(Almost) Every Other Thursday Science

May 15 & 29, June 5, 19, and 26, July 17 & 31, and August 7 & 21, 2007

Due to the great popularity of Third Thursday Science, Kenton County Parks & Recreation will expand the program to what we're calling (Almost) Every Other Thursday Science!

We'll kick off the program on May 15 with a visit from Michelle White and Crystal Clear Science and her program called E is for Energy. The Cincinnati Museum Center will present four programs, including The Reasons for the Seasons on May 29, Chemistry in Your Hands on June 5, Taxonomic Detectives on July 31, and Digging for Dinosaurs on August 7. COSI On Wheels will still be featured on the third Thursday in June, July, and August with programs titled What's Wild on June 19, It's Simply Chemistry on July 17, and Launch Into Space on August 21. And, Mad Science of Cincinnati will present their program titled Rockin' Rockets on June 26.

Programs will be held at Shelterhouse 1 in Pioneer Park beginning at 10:00 am each date. The free programs will be delivered in 45-minute to 1-hour theatrical assembly presentations.

May 15 ~ E is for Energy: Eye-popping demonstrations! E is for Energy includes over a dozen experiments showing the different forms of energy, energy conversions, and how we can help the environment by conserving energy. Light, sound, heat, electrical and magnetic energy are covered as well as Newton's Laws of Motion!

May 29 ~ The Reasons for the Seasons: Using globes, rotate and revolve your way to learning about the seasons and to understanding why spring and summer are warmer times of the year and fall and winter are colder. Investigate the annual cycles of animal migration, hibernations, and toleration then learn about tracks and scat. Create the sounds of spring and learn why leaves change color and why fall is called "fall"!

June 5 ~ Chemistry in Your Hands: See and feel the evidence of physical versus chemical change. Perform experiments to deduce which chemicals produce what changes. Learn chemistry basics and practice lab safety. Beware: The results you take home may be slimy!

June 19 ~ What's Wild?: Learn about the science of wildlife diversity. Humans aren't the only living creatures that call Kentucky home. Thousands of species of plants, insects, birds, fish, and animals also live here. Discover animal habitats and how wildlife biologists use technology to study and manage animal populations. Help find and identify birds using binoculars, catch and measure "fish", and discover clues to identifying animals from what they leave behind. Learn through many hands-on stations!

June 26 ~ Rockin' Rockets: A wild ride of rockets and flight! Transform a tea bag into a rocket that will soar up to 15 feet in the air! Examine the five necessary parts of a rocket enabling them to fly straight and be recovered safely. See demonstrations of the power behind a rocket engine. THEN, take a trip to the launch pad for 3 to 5 launches of real model rockets and be a part of an actual launch or recovery team!

July 17 ~ It's Simply Chemistry: Explore chemistry through simple experiments designed to introduce children to the basics of chemistry. Help the Chemistry Detective solve the mystery of who stole the ingredients for SUPER-SLIME! Create endothermic and exothermic reactions, learn to identify unknown substances, and make a container of super-slime to take home!

July 31 ~ Taxonomic Detectives: Classification isn't as mysterious as it sounds. Use clues given by animal eye placement and teeth type, along with a dichotomous key to identify real animal skulls and determine to which taxonomic order they belong. With some simple classification activities to get you started, it's a detective case you'll soon solve, right down to the species of each skull!

August 7 ~ Digging for Dinosaurs: Uncover fossils on a paleontological "dinosaur" dig. Discuss the world-famous Ordovician fossils. Learn how fossils are formed and make a plaster cast of a fossil for someone in attendance to keep! Examine touchable fossils from dinosaurs such as Allosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, Stegosaurus, raptors and many more make this a junior paleontologist's dream!

August 21 ~ Launch Into Space: Will YOU be the astronaut of tomorrow? Explore outer space and space travel right in Pioneer Park! Take a round trip voyage to space including rocket launch, life in space, and the trip back to Earth. Engage in science experiments. Launch cork rockets! Investigate space food! Discover the make-up of stars! And much, much more!

(Almost) Every Other Thursday Science is free to attend and enjoy.  Please remember bring a donation of non-perishable food or personal care items for those less fortunate.  Your donation will go a long, long way right here in our community!  Your kind donations of non-perishable food and personal care items have helped way more than you know.  Let's keep giving!

Pioneer Park is easy to find! From I-275, take Exit 80 (Covington/Independence). Go south (under I-275 overpass) and about 1 mile.  You'll see the park on the right before you get to the entrance.  Turn right as you enter the park and meet at Shelterhouse 1.

Hey, Science was never so fun!

For news of upcoming programs, activities, and events to be held in Kenton County's parks, call the Parks & Recreation office at (859) 525-PLAY (7529) or check out our web site. Go to http://www.kentoncounty.org, scroll down and click on County Departments, then on Parks and Recreation, and then on Recreational Programs.