Fall is here in the Northern Hemisphere! In this post, you will learn about why leaves fall from trees during the fall! Trees are living things, just like us. They are called organisms. You’ve seen that some trees lose all of their leaves in the fall and go dormant or in a resting stage in …
Continue reading “First Day of Fall In The Northern Hemisphere!”
Hair is a strand of string protein that grows out of hair follicles or tiny sacs in your skin. Hair is made up of keratin, the same material your fingernails are made out of. Hair grows through a process of cells dividing and getting pushed out of the follicle. This causes a strand of cells …
Taste is one of our 5 senses. It is how we think food tastes in our mouth. There are a few types of tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and savory (umami). We taste these using taste buds that contain different cells that taste each of these tastes that I mentioned earlier. Taste buds have these …
Owls are nocturnal birds that live on every continent, except Antarctica. They are flying birds that eat small rodents and other small birds. Owls are carnivores, meaning that they ONLY eat meat. Owls are almost like superheroes! They have many amazing powers. They have very big eyes that help them see in the dark. This is because …
The nervous system is the collection of all the nerves in your body and its function is to receive and send information on what’s going with the body. The nervous system includes your brain and spinal cord. Your brain and spinal cord are the centers where the information is being sent and received. Without the …
They move thanks to convection currents. Convection currents all start with density. Density is how much “stuff” (atoms and molecules) that are packed into one thing. If something has a high density, all of the atoms and molecules are close together and will sink. If something has a low density, the atoms and molecules are …
Cumulonimbus clouds are storm clouds. Clouds are large collections of water droplets that can be frozen, but only sometimes. They form due to condensation, when water evaporates into a gas and cools down above the Earth. Then, the water drops attach to pieces of dust or dirt that are above the Earth. As more droplets …
Cumulus clouds are fluffy, white clouds that float high in the sky. They usually mean that the day is going to be sunny and there will be good weather. These clouds are the types of clouds you see in happy movies or T.V. shows! Cumulus clouds are condensed water that is still not ready to …
Air molecules around us push down on us all the time. The air from the atmosphere takes up space, so it has mass (weight). The more atmosphere above you, the more the air pressure. There is actually 14.7 pounds per square inch of your body pushing down on you right now!! That means that your …
Tornadoes are a rotating column of air that spins very fast. They are made up of a giant cloud that stretches from above to the ground. Tornadoes can have violent winds and lots of rain. Tornadoes can do lots of damage, so it is important to take shelter during a tornado. Tornadoes are usually formed …
Flowers are an assortment of petals and pollen that a plant produces to reproduce. The pollen of a flower contains the genetic information to make seeds and new plants. Besides being pretty, flowers actually make fruits possible! A fruit is what is left after a flower dies and sugar is put into the dead flower bulb. Thank …
Continue reading “What Are Flowers and What Is Their Purpose?”
There is so much pollen in the air because lots of flowers bloom in the Spring. Pollen is a sticky substance that is found inside of most flowering plants. Pollen is in the middle of the flower of the plant. Pollen is attached to long structures called stamens and smaller structures called pistils. This pollen …
Continue reading “Why Is There So Much Pollen In The Air During Spring?”
The Greenhouse Effect is what climate change is caused by. This effect is when gases like Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Methane (CH4) are released into the atmosphere. These gases, also known as greenhouse gases trap the heat that the Sun beams out inside of Earth’s atmosphere. This happens because these gases are able to absorb …
Continue reading “What Is The Greenhouse Effect and What Causes It?”
Photosynthesis is the process of taking sunlight and Carbon dioxide and making it into Oxygen gas and sugar! The word “photo” means light. Photosynthesis is used by green plants, algae, and bacteria. That helps the bacteria, plants, or algae make food for themselves. Photosynthesis also made our Oxygen atmosphere! These organisms use a part of their …
A virus is infectious object that depends on living organisms’ cells to multiply. They are bad for living organisms and take over cells. Viruses infect a body and travel to a cell and inject it’s DNA code into the cell which will make the virus multiply and will destroy the cell. This is how viruses make us …
Hair is a strand of string protein that grows out of hair follicles or tiny sacs in your skin. Hair is made up of keratin, the same material your fingernails are made out of. Hair grows through a process of cells dividing and getting pushed out of the follicle. This causes a strand of cells …
Just like an onion, there are many layers to a tree’s bark. The 5 main layers are the outer bark, inner bark (phloem), cambium cell layer, sapwood, and heartwood. The outer bark is the tree’s first line of defense from rain, extreme temperatures, and insects. It is always renewed by the inner bark, which is …
Warm-blooded animals always have a fixed body temperature and is always different from the outside temperature. Most warm-blooded animals are vertebrates. Vertebrates are animals with a backbone. The backbone is also known as the vertebrate! The backbone is a row of connected bones that run down the back. Vertebrates animals make up only 5% of …
Cold-blooded animals are animals that rely on the outdoor temperature to determine their own body temperature. Most cold-blooded animals are invertebrates. Invertebrates are animals without a backbone. That means that they are the opposite of vertebrate animals. Invertebrates make up 95% if the Earth’s animals! Some invertebrates have a hard covering on the outside of …
Instead of standing out in a crowd, some animals like to blend in with their surroundings. That is called camouflage! Camouflage is used by animals to hide from predators and to catch prey. There are different types of camouflage. The first is concealing color. This means that the animal is the same color as the …
Yeast is a eukaryote, a living thing, like us, and is a type of fungi. The cool thing about yeast is that it is a unicellular organism, or single-celled, but it has characteristics and can be compared to multicellular organisms like us humans. Yeast is definitely a living thing since it has the properties of …
Reptiles are cold-blooded vertebrate (has a backbone) animals. Reptiles are ectothermic, meaning that they rely on the Sun’s energy to heat them up and match the temperature in the air around them. When it is cold outside, reptiles become more inactive in order to maintain a body temperature and are very active when it warms …
Amphibians are a group of animals that live part of their lives in water and part on land! They are cold-blooded, small invertebrates that need water or a moist environment to survive. Amphibians include frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, and caecilians. They depend on the sun for warmth because they are ectothermic. Ectothermic means that they …
Oxygen or O2 is a chemical found in the universe. Humans need Oxygen to survive. Oxygen is in our atmosphere and the air that we breathe!! Oxygen helps the animals on this planet survive. Oxygen is a building block of so many elements like Water, or even Carbon Monoxide. Oxygen can be useful for things like …
Some animals, like lizards and snakes, can see in the dark! This is something that only a few animals can really do. These animals can see as well in the dark as they do during the day! They are able to do this because of the structure of their eyes. Eyes are made up of …
REM Sleep or Rapid Eye Movement Sleep is a very important stage for human health. REM sleep is the stage when your brain is active, dreams occur, and your eyes move back and forth rapidly under your eyelids. During this stage, your brain is very active! The brain organizes information it learned the past day in a …
Rocks are collections of minerals and sediment. They can form in many different ways, but we are going to focus on three of the ways. The first is cooling magma. Magma from deep in Earth’s mantle flows up to the surface and solidifies as it cools down. That makes igneous rock. The next way rocks …
The heart is a part of your body that pumps blood around your body. This helps all of your other body parts like your brain function. The heart also regulates the Blood Pressure (BP). If the Blood Pressure is high, that means you are exercising a lot at the moment. If your Blood Pressure is …
Believe it or not, the Earth has layers just like an onion! Let’s start at the top. The part we walk on is called the crust. It is a thin layer that harbors life. Next, is the mantle. This layer is underneath the crust. Lot’s of minerals form in this area including diamonds and emeralds. …
Pollen is a sticky substance that is found inside of most flowering plants. Pollen is in the middle of the flower of the plant. Pollen is attached to long structures called stamens and smaller structures called pistils. This pollen helps make new plants grow through a process called pollination. That is when pollen is transferred …
Continue reading “Why Do Some People Have Pollen Allergies?”
Earthquakes are energy that is released in the tectonic plate boundaries. Tectonic plates are giant slabs of rock that move around! The crust (outermost layer of the Earth) is made up of these tectonic plates. These tectonic plates can get stuck. When they do this, lots of pressure builds up. Kind of like when you …
Mountains are tall slabs of rock that pop up on the crust. Mountains can be very tall or very small, depending on how they are formed. Mountains can form because of magma cooling or tectonic plate movement. We are going to tell you about both! Mountains can form in two main ways: magma cooling and …
Steam is the vapor that we see when water evaporates or turns from a liquid to a gas. When this happens, the molecules of water drift farther and farther apart from each other. That makes a gas. Steam, or water vapor, is only made up of tiny bits of water. The water boils and gets …
Soil is just rock that has been weathered. Weathering is when wind, water, or other natural agent wears away at rock. This take millions of years to happen. As the wind or water etches away at the rock, the pieces of soil or rock that come off get carried to someplace new. Soil is not …
Sinkholes are large holes in the ground that form when water seeps into the ground. Limestone, a type of rock can dissolve very easily in water. As the water seeps into the cracks on the ground, it dissolves the limestone rock under the surface. The limestone becomes weak and creates a hole under all of …
Bird wings are shaped in a unique way, so that they create pressure differential or tiny tornadoes on their wings. When birds want to fly, the pressure is greater on the bottom of the wing and when the bird wants to land, the pressure above the wing is higher. This is kind of like how …
Hurricanes are a group of storm clouds that create a very dangerous storm. If you see a hurricane from space, you will see a giant swirling cloud. Hurricanes can bring heavy rain, wind, and sometimes minor tornadoes. Hurricanes are formed when storm clouds form over warm water. As the storm clouds move, the warm water …
Acid rain is rain that has pollutants in it. It usually has air pollutants inside of it. Air pollution is when humans put toxic chemicals or smoke into the air. This can make our air dirty. This can lead to breathing problems for humans and other animals. Plants can also be harmed because the air …
Bacteria are single-celled organisms or living things. They are also called microorganisms. They are called this because microorganisms are living things that can not be seen with the naked eye. Bacteria can be good for you or bad for you. We are going to learn about the good and bad about bacteria. Bacteria can help …
Precipitation is part of the water cycle. Precipitation is when the liquid water falls to the ground. This happens when a cloud becomes heavy and all the water will fall to the ground. There are three different types of precipitation. Rain, snow, sleet, and hail. We are going to talk about each of them! Rain is …
Thunder happens because of lightning. Here is how lightning happens: First, we have to start off with a storm cloud. Tiny pieces of ice, which are actually frozen water droplets, clash around inside of the storm cloud. This clashing makes an electric charge that is then stored inside of the cloud. The positively charged electricity …
Invertebrates are animals without a backbone. That means that they are the opposite of vertebrate animals. Invertebrates make up 95% if the Earth’s animals! Some invertebrates have a hard covering on the outside of their bodies called an exoskeleton. Besides that, invertebrates are usually creatures that do not have bones as a support. Invertebrates are …
Vertebrates (pronounced ver-ti-brates) are animals with a backbone. The backbone is also known as the vertebrate! The backbone is a row of connected bones that run down the back. Vertebrates animals make up only 5% of all of the animals on Earth. Besides having a backbone, vertebrate animals have a skeleton with bones as a …
Water, or H20, is a liquid that is found all over the Earth! Water can be in different states of matter: solids, liquids, and gases. Water vapor, or steam, is in the gas state of matter. When water is a liquid, the molecules in the water are flowing freely, but still have a definite size. …
Have you ever seen a picture of a desert? Did the picture have these sand “waves”? Those wavy hill structures are called Sand Dunes. Sand Dunes are big hill-like piles of sand or soil that get blown by the wind or can be impacted by other living animals. Sand Dunes form when a powerful wind …
A River Delta is a type of wetland where a river flows into a larger body of water like an ocean or lake. Deltas can be different sizes. They can be between a 100 feet to 500 miles!! Delatas are some of most Biodiverse landforms! Biodiverse means that there is a variety of animal and …
Hail is a type of frozen precipitation. Precipitation is part of the water cycle. Precipitation is when the liquid water falls to the ground. This happens when a cloud becomes heavy and all the water will fall to the ground. There are three different types of precipitation. Rain, snow, sleet, and hail. We are going to …
Weathering is the breaking down of rock by many natural agents like water, wind, and gravity. There are two types of weathering: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering. Mechanical Weathering is when rocks are broken down WITHOUT a chemical change. They are changing their physical properties. Mechanical weathering can split rocks in half and turn them into dust! …
The Rock Cycle is the transformation of rocks over time. The different types of rock that are in the cycle are metamorphic, sedimentary, and igneous. Igneous rocks are formed by the cooling of lava or magma, which is melted rock. This can happen outside of or inside of Earth’s crust. Sedimentary rocks are tiny pieces …
Soil is just rock that has been weathered. Weathering is when wind, water, or other natural agent wears away at rock. This take millions of years to happen. As the wind or water etches away at the rock, the pieces of soil or rock that come off get carried to someplace new. Soil is not …
Water is a substance that is found everywhere on Earth! It can be a solid, liquid, or gas. It is necessary for life on Earth. It’s chemical compound is H2O. That means two Hydrogen (H2) atoms and one Oxygen (O₂) atom. This bond is called a Water Molecule. Because of water pollution, the freshwater in the world …
Inside of a leaf, there are passageways that water and nutrients can travel through, but the most important and dominant part of the leaves are the chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is made up of even smaller parts called chloroplasts. Chloroplasts have a green color to them. Leaves have chloroplast because they help the plant or tree collect …
Trees are living things, just like us. They are called organisms. You’ve seen that some trees lose all of their leaves in the fall and go dormant or in a resting stage in the winter. Only some trees do this weird behavior. We are going to find out why. Trees go dormant because the water …
Continue reading “Falling Leaves! Why Trees Loose Their Leaves and Go Dormant”
A natural resource is any resource that occurs in nature that is used for survival, energy, or to make money for countries. Certain places on Earth have different types or different amounts of natural resources. These resources can be anything from coal to fruits to sunlight! These are only a few examples of natural resources …
Run-off is when precipitation (snow, rain sleet, or hail) hits the ground and drains into rivers, lakes, and oceans. This run-off is what causes accumulations or build-ups of water. Run-off is also a cause of erosion, which can break down and carry rocks to different places. Millions of years ago, planet Earth did not really have rivers …
Fall or Autumn is a transition season between Summer and Winter. The temperature drops and the leaves on some trees fall off. That is why it is called the Fall season! During fall, the mornings can be cold and the evenings can be warmer. The temperatures do not drop below 0, but close to that …
Bacteria are single-celled organisms or living things. They are also called microorganisms. They are called this because microorganisms are living things that can not be seen with the naked eye. Bacteria can be good for you or bad for you. We are going to learn about the good and bad about bacteria. Bacteria can help …
Soil is just rock that has been eroded. Erosion is when wind, water, or other natural agent wears away at rock and takes it to a new place. This take millions of years to happen. As the wind or water etches away at the rock, the pieces of soil or rock that come off get …
Sand is just rock that has been eroded. Erosion is when wind, water, or other natural agent wears away at rock and takes it to a new place. This take millions of years to happen. As the wind or water etches away at the rock, the pieces of soil or rock that come off get …
A cheetah is a mammal that mostly lives in the African Savanna. It is covered in spots and has black markings under its eyes. Cheetahs are in the genus or family Acinonyx. They are unlike big cats like tigers or lions because they do not have retractable claws that they can pull in. Their claws are …
Auroras are lights that are only found at the North Pole and the South Pole. They light up the night skies with red, blue, and pink colors! These are known as “The Greatest Light Show on Earth!”. Auroras happen because of “solar winds”. The Sun releases a bunch of highly charged particles called electrons in …
Blowing out birthday candles on a cake is an old tradition. But why does the candle go out when you blow on it? That happens for 3 different reasons. One is that your breath pushes away all of the Oxygen gas. Your breath is mostly made out of Carbon dioxide. The Carbon dioxide pushes away …
Continue reading “Why Do Flames Go Out When You Blow On It?”
This blog post is another a debate showdown! We take topics and make them into a debate!! Today’s topic is…Renewable vs. Nonrenewable Natural Resources! Remember, please send us what type of weathering you think is cooler by going to www.spectacularsci.com/debateform and fill out our poll. Nonrenewable Natural Resources Nonrenewable resource are resources that can’t be replaced or take …
Continue reading “Spectacular Science DEBATE POST!!: Renewable vs. Nonrenewable Natural Resources”
Sea-level rise is when the ice caps of the Earth make the ocean waters rise. The ice caps of the Earth are the North and South poles. Because of Climate Change, when the Earth gets hotter, the ice melts and flows into the ocean. When ice melts, it becomes water. When that extra water makes …
Weathering is when rocks get broken down into pieces. Weathering can happen in many different ways, from salt to clay to ice! We are going to focus on the 5 main ways: water, ice, salt crystallization, clay formation, and plant roots. To learn more about weathering, check out our episode about weathering! Weathering with water …
This blog post is another a debate showdown! We take topics and make them into a debate!! Today’s topic is…Mechanical Weathering vs. Chemical Weathering! Remember, please send us what type of weathering you think is cooler by going to www.spectacularsci.com/debateform and fill out our poll. What is Weathering? Weathering is the breaking down of rock by many natural …
Continue reading “Spectacular Science DEBATE POST!!: Mechanical Weathering vs. Chemical Weathering”
Hurricanes are a group of storm clouds that create a very dangerous storm. If you see a hurricane from space, you will see a giant swirling cloud. Hurricanes can bring heavy rain, wind, and sometimes minor tornadoes. Hurricanes are formed when storm clouds form over warm water. As the storm clouds move, the warm water …
A natural resource is any resource that occurs in nature that is used for survival, energy, or to make money for countries. Certain places on Earth have different types or different amounts of natural resources. These resources can be anything from coal to fruits to sunlight! Read our post about natural resources to learn more! …
A natural resource is any resource that occurs in nature that is used for survival, energy, or to make money for countries. Certain places on Earth have different types or different amounts of natural resources. These resources can be anything from coal to fruits to sunlight! Read our post about natural resources to learn more! …
Fossil fuels are a liquid that is very easy to burn. They are there fuels found inside of the Earth. That means that fossil fuels are flammable. These fuels are formed by decaying plants and animals that have been underground for millions of years. Fossil fuels are organic or natural materials. Fossil fuels are created …
Continue reading “How Do Fuels From Inside The Earth Form Naturally?”
A natural resource is any resource that occurs in nature that is used for survival, energy, or to make money for countries. Certain places on Earth have different types or different amounts of natural resources. These resources can be anything from coal to fruits to sunlight! These are only a few examples of natural resources …
Hail is a type of frozen precipitation. Precipitation is part of the water cycle. Precipitation is when the liquid water falls to the ground. This happens when a cloud becomes heavy and all the water will fall to the ground. There are three different types of precipitation. Rain, snow, sleet, and hail. We are going to …
What is Acid Rain? Acid rain is rain that has pollutants in it. It usually has air pollutants inside of it. Air pollution is when humans put toxic chemicals or smoke into the air. This can make our air dirty. This can lead to breathing problems for humans and other animals. Plants can also be …
A vaccine is a weakened or dead virus or bacteria that gets injected in your body. Your immune system cells will fight the “virus” and you will not get sick. Then, as your immune system fights the virus, special cells will remember the virus. When the real virus shows up, your body will immediately fight …
Mountains are tall slabs of rock that pop up on the crust. Mountains can be very tall or very small, depending on how they are formed. Mountains can form because of magma cooling or tectonic plate movement. We are going to tell you about both! Mountains can form in two main ways: magma cooling and …
Smoke is usually produced when something is burned. Smoke is made up of bits of soot, and lots of other gases like Carbon dioxide. Smoke can have a variety of things that come from what the fire is burning and where the smoke is coming from. Smoke gets its color from the gases and materials …
A virus is infectious object that depends on living organisms’ cells to multiply. They are bad for living organisms and take over cells. Viruses infect a body and travel to a cell and inject its DNA code into the cell which will make the virus multiply and will destroy the cell. This is how viruses make us …
Plastic is a type of polymer. Polymers are certain materials that have atoms that are bonded together in a link pattern. Atoms are the tiny building blocks of all elements. When atoms bond together, like in polymers, they form molecules! Plastic is made when the oil is refined or cleaned up. Then, the oil goes …
The heart is a part of your body that pumps blood around your body. This helps all of your other body parts like your brain function. The heart also regulates the Blood Pressure (BP). If the Blood Pressure is high, that means you are exercising a lot at the moment. If your Blood Pressure is …
Steam is the vapor that we see when water evaporates or turns from a liquid to a gas. When this happens, the molecules of water drift farther and farther apart from each other. That makes a gas. Steam, or water vapor, is only made up of tiny bits of water. The water boils and gets …
Invertebrates are animals without a backbone. That means that they are the opposite of vertebrate animals. Invertebrates make up 95% if the Earth’s animals! Some invertebrates have a hard covering on the outside of their bodies called an exoskeleton. Besides that, invertebrates are usually creatures that do not have bones as a support. Invertebrates are …
Wind is air that is moving at high speeds. It happens when warm and cool air rise and sink. That rising and sinking action makes the air move. Warm air rises and cold air sinks. There is this giant mass of air and wind called the Jet Stream. The Jet Stream is a system of …
Continue reading “How Do Wind Turbines Convert Wind Into Electricity?”
Bees are important in a lot of ways, but the most important is pollination. Pollen is a sticky substance that is found inside of most flowering plants. Pollen is in the middle of the flower of the plant. Pollen is attached to long structures called stamens and smaller structures called pistils. This pollen helps make …
Cells are the makeup of every living thing! There are two types of cells: plant and animal cells. We are going to talk about Cells in general. Cells make energy by getting Carbon in the form of sugar. Depending on the organism, it make it’s own food or eat food to survive. Cells also make …
Continue reading “What are Cells and Why are They Important?”
Plants and trees are all around us. They are the grass you run on and the trees that are towering above you. Trees are large plants that have a long life cycle. That’s why they are so big. The parts of trees are roots, the trunk, branches, and leaves. The leaves take in carbon dioxide …
This blog post is another a debate showdown! We take topics and make them into a debate!! Today’s topic is… Vertebrates vs. Invertebrates! Remember, please send us what type of animal you think is cooler by going to www.spectacularsci.com/debateform and fill out our form. Vertebrates! Vertebrates (pronounced ver-ti-brates) are animals with a backbone. The backbone is also known …
Continue reading “Spectacular Science DEBATE POST!: Vertebrates vs. Invertebrates”
Sand is just rock that has been eroded. Erosion is when wind, water, or other natural agent wears away at rock and takes it to a new place. This take millions of years to happen. As the wind or water etches away at the rock, the pieces of soil or rock that come off get …
Sea-level rise is when the ice caps of the Earth make the ocean waters rise. The ice caps of the Earth are the North and South poles. Because of Climate Change, when the Earth gets hotter, the ice melts and flows into the ocean. When ice melts, it becomes water. When that extra water makes …
What are Fruits? Fruits are pieces of plants that have sugar inside of them. They don’t always have to be sweet to be a fruit! Fruits have either of these two things: seeds or come from flowering plants. The entire purpose of fruits is to help the plant reproduce. The seeds help the plants make …
Continue reading “Why are Some Fruits Multi-Layered and Protected?”
Air pollution is when humans put toxic chemicals or smoke into the air. This can make our air dirty. This can lead to breathing problems for humans and other animals. Plants can also be harmed because the air that they bring in is not clean. This is a very big problem in big cities and …
Mountains are tall slabs of rock that pop up on the crust. Mountains can be very tall or very small, depending on how they are formed. Mountains can form because of magma cooling or tectonic plate movement. We are going to tell you about both! Mountains can form in two main ways: magma cooling and …
What is Climate Change? Climate Change is when the Earth’s temperature changes because of the environment. The temperature is changing because of Greenhouse Gases. These gases are produced whenever we burn stuff like gasoline for our cars. These gases trap the heat from the Sun in the atmosphere. This causes the planet to heat up. …
How Do Birds Soar in the Air? Bird wings are shaped in a unique way, so that they create pressure differential or tiny tornadoes on their wings. That lifts them into the air. Birds don’t just fly because of their wings. Sure, wing help them get off of the ground and helps them steer, but …
What is Water Pollution? Water pollution is when humans dump trash and harmful or toxic chemicals into waterways like oceans, streams, rivers, and ponds. This trash and chemicals can cause problems for marine life. This trash can also come back to humans! When humans drink water, the water MAY be polluted! This is also a …
What is Sea-Level Rise? Sea-level rise is when the ice caps of the Earth make the ocean waters rise. The ice caps of the Earth are the North and South poles. Because of Climate Change, when the Earth gets hotter, the ice melts and flows into the ocean. When ice melts, it becomes water. When …
Why is the Equator the Warmest Place on Earth? The Equator is the halfway point on Earth. Even though there are lots of other places on Earth that are hotter, the Equator has the warmest stable climate on Earth! Climate is what temperatures and precipitation a certain place experience during a long period of time. …
Continue reading “Why is the Equator the Warmest Place on Earth?”
What is Plastic? Plastic is a type of polymer. Polymers are certain materials that have atoms that are bonded together in a link pattern. Atoms are the tiny building blocks of all elements. When atoms bond together, like in polymers, they form molecules! Plastic is made when the oil is refined or cleaned up. Then, …
This blog post is another a debate showdown! We take topics and make them into a debate!! Today’s topic is… Vascular vs. Non-Vascular Plants! Remember, please send us what side you think is cooler by going to www.spectacularsci.com/debateform and fill out our form. Vascular Plants Vascular plants are plants that have a series of tubes running through their …
Continue reading “Spectacular Science DEBATE POST!!!: Vascular vs. Non-Vascular Plants!”
What is Photosynthesis? Photosynthesis is the process of taking sunlight and Carbon dioxide and making it into Oxygen gas and sugar! The word “photo” means light. Photosynthesis is used by green plants, algae, and bacteria. That helps the bacteria, plants, or algae make food for themselves. Photosynthesis also made our Oxygen atmosphere! These organisms use …
What is Oxygen? Oxygen or O2 is a chemical found in the universe. Humans need Oxygen to survive. Oxygen is in our atmosphere and the air that we breathe!! Oxygen helps the animals on this planet survive. Oxygen is a building block of so many elements like Water, or even Carbon Monoxide. Oxygen can be useful …
Why are Leaves Green? Leaves are green because of a green part of the leaf called Chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is made up of even smaller parts called Chloroplasts. Chloroplasts have a green color to them. Leaves have Chloroplast because they help the plant or tree collect sunlight and turn it into sugar. That process is called …
What is Earth Day? Every April 22nd, we celebrate a day we call Earth Day. Earth Day is a day that we do good things for the environment. This holiday was created by Senator Gaylord Nelson. He wanted to make a day where people could recognize and care for the environment! The first Earth Day …
What are Masks? Masks are a piece of cloth or paper that people wear to cover their noses and mouths. Wuh Lien-tuh was a Chinese doctor that invented masks in the early 1900’s. Wuh Lien-tuh invented layered masks because there was a virus outbreak. We are using masks right now! How Do Masks Work? Masks …
How Do Volcanoes Erupt? Just a quick note, if you want to learn more about volcanoes, check out our episode on this very topic! First we have to talk about the layer of the Earth called the Outer Core. The outer core is literally “liquid metal”!! It is full of magma, which is hotter than …
What is a Vaccine? A vaccine is a weakened or dead virus or bacteria that gets injected in your body. Your immune system cells will fight the “virus” and you will not get sick. Then, as your immune system fights the virus, special cells will remember the virus. When the real virus shows up, your …
Plants Plants and trees are all around us. They are the grass you run on and the trees that are towering above you. Trees are large plants that have a long life cycle. That’s why they are so big. The parts of trees are roots, the trunk, branches, and leaves. The leaves take in carbon …
Continue reading “Plants and Flowers: Two Important Things in Nature”
This blog post is another a debate showdown! We take topics and make them into a debate!! Today’s topic is… Regular Birds vs. Hummingbirds! Hummingbirds and regular birds have some things that make them different. Remember, please send us what side you agree with going to www.spectacularsci.com/debateform and fill out our form! Birds (Examples: hawks, crows, sparrows) Birds …
Continue reading “Spectacular Science DEBATE POST!!: Regular Birds vs. Hummingbirds”
People Try to Fly!! Birds have inspired humans with their ability to fly! Humans have been trying to attach man-made wings and have been trying to fly like birds. Even though we have airplanes and helicopters, we will not be able to flap wings to fly. How Do Birds Fly? Birds don’t just fly because …
How Do Hummingbirds Hover? If you have not seen a hummingbird before, it is a tiny bird and it… HOVERS in place like a helicopter!??!! That is the hummingbird’s specialty! Hummingbirds can hover for two reasons. One is the bones that are in a hummingbird wing. Most birds have arm bones in their wings, but …
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Migration of Animals Migration is when an animal goes from one place to another to escape climate patterns, to escape seasonal predators, or to find more food. Migration is key to survival to some animals! Why Do Birds Migrate? There are 2 known reasons birds migrate. One is to find more food! Plants and insects …
What are Flowers? Flowers are an assortment of petals and pollen that a plant produces to reproduce. The pollen of a flower contains the genetic information to make seeds and new plants. Besides being pretty, flowers actually make fruits possible! A fruit is what is left after a flower dies and sugar is put into …
What is Run-Off? Run-off is when precipitation (snow, rain sleet, or hail) hits the ground and drains into rivers, lakes, and oceans. This run-off is what causes accumulations or build-ups of water. Run-off is also a cause of Erosion, which can break down and carry rocks to different places. How is Run-Off Benificial? Millions of …
What is Weathering? Weathering is the breaking down of rock by many natural agents like water, wind, and gravity. There are two types of weathering: Mechanical and Chemical Weathering. Mechanical Weathering: Mechanical Weathering is when rocks are broken down WITHOUT a chemical change. They are changing their physical properties. Mechanical weathering can split rocks in …
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What are Sand Dunes? Have you ever seen a picture of a desert? Did the picture have these sand “waves”? Those wavy hill structures are called Sand Dunes. Sand Dunes are big hill-like piles of sand or soil that get blown by the wind or can be impacted by other living animals. How Do Sand …
What are Sinkholes? Sinkholes are large holes in the ground that form when water seeps into the ground. Limestone, a type of rock can dissolve very easily in water. As the water seeps into the cracks on the ground, it dissolves the limestone rock under the surface. The limestone becomes weak and creates a hole …
To learn more, check out this article about the SPG nerves! What is a Brain Freeze? A brain freeze is an informal term for Sphenopalatine Ganglion Neuralgia. It is when the blood vessels in your brain expand to cause a headache! This is all caused SPG nerves. These nerves are at the back of your …
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What are SPG Nerves? SPG nerves or the sphenopalatine ganglion are a bundle of nerves located on the roof of your mouth. These nerves are very sensitive to cold things. This is what causes a brain freeze. The SPG nerves can actually make your blood vessels in your brain expand when the nerves get cold! …
This blog post is another a debate showdown! We take topics and make them into a debate!! Today’s topic is… Viruses vs. Bacteria. Remember, please send us what side you agree with going to www.spectacularsci.com/debateform and fill out our form! Viruses! A virus is infectious object that depends on living organisms’ cells to multiply. They are bad for …
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What are Trees and How Do They Help The World? Trees are large plants that have a long life cycle. That’s why they are so big. The parts of trees are roots, the trunk, branches, and leaves. The leaves take in Carbon dioxide and sunlight. The roots suck up water and nutrients. That is then …
What is REM Sleep? REM Sleep or Rapid Eye Movement Sleep is a very important stage for human health. REM Sleep is the stage when your brain is active, dreams occur, and your eyes move back and forth rapidly under your eyelids. During this stage, your brain is very active! The brain organizes information it learned the …
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What is a River Delta? A River Delta is a type of wetland where a river flows into a larger body of water like an ocean or lake. Deltas can be different sizes. They can be between a 100 feet to 500 miles!! Delatas are some of most Biodiverse landforms! Biodiverse means that there is …
What is Pollution? Pollution is when humans and other animals cause harm to environment. They can spill harmful chemicals or throw waste everywhere. Pollution can cause harm to the living things on Earth. There are 3 main types of pollution: land pollution, water pollution, and air pollution. We are going to talk about each type. …
What is Penicillin? Penicillin is a type of Fungus that was used to treat bacterial infections. Bacterial infections are when bacteria infect the cells in your body. Penicillin is also known as Penicillium Notatum. This is a type of mold that can stop the growth of bacteria! The discovery of this “mold juice” is what …
What are Cells? Cells are the makeup of every living thing! There are two types of cells: plant and animal cells. We are going to talk about Cells in general. Cells make energy by getting Carbon in the form of sugar. Depending on the organism, it make it’s own food or eat food to survive. …
What is Permafrost? Permafrost, also known as Permanent Frost, is a layer of ice that stays frozen all year round. The Permafrost is mostly found near the North and South Poles. This ice is made of Water and Methane (CH4). When Methane is cooled, it becomes very hard to melt. This is what Permafrost is. …
This blog post is another a debate showdown! We take topics and make them into a debate!! Today’s topic is…Fungi – Are they mostly good or bad? Remember, please send us what side you agree with going to www.spectacularsci.com/debateform and fill out our form! Fungi Are Mostly Good For You!! Fungi are mostly good for …
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What are Bacteria? Bacteria are single-celled organisms or living things. They are also called microorganisms. They are called this because microorganisms are living things that can not be seen with the naked eye. Bacteria can be good for you or bad for you. We are going to learn about the good and bad about bacteria. …
Check out our episode about Yeast!! What is Yeast? Yeast is a eukaryote, a living thing, like us, and is a type of fungi. The cool thing about yeast is that it is a unicellular organism, or single-celled, but it has characteristics and can be compared to multicellular organisms like us humans. Is Yeast Living?? …
The Greenhouse Effect is what climate change is caused by. This effect is when gases like Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Methane (CH4) are released into the atmosphere. These gases, also known as greenhouse gases trap the heat that the Sun beams out inside of Earth’s atmosphere. This causes the Earth to get hotter and hotter. …
NOTE: Check out our episode about the Nervous System!! What is the Nervous System? The nervous system is the collection of all the nerves in your body and its function is to receive and send information on what’s going with the body. The nervous system includes your brain and spinal cord. Your brain and spinal …
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What are Auroras? Auroras are lights that are only found at the North Pole and the South Pole. They light up the night skies with red, blue, and pink colors! These are known as “The Greatest Light Show on Earth!”. How do Auroras Happen? Auroras happen because of “solar winds”. The Sun releases a bunch …
On this post, you are going to learn what a group of specific animals are called (Ex. Cows is called a herd) A group of _____ is called… (Animals have been picked randomly) A group of… Cows: Herd A group of… Ants: Colony A group of… Spiders: Clutter or Clusters A group of… Hippos: Bloat …
NOTE: Check out our episode about Thunderstorms!! How Does Lightning Happen? First, we have to start off with a storm cloud. Tiny pieces of ice, which are actually frozen water droplets, clash around inside of the storm cloud. This clashing makes an electric charge that is then stored inside of the cloud. The positively charged …
The water cycle is like an amusement park ride for water. It is why it rains and why there is water in the ocean. Evaporation: Evaporation is when water evaporates from the ground. This is when the sunlight heats the water and turns it into a gas called water vapor. Condensation: Condensation is when the …
NOTE: To learn more, check out our episode about DNA!! What is DNA? Deoxyribonucleic acid or for short DNA is what tells the cells in our body what to do and how to function. DNA is in all of the cells in our body. Where is DNA found in cells? DNA lives inside chromosomes which are inside …
What are Tectonic Plates? Tectonic Plates are slabs of rock that are part of the crust, or the Earth’s outermost layer. Tectonic Plates helped form continents and mountains millions of years ago. Continents are still moving around the world!! This is because of Tectonic Plate movement. Earthquakes are also caused by Tectonic Plates. When the …
NOTE: Check out our episode about Climate Change to learn more! What is Climate Change? Climate Change is when the Earth’s temperature changes because of the environment. The temperature is changing because of Greenhouse Gases. These gases are produced whenever we burn stuff like gasoline for our cars. These gases trap the heat from the …
NOTE: Check out our article about Plants and Trees!! Introduction Trees are living things, just like us. They are called organisms. You’ves seen that some trees lose all of their leaves in the Fall and go dormant or in a resting stage in the Winter. Only some trees do this weird behavior. We are going …
NOTE: Check out our episode about Planet Earth!! What are the layers of the Earth? Believe it or not, the Earth has layers just like an onion! Let’s start at the top. The part we walk on is called the crust. It is a thin layer that harbors life. Next, is the mantle. This layer …
What is a cheetah? A cheetah is a mammal that mostly lives in the African Savanna. It is covered in spots and has black markings under its eyes. Cheetahs are in the genus or family Panthera. They are related to big cats like tigers and lions. Cheetah Speed!!! Cheetahs are the fastest land animal on …
Owls? What are they? Owls are nocturnal birds that live on every continent, except Antarctica. They are flying birds that eat small rodents and other small birds. Owls are carnivores, meaning that they ONLY eat meat. The Superpowers of Owls!! Owls are almost like superheroes! They have many amazing powers. They have very big eyes …
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