SUMMARY: In this class, students will be introduced to the world of electricity. They will be treated to interactive demonstrations and entertaining and educational discussions.
A BRIEF SYNOPSIS: The class will observe and learn the basic properties of static electricity in a series of demonstrations which lay the foundation for both an explanation and demonstration of lightning formation. Using a Van de Graaff generator and a few simple materials, the instructor will demonstrate the ability of an electric field to light up a fluorescent tube, the process of grounding, and how to make a gravity defying flying newspaper! To top it all off, we will take volunteers with a good hair day and turn it into a bad hair day!
EDUCATIONAL VALUE: This class offers children a solid introduction to the properties of electricity and electric charges. They will learn the distinction between static electricity and electrical current, the basic properties of an electric charge, as well as the science behind these phenomena. Students will be able to relate this information to their daily lives in a new found understanding of lightning and static-electric shocks, which may have previously been confusing or even frightening. They will come away knowing how to protect themselves.
NOTE: Mad Science Programs are fun explorations into science and technology, and they encourage informal learning through hands-on experience. All Mad Science workshops include a lot of fascinating equipment, supplies, and take-home materials which the children build themselves. The Mad Science mission is to spark the imagination and curiosity of children everywhere by providing them with fun, entertaining, and educational activities which instill a clear understanding of what science really is, and how it affects the world around them.
