Going forward, we will be posting these at the start of each week. This will give you a sneak preview of what your kids will be learning in the days to come and provide you with time to prepare for an enthusiastic science chat with them on the drive home.
So here's what we have in store for your future scientists this week...
EVERYDAY
MYSTERIES
How can insects and even geckos walk up walls and hang upside down? This week, we will uncover a mystery where size truly matters. When you’re small and light, gravity takes a back seat, allowing other forces to shine, such as electrostatic attraction. Through charged balloons, bending streams of water, and even electrified oobleck, our scientists will explore how tiny forces can create surprising effects. These weak attractions, known as Van der Waals forces, allow insects to stick and unstick with ease. By increasing surface area, just like Blu Tack pressed onto a wall, these creatures maximise their grip. It turns out that walking on walls isn’t magic after all, but a clever use of forces we rarely notice.
A FANTASTIC
VOYAGE WITHIN
Last week, we followed food through the digestive system, and this week, we will uncover the chemistry that makes it all possible. To break food down into molecules small enough to enter the bloodstream, our bodies rely on enzymes, special catalysts that speed up chemical reactions. From starches turning into sugars to proteins breaking into amino acids, our scientists will explore how these invisible helpers unlock nutrients from food. By tasting crackers that transform from bland to sweet, creating apple juice with enzymes, and stopping jelly from setting with fresh pineapple, we will see enzymes in action. With colour-changing reactions and hands-on experiments, it will become clear that digestion isn’t just physical, it’s a carefully orchestrated chemical process that fuels our bodies from the inside out!
CHEMISTRY IN
PLAIN SIGHT
Our kitchen cupboards are often full of nasty chemicals, from bleaches to peroxides, but can we use scientific knowledge to clean in a more skin-friendly fashion? Acids, bases and foaming CO2 can break down, lift and saponify grease and oils without the nastiness. No wonder baking soda and vinegar seem to be a panacea for all cleaning conundrums. The students will test and explore these reactions before proving the benefits of these softer chemicals by using the same science to produce a luxurious bath bomb!
