Brick Shadows Experimenting with Light 83 Fast Moving Bricks Ramps Speed 87 Can You Hear Me Building a Brick Megaphone 91 Weighing Objects with a Balance Scale 95 How to Defy Gravity Centripetal Force 99 Can You Make Your Bricks Fly Balloon Launcher 103 Testing Buoyancy Do Bricks Sink or Float 107 BRICK CHEMISTRY 111 What’s in the Water Saltwater vs Fresh Water 113 Brick Camouflage Growing Salt Crystals 117 Don’t Make Me Sneeze Surface Tension Experiment 121 Rescue Mission How Fast Does Ice Melt 125 Can You Make a Brick Scientist Disappear 131 Wake Up Ada How to Create a Gas 135 Brick Model Elements of the Periodic Table 139 RESOURCE SECTION 143 Categories of Science Activities 143 Recommended Project Learning Levels 145
An Introduction to Brick Science Welcome to Brick Science The projects and activities in this book will inspire kids to explore different areas of science as they create experiment and build with bricks Tips for Using this Book A Note for Parents Educators Kids will be introduced to science concepts in the areas of biology physics chemistry Earth science astronomy and more while they learn through play and engineering along with trial trial and error Most of the projects and activities are what we call an open build concept meaning that kids can put their own twist on how they will create and build their models and experiments If specific items or ingredients are required the details will be listed in the Supplies area for that activity Each project also includes a Be a Scientist Explore More area to encourage kids to dive deeper into the science concepts Each activity includes a science vocabulary list to introduce children to scientific terms Most projects can be done either inside or outdoors but a few do require outdoor only environments environments to test the project such as the brick sundial and rain gauge The Resource section will help identify which projects are considered beginner intermediate intermediate and advanced regarding the science concepts incorporated into the activity Typically beginner projects are used with preschool through 2nd grade Intermediate projects with 3rd 5th grade and Advanced projects with middle school ages However if your child has an interest in a project do let them try it Desire to try a project should always outweigh the age recommendations 1
For Kids Are you ready to try some cool science activities create some amazing experiments and use bricks in a whole new way From this point forward you are officially a Brick Scientist Each of the experiments models and projects in this book will explore different areas of science biology chemistry physics Earth science astronomy and more As with any area of science there are always a few principles that should be followed standards that will be used as we complete the various science activities Meet the Brick Scientists Let’s meet the three Brick Scientists who will introduce us to the standards and principles we will follow during the awesome experiments and projects in this book MEET ATOM Favorite Scientist Albert Einstein physicist Favorite Science Tool A magnifying glass Frequently Says Safety first Atom likes to play by the rules and follow directions He knows that even small mistakes mistakes during a science project can mean danger If you see Atom during one of the experiments it means you should always wear your safety gear follow the directions and be sure to take precautions to keep yourself and others safe 2
MEET ADA Favorite Scientist Marie Curie chemist Favorite Science Tool A notebook many scientists use notebooks to write and draw their experiments and findings Frequently Says Pay attention to the details Ada loves taking notes during her experiments and projects She also draws pictures of her experiments and uses her computer to keep track of data she collects during her project When Ada’s around it means the project has specific instructions that should be followed kind of like a recipe If you skip one of the steps or do them out of order the experiment may not work MEET CHARLIE Favorite Scientist Charles Darwin naturalist Favorite Science Tool Safety goggles Frequently Says Will this work the right way Charlie knows that some science experiments and activities can involve many steps and use ingredients that are new or unfamiliar In science it’s important to remember that we need to read carefully ask questions if we are unsure and know that the outcome might be different than we expected and that’s ok 3
