After all the wondrous science we have had the privilege of sharing with your children this term, that wasn’t quite the end we were expecting. We are sorry so many of our students didn’t get the chance to see how their Modules played out, but it was far more important for all of us to follow the advice of the government and operate with an abundance of caution.
Thanks to the strength of the UAE and its leadership, we remain hopeful that these dark days will pass soon and that we will be able to pick up where we left off and make your children fall deeper in love with science. Until then, stay curious, and importantly, stay safe.
COOKING UP SCIENCE
Of all the culinary arts, baking is the one that most resembles science. Through changes in ratios and technique, baking takes the same key ingredients and transforms them into all those tempting treats on display in bakeries. Last week, we explored the science in baking for ourselves by conducting the tastiest experiment ever: baking chocolate chip cookies! By changing the ratios of things like flour, eggs, sugar, butter and baking powder in our cookie dough, and then comparing it to some perfect control cookies, we discovered what each of these key ingredients brings to the table.
PLANET EARTH, ANIMATED
As far as we know, the universe is a vast, sterile desert in which our planet is the only oasis of life. And even a cursory exploration of the fossil record reveals just how vibrant this oasis has been throughout its history. After getting up close to our fossil collection, filled with specimens from dinosaurs, trilobites, ammonites and marine life, we searched for our very own pieces of the past. Once the dig site was carefully excavated, we assembled the fossils we unearthed and cast souvenirs to remind us of our place in the Earth’s long history.
RAMPANT REACTIONS
Last week, things got electric as we broke down chemicals by passing a current through them. So long as the chemical conducts electricity, we can use electrolysis to decompose it. After exploring charges, ions and electrodes, we discovered what exactly makes a material conduct before we split H20 into its H’s and O’s. After these combustible gases popped and settled, we decided to give steel a makeover. By choosing the right electrodes and electrolytes, we electroplated boring-looking objects with the lustrous shine of copper!
