement! Thankfully, there are gardening methods that can offer a bit more kick than
just digging holes and planting. Introducing Seed Balls, the method of gardening that allows you to throw to sow!
Seed balls are a great method of reclaiming areas of your garden that have become thin or barren. The clay vessels that
you create for your seeds and soil offer a fun way to plant your seeds while providing protection for the exposed seeds.
The soil you wrap inside of the ball offer the seeds an immediate source of nutrients. The seeds remain inside the Seed
Ball until rains soak the clay and stimulate the seeds.
BUBBLE
SNAKE
as seen on
WHAT YOU NEED
FOOD COLORING
BUBBLE SOLUTION
UTILITY BLADE
EMPTY WATER BOTTLE
WASHCLOTH
RUBBER BAND
ADULT SUPERVISION
Use a utility blade to cut off the end of the water bottle.
Put the piece of washcloth over the end of the water bottle & secure it with a rubberband.
3
Dip the washcloth in the bubble solution and blow.
4 5
Add drops of food coloring to the washcloth. Dip the end in bubble solution and blow.
Try it with different colors.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Bubbles usually only come as individual spheres of soap and water. Sometimes, if youre lucky, you can get a whole
bunch of bubbles in one cluster but it always seems random. Luckily, weve found a spectacular way to create entires
snakes made of bubbles and teach you how to make them in all the colors of the rainbow!
Bubbles form because of the surface tension of water. Hydrogen atoms in one water molecule are attracted to oxygen
atoms in other water molecules. They like each other so much, they cling together. So why are bubbles round? The
physicists will tell you that bubbles enclose the maximum volume of air in the minimum amount of bubble solution, so
thats why they are always round.
When you blow air through your Bubble Snake maker, you are creating hundreds of tiny bubbles. As the air wiggles
through the fabric, bubbles are continuously being made. The bubbles attach to each other when they come out of the
fabric. Its all thanks to the same hydrogen bonds that make bubbles possible!
CHEMISTRY
ROCKET
as seen on
WHAT YOU NEED
16 OZ. BOTTLE
RUBBER STOPPER
TABLESPOON MEASURER
BAKING SODA
STRONG TAPE
SCISSORS
3 PENCILS
FUNNEL
VINEGAR
PAPER TOWEL
ADULT SUPERVISION
1 2
Cut 12 inches of very strong tape. Tape 3 pencils to the bottle.
3 4
Use a funnel & pour in vinegar filling it half-way. Separate the paper towel into a single layer.
5 6
Tear off a smaller piece of paper towel. Measure out 1 tablespoon of baking soda.
Put the baking soda on the paper towel.
Wrap the baking soda in the paper towel. This next part gets messy, so do this outside.
9
Put the baking soda inside the bottle quickly put in the rubber stopper. Give it a shake and stand back.
This next part gets messy, so do this outside.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
What do you see when you mix baking soda with vinegar? You see a lot of bubbling. The bubbles that you see are
actually bubbles of carbon dioxide gas being released through an acid and base reaction. Vinegar contains acetic acid
(the reason it tastes so sour), and baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate (a base). Their reaction makes carbonic acid,
an unstable acid that quickly breaks down into carbon dioxide and water. The carbon dioxide then rapidly bubbles out
of the water.
When you close the 16 oz bottle with the rubber stopper, you prevent thegases from escaping the bottle, but you are
increasing the amount of gases inside the bottle by creating carbon dioxide. The introduction of carbon dioxide inside
the bottle causes a rapid increase in air pressure inside the bottle. The air pressure eventually gets to the point that the
rubber stopper can no longer contain the gases it holds inside the bottle and WHOOOOOOSH!... the stopper and
the contents of the bottle rush downward.
As the contents of the bottle rush downward, the bottle itself shoots upward. How does that happen? This is a
fundamental demonstration of Newtons Third Law of Motion: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
The initial action is the rush of matter and force downward from the bottles opening. The reaction is the bottle
jettisoning upward.
HOW DOES IT WORK?

Try experimenting with different amounts of baking soda and vinegar. If you want a bigger launch, youve got to figure
out the best combination of baking soda and vinegar to produce the most explosive reaction.
SUN SENSITIVE
FABRIC
as seen on
WHAT YOU NEED
SUNSENSITIVE FABRIC
VARIOUS OBJECTS
WATER
SUNLIGHT
ADULT SUPERVISION
Lay the objects on the fabric.
2 3
Let it sit in the sun for 10 minutes. Remove fabric from sun.
4
Rinse the fabric and allow to dry away from direct sunlight.
Once its dry you have your designs forever!
HOW DOES IT WORK?
Sun Print Fabric appears to be normal cloth until exposed to the sun. Once sunlight hits the fabric, its clear that theres
something different about this cloth. Sun Print Fabric is treated with a special light sensitive chemical that changes color
when the sun hits it.
Materials like Sun Print Fabric are a fantastic way for young scientists to engage with the power of the sun. Although the
suns rays are invisible, they have great influence when they react with the world around us. Students can use Sun Print
Fabric as a hands-on introduction to photosynthesis in plants, sun protection application, or photo development.
Seed Spheres
Seed Spheres were developed as a method of gardening and land reclamation. These balls of seed and earth are used
to help seeds germinate into plants, especially in areas with particularly harsh conditions like rocky soil or intense sun.
Seed Spheres are perfect for this type of gardening because of the composition you created. You have a seeds in
need of nutrients and water. Without nutrients and water, the seeds will fail, never germinating. Thats where the damp
clay and potting soil comes into play. The clay acts as both an adhesive, keeping the soils and seeds together, and a
protective layer against the harsh elements.
CHECK OUT MORE SICK
PRODUCTS AND KITS.
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as seen on

Fill the film canister approximately 1/4 full with water.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

1 GALLON PLASTIC JAR

Mix it up. The jar will be cold, so use gloves.

Apply glue to the bottom of the box

4 Lay the tin foil in the box and smooth it down

Wrap a thin piece of tape around the skewer as shown.

Try adding several kinds of 12 oz cans.

UV COLOR CHANGING BEADS

Fill the bags with beads. Label the bags.

Put sunscreen on each bag.

Spread it evenly across the bag and let it dry.

Place them in the sun and observe your results.

Measure 60 mL of buttermilk. Measure 350 mL of water.

Transfer the buttermilk and the water to the blender.

Blend until smooth.

Apply the moss paint to a textured surface. Caution if

This is what it will look like.

Dip the washcloth in the bubble solution and blow.

Try it with different colors.

Cut 12 inches of very strong tape. Tape 3 pencils to the bottle.

Put the baking soda on the paper towel.

This next part gets messy, so do this outside.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Lay the objects on the fabric.

Once its dry you have your designs forever!

FULL LENGTH OUTDOOR SUMMER SCIENCE ACTIVITY GUIDE

INDOOR SUMMER SCIENCE ACTIVITY GUIDE

FOURTH OF JULY SCIENCE EXPERIMENT GUIDE

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SICK! SCIENCE EXPERIMENT KITS

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