Jiya Deol set off a small mushroom cloud during a science experiment Monday at Osoyoos Elementary School. Students were treated to Science World’s On the Road show of Earth Wind Science which talked about weather phenomena and allowed students to simulate them. The air from Deol’s lungs helped ignite some lycopodium. Supervising is Chelsey Stuyt, a Science World facilitator. (Richard McGuire photo)

Science can be enormously fun if the enthusiastic reaction from children at Osoyoos Elementary School on Monday is any indication.

Members of Science World’s On the Road team gave demonstrations, creating simulations of weather and the scientific principles behind it.

Children were enthusiastically throwing their hands into the air to answer questions or volunteer while facilitators Chelsey Stuyt and Kieryn Matthews worked their gadgetry.

The weather show is called Earth, Wind and Science and is geared to students from grades 4 to 7. An earlier show called How2Science was aimed at younger students.

Stuyt and Matthews brought up student volunteers for demonstrations of making (simulated) snow, creating a mushroom cloud of fire and turning water acidic.

For the finale, Stuyt had already picked out an ideal volunteer. After Matthews demonstrated “baby lightning” with a Van de Graaff generator, Stuyt brought up student Brody McLean for a shocking experiment with electricity.

“We picked Brody at the beginning because he had this big smile on his face,” said Stuyt afterwards. “He was very excited to tell us the kind of weather that he wanted to see. It’s rewarding that level of curiosity engagement and joy is my favourite thing for choosing a volunteer.”

It also helped that he had the right hair – light enough to stand up and dyed indigo in colour.

McLean placed his hand on the metal sphere and Stuyt applied a low-voltage electric current.

His coloured hair started standing on end. Stuyt held up a mirror and McLean looked quite impressed with this new hairdo.

“They always love the Van de Graaff generator because they love seeing their hair stand up on end,” said Stuyt. “But it’s also this permission to be inquisitive about electricity, which they often have a lot of fear around. It’s encouraging safety, while dispelling fear from that inquisition.”

Science World sends its On the Road programs to schools around B.C. throughout the school year and they do community science events in the summer, said Stuyt.

“I think the thing that kids enjoy most about the shows is the excitement around science and the permission to ask questions,” she said. “It’s all about testing ideas out and getting to enjoy the results, adding that fun, playful joy into science.”

The tour is also visiting other schools in the South Okanagan and Similkameen this week.

RICHARD McGUIRE

Osoyoos Times

Science World facilitator Kieryn Matthews brought student Jared Stene up to feel some “snow” she made. Stene said it didn’t feel too cold. That’s because Matthews made it chemically, using sodium polyacrylate, which is used in baby diapers to turn liquids into a gel. (Richard McGuire photo)

In this experiment, Hali Steiner “blew” with a bicycle pump while Carter Sapach blew from his lungs into containers of blue-coloured liquid. Steiner’s liquid stayed blue, while Sapach’s turned green. That’s because the liquid is bromothymol blue, an acid indicator. The carbon dioxide in Sapach’s breath mixed with the liquid to create carbonic acid – a similar phenomenon to acid rain. (Richard McGuire photo)

Science World facilitator Chelsey Stuyt demonstrated the principles behind a tornado by creating a “fire tornado.” (Richard McGuire photo)

Brody McLean got a minor shock when he put his hand on the Van de Graaff generator, but even more shocking was how it made his hair stand on end. Chelsey Stuyt, facilitator, holds up a mirror so he can see his new hairdo. Science World’s On the Road team was at Osoyoos Elementary School on Monday while touring the South Okanagan. (Richard McGuire photo)