Bonus Marine Biology Projects!
Thanks so much for joining me for the teleclass! On this page you'll find the videos for the experiments we covered in class, plus a few extras. Enjoy!
Click Here to continue with Marine Biology Courses 1, 2, & 3!
Continue the learning and fun by investigating the tiny world of microbes, learn how to do photosynthesis in total darkness, discover how animals can make light, and explore what lives both in the ocean and near the shores. Then we'll tie everything together by exploring the habitats that these organisms live in as well as how scientists do their work under the sea. By the end of this course, you will not only have a fantastic foundation in Marine Biology and Oceanography, but also have built your very own underwater exploring robot! Make your kids' year great and get access to dozens of hands-on, fun science activities!
Laser Microscope
Did you know that you can use a laser to see tiny paramecia in pond water? We're going to build a simple laser microscope that will shine through a single drop of water and project shadows on a wall or ceiling for us to study.
Materials:
- red or green laser (watch video for laser tips)
- large paperclip
- rubber band
- pond water sample (or make your own from a cup of water with dead grass that's been sitting for a week on the windowsill)
Gummy Bears and Lasers
Itâs really hard to understand that when you see a red apple, whatâs really happening is that most of the wavelengths that make up white light (the rainbow, remember?) are absorbed by the apple, and only the red one is reflected. Thatâs why the apple is red.
Materials:
- red laser (cheap laser pointers from the dollar store work great)
- red and green gummy bears
- flash light
Salty Eggs
Saltwater is more dense that regular water, and your body tissues contain water (among other things). Did you know that thinner people are more dense than heavier people? For example, championship swimmers will sink and have to work harder to stay afloat, but the couch potato next door will float more easily in the water.
Materials:
- glass
- water
- salt
- hard boiled egg
Ocean Chemistry
pH is a scale from 1 to 14 that measures how acidic or basic something is. Lemon juice is a 2 so itâs an acid. Water is neutral at 7, and something like baking soda is basic because itâs 10.5. The pH of the ocean is about 8. Scientists are worried, though, because the ocean used to be 8.2.
Materials:
- lemon juice
- distilled white vinegar
- baking soda
- water
- red cabbage
- blender
- strainer
Waterbots
We're going to use foam to create a waterbot, which will be powered by a simple electrical circuit. The hardest part of this activity will actually be building it stable enough so it doesn't capsize. Boats are always built in a way so they don't get pushed or flipped over easily by carrying a ballast, or extra weight, at the lowest part of the boat. You'll need to figure out where to out your motor and batteries (which weigh a lot compared to a foam block) in order to balance your boat.
Materials:
- 1 propeller (read comments for ideas on where to find one)
- foam block (this can be a scrap piece from packing material)
- 3VDC motor
- AA battery case with AA batteries
- 2 alligator clip lead wires
- hot glue gun with glue sticks
Click Here to continue with Marine Biology Courses 1, 2, & 3!
Continue the learning and fun by investigating the tiny world of microbes, learn how to do photosynthesis in total darkness, discover how animals can make light, and explore what lives both in the ocean and near the shores. Then we'll tie everything together by exploring the habitats that these organisms live in as well as how scientists do their work under the sea. By the end of this course, you will not only have a fantastic foundation in Marine Biology and Oceanography, but also have built your very own underwater exploring robot! Make your kids' year great and get access to dozens of hands-on, fun science activities!