ENVIRONMENTATION STATION

Todays program is all about the environment. We are going

to do some very interesting things. What is the
environment? The environment is all of the factors affecting
an organism or living thing. These factors may be other
living organisms (biotic factors) or nonliving variables
(abiotic factors), such as water, soil, climate, light, and
oxygen. All interacting biotic and abiotic factors together
make up an ecosystem.
The science of ecology is the study of the interactions that
determine the abundance and distribution of organisms.
Ecologists are cool scientists. They really try to understand
and help the earth.
In our first experiment we are going to talk about hurricanes.
What type of scientist studies hurricanes? They are called
meteorologists. We are going to be meteorologists today.
A hurricane is the name applied to migratory tropical
cyclones that originate over oceans in certain regions near
the equator, and particularly to those arising in the
Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane-type
cyclones in the western Pacific are known as typhoons.
Hurricanes are classified into five categories, based on their
wind speeds and potential to cause damage.
Category One -- Winds 119-152 kilometers per hour
Category Two -- Winds 154-177 kilometers per hour
Category Three -- Winds 178-209 kilometers miles per
hour
Category Four -- Winds 210-249 kilometers per hour
Category Five -- Winds greater than 249 kilometers per
hour

If a hurricane is a grown up storm, what is a baby

hurricane called? The birth of a hurricane is as follows:
Tropical wave, tropical depression, tropical storm, and then it
turns into a hurricane.
Hurricane Hunters
Today as meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center
and we are going to make our very own hurricane and
watch the eye form. Each person will get a cup. We take
our cup; this will be the walls of the hurricane. Now we
add water, because you cant have a descent storm
without water. Each person will sprinkle some pepper into
your hurricane cup. The pepper is the big black nasty
storm clouds. Scientist that study hurricanes go in a
special airplane and fly above the hurricane and above
the eye. These scientists are called hurricane hunters.
They fly above the storm and drop a special device, a tool
or instrument that measures the pressure of the
hurricane. Our paper clip is this tool. Each person will get
a piece of string. Tie it onto your paper clip. Be sure to
drop it right into the eye of your storm. If it goes into a
circle and moves around youre not in the eye. Can you
imagine how bumpy it is in the plane if youre not flying
directly in or above the eye? OK, now we have all been
cool hurricane hunters. Who knows where the worst place
to be is during a hurricane or tornado? Where is the best
place to be? Probably in your house, away from the
windows.
Hurricane Hunters

Lets talk about caves. A cave is a chamber beneath the

surface of the earth or in the side of a hill, cliff, or mountain.
Caves vary in size and shape, and many have large openings
to the surface. Many animals use caves for their homes.
Who can think of some animals? Bears, lions, tigers, etc.
Caves are really cool. They are a natural shelter that the
earth makes. Have you ever been inside a cave? Have you
ever seen a picture of a cave? If you have seen a picture
then you know in a cave there are things that hang from the
top of a cave and things that grow from the bottom.
Stalactites and Stalagmites are mineral formations
frequently found in caves. Stalactites form on the roof of
caves and they hold on really tight; thats how we remember
they are called stalactites. Stalagmites form on the floor of
caves and push up with all their might; thats how we
remember they are called stalagmites.
Stalagmite Experiment
Now we are going to build our very own stalagmites. I am
going to give each person a 90z cup filled 3/4 with water
and a plastic spoon. Now I am going to give each group a
little squirt bottle. This bottle has sand in it. This sand is
very special. It is called hydrophobic sand. What a huge
word, hydrophobic...it means water fearing. Each little tiny
piece of sand is coated with this special material. Here is
what you are going to do. Squeeze some of this sand into

your cup of water. Try to form a stalagmite. After you have

formed one, pass the bottle to your neighbor. After
everyone has had a chance, try to form a second
stalagmite. COOL!
Now you may take your spoon and play with this stuff. DO
NOT PUT THIS SPECIAL SAND IN YOUR MOUTH! I only want
you to lift it out of the water. Notice that it immediately
becomes dry. I will give you a few minutes to discover all
the cool things to do with this sand. To clean up sand place
a paper towel in an aluminum pan. Pour excess water out
of wet sand. Pour wet sand in pan to dry. Once dry replace
sand in squeeze bottles.
Check out all the cool things you can do with this
hydrophobic sand!
Oil Spill
The next experiment we are going to do is an oil spill. An oil
spill is a terrible environmental disaster. The chemical or oil
goes into the water, making the water too dirty to use for
drinking, cleaning things, or animals to swim in. It can kill
fish, birds, animals, and plants in and around the water.
People may use any of the following kinds of tools to clean
up spilled oil:

booms, which are floating barriers to oil (for example, a

big boom may be placed around a tanker that is leaking
oil, to collect the oil).
skimmers, which are boats that skim spilled oil from the
water surface.
sorbents, which are big sponges used to absorb oil.
chemical dispersants and biological agents, which
break down the oil into its chemical constituents.
in-situ burning, which is a method of burning freshlyspilled oil, usually while it's floating on the water.

Each group is going to get an aluminum pan, and 2 boats.

We are going to make our oil spill in this. First I am going to
put some bluing in the water into our pan; this can be our
lake or ocean. Each person will get a feather. Take your
feather and dip into water. Notice how the water beads off
the feather. An aquatic bird can easily swim in water, swoop
down and catch a fish, and then quickly dry off. Now we are
going to create our environmental disaster, an oil spill. Each
group will pour a half cup of oil (vegetable oil sprinkled with
pepper) right into their aluminum pan. OOOOOOH NOOOOO!
Look at our oil spill. This is terrible. Now dip your feather
back into the water. Notice how the feather gets completely
wet, and now the bird can not fly and it can not maintain its
body temperature. The bird will die. Now we will drop some
seeds into the water. The seeds represent the ocean
teeming with life forms.
We are going to become oil spill scientists. Here are the
steps we will take.
Step 1: Blot the oil. Using cotton balls try to blot the oil
trying to remove as much as you can.
Step 2: Scientists often use logs or booms, we will use
craft sticks to contain our oil spill.
Step 3: Now as our last resort, we must use some soap.
Each person will put a few drops of soap into the oil
spill. Watch carefully, the soap is dispersing the oil. Is
this effective? Check it out. WOW! Now what?
Scientists are miserable after an oil spill. They simply
do not know what else to do. Scientists have been
working on bacteria that actually eat oil to help in an oil
spill. What else would you do? Engage in a discussion.

Environmentation Station
(1/17/06)
Packe
d by:

Checke
d by:
Hurricane Hunters
1-small paper cup/child
1-craft stick/child
1-container of pepper/group
1-paper clip/child
1-6" piece of string/child
Hurricane Hunter Picture
Stalagmite Experiment
1-9 oz. cup of water/child
1-squeeze bottles of blue
hydrophobic sand/group
1-plastic spoon/child
1-aluminum pan for clean-up
stalagmite pictures
Oil Spill

1-large aluminum pan/group

2-toy boats/group
1-container of vegetable oil/group
1-container of pepper (sprinkle into
oil)
1-feather/child
a few assorted seeds/group
1-squeeze bottle of soap/group
5-craft sticks/groups
5-cotton balls/group
a few drops of Mrs. Stewart's
Bluing/group