This section explains how to extend the learning in the science labs with additional questions and further adventures. Each science lab activity is based on the work of one of the 10 scientists. The activities are:

• Moon Gazing
• Planetary Roll Call
• Family Gene Tree
• Casting for Clues
• Off to the Races
• Cookie Quarry
• Story by Numbers
• Pet Detective
• Life in a Bottle
• Stretch-O-Meter

1. Moon Gazing

The Moon Gazing science lab is inspired by astronomer Heidi Hammel and her biography Jupiter and Beyond.

Investigative Question:

How does our view of the Moon change over time? And why?

Lessons Learned

• Science Concepts: Light from the Sun reflects off the Moon, and the positioning of Earth, Sun, and Moon determine what part of the Moon we can see at any given time during the month.
• Science Skills: Systematic data collection over time; making and logging observations; collaborative research

Getting Started

1. Start by having five students come up to the board and draw what they see when they look at the Moon. Ask the rest of the students to do this in their notebooks.
2. Discuss students' ideas about why our view of the Moon changes.
3. Discuss why the activity directs students to:
   • Change only one variable at a time (the day)
   • Keep other variables the same (time of day, location of viewing, etc.)
4. During the activity, ask students to discuss their observations each day. Give students the scientific vocabulary for the different phases of the Moon.
5. Review the questions in the Moon Journal.

Taking the study further:

1. Lead a discussion about the purpose of astronomical research and how it contributes to our world.
2. Change a variable: For instance, how does our view of the Moon change throughout a 24-hour period? Or from season to season?
3. Look up folklore about how different cultures regard the phases of the Moon. For example, many people believe that a larger number of babies are born when the Moon is full. How could we study this scientifically?

2. Planetary Roll Call

The Planetary Roll Call science lab is inspired by astronomer Heidi Hammel and her biography Jupiter and Beyond.

Investigative Question:

Lessons Learned:

• Science Concepts: Our solar system; distances between planets
• Science Skills: Constructing a scale model; using a model to represent concepts

Getting Started

1. After studying the photo page, give each of 10 students a large name badge that says "Sun," "Mars," "Venus," etc. Ask them to model our solar system by standing in place of the planets. (They will likely arrange themselves in the correct order without thinking much about distance between them.)
2. Ask students if they have just constructed a model. What does a model do? (It accurately represents some aspects of the real thing, but not all.) What aspects of their model are accurate? (Order) What aspects aren't? (Many! Shape, size, distance between, color, composition, etc.)
3. Distribute the Data Sheet. Ask your students to try to interpret the numbers in this table format before doing the activity. What do these numbers tell us about the planets in our solar system?
4. Review the questions in the Planet Journal.

Taking the study further:

1. What else could we model with respect to the planets? (Relative size of each)
2. There are five planets that we can see with the naked eye: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter. Contact your local planetarium to find out when the next opportunity to view a planet will be. Other sources of this information might be a local meteorologist or a university-based astronomer. You can also search online. Try this Web site: Stars and Galaxies

3. Family Gene Tree

The Family Gene Tree science lab is inspired by neuropsychologist Nancy Wexler and her biography Gene Hunter.

Investigative Question:

Lessons Learned:

• Science Concepts: Genes from our parents determine many of the physical characteristics each of us have.
• Science Skills: Research through analyzing documents and interviewing people; data organization through mapping; and data analysis through looking for patterns.

Getting Started

1. 1. Engage students in a quick game of "Simon Says…"
   1. "Simon Says… roll your tongue"
   2. "Simon Says… point to your dimples"
   3. "Simon says… count your neighbor's freckles"
2. Quick class survey regarding how many:
   1. Can roll their tongue
   2. Have dimples (even one counts)
   3. Have attached earlobes
   4. Have a second toe that is longer than the big toe
3. Ask: Why are you all different with respect to these traits? How do you know who you got them from?
   1. Give students 2 minutes to turn to their neighbor and discuss their answers to these two questions.
4. Review the questions in the Family Gene Tree Journal.

Taking the study further:

1. Invite a family of at least three generations to come to your class and bring a photo album that contains pictures of older generations. Assign small student groups one genetic trait to trace. By the end of the period each group should report on how that trait was or was not passed down through the generations and why.
2. Participate in a larger study of genetic inheritance like this one found online: The Genetics Project

4. Casting for Clues

The Casting for Clues science lab is inspired by forensic anthropologist Diane France and her biography Bone Detective.

Investigative Question:

Lessons Learned:

• Science Concepts: Analyzing physical/anatomical characteristics; facial reconstruction as a forensic tool
• Science Skills: Constructing a model

Getting Started

1. Ask students to describe how people differ in their facial characteristics. Some examples include:
   1. Distance between the eyes
   2. Size and shape of the nose
   3. Size and shape of the mouth
   4. Height of the forehead
   5. Width of the chin
2. Encourage students to make predictions: "If you made a model of just your face, what information would it give you? What wouldn't it be able to tell you?"
3. Review the questions in the Casting Journal.

Taking the study further:

1. In small groups, investigate other scientists who use molds of parts of a body such as a dentist, a physical therapist, a podiatrist, or perhaps an engineer. Arrange a visit to see one of these scientists at work or ask one to visit your classroom.
2. Discuss other methods of casting: For instance, use plaster of Paris to create molds of students' footprints or handprints, then discuss how these might be used in other sciences, like forensic science or paleontology.

5. Off to the Races

The Off to the Races science lab is inspired by physicist Shirley Ann Jackson and her biography Strong Force.

Investigative Question:

Lessons Learned:

• Science Concepts: Aerodynamic principles
• Science Skills: Constructing and testing hypotheses

Getting Started

1. Ask students to bring in a toy car from home or borrow one from a friend or relative. Have a few cars available for students who may not be able to bring one to class. (Emphasize that they are not to buy a new one.)
2. On the day everyone brings in their car, brainstorm possible awards you could give each car. For example:
   1. Slowest
   2. Fastest
   3. Most attractive
   4. Simplest design
   5. Biggest
   6. Smallest
3. Distribute the awards. What is the most common competition with cars? (Fastest) Examine together the cars that were the fastest and make predictions about why they were so fast.
4. During the activity, make sure students know that their designs aren't as important as their rationale for the designs.
5. Review the questions in the Off to the Races Journal.

TAKING THE STUDY FURTHER:

1. Have students use their conclusions from the data as hypotheses or predictions for another round of races with different designs.
2. Design and test paper airplanes with a specific goal in mind, such as which can fly the farthest distance or stay airborne the longest
3. Research the design of an Indy-500 car; possibly interview someone responsible for the design of such a car. Try to find a female engineer or a mechanic who could discuss aerodynamic design with the class.

6. Cookie Quarry

The Cookie Quarry science lab is inspired by planetary geologist Adriana Ocampo and her biography Space Rocks.

Investigative Question:

Lessons Learned:

• Science Concepts: Rock cycle; rock formation: metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary
• Science Skills: Constructing a model; observation and description; hypothesis and comparison

Getting Started

Bring several different types of rocks, and ask students to use their colored pencils to sketch them. As they sketch, ask them to be thinking about how each rock was formed.

1. Divide students into three groups (metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary) and use 10 minutes to write a life story of the assigned type of rock.
2. As students share the stories, identify the forces involved in forming these rocks and the resulting appearance.
3. Review the questions in the Cookie Quarry Journal.

Taking the study further:

1. Help your students design a lesson for younger kids on identifying and describing different types of rock. Use cookies or research other ways to help kids understand the differences. Schedule a trip to the nearest third grade classroom, and give your lesson a try!
2. Take a field trip to a local area that has some distinct rock formations. Invite a local geologist (female, if possible) to join your excursion and offer insights as you hike.

7. STORY BY NUMBERS

The Story by Numbers science lab is inspired by sociologist Marta Tienda and her biography People Person.

Investigative Question:

Lessons Learned:

• Science Concepts: Sociology as the study of social life, social changes, and social forces.
• Science Skills: Collecting data through interviewing; graphing; analyzing graphs

Getting Started

1. As students enter the classroom, ask them to put their initials under the different categories you have written on the board:
   1. Number of siblings you have: zero; one; two; three; four; more than four
   2. Number of extracurricular activities you are in: zero; one; two; three; four; more than four
2. Have the students look at all of the data on the board. Brainstorm a possible question you could answer with this data: Is there a relationship between how many siblings someone has and the number of extracurricular activities they participate in?
3. Distribute pre-made graphs with siblings on the x-axis and activities on the y-axis. Ask students to talk in pairs about what a graph would look like if the answer to the question is yes. Show possibilities with your arm (straight horizontal line, straight vertical line, one diagonal, the other diagonal).
4. Review the questions in the Story by Numbers Journal.

Taking the study further:

1. Have students collect graphs from newspapers or magazines. Have them explain the story the graph tells, why they chose each graph, and why they think the authors used this type of graph (bar, line, picture, pie, etc.) instead of others. Make a wall poster displaying students' favorite graphs.
2. Have students choose their favorite nursery rhyme and sketch a graph to tell its story. (The Three Little Pigs works well.) See if students can tell what stories each others' graphs represent.

8. Pet Detective

The Pet Detective science lab is inspired by wildlife biologist Amy Vedder and her biography Gorilla Mountain.

Investigative Question:

Lessons Learned:

1. Science Concepts: Animals' behavioral responses to environment and heredity
2. Science Skills: Creating hypotheses; data collection through observation; analyzing data

Getting Started

1. Bring in an animal that the whole class can observe. Bring in the animal quite a while before you hope to begin this activity, so students can just naturally watch its behavior over time.
2. When you are ready to begin this activity, ask students to make some observations about the animal's activity. Give them 5 minutes to think of as many as they can and then 2 minutes to share their ideas with their neighbor. What questions might they answer with their observations?
3. Review the questions in the Pet Journal.

Taking the study further:

1. When students share their findings, ask their peers to participate as the scientific community. What questions could they ask to ensure that rigorous research methods were followed? Encourage students to pursue these ideas with another round of investigations.
2. After discussing the activity's results, take a class trip to the zoo. In small groups, have students design and conduct another animal behavior study at the zoo. Encourage them to choose a question or topic that is, in some way, informed or inspired by the work they just completed.

9. LIFE IN A BOTTLE

The Life in a Bottle science lab is inspired by climate scientist Inez Fung and her biography Forecast Earth.

Investigative Question:

Lessons Learned:

• Science Concepts: Water cycle; biological ecosystems
• Science Skills: Constructing a functional model; observation and comparison

Getting Started

1. Take a walk outside the school. Ask students to take 2 minutes to talk with their neighbor about what the grass needs to live, and then share their ideas.
2. Ask questions to help the students form hypotheses:
   1. Where does the grass get its nutrients?
   2. What are the key players in this grass' survival? (The Sun, the atmosphere, rain, soil, etc.)
   3. What is the atmosphere?
   4. How does water get to the grass from the atmosphere, down to the soil, and up through the roots?
3. Review the questions in the Life in a Bottle Journal.

Taking the study further:

Challenge students to construct much more elaborate ecosystems in a bottle. There are many resources available in the form of books or Web sites to assist with future explorations.

• Bottle Biology
• Life Science: Bottle Biology

• Bottle Biology, by the University of Wisconsin, Madison
  • Publisher: Kendall Hunt Pub Co.; 2nd spiral-bound edition (2003)
  • ISBN: 0757500943
• Bottle Biology, by Mrill Ingram
  • Publisher: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co. (1993)
  • ISBN: 0-8403-8601-X

10. Stretch-O-Meter

The Stretch-O-Meter science lab is inspired by biomechanist Mimi Koehl and her biography Nature's Machines.

Investigative Question:

Lessons Learned

• Science Concepts: Elasticity; physical properties of a substance
• Science Skills: Measuring physical characteristics; observation and comparison

Getting Started

1. Show students a common object such as a rock. Ask them to list the physical characteristics of the rock in their journal (color, size, weight, roughness, hardness, etc.).
2. Choose one of these characteristics as a focus. Select a number of other objects, and order them according to this characteristic. For example, choose 10 objects and place them in order from softest to hardest or from smoothest to roughest.
3. Review the questions in the Stretch-O-Meter Journal
.

Taking the study further:

1. Interview a design engineer (female, if possible) responsible for something with elasticity (bungee cords, rubber bands, and bumpers on cars, etc.). How do these scientists measure elasticity?
2. What are different rubber bands made out of and why? The Aero Rubber Company claims: "We take rubber bands seriously." Find out the range of products they have custom-designed for different purposes! What different measurement criteria are used for these purposes and why?