BIGScience ISSN 1920-9932 BIG Science (Print) ISSN 1920-9940 BIG Science (Online)

In This Issue

A BIG Thanks You

Meet Sarah Champagne

Brocklehurst Middle

School Tests the Waters

Science KIDbits:

Something to Reflect On

BLSC Speakers Forum:

A Talk with NASA

Engineer Luke Dubord

What Am I?

Publisher

Big Little Science Centre

Society

Mail: Box 882 Stn Main

Kamloops BC V2C 5M8.

Location: 655 Holt Street

Kamloops BC V2B 5G2

Phone: 250 554 2572

Website: blscs.org

Newsletter Editor

Big Little Science Centre

E-mail: editor@blscs.org

BIGScience back issues

<http://web.blscs.org/newsletters>

Big Little Science Centre

Newsletter

Issue #266 June 2015

The BIG little Science Centre recently had a visit

from some of the outreach team from Science World.

The crew were in town looking at ways to help promote

science locally and to test out some new programming.

Gordon Gore Photo.

Left to right:

JO-ANN COGGIN, MACK GORDON, JESSE BRYDLE

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The BIG Little Science Centre is open to the public

Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

CLOSED SUNDAYS and HOLIDAYS

Phone: 250 554 2572 E-mail Gord@blscs.org or Susan@blscs.org

For more information check out our website (blscs.org) our

Facebook page or follow us on Twitter

The BIG Little Science Centre would like

to extend a BIG Thank You the

following for supporting the Centre.

Canada Safeway for providing ingredients for our giant bubble

solutions.

Kyle Kotowick for donating his geothermal demonstration kit.

Marg Catherwood for the donation of a Horned Owl display, some

silk worm cocoons, and some bird nests.

Gordon Gore for his continued support of the Centre (even in

retirement) through donations, photographs

and newsletter content.

Support from person and corporations like the above are a big part of what keeps the BIG

Little Science Centre operational. So if you see any of the above thank them for all of their

support.

Clue 1:

I am a keystone species because I create wetland that many other species depend on.

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Become a member of the Big Little Science Centre Society

A family membership is $60.00/year. An individual membership is $45.00/year. A family

membership consists of five directly related people. (This includes any combination of

grandparents, parents and children).

Visit our website blscs.org for more details on the benefits of membership.

BLSC Wish List

Would you like to help out the Big Little Science Centre?

Here is a wish list of donations we are looking for:

Any Legotm Mindstorms parts (NXT or RTS) Plastic photo film canisters

A 10,000+ sqft building Large shelving unit

Glass milk bottles

Meet Sarah Champagne our

YMCA Summer Work Student

Exchange program person.

Sarah is from Montreal, and she

will be working at the BIG Little

Science Centre for the month of

July helping out with camps and

guests.

She will also be traveling around

Kamloops and the surrounding

area with other Work Exchange

students on their time off to

check out the sights.

Gordon R. Gore - Photo

Clue 2:

I am the second largest rodent in the world.

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Brocklehurst Middle

School Tests the Waters

at the BLSC

Photos by Adele Stapleton

Testing the oxygen

content in the water

samples using a

chemical testing

method.

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Brocklehurst Middle School Tests the Waters at the BLSC Cont.

Photos by Gordon Gore

Testing turbidity using centimetre scale.

Preparing a water sample for

a chemical oxygen test.

Careful, don't spill!

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Science KIDbits Something to Reflect On

Try This:

1. Draw a line on a piece of paper showing where the reflecting surface of the mirror is (usually the

back of the glass).

2. Hold a pencil about 10 cm in front of a flat mirror, as in the photograph. (Hold the pencil in a

vertical position when you do the experiment.) Look into the mirror and you will see an image of

the pencil.

3. How far is this image from the rear of the mirror? To find out, move a second pencil around

behind the mirror until it appears to be in the same place as the image.

4. Push down on both the original pencil and the image-locating pencil so that a small mark is left on

the paper on your desk.

5. Use a centimetre ruler to measure these distances:

(a) From the first pencil to the mirror surface and

(b) From the mirror surface to the image.

How do the two distances compare with each other?

Imagine you wish to photograph your image in a mirror. If you are 1 metre in front of the mirror,

should you focus your camera at a distance of 1 metre or 2 metres?

Dr. Gordon R. Gore

Founder, BIG Little Science Centre (retired)

You Need:

1 small flat mirror

1 clothespin to support mirror

vertically

1 sheet of white paper

2 sharpened pencils

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Upcoming at BIG Little Science Centre

The BIG Little Science Centre Exploration Room is open for public drop in:

Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm. Special activities and shows run Tuesday to Saturday

655 Holt Street, in Happyvale School

Standard entry fees apply for the following, unless otherwise stated.

JULY: ELECTRICITY Month!

Week of July 7 to 11: Static Electricity Show at 11am and at 1:30pm

Time for a Science Centre Hair Do. Discover fun static activities that you can try at home, plus have

the amazing Van de Graaff Generator make your hair fly. The Static Electricity Show is our most

requested show!

Week of July 14 to 18: Exploring Circuits at 11am and at 1:30pm

Discover what an electrical circuit is and how they affect your world. Build your own circuits to

operate lights and motors.

Week of July 21 to 25: Magnetism Show at 11am and at 1:30pm

Electricity Month: Discover the connection between electricity and magnets!

Move objects without touching them — just like magic! Enjoy the science tricks while learning about

magnets.

Week of July 28 to August 1: Electromagnetism Lab at 11:00am and at 1:30pm

Electricity Month: Discover the connection between electricity and magnets! Explore how the two

mysterious forces of electricity and magnetism are

related. Use electricity to make a magnet and race to

pick up all the nails.

BLSC Speaker’s Forum

Saturday July 25:

Landing on Mars: A talk with NASA Engineer Luke Dubord

6:00 to 6:45pm: talk for youngsters and families

7:30 to 8:30pm: Full Lecture

In the Barber Centre (HOL 190), in the House of Learning, Thompson Rivers University

Luke Dubord is a Canadian Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion

Laboratory. He is currently on the development team for NASA’s InSight Mars Land project,

scheduled to launch in March 2016. He was active on the development team of the MSL mission

Curiosity. Luke will share about the development efforts of Curiosity and the currently in-development

Mars Lander InSight, as well as the future of NASA Mars exploration.

Tickets are available at the BIG Little Science Centre, 655 Holt Street, or online at blscs.org, follow

the Landing on Mars link. Cost is $5 per person and $10 per family.

Own a piece of our Universe. Purchase a celestial body from our Star Wall. Details at the BLSC.

Clue 3:

I am the national animal of Canada.

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What Am I? I Am a Beaver!

I come in two varieties, the Canadian beaver

and the Eurasian beaver.

I was very influential on Canadian history. My

fur pelt was highly sought after by Europeans.

Early Canadian explorers were driven to explore

more land for more beaver pelts. This is why I

am Canada’s national animal.

The European demand for pelts centuries ago

nearly killed Eurasian beavers to extinction.

Luckily our numbers have bounced back up.

My native range includes Canada and the United

States, for Canadian beavers and central

Europe to western China for Eurasian beavers.

Outside of North America the Canadian beaver

have been introduced as an invasive species in

Scandinavia and Tierra del Fuego of Chile and

Argentina.

Beside humans, no other animal physically

changes their landscape as much as I do.

Special Public Activities in July

Thursday July 9 and July 30: BC Hydro public booth with games and prizes for all

at the BIG Little Science Centre

Thursday July 16: Telus BC public booth with games and information on fibre optics

at the BIG Little Science Centre

Wednesday, July 29: Flight Day: Radio Controlled Airplane Demo and Do!

9:30 to 11:30 am; drop in throughout

Everyone is invited for amazing Radio Controlled Modelling.

Watch amazing Radio Controlled aircraft, learn how to fly and try it for yourself.

Organized by the Kamloops Model Airplane Society and the Big Little Science Centre.

Please register your involvement with the BIG Little Science Centre; 250-554-2572

Located at the Kamloops Model Airplane Society’s facility in Heffley Creek

Directions: http://www.kmasrc.ca/Club%20Location.htm