Glitter Blood!

Continuing on with the heart topic... I really truly do love glitter.  I know some consider it the STD of crafts, but to me it is luminescent goodness.  I really do love to add glitter whenever possible.  SOOOOO.... Here is glitter blood!

Glitter Blood

You will need: 

• 1 - container.  I am using baby soda bottles
  but a water bottle would work too.
• red glitter
• white glitter (I didn't have it on hand for this tutorial so, i used gold)
• marker
• ruler

Instructions:

1. Measure your holder and mark it so you have 10 markings.  I was able to do 1/2" markings on mine

2. Fill 4/10 of your tube with red glitter

3. Fill 1/10 with white glitter

4. Fill up with water

5. Shake!  

Plasma = water

red glitter = red blood cells

white glitter = white blood cells

Blood Info

Working 4 chamber heart model

So with Valentine's day fast approaching, what better time to learn about the heart! Below is the steps I used to do a blood/heart lesson with some students of varying age ranges.

Here is a place that tells in pretty easy terms how the heart works and this link will tell you more about blood.

You Will Need: 

2 Red balloons

2 Blue balloons

2 white (or 1 pink, 1 lt blue) balloons

Electrical tape or athletic tape

2 punch cups

2 10 taller punch cups 

box cutter/exacto knife

scissors

Instructions

1. Cut a hole in the middle of the bottom of all the cups.  

 2. Cut the two white (or pink and lt blue) balloons so the bulbous part is separated from the stem.  We want more stem than bulbous part.  

3.  Thread the blow-opening up to through the taller of the two cups.  (You may need a unclicked pen to push it through the hole)

4.  fold and push through the shorter cup 

then pull the tail through the taller cup and pull it taught

5.  Electrical tape around the bottoms of the cups so they are airtight.  

6.  Cut the red and blue balloons 

7.  Stretch the red ones on the tall and short glasses on one column, and the blue on the other.  Tape around to secure, and make air tight. 

The Short glass is the atrium, or top chamber, the tall glass is the ventricles or bottom chambers.  The blue usually stands for the right side or side receiving used blood.  The red side is the oxygen rich blood.

In the picture above.  Blood would come in through the vena cava from the body into the Right Atrium.  The lt. blue balloon is the tricuspid valve.  Moving into the right ventricle to the lungs

The Blood would then come back from the lungs to the Left atrium, through the mitral valve (pink) to the left ventricle.  From here it moves through the aorta to the rest of the body, oxygenated.

The ba-dump of our hearts is the squeezing of the chambers forcing the blood into the next sequence.  You can add colored water to this to show that movement.  (I would glue the balloon bits into the top glass better first).

Gingerbread houses

Gingerbread House Fun!

For our science center, this year we had a gingerbread house building opportunity.  We put together packs of the house parts (poster board) frosting, and they got to choose mixed bags of candy.  It went over as a huge hit, especially since we took a lot of the guessing out of it.  Below is the important info to make the cheating/easy houses yourself.

Gingerbread House Frosting: 

Turns out, that when you end up making near 15 gallons of frosting, the exact amounts of ingredients get fudged.  For the most part,

The recipe we used was: 

3 Cups confectioners sugar
4 teaspoons meringue powder
water to the right consistency.

We would add all the dry product to the mixing bowl and add the water slowly till the right consistency was created.

This recipe was great because it stiffened up right away, was safe to eat, and rather inexpensive.  If you want to color your frosting, I recommend the wilson color gel.  It takes a lot less to make more vibrant colors.

As to the Gingerbread House

Making 100+ house kits was no small task, and thankfully we have some lovely elves that worked hard cutting and drawing.  We used poster board - 20"x40"  and fit the below pattern on 4 times.  When making a bunch.  we used the same pattern over and over, poked holes where lines intersected and used box cutters to cut.  From there we glued (hot glue can work) the boards together.  and to a base (not listed).  Now we had a sturdy structure to decorate to our heart's desire.  Enjoy!

The pattern makes:
4 - 4"x5" (sides and roof)
2 - 4"(6" with peak)x5" (front and back)
1 - 2"x1" chimney top side
1 - 3"x1" chimney bottom side
2 - 2"-3"x1" chimney sides

2016 Reading Challenge

2016 Reading Challenge.

Read a book...
1. you avoided in school
2. a movie is based on
3. a cult-classic, one entire nerdoms are based on.
4. your mom/dad loves
5. that explains and breaks down an important moment in history.
6. from a comedian turned author
7. pertaining to something big in the news
8. about time travel
9. about a previous society
10. about a religion or divinity other than what you believe
11. a kids book
12. about an alternative society (post apocalyptic, steampunk, matriarchal, etc)
13. for and with a child
14. recommended by and then discuss it with a person who is much aged
15. you have claimed to never touch, you may feel like a sellout reading this one
16. newly released
17. pertaining to events of childhood whimsy (circus, parks, zoos, etc.)
18. about a vice or bad habit you have (coffee, smoking, chocolate)
19. about magic (we all need a  little more magic in our lives!)
20. pertaining to a real life hero of yours