Nacht der Wissenschaft
Overview: 2 Wissenschaftler have an accident while performing an experiment and accidentally summon famous scientists into the present at Waldsee. This time, they put random stuff into a container as the experiment, but nothing happened until they decided to add the secret ingredient - Mückenspray! When that happened, that caused the portal to appear. As an idea, have the Abendprogramm start in between the Fußballplatz and the Bahnhof, and have the scientists come running out through the tunnel, perhaps with fog and lights!Obviously, they have important science to be doing, and it’s up to Waldsee to help send them back.
This is a Stationsspiel with various German scientists leading some sort of science related station. When the task at hand has been successfully completed, the acquire some ingredient in a plastic bag. When all of the ingredients have been assembled, they make up (approx.) diet coke and mentos. For the Endspiel, diet coke and mentos create a fountain-portal that the scientists run through (or an it vorbei) to travel back in time.
Stations & Characters:
Rolf-Dieter Heuer - Large Hadron Collider @ Marktplatz - Kids are given small plastic balls (protons) then have to run in a circle around the Marktplatz throwing the balls towards each other to create a mid-air collision.
Julius Lothar von Meyer - Periodic Table @ Scrabbleplatz - Paper with elements as they are shown on the period table are taped to the back of the scrabble tiles and they have to put the Periodic Table together.
Karl Benz - Autos @ Schachplatz - Build an auto to go down the ramp on the side of the Marktplatz using various scrap materials. This uses wooden dowels, cardboard, duct tape, and the checkers pieces as wheels.
Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit - Imperial to SI conversions @ Irgendwo - Teach them how to convert between feet & meters, and celsius and Fahrenheit. (This is pretty optional; it’s not the most exciting of stations.)
Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss - Optics @ BioHaus - Use the Optik kit to find the focal length of a lens.
Adolf von Baeyer - Chemie @ Gasthof - Use red cabbage juice to test the ph levels of various substances, zB milk, lemon juice, vinegar, water, usw
Walter Gropius - Tower building @ Irgendwo - Build a tower as high as possible using spaghetti and marshmallows
Heinrich Schliemann - Archeology @ Volleyballplatz - Dig around in the sand to uncover all of the bones of a dinosaur. (Can be done with a cut-up toy dinosaur or a dismantled Mr. Potato Head)
Karl Nessler - Wave Interference @ Irgendwo - Use two syringes in a clear tub full of water, having the kids drop two drops of water simultaneously to watch the peaks and valleys change.
Albert Einstein - Gravity @ Baumhaus - An egg drop from the top of Baumhaus using various scrap material, trying to get the egg to fall without breaking.
Horst Ludwig Stroemer - Oobleck @ Irgendwo - Make a nonnewtonian fluid successfully using cornstarch and water.
Potential Problems/Improvements:
1. We had far too many stations/not enough time, especially with a Lagerfeur am Ende. Strongly consider only doing a few stations, or speeding them up somehow.
2. It’d be helpful to have each Stationsleiter look at a few things about their scientist so that they can tell the kids a little blurb about themselves - what their research is, when they’re from, whatever. All the scientists are somehow related to their station.
3. To make the coke & mentos fountain better/longer, poke holes in the caps of the coke to narrow the outcoming flow. This means you have to tie the mentos on strings as well, which requires putting holes through them. it’s a little difficult to do, but it’s worth it.
4. For the cabbage station, it has to be red cabbage juice, not just cabbage chunks.
NEUE IDEEN:
Most of these will need maybe one run through beforehand to make sure
you've got it set up right. Let me know if you want more suggestions.
This was a quick set of ones I've done before.
Make a cloud in a bottle
(5 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIZq2gXBsHU
- essentially just need a bike pump and a sturdy bottle
Crush a can with heat (and a bucket of cold water)
(5 minutes)
http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/homeexpts/COLLAPSE.html
- can be done with a fire if you don't get the can directly in the flame
- ask kids if you can crush the can using only the power of the air,
etc. ask how blah blah
straw "zipline" rockets
(10 minutes)
http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/balloonrocket.php
- they can tape additional "wings" to the straw for """aerodynamics"""
and race them
- technically can talk about 'pressure'
Layered liquids
(5-10 minutes)
http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/homeexpts/layeredliquids.htm
- This one takes maybe 5ish minutes to really separate once you shake
everything up in the container (depending on what you use). So I'd
start with pouring all the stuff together, then have the kids guess at
which ones will go where while it separates.
- you can also put things into the container, like small pieces of
plastic or wood or metal - have them guess where stuff will end up
- dont' need to use a huge container. a marmelade jar would be enough
if you watch the proportions of ingredients
Separate the colors from M&M's or colored markers
(10 minutes - depends on paper used)
http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/homeexpts/candy.htm
- doing a black, a purple, and a dark blue are usually good bets for
finding ones with a couple colors, in addition to a red and a yellow
or something)
Dancing colors in a plate of milk
(5 minutes)
http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/colorsymphony.php
- super neat! (can be done in a normal flat plate)
Make an electro magnet
(5 minutes)
http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/electromagnet.php
- nail not magnetic, wrap wire around it, plug into battery = magnet
Acids and Bases set:
(5-30 minutes)
(this is where the red cabbage juice experiment would fit in too)
- baking soda and lemon - some sudsing... meh
- baking soda and vinegar - whoooosh
- CO2 is heavier than air (and can be poured from one vessel to another)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvpenpBXAmM
- write with lemon juice on paper (use Qtip or paintbrush) - nothing -
heat it, and the message comes out - works better with a fire or iron
than with a match (larger hear sources)
( this one can also be used in a game if you want to pass
invisible messages until heated - be sure to test it out ahead of
time, some papers are not well suited for this)
Medieval weapons themed:
Catapult
(10-30 minutes if game with built catapults)
http://frugalfun4boys.com/2013/10/11/candy-corn-catapults/
http://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/2013/5/31/easy-marshmallow-catapults-summer-fun-for-kids.html
Stabbings don't kill you, it's the holes they make!
(5 minutes)
http://tinkerlab.com/magical-plastic-bag-experiment/
Make a little doll with a ziplock bag of water as the body - stab it
with pencil arrows - observe that the person doll is ok until the
arrows are removed - OH NOES!
ps. the cloud, dancing colors, and secret message ones are the coolest
in my opinion.
Also.... it would be REALLY cool if they had to collect the CO2 in a
cup at one station and then pour it onto a candle at another station
(mwahaha)