Ethyl Mercaptan, a sulfur compound is a clear liquid with a very strong and distinctive smell. Adding it helps us to identify and alert the user about a gas leakage which would otherwise go unnoticed due to the odourless LPG Gas leading to dangerous situations like a fire or explosion.

Ethyl Mercaptan is not only used as an additive to odorless gases like butane, propane, and petroleum to give them a warning odor BUT is also used in the manufacture of fungicides, pharmaceuticals, insecticides, resins, and other chemicals.

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https://youtu.be/E4BGnwEmSjE

Venus, though the twin of our planet, stands in complete contrast to it in almost every aspect, if not in all aspects. It is the brightest planet. it is the second planet from the Sun. One factor that completely sets this planet apart from ours is that it rotates “clockwise.” Therefore, the east witnesses the sun setting instead of rising and vice versa.

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Want your Drawing to be waterproof and float around in water like a ship, Here’s a cool way to do so!

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Milk is a mixture of water, fat, vitamins and minerals. When soap is added to the milk, it helps to separate the water and fat in the milk. When soap is mixed in with the fat and water, the hydrophobic end of the soap molecule breaks up the nonpolar fat molecules, and the hydrophilic end of the soap molecule links up with the polar water molecules. Now that the soap is connecting the fat and water, the nonpolar fat molecules can be carried by the polar water molecules.

As the soap molecules connect to the fat molecules, the molecules of the food coloring get pushed around everywhere resulting in an explosion of color! As the majority of soap molecules attach to the fat molecules and the soap spreads throughout the milk, the color explosion will slow and eventually stop. Add more soap and see if there are more fat molecules that haven’t attached to soap – if there are unattached fat molecules still, the color explosion will begin again.

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A glider is a fixed-wing aircraft that is supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against its lifting surfaces, and whose free flight does not depend on an engine. Most gliders do not have an engine, although motor-gliders have small engines for extending their flight when necessary by sustaining the altitude (normally a sailplane relies on rising air to maintain altitude) with some being powerful enough to take off by self-launch.

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https://youtu.be/fMPc7DoF8O4

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The reverse process of sublimation is deposition or desublimation, in which a substance passes directly from a gas to a solid phase. Sublimation has also been used as a generic term to describe a solid-to-gas transition (sublimation) followed by a gas-to-solid transition (deposition). 

While vaporization from liquid to gas occurs as evaporation from the surface if it occurs below the boiling point of the liquid, and as boiling with formation of bubbles in the interior of the liquid if it occurs at the boiling point, there is no such distinction for the solid-to-gas transition which always occurs as sublimation from the surface.

At normal pressures, most chemical compounds and elements possess three different states at different temperatures. In these cases, the transition from the solid to the gaseous state requires an intermediate liquid state. The pressure referred to is the partial pressure of the substance, not the total (e.g. atmospheric) pressure of the entire system.

So, all solids that possess an appreciable vapour pressure at a certain temperature usually can sublime in air (e.g. water ice just below 0 °C). For some substances, such as carbon and arsenic, sublimation is much easier than evaporation from the melt, because the pressure of their triple point is very high, and it is difficult to obtain them as liquids.

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Technology today has become the new normal for children. Their dependency on these devices in terms of both their personal and professional life is rapidly increasing. Internet addiction is a real phenomenon and has gained significant importance in recent times. Even though this is a topic of concern, it is not too late to divert our children’s attention in more productive directions. 

Both parents and teachers indeed have a big role to play in this phenomenon of internet addiction. Now that this issue has grown multi-folds, the next step is to move on to possible solutions and implement them in all children’s lives at the earliest. While we cannot eradicate the use of technology, we can come forward and suggest alternatives to this problem. We need to implement a solution that does not work long term but is also useful, beneficial, and the best utilization of our children’s time. 

Currently, and in the future, we suggest the best solution to the excessive use of technology is to replace it with experiential and hands-on learning. Here are a few reasons that will better help you understand the importance of experiential learning in today’s time – 

Effective Learning without Compromising on Health 

Excessive use of technology strains the eyes and makes the children extremely lazy, ultimately leading to a lack of physical exercise. Experiential learning is a better solution since most of its activities require the kids to be active and alert. It not only increases their knowledge but also challenges them to rack their brains and find answers to questions they never thought possible

Development of Important Skills 

Experiential learning facilitates the learning and polishing of skills that will come in handy even outside the educational institutions. Hands-on activities prepare students for the real world and help them understand the theory implementation in practical situations. Effective Communication, Analytical Skills, Problem Solving, Teamwork, and Decision Making are some qualities experiential learning helps develop.

Engaging and Interesting 

When you initially introduce the concept of experiential learning, children may outright say no to the idea of using their free time at home to study and learn. However, their attitude may change once they indulge in hands-on activities. What you as a parent can do, is ask them questions, allow them to be inquisitive, and introduce the concept of “do it yourself”. It will not only interest them but will also instantly grab their attention. 

Building Relationships 

Experiential learning requires teamwork and coordination. You can indulge in these activities with your child and spend more time with them. Instead of being in their room, busy with electronic devices all the time, these hands-on activities can also be performed outdoors and help create effective bonds. 

Augmented technology does not just have negative implications. Technology has grown tremendously in the last few years and continues to help children in their daily life. However, it is also important to be aware of the consequences of excessive use of technology and understand how important it is to maintain a balance. Moreover, we fully understand that children cannot sit in front of a book and mug up theory all the time. What they need is something they can work, something they can create, something of real value. Here is where experiential learning comes to play and aims to make a significant change in the lifestyle of all children. 

We hope this article achieved its goal of informing you about the increasing importance of experiential learning and how it is the perfect way to rid your child of technology and its addiction. If this information helped in any way, stay tuned for our next article on activities that you can engage your children in, all from the comfort of your own house! 

At ExperiHub, we teach Science and Mathematics by bringing concepts from the real world into the classroom. We conduct science experiments and have myriad science projects for better learning and understanding of concepts. If you want to learn more about Experiential Learning and cool home experiments, browse through our Online Sessions and Youtube Channel!

In today’s world, STEM education has become necessary for students to compete in a global economy and be prepared for the future. To spark an interest in STEM careers in students’ minds, introducing them to this whole new world gets much easier through hands-on and experiential activities. These activities are not only inquiry-based, but they also activate critical thinking in the mind of the learners. 

We have come up with a list of exciting activities that will open children to a new world of information and urge them to think in the direction of STEM subjects. To make it easier, we have classified these activities by subject – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. 

SCIENCE 

1. Water Cycle in a Bag – Make this is group/pair activity. Grab a transparent sandwich bag and use a permanent marker to draw a sun, cloud, and water on it. Fill it with ¼ cup of water and four drops of blue food colouring. Cover its lid and use tape to hang the bag on the window of the classroom. Sit back and watch it work. The science behind this is that the limited amount of water on Earth has to change periodically. This is called the water cycle. Over the next few days, children will see water evaporating into vapour and slowly change back into condensed liquid, just like a cloud. Finally, they will notice that the air cannot hold the water anymore, and hence, it falls down in the form of precipitation and therefore it can be called it.
2. Oil Spill – This activity is simple and can be modified according to the age group of the children. Here, take a large container and mix oil and water. Add a few feathers to this combination and provide the children with equipment like spoons, sponges, cotton, paper towels etc. Ask them to try and separate the oil from water and the feathers. This shows how drastically oil spills can affect the environment. Students will observe how oil affects the feathers and how difficult it is to separate it from water. You can further teach them about environmental change and the ill effects of such calamities. 

TECHNOLOGY 

1. Coding a LEGO Maze – Through the use of Lego mazes and instruction cards, students begin to use different codes and act as the “user,” one who is building something of value. They will be the ones guiding you through the maze, understanding command codes, and estimating from the perspective of a third person. This will help students to start understanding and learning the basics of coding. The best part is that it can be modified according to the needs and expertise of the children. They will learn to make predictions, minute calculations, and do sequencing.
2. Creating a Stop Motion Animation – You can use the Stop Motion Animation App for ease of activity. All you have to do is decide on a backdrop; it can be as simple as a window or anything fancy. Gather toys and other props that can create motion and be included in your animation. Put your shooting device on a stand and use the app to start making a movie! Give students a chance to experiment and use their creativity. There are not one but many benefits of this activity. It not only supports storytelling but also teaches children the mechanics of movie-making. They can learn to experiment, test, and plan out where a story is heading. Finally, it encourages problem-solving and critical thinking.

ENGINEERING 

1. Jelly Bean Building – For this, you can use marshmallows and toothpicks. All you have to do is ask the students to try and connect toothpicks with marshmallows. Tell them to observe the shapes that hold together, ones that are interesting to look at, shapes that do not have any symmetry etc. You can modify these questions according to your understanding. This activity will make students understand the design behind structural engineering. Make them use structural thought and technology, challenging them to make different structures with these materials.
2. Up, Up and Away – Provide the children with a limited set of supplies. Some important ones are tape, straws, wooden dowels, paper, cardboard, and clay. Leave it to the children to come up with designs and tweak their product to construct an airplane. While some may look at pictures to get a fair idea, others may use their knowledge of wings and technology. Make sure the students make the airplane fly as the end result. This project is open-ended and very hands-on. Students can use their prior knowledge, research skills, and innovation, and creativity to design an aircraft of their own. The lesson can be one of trial and error as well as teamwork. 

MATH 

1. Math Hunt – While this is one of the easiest, it makes children get out of the classroom and go out into the field. All you have to do is take up a math worksheet, handpick a few Math questions and create a hunt. Number these chits and hide them around the playground or the classroom. Keep at least ten clues and let children open the next one only when they solve the first question. This can be done in groups. Sometimes, it is all about these simple activities that spark an interest in children. You can make this a weekly or a monthly habit, one that students look forward to.
2. Nerf Gun Math – Gather plastic cups, a permanent marker, something to keep a record, eye protection, and a nerf gun kit. Instead of nerf, you can also use a ball. Write your numbers (can vary according to age group) on a cup and set them up in pyramid form. Make this into a small competition and get the students shooting at the pyramid! This lets students identify the number on the cups and calculate the total points they have scored. It will not only be fun but also challenging to count and add. 

While these are just a handful of activities, they are enough to equip the children with all they need to know about STEM subjects! Ample STEM activities are floating around on the web, but not all of them are authentic, and not all of them fulfill the purpose of giving out knowledge and useful information. It is on you to choose wisely and decide what is the most appropriate for your children.

A wise tip is to make sure that you, as a teacher, are thorough with your instructions and try to shuffle between subjects when introducing these activities to the students. We are confident that once you have a fair idea of how these activities work, you will have enough knowledge to create such experiments of your own too! 

We wish you all the best with introducing these to your children and look forward to them engaging and interacting with enthusiasm! 

At ExperiHub, we teach Science and Mathematics by bringing concepts from the real world into the classroom. We conduct science experiments and have myriad science projects for better learning and understanding of concepts. If you want to learn more about Experiential Learning and cool home experiments, browse through our Online Sessions and Youtube Channel!  

References – 

“More than 30 resources for STEM Project based Learning Activities” Wabisabi Learning. https://wabisabilearning.com/blogs/stem/36-stem-project-based-learning-activities

“11 Engaging Stem Activities for Kids that will foster curiosity” Brianna Flavin, 26th August. 2019, www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/education/blog/simple-stem-activities-for-kids/