Tuesday, August 21

Getting out more than you put in

Not exactly the life lesson you want to teach your children but one I appear to have a great knack of installing in mine. Particularly the somewhat lazy pre-teen. Who of course is the last person that needs to know leaving things to the last minute pays off.

Last Friday the school had it's first science fair to coincide with National Science Week. Having dreams of being a writer, science has never been something that has interested me. All the rules and explanations that go with science just don't appeal to me in anyway. At all.

In fact during my final years of high school I was delighted to discover that there was a maths unit I could take that would double up as my science component of my education. While maths may also be rule based, I could somehow get my head around them much easier than those that were associated with the traditional sciences like chemistry.

Needless to say the prospect of making not one, but two science projects, was not exactly appealing. So I didn't encourage the girls in anyway whatsoever. (Mother of the year coming through)

Only on Wednesday, when children were finally shuffled off to bed and our quality TV viewing time began I discovered something so awesome and so easy that I just had to get Miss 11 to enter it in the fair. While I may have said to her "I am sure this will win you a prize" in a bid to gain her interest I never for a moment really thought she would get something. Especially since come Friday morning, we were still trying to get our act together enough print out the words to accompany the project. The words which took her all of two minutes to write mind you.

After wandering around some of the other experiments, which consisted mainly of volcano explosions, I was still doubtful whether we had a prize winner on our hands. Some of the other children had gone to a lot of work. Possibly spending at least a week or even more on their work. Unlike the last minute rush job experienced at our house.

Apparently though if your last minute rush job involves something that few other people have seen your lack of effort can be rewarded. Yep. She got a prize.

So in a bid to ease my guilt at leading my children down the same fly by the seat of your pants and hope for the best path that I have walked for far too long I am going to share with you this award winning project.
Source
Fellow leave it to the last minuters, I give to you the Homopolar Motor (say that a few times fast after a drink or two). While it may sound rather impressive, it is actually one of the simplest forms of a motor and is so so easy to make.

All you need is a battery, piece of wire, a screw and a magnet. Put them together as shown.
When you place the wire near the end of the screw it spins round like crazy, which is a little tricky to see in the photo but very cool to watch in real life. And there you have it, the most easiest science project ever.

It's Tuesday and I have blogged. Yay for me!
Yay also for Jess over at Diary of a SAHM
the hostess with the mostest for

35 comments:

  1. And it's moments like these, I'm so glad that science week apparently went unnoticed at our school!
    I remember I was going to be a nurse for a while, and then I discovered I'd have to take chemistry, so gave up on that idea. I even concluded for a while that the idea of atoms was completely ridiculous, in the hope of convincing the teacher that if I didn't believe in them I shouldn't have to balance equations.
    It didn't work.

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    1. Surely you got point for trying though? I know I would have given you a point for that :)

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  2. Science Week? I'm barely coping with Book Week and the requisite costume making. And I love books. Gods, I'd never cope with Science Week!

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    1. Well thankfully we didn't have to dress up for Book Week!

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  3. I love Science! How can you not love science Rhi? Looks like you ended up likeing it this time. hee he he (evil cackle).

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    1. Yeah there are some parts that I like but others are just to rigid for my liking, I prefer more free flowing things

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  4. Go you! That's an awesome science project and hooray for winning a prize!

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    1. It was so easy and the kids just loved it so win win all round

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  5. Very cool. I love it. Science can be heaps of fun when you can get over the notion that it's the domain of geeks like Julius sumner miller? Well done to you and yr daughter. And nice piece.

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    1. The geeky aspect doesn't bother me, some days I can't help but wonder if I am a dumb geek :D

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  6. That's a great project :) Well done to your daughter...it's exciting to win a prize...helps you stay inspired :)

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  7. Cool. I could never come up with something like that.

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    1. Salz if it weren't for QI (ABC TV program) the night before I wouldn't have come up with it either!

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  8. Argh I'm so worried about how I'm goin to deal with all the projects and competitions once school starts in this house. I'm going to have to bookmark this page for future reference :) Thankyou x

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    1. Yes this was a real winner, thank goodness for google!

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  9. ohhh i love it!!! sometimes procrastination brings great reward. not that i would know about that, or would everleave uni assessments to the last minute *ahem* lol

    #teamIBOT

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  10. pretty cool idea! I'm more into the arts myself but I do prefer Science over Maths, any time! ;p

    Ai @ Sakura Haruka

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  11. Rhianna, you ma have possibly reignited my love for science! I have always liked it to a degree, but I drone out in all the theories and jargon.
    So thanks for reminding me about the fun stuff. Will have to try this little project at home!

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    1. No worries, it is the theories and jargon that lose me as well

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  12. I am gonna have to show my husband this, he loves little science tricks like that (he's a closet nerd which I love to tease him about!).
    I am a total leave-it-to-the-last-minute gal, always have been, always will be. I married one too so our poor daughter really has no chance!

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    1. Yes hubs is not really any better than I at being organised.

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  13. That is awesome! Being filed away for the future :) I am the same with leaving things to the last minute. I am currently doing my MBA and I know that a) I can write 3000 words in 6 hours and that b) I can get over 75% doing this - why would I plan ahead! Very hard to encourage our kids otherwise :)

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    1. That is exactly what it is like for me as well. I just can't help but wonder if I started earlier would I have even better results? Mind you I can't wonder enough as I can't seem to change my ways

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  14. That looks very interesting (and easy!). You know what, working smarter not harder is not a bad lesson to teach your kids ;) I'm all for it!

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    1. You know what I love the way you look at it working smarter not harder, well said!

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  15. Thanks for sharing that. I'll have it use it. Rachel x

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  16. I should pin this , because I am sure it will come in handy one day lol.

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  17. That is über cool. When my children are old enough to play with wire, magnets, batteries and screws without attempting to eat them then I will have to remember give it a go.

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    1. Yes even Miss 6 thought it was pretty awesome.

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  18. I'm so glad my kids are done with school. It's hard work for parents!

    Great job though. :-)

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