ExploraVision!

My world has been slightly consumed with ExlporaVision! Hopefully the team projects will be done this week and life can go back to somewhat of a normal life! LOL What is ExploraVision? ExploraVision is a science competition that encourages K-12 students of all interest, skill and ability levels to create and explore a vision of future technology by combining their imaginations with the tools of science. It's a hands-on, minds-on project that inspires students and fuels imagination. The competition is sponsored by Toshiba and NSTA. First place teams will receive a $10,000 savings bond for each child on the team. National finalist will also recieve a trip to Washington DC.

This has been a good and fun project for the kids and I. It has really stretch us! I'm coaching a K-3 team. I can't share exactly what the project is, but I can tell you it involves AIR! It's amazing to see what these girls have come up with in regards to air.

Web-Princess and Superstar are on the same team. Their team consist of kids of a more broader age range. The oldest child in their group is in 7th grade. So even though Web-Princess and Superstar are in 4th/3rd their project will be competing in the 7th-9th grade age range. It's totally acceptable that their group has that wide age range, but it also means they have to compete in the grade level as the oldest child. I can't share much about their project either. I can just say it involves the brain and on Friday we will be dissecting a sheep's brain!!!

Seeing it's a group project we are going to be dissecting the brain with the group! We will be doing this Friday Night. It will be a pizza and dissecting party! That's going to be fun!!!!!!

It's Artificial Air!

Sometimes the kids say the darnedest things! This one had me in stitches! DD is 7 and DS will be 8. This conversation took place in the car today on the way to the park. Not only were we in the car, but they were playing with some bubble wrap. (popping the bubbles).

DS: Mom how do they make bubble wrap.

I gave him my explanation which basically is there are two sheets of plastic one with cup and one without and they fuse the sheets together trapping the air inside the cup making a bubble. I really don't know if that is how it's made but I'm sure I'm not to far off of the truth.

DD: That's bad
ME: Why is that bad?
DD: It's trapping the air and we need the air to breath
DS: It's not bad, there's lots of air. It's okay
ME: It really is okay, it's no different then blowing up a balloon.

I had to throw that out there, it seems to me like a logical comparison.

DD: It is different! You fill a balloon with artificial air!
ME: No, that's not artificial air.
DD: Yes it is!! You breathe in air and blow out artificial air! See! She proceeded to give an example of breathing. In air out artificial air.

She then explained on how it's okay to fill things like balloons with this artificial air, but not okay to trap real air for bubble wrap. DS is taking all of this in. I'm laughing, he's listening. So...

DS: It's okay sis, just pop all of the bubbles and the air will come out!

LOL Okay now I'm truly in stitches! DD is worried about real air being trapped and DS is tell her to pop all of the bubbles to let the air out! LOL

So just remember you breathe in real air and breathe out artificial air. I'm sure her statement had to with some basic knowledge of how we breath in air and breath out carbon dioxide and how plant take in carbon dioxide and release air.