Children and September

BY SUDHA SWAMINATHAN

Here’s a riddle for you.

This is an activity that only human beings do. It has been going on for at least 5000 years. It has been done in all countries, all cultures and in many different languages. Its main goal is to prepare children for the future. What is it?

Did you guess schooling or education? Then you got it right! Yes, sending children to school to be taught important information and to learn how to be better citizens of the world is the single most globally similar and most ancient of all human customs.

Last month on September 5th, children in schools all over India celebrated the birthday of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, past-President of India and a renowned teacher. His ideas on living and learning connect many different philosophies of life.

So remember, each day, as you enter your classroom, you are participating in an ancient tradition, one that has made us who we are today.

Science and Sports

BY SUDHA SWAMINATHAN

What: A very common and fairly inexpensive school supply is a box of crayons. Besides its use as a coloring tool, crayons also make for an interesting scientific exploration. Do crayons float or sink?

How: Take a little tub of water, and slowly drop your crayons in it. Be sure to use the same brand and size, so that you can compare your results when you are done. If you want, you could peel off the paper wrapping. What do you notice?

Some crayons float for a long time, whereas others sink immediately. Some might drop down to the bottom after a while. Why is there a difference?

Why: Crayons are made up of a combination of wax and pigments (colors). Wax floats in water because it is less dense than water. However, some pigments are denser than water; crayons that have these denser pigments end up sinking. Interestingly, size of the crayons does not matter. Therefore, even if the crayon is big, as long as its pigment is less dense than water, it still floats.

What else: Try changing the density of the water by adding scoops of salt. Salt water is denser than regular tap water; so, your previously sinking crayon might now float because it is no longer denser than the surrounding water. Also, try floating the same color crayon made by different manufacturers. It is a quick and easy way to figure out the denser of the two.

Dr. Sudha Swaminathan is a professor of early childhood education at Eastern Connecticut State University.