SeasonsExplore Lab Science

Claire Gatesy

What Are Seasons?

• Seasons are caused by the tilt of the Earth as it moves around the Sun

• There are four seasons:• Spring

• Summer

• Fall (Autumn)

• Winter

Spring

• Spring is the end of March to the end of June

• Seeds take root and begin to grow

• Weather turns warmer and wetter

• Animals return from warmer climates, wake up from hibernation and give birth

• Rain is a wonderful thing, providing water for both plants and animals. The experiment on the next slide gives a simple explanation as to how water droplets and clouds work to create rain

how CLOUDS make RAIN

• Supplies:• Clear mason jar or cup• White shaving cream• Food coloring (we suggest blue

to represent water)

• Instructions:

1. Fill the cup ¾ of the way with water

2. Add shaving cream to the top, making sure it covers the entire surface of the water

3. Predict what will happen to the food coloring when added on top of the shaving cream

4. Add a few drops of food coloring on top of the shaving cream

5. Observe

Science behind how CLOUDS make RAIN

• The shaving cream represents clouds and the food coloring represents precipitation. When water droplets collect within a cloud, the cloud grows and eventually the water becomes too heavy and falls through the cloud down to Earth. In our experiment the same thing is happening. The food coloring becomes too heavy for the shaving cream to hold and falls through. If you used cold water the water molecules are moving slowly so it takes longer for the food coloring to spread through the water. Try experimenting with different water temperatures.

• Teaching Science With Lynda (n.d.) Make a Rain Cloud in a Cup. Retrieved from http://excellenceinteachingscience.blogspot.com/2014/07/make-rain-cloud-in-cup-with-free.html

Summer

• Summer starts at the end of June and continues to the end of September

• Typically the hottest time of the year

• In Michigan we typically experience summer rain showers. In other parts of the country there is no rain which causes droughts and forest fires

• Rainbows are often seen after a sunny summer rain. The following experiment incorporates the beauty of rainbows while explaining how molecules move

RAINBOW FUN (Walking Rainbow)

• Supplies:• 6 Clear Mason jars/cups• Paper towel• Red, yellow and blue food coloring• Timer

Instructions:

1. Fill 3 mason jars full of water

2. Add red food coloring to one, blue to another and yellow to another

3. Discuss primary colors and how mixing colors creates different colors

4. Put an empty jar between red & yellow, yellow & blue and blue & red jars

5. Roll the paper towel into tube-like pieces and put one end in a full jar and the other in the empty jar

6. Over the next 48 hours observe how the colors move and mix into the empty jars

Science behind walking rainbow

• The molecules in the water are attracted to the molecules in the paper towel. This causes the water and food coloring to slowly move from the jar, up the paper towel and into the next jar. As time goes on the water level in all the jars will even out and the mixture of colors will create a rainbow.

• Hands-on Teaching Ideas (n.d.) Walking Rainbow. Retrieved from http://www.schoolingamonkey.com/rainbow-walking-water-science/

Fall

• Fall is also known as Autumn

• Fall starts at the end of September and goes until the end of December

• Temperatures begin to cool

• Plants become dormant, animals being preparing for hibernation, some birds fly south to escape the cold and leaves change color and fall to the ground

• The following two experiments explore why leaves change colors and how leaves breathe

Why Do Leaves Change Color?

• Supplies:• 3 green leaves (from the same

tree)• Rubbing alcohol• Mason Jar• Plastic wrap• Paper coffee filter• Small bowl or pan• Hot water

Why Do Leaves Change Color?

• Instructions:1. Break leaves into tiny pieces and put them in the jar2. Pour rubbing alcohol over the leaves until they are covered3. Mash and stir leaves into rubbing alcohol until the alcohol turns slightly green4. Cover the jar with plastic wrap5. Place the jar in the small bowl and pour hot water into the bowl6. Leave the jar in the water for 30-60 minutes, swishing the jar occasionally7. Cut a strip of coffee filter long enough to reach the rubbing alcohol. Tape the filter

to the inside of the jar so it hangs down into the rubbing alcohol8. Leave the strip for about an hour and observe the colors on the strip

Science Behind Why Leaves Change Color

• Chlorophyll gives leaves their green color, the dominance of the green hides the other colors that may be present in the leaves. In the fall the chlorophyll in the leaves breaks down allowing the other colors to shine through, which is why in the fall leaves present as red, yellow and orange. The rubbing alcohol and hot water (energy) separate the colors of the leaves as the weather does to the leaves in the fall.

• How wee Learn (2017). Why Do Leaves Change Color? Retrieved from https://www.howweelearn.com/science-experiments-for-kids/

How Do Leaves Breathe?

• Supplies:• Active leaf (meaning one that you

remove from the tree or plant, not found on the ground)

• Glass or plastic bowl• Small rock• Water • Sunlight• Magnifying glass

• Instructions:1. Fill the bowl with lukewarm water2. Remove a leaf from a tree or plant3. Place the leaf in the water and put

a small rock on top so it is fully submerged under the water

4. Place the bowl in direct sunlight and leave it for a couple of hours

5. After a few hours has passed observe the leaf using a magnifying glass. Small bubbles should have formed on the leaf.

Science Behind How Do Leaves Breathe

• Before starting this experiment think about what happens when you hold your breath underwater and let your breath out. Do you see air bubbles floating to the surface of the water? That is what is happening to the leaf in the experiment. During photosynthesis the leaf releases it’s extra oxygen, which can be seen as bubbles on the leaf.

• Edventures with Kids (n.d.) How Do Leaves Breathe? Retrieved from https://www.kcedventures.com/blog/how-do-leaves-breathe-a-simple-science-experiment-for-kids

Winter

• Winter starts at the end of December and goes until the end of March

• The weather turns cold

• In Michigan we experience snow!

• Other states don’t have snow but instead have cold rain throughout the winter season

• Some animals sleep through winter, this is known as hibernation

• The following experiment is a simple look at how ice freezes

Instant Freeze Water

• Supplies:• Large bucket• Ice• Unopened bottle of purified water• Rock Salt• Thermometer

• Instructions:1. Fill large bucket with ice2. Place water bottle in ice3. Add generous amount of rock salt4. Place thermometer in ice, wait for

temperature to reach 17F (-8C)5. Carefully pull the water bottle out

of the ice and strike the bottom on a hard surface

6. Observe

Science Behind Instant Freeze Water

• The salt and ice combination drops the bottled water temperature below the freezing point of water. This is know as “freezing point depression.” When the water freezes, the molecules come together in a very orderly way. This means when the water goes from a liquid to a solid it loses heat energy. Tapping the water bottle on the table warms up the water and creates the freezing effect. The water crystals need something on which to grow so they cling to the water bottle and grow.

• Steve Spangler Science. (n.d.) Instant-Freeze Water. Retrieved from https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/instant-freeze-soda-ice/

Seasons Come and Go

• Seasons overlap but each season has distinct characteristics

• Trees are a great indicator of the current season• Spring – Leaves are budding

• Summer – Leaves are a rich green color

• Fall – Leaves turn from green to yellow, orange and red

• Winter – Trees are bare and without leaves

• Each season is unique and wonderful