EXPERIMENTS ~ #1 - "Sound Waves" ~ "What is Sound?"

 

Alisdair banging his own "drum" . . .

Ian F. Mahaney tells us, in his book "Sound Waves" that "sounds are caused by vibrations."  Mahaney outlined an experiment and Alisdair and I wanted to try it.

Mahaney says, "When an object vibrates, it moves the air around it.  You can hear and feel vibrations.  You can't see vibrations in the air, but you can see and hear things they have an effect on, like a guitar string" (Pages 20 and 21).

To do this experiment we needed:

a sheet of plastic wrap or cling film
a saucepan
an elastic band
some rice (we used an Uncle Ben's flavoured mix!)
a flat metal pan (we used a 9 x 13 cake tin)
wooden spoon

Here are Mahaney's instructions:

"STEP 1 - Pull a sheet of plastic wrap tightly over a cake pan or a large plastic bowl.  Use a large rubber band to hold the plastic in place.  You've made a drum.

STEP 2 - Sprinkle a spoonful of rice on top of the plastic.

STEP 3 - Hold a flat metal pan a little above your "drum" and tap the flat metal pan with a wooden spoon or a ruler.  When you tap the pan, the metal vibrates.  The vibrations move the air around the tray.  When these vibrations reach the plastic, the plastic vibrates, too.  When this happens, the rice moves!"

Our "drum" . . .

Drum with rice on top . . .

Our "drum" and the cake tin . . .

Alisdair says: "It was a loud experiment and I liked it better when we took the equipment outside on the lawn and it was quieter.  At first we couldn't get the rice to move.  Then Mum pulled the plastic wrap a lot tighter on top of the pan.  It worked much better after that.  You could really, truly see the grains of rice bouncing up and down, which was fun to watch!  This looked a bit like people sitting on a trampoline with just one or two people jumping!  I would definitely encourage you to try this easy experiment.  The best thing about it?  Eating the Uncle Ben's rice, once we had finished . . . I even used chopsticks!"
 

Alisdair enjoying eating his snack!

BALLET ~ Isobel's Dance Recital ~ "Friend In Me"

Over the last few months, Isobel was in the "Tutu Ballet" group (of four and five year olds) at the Cut Knife School of Dance.  Throughout the fall and winter, we went to Cut Knife almost every Monday afternoon for practice.

The "Tutu Ballet" ensemble performed a selection called "You've Got a Friend In Me" from the movie Toy Story at the final recital, held on Sunday, May 1st, in the Cut Knife Elks Theatre.  Isobel was a cute little alien!  Grandma and Grandpa came to watch our little dancer on stage for her debut.

At the conclusion of the show, each dancer was given a carnation and a Certificate of Achievement.  Isobel loved being in ballet and she hopes to continue with dance in the future.  With all the driving, Mum's not so sure!

COOKING ~ "Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread" ~ Auntie Sharon's Recipe

A loaf that has been sliced ...

I hadn't made bread for several years but recently John urged me to make a batch or two!  It is considerably cheaper to make your own.  I just didn't have much confidence it would turn out.

I called my Mother and she gave me her sister Sharon's recipe, from our old 'Family Cookbook' compiled back in the late Eighties, while I was in university.  I scribbled the amounts and basic directions on a scrap of paper.

Auntie Sharon's Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups milk
6 Tablespoons sugar (or a little less honey)
4 teaspoons salt
1/2 c. margarine (or a bit less). You can also use vegetable oil.
3 cups water
2 Tablespoons vinegar (optional)
Flour (I guess you'll have to go by the feel of it.)
2 Tablespoons yeast

Directions:

Scald milk.  Remove from heat and add sugar, salt, and margarine.  Stir.
Then add the water and vinegar.
Add 2-3 cups flour combined with the yeast & beat it.
Add more flour, beating after each cup or two.
When batter is pretty thick to stir, turn out onto bed of flour on the counter. (maybe 1 1/2 - 2 cups)
Knead for about 8 minutes.
Put in greased bowl and let rise. Punch. Let rise again.
Shape into loaves and put in pans. (It makes 4 or 5)
Let rise 1-1 1/2 hours.
Bake 30 minutes at 350 or 375 (until brown on the bottom.)

Preparation Time:  About 4 hours.

I wasn't sure about this new venture, but I made a quick trip to the local store to buy a package of fresh yeast.  Then I called Alisdair to come and observe the process.

Here are some pictures of that first batch:


Scalded milk ...

Mixture of honey, milk  and yeast ...


Starting to mix in flour...



Stiff dough... ready to knead

   

Oiled dough ... ready to rise...

Dough is beginning to rise...

In the pans...waiting for last rise...

 

Freshly baked...

I still wasn't totally convinced it was going to work, so I was delighted to see the dough was rising! Eventually I had four nice loaves out of the oven and cooling.

A few minutes later, I went back and almost half of a loaf was GONE!  Someone had wanted to try the fresh bread!  Later, I went to cut a slice.  John complained that I was slicing it much too thin and said, "What's the point of having fresh bread if you're going to cut it like that??"  We froze some and ate some.  The bread quickly disappeared.  I made another batch.  Again, it disappeared quickly ~ even sending a loaf or two to Alisdair's Grandma and Grandpa for a taste test! 

One day Alisdair was eating a peanut butter and jam sandwich, made with thick, fresh bread.  "You've got to QUIT making this bread, Mum," he said.  When I asked why, he replied, "Because you are spoiling us too much!"

As I made each batch, I began to feel a "kinship" with the pioneer woman who had gone before me.  Women like my own Grandmother, who made several batches of bread each week, out of necessity, just to feed her large family on a tight budget.  I remembered Grandma's fluffy white bread and slathering it with peanut butter, jam or Cheese Whiz.  There was always a problem trying to toast her homemade bread, as it wouldn't fit in the slots of the toaster.  As a solution, they had a little wire rack (like you would use when camping) and toasted the jumbo slices of bread over the burner of her electric stove!  Later, I tracked down my Grandma's actual recipe ~ but that's a post for another day!

***

"Give us this day our daily bread"

                                                                              ~ Matthew 6:11

VIDEOS ~ Footage from 2010 "Lose the Training Wheels" Camp ~ Victoria, BC

If you watch this video, you will learn about an exciting program called "Lose the Training Wheels."  This group had a successful Camp last summer in Victoria, British Columbia, sponsored by the Queen Alexandra Children's Hospital.  The group plans to run another camp in 2011 ~ from July 11th to 16th.

Participants will ride the modified bikes shown in the video for 90-minutes per day.  Alisdair's dyspraxia has made it difficult for him to be able to balance enough to ride a two-wheeler and so he is anxious to "lose the training wheels" this summer.

"Whenever I go riding on my bike, with the training wheels, I feel like lots of people are making fun of me," says Alisdair.  "It humiliates me to think that I'm going on 12 and there are children, not much bigger than my little sister, who can ride with two wheels."

Since Alisdair feels so strongly about this, we have decided to attend the upcoming Camp.  When we initially inquired about it, we were told participants from the Queen Alexandra Children's Hospital would be given top priority.  However, after the enrollment deadline, there was a vacancy and we were told Alisdair would be eligible to attend.  After receiving that news, we managed to find a WestJet seat sale and book plane tickets.  The organizers are now holding a space for him in their program.  We even managed to find economical accomodations at a hostel for the week!

Alisdair and I are both looking forward to our adventure on Vancouver Island . . . he'll be "losing the training wheels" and hopefully I'll be losing weight ~ chasing his bicycle around the riding arena!  It makes me tired and out of breath just thinking about it . . . wish us both luck!

SCIENCE ~ "Sound Waves" ~ Energy in Action ~ By: Ian F. Mahaney

"Sounds are caused by vibrations.  When an object vibrates, it moves the air around it.  You can hear and feel vibrations.  You can't see vibrations in the air, but you can see and hear the things they have an effect on, like a guitar string," (Page 20), explains Ian F. Mahaney in his book titled, "Sound Waves."

On Page 23 of Mahaney's book, readers are provided with a list of "Glossary Words," worth noting for future reference.  These include:

anvil (AN-vul) A small bone in the middle ear that vibrates.

atoms (A-temz) The smallest parts of an element, which can exist either alone or with other elements.

audible range (AH-duh-bul RAYNJ) The sounds that a certain animal can hear.

cochlea (KO-klee-uh) A snail-shaped tube found in the inner ear.

energy (EH-nur-jee)  The power to work or to act.

frequencies (FREE-kwen-seez)  The numbers of waves moving in a certain space each second.

hammer (HA-mur) A small bone in the middle ear that shakes.

hertz (HURTS) A measurement of number of vibrations in a sound wave.

infrasound (IN-frah-sownd) Sound waves less than 20 Hz.

larynx (LER-inks) The part of our throat that holds vocal cords.

marine (muh-REEN) Having to do with the sea.

matter (MA-ter) Something that has weight and takes up space.

molecules (MAH-lih-kyoolz) Two or more atoms joined together.

stirrup (STUR-up) A small bone in the middle ear that shakes.

translates (trans-LAYTS) Changes from one form into another.

ultrasound (UL-truh-sownd) Sound waves greater than 20,000 Hz.

vibration (vy-BRAY-shun) Fast movement up and down or back and forth.

vocal cords (VOH-kul KORDZ) Two small bands that reach across the voice box and move to make sounds.

At the back of the 24-page book, Mahaney has also included two experiments that we are eager to try.  Watch for further posts!   

FAMILY LIFE ~ First Wiener Roast of 2011



Successfully roasted "dog"!

Earlier this month, Alisdair and Isobel enjoyed their first wiener roast of the season in our backyard.  I hasten to add, this was prior to the tragic fire in Slave Lake, Alberta.  Since that took place, we haven't had a fire as it is just too dry.

The neighbouring R. M. of Manitou Lake has imposed a total fire ban and although we are in the R. M. of Hillsdale, we have similar conditions.  I'm sure the ban will be lifted in a little while and the children will be able to have a few more outdoor meals.  I think they enjoy cooking the hot dogs and marshmallows more than they enjoy eating them!

Chef Alisdair with his "dog"

All dressed ...

. . . into the flames . . .

. . . almost charred enough to eat!

DID YOU KNOW? ~ Facts about "The Race Across America"

What is the ... Race Across America (RAAM)?

Until Alisdair and I read "Geronimo Stilton:  The Race Across America," we were unaware this grueling race even existed!  On Page 14 of the novel, this event is described as follows:

"The Race Across America is the longest and most strenuous bicycle race in the world.  It's an ultra-marathon race that's more than 3,000 miles long.  Cyclists pedal for nine to twelve consecutive days, some resting only one to three hours every day.  The race starts on the West Coast, near San Diego, California, and ends on the East Coast.  The exact finish line changes from year to year, but was most recently in Annapolis, Maryland."

"The race requires an incredible amount of physical energy, but mental concentration is also absolutely essential.  In fact, some people believe that mental concentration is the most important factor in the race."

"Cyclists climb more than 100,000 feet along the racecourse.  Participants must pedal across the California and Arizona deserts, enduring brutal temperatures that can reach as high as 105 degrees Fahrenheit.  Then racers must face the Rocky Mountains, the plains of Kansas, and the Appalachian Mountains on their way to the East Coast.  It's easy to see why the Race Across America is considered one of the most difficult racing challenges in the world."  

In just a few days, the 2011 version of the "Race Across America" will play out along the highways designated as the official route.  Very detailed information for each leg, of the race, can be found at 2011 Race Across America .  This website also provides information on the racers who will be competing, the sponsors, interesting historical information and a listing of the records held by riders who have completed the Race Across America.

There are three different "starts" to the race!  The Solo Women start 12:00pm (PDT) Tuesday June 14, 2011;  The Solo Men start 12:00pm (PDT) Wednesday June 15, 2011; and the Teams start 2:00pm (PDT) Saturday June 18, 2011.

Now that we know about this race, it will be interesting to follow the event (via the website), and to keep track of the amazing athletes who are part of this difficult challenge.

After all, even Geronimo Stilton found the course difficult to complete! I have nothing but respect, and best wishes, for the racers planning to race next month.  Good luck to all!