Week 1 of 24 • Page 4
Across
1. a person who studies and does science
3. a place where science experiments are
done
6. something that someone finds by
observing or testing
7. The first men on the moon were Neil
Armstrong and Buzz ___________.
8. Some people once thought that the moon
was a giant smiling __________.
Down
2. a step-by-step way of testing out an idea
4. the study of our physical world, life, our
Earth, and outer space
5. Ancient Mayan people thought that the
moon was a _________ who ran across
the sky.
Word List
science
scientist
discovery
laboratory
Become a physical, life and Earth scientist all in one with
this fun activity!
1. Take an egg carton (1 dozen) and use a marker to separate
it into three groups of four cups.
2. Inside the lid of the egg carton, label the left four cups
“Physical Science,” the middle four cups “Life Science” and
the right four cups “Earth Science.”
3. Now go collecting and find a sample for each cup. Look for
things such as the following:
Physical Science—metal, glass, magnet and small light bulb
Life Science—leaf, flower, beans and seeds
Earth Science—rock, crystal, sand and clay
Metal
Glass
Life Science
Leaf
Magnet
Light bulb
Beans
A weekly newspaper for young students of science
Vol. 7 Issue 1
First Quarter
A World of Science
experiment
Aldrin
woman
face
Science Lab Fun!
Physical Science
Week 1 of 24 • Page 1
SN3-1
Flower
Earth Science
Rock
Crystal
Seeds
Sand
Clay
Week 1
This Week
A World of
Science
• Answering
Scientific Questions
• Measuring Things
• Sir Isaac Newton
A long, long, time ago, people had different ideas about what the moon was. Some people thought the moon was a giant face smiling
down at them. Some people thought the moon had magic and would grant good luck to people who saw it. The Mayan people in ancient
America thought the moon was a woman running across the sky. Others thought the moon was a giant ball of green cheese where moon
creatures lived.
Many years later, people used science to answer all
their important questions about the moon. So, what is
science? Science is a way of asking
smart questions and finding out
answers about our world and
how it works. It is the study
of our physical world, life,
Earth and outer space.
On July 20, 1969, astronauts
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were
the first people to land on the moon in a
rocket. When they landed, they found that
it was a very different place compared
to Earth. They found answers to
a lot of questions. They even
brought back moon rocks so
that we can study what the
moon is made of.
Getting astronauts to
the moon took a lot of smart
thinking and teamwork. The
rocket, space suits and special
tools were made using science
methods.
From the Mayans
So welcome to the Science Studies
of yesterday to the
astronauts of today,
Weekly team! This year, let’s learn about
people have always
science methods that have helped answer
wondered about the moon.
important questions and changed the way we live.
Foaming Soda and Rubber Chicken Bones
Scientists are like detectives. They
investigate things to find out what’s true. As
you read Science Studies Weekly this year,
you will be investigating things, too. We’ve
included lots of activities that will help you
find out what’s true. You’ll find at least one
investigation in each weekly newspaper. We
even gave your teacher some extra ideas for
things you can investigate.
It’s important for you to know how to do
an investigation correctly. And it’s just as
important for you to come up with your own
ideas about what to investigate. Read this
column each week and before you know it,
you’ll be a top-notch science detective!
If you’d like to make any editorial comments about our
paper, please write to us at [email protected].
One of the best-kept secrets of science
is . . . well, are you ready for this? Science
is actually FUN! It is more than just taking
measurements, making notes and drawing
diagrams. Science is also about doing
experiments and making explosions! In Sean
Connolly’s new book, “The Book of Totally
Irresponsible Science,” he gives some great
recipes for doing cool scientific experiments
in your very own kitchen—or backyard,
depending on if it has a large explosion.
Have you ever dropped a mint into a
bottle of soda to see what happens? Have
you launched a rocket made from an old film
canister? Or turned a chicken bone to rubber
or made a soap bubble so large that it can
cover your little brother? These are just a
few of the great experiments you will find in
Connolly’s new book.
Each experiment is written like a recipe
with easy, step-by-step directions to follow.
There is also a section at the end of each
experiment that explains the scientific reason
for each reaction. If you are interested in
science, or if you just enjoy a good explosion
now and then—this is the book for you. And
your parents will be glad to know that the
experiments are quite safe and the book is
very educational.
“Kids will love performing these
experiments, which use common household
ingredients and equipment,” as the book
states in its synopsis. “For young scientists—
and the young at heart—this book is a blast.
Literally.”
Week 1 of 24 • Page 3
Week 1 of 24 • Page 2
Life Science
Life science is the study of life and all living things
like plants, animals, the human body and tiny living
things too small to be seen without a microscope.
Do Your Own Experiments
This year, we are going to use the science tree to learn more
about our world. There are three main branches in the science
tree. In the first branch, we will learn about energy and what all
things are made of. In the second branch, we are going to learn
about our planet, Earth and outer space. Finally, in the third
branch, we are going to learn about living things.
You can do your
own lab experiments.
Every week, Science
Studies Weekly
will have a fun
experiment for you
to do. Follow the
instructions carefully
and see how things
work.
Earth and
Space Science
Earth science is the study of the Earth and what it
is made of. Earth scientists study volcanoes, rocks and
everything about the Earth. Space science is the study
of other planets, the sun and all the other things that
float around outside the Earth.
Physical Science
Physical science is the study of what things are made of
and how all physical things in the universe work. Physical
science also answers questions about energy and how energy
changes from one form to another.
A Far-Out Lab
Sometimes scientists make a laboratory where they can do an
experiment. An experiment is a step-by-step way of testing out an
idea. The International Space Station (ISS) is a laboratory that is
240 miles above the Earth. Scientists from different countries such
as the United States and Russia do experiments there. They want to
know how things grow or work in space. Because there is almost no
gravity on the space station, it makes for an interesting place to do
experiments!
You Try It!
An ancient Greek thinker named Aristotle thought
that heavier things fell faster than lighter things, like
an orange falls faster than a grape. He was wrong.
Years later, a scientist named Galileo showed that
things fell at the same speed even though they weighed
differently. Try it for yourself! A paper clip is light, and
an eraser is heavier. Take a paper clip and an eraser and
drop them at the same time from the same height. They
should both hit the floor at the same time.
Answering Scientific
Questions
Sometimes it takes a long time to
answer a question. In 1666, a man named
Cassini looked through his telescope
at the planet Mars. He saw that Mars
had white parts that looked like ice. He
wondered if there was ice on Mars.
About 300 years later, in 1996,
NASA (National Aeronautics and Space
Administration) sent a space probe to
Mars. A space probe is a special machine
that studies outer space. It took almost a year to get there.
When it got there, it sent back closeup pictures of Mars.
Now we know the answer to Cassini’s question. Yes,
there are ice caps on Mars. The ice caps are made of dry ice,
the stuff you can buy at a supermarket. Science keeps on
going. We will be studying Mars for many more years!
Photo courtesy of www.nasa.gov
Scientists from many different countries like the United States and Russia
work on the International Space Station.
Meet Great
Scientists
Measuring Things
Before rulers
and yardsticks
were invented,
people used their
bodies to measure
things. They used
their feet, arms
and legs. People’s
feet, arms and
legs are different
sizes. So their
measurements were
not exact. Today,
scientists have tools
to measure things
exactly.
How many feet
will that be?
Vol. 7 Issue 1 Aug. 2009 © Science Studies Weekly—Discovery (ISSN 1544-0214) is published in August, October, January and March by American Legacy Publishing, Inc. Periodicals Postage Paid at Pleasant Grove, UT 84006 and at additional mailing offices. Known office of publication: 1922 W 200 N Lindon, UT 84042. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to American Legacy Publishing, Inc., 1922 W 200 N Lindon, UT 84042. Toll free phone (866) 311-8734 • Fax (801)
785-5511 • For pricing information go to www.americanlegacypublishing.net • For ordering information or questions e-mail [email protected] • For editorial comments and feedback e-mail [email protected] • Material in
this publication may not be reproduced for sale in print or electronic format. © 2009 American Legacy Publishing, Inc.
How Was the
Moon Made?
No one knows for sure how the
moon was made. But scientists
have some pretty good ideas. Some
think a small planet or a giant rock
once hit the Earth and sent a cloud
of rocks up around it. Over many
years, the rocks came together
and made the moon.
Scientists are
thinking of sending
a rocket to the
moon that will
study what is inside.
They hope to help us
know how it was really made.
Scientists are people who spend
a lot of time doing science. Each
week, you will learn about some
famous scientists. Some scientists
are explorers who go to places to
answer questions. Other scientists do
important experiments that change
the world. Other scientists are
inventors who make new tools. We will
learn about some great scientists from
thousands of years ago to today.
Sir Isaac Newton (1643–1727) was
a physical scientist. He studied why
things fall to the ground.
Alexander Fleming (1881–1955) was
a life scientist. He studied the human
body and how to cure sick people.
Galileo (1564-1642) was an Earthspace scientist. He studied the planets
and things in the sky.
Galileo