DINO-mite project alert! Learn how to fold a paper T.rex!
Watch the video below to learn how to fold a paper T. rex! You’ll have a rawr-ing good time making them and playing with them. We just hope your arms are longer than a T. rex’s.
Materials you will need:
A square piece of paper or a piece of paper you can turn into a square. We recommend using one that is at least 6 in x 6 in.
Learn how to use any paper for origami paper here.
Try a T.rex
Once you've got or cut your 6 in x 6 in origami paper, follow along with the steps to make your origami dinosaur. While you're learning how to fold a paper T.rex, consider the following:
Can you name three facts about a Tyrannosaurus rex?
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Learn about NASA's Mars rover Perseverance while you learn how to build a time capsule.
Have you ever wanted to preserve time? Let us teach you how to build a time capsule! While you gather your materials and bulid your time capsule, check out this video about NASA's latest Mars rover, Perseverance.
On July 30, NASA is set to send its next rover to Mars. Our very own Science Interpreter Spencer served on a panel of judges that narrowed down the list of names. Then, the nation, and many of you, got to vote on its name!
The Perseverance rover will seek signs of ancient life and collect rock and soil samples for a possible return to Earth.
Materials you will need:
Scissors
Hot Glue
Paper
Pencil
Cylinder that is opened on both ends
Directions:
STEP 1:
Take your hot glue gun and glue around the base of your cylinder. Once you have completed the ring, quickly place the cylinder onto one or the cardboard squares and wait for the glue to dry.
STEP 2:
Take your scissors and cut the excess cardboard off of the cardboard square that was glued to the bottom of your cylinder.
STEP 3:
Put the objects inside the time capsule that you have decided to preserve. We choose wooden tokens that represent the different exhibits and programs we put on here at the science center. You should choose something with meaning but nothing that you won’t miss for being gone for too long.
STEP 4:
With your piece of paper and pencil, write yourself a note. It is always fun to read a note that you wrote in the past. Make it about what you think life might be like when you open the time capsule and why you choose the items that you did.
STEP 5:
Repeat steps 1 and 2 on the lid side of the cylinder to seal in the objects and the note inside the time capsule.
STEP 6:
Decorate! We choose to laser cut out some gears to glue all over our time capsule, but you can decorate your time capsule however you like. Make sure you leave some room for a warning label so nobody opens your time capsule too early.
STEP 7:
Once you finish decorating you should label your time capsule with a warning label so that way if anyone finds your time capsule they won’t open it too early.
Lastly, decide where you are going to store your time capsule. You can keep your time capsule in many places, your closet, or even under your bed. If you bury your time capsule, make sure your time capsule can endure the elements!
How did your time capsule turn out? We'd love to see it! Submit photos or videos of your projects to the OSC Science Showcase for a chance to be featured!
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Find out when we release new resources by following us on social media!
Follow us on social media for even more science fun including fun facts, games, behind-the-scenes photos, and more!
Support OSC At Home
In these ever-changing times, it is our pleasure to adapt quality Orlando Science Center experiences to engage with everyone while they are safe at home. Please consider supporting our operating fund to ensure we can continue developing resources today and well into the future. Thank you for your generosity and support!
Share and decode secret messages with this DIY Blacklight hack!
Have you ever wanted to make something glow under a blacklight? Let us teach you one of our favorite hacks to make glowing highlighter messages and drawings at home with this DIY blacklight tutorial!
Recommended Age: 5+. Younger scientists will enjoy making and revealing their messages and drawings, but may need help putting together the DIY blacklight hack.
Materials you will need:
A phone with a camera light
Clear tape
A blue marker (a permanent marker, like a Sharpie, works best)
A purple marker (a permanent marker, like a Sharpie, works best)
White paper
A fluorescent highlighter (yellow works best)
Directions:
STEP 1:
Rip off a small piece of tape (fold some of it over to make a tab for easy clean up later) and place the piece of tape over the camera light on the phone. Make sure you place the tape over the LIGHT, not the camera!
STEP 2:
With the blue marker, color the portion of tape over the light. You don’t need to color in the entire piece of tape; you just want to make sure the area directly over the light is colored.
STEP 3:
Place another piece of tape over the first. Color the area over the light blue again.
STEP 4:
Place one more piece of tape on top of the others. This time, color the area over the light purple.
STEP 5:
Draw a picture or message on white paper with your highlighter.
STEP 6:
Grap your picture and turn off the lights or go somewhere dark. Then turn on the camera light on your phone and shine the light onto your picture.
The Science Behind This Blacklight Hack:
Many highlighters fluoresce, or absorb then emit light, which makes them glow in the dark. But why?
Light is a spectrum. What we can see is called visible light. It ranges from red light to purple light. However, there are other types of light, including infrared and ultraviolet light (or UV) light. UV light is what a blacklight emits.
When you colored the tape with blue and purple markers, you created a filter that blocked out all colors of visible light except blue and purple. With the rest of the visible light spectrum blocked out, the resulting blue and purple light were enough to make the highlighter fluoresce because the wavelengths of purple and blue light are close enough to the UV spectrum, even though there is minimal UV light actually present.
Highlighters fluoresce under a normal blacklight because the ink absorbs ultraviolet light, which isn’t visible to the human eye, and remits it as visible light.
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Find out when we release new resources by following us on social media!
Follow us on social media for even more science fun including fun facts, games, behind-the-scenes photos, and more!
Support OSC At Home
In these ever-changing times, it is our pleasure to adapt quality Orlando Science Center experiences to engage with everyone while they are safe at home. Please consider supporting our operating fund to ensure we can continue developing resources today and well into the future. Thank you for your generosity and support!
