I am all for science on the beach, or anywhere else on vacation. Last month, I saw a Department of Defense post on LinkedIn describing STEM activities families could do on the beach. Inspired by this, I hereby challenge you, my readers and your families, to find and maybe even do some science while you are on vacation this summer.
What does science on the beach look like?
It depends on what you like to do. If you like surfing in the waves or swimming in the ocean, science can include observing the motion of the waves and how they change throughout the day. Maybe you could note the phase of the moon and compare that to the strength of the tides. Are you or your kids are interested in engineering? If so, think about the fluid mechanics of the waves—when they break and how much wind it takes to form white caps.
If you like sunbathing, think about how far the sunlight took to reach your skin, and the atmosphere around the Earth that blocks some of the rays, preventing severe sunburn (public service announcement: please use sunscreen!) How quickly does your skin heat up as you sit in the sun? How do the chemicals in your sunscreen work to absorb that energy so that you don’t get a burn? Try putting sunscreen of different strengths on an object, such as a branch, or some seaweed (not a person or animal) to see if you observe differences in absorption of that energy. Does the sunscreen block the rays hitting that object as well?
What if you just like walking on the beach? Try to find both shells and the animals that live in them. Depending on circumstances, they might be in the sand, or in the water. What does the shell provide to those animals?
Stealing from the DoD post here: build a sand castle—that’s engineering!
Are you vacationing in a city?
Science is on the beach, but also in cities. If you are navigating by GPS, note where the GPS gets locations wrong, particularly around tall buildings. You are observing the blocking of the GPS signal by those buildings.
Observe the wildlife in the cities. There are plenty of birds, small mammals, and our favorite species (sometimes) humans. How have each of these adapted to city life? In what ways are the different species, including us, interacting with each other? Observe how they all acquire the basic needs of food, water and shelter? I see an image in my mind of people on benches feeding pigeons!
Hiking and science
Are you spending your vacation hiking somewhere? Forests, deserts and every environment in between contain loads of science. Of course, there are the plants and trees in the forest. Stop while hiking and listen. See if you can hear anything else moving through the underbrush. Look for signs of other animals and birds, such as nests, droppings, claw marks on trees (depending on where you are). Please take proper precautions not to disturb the animals, and stay safe.
But there is way more science than that. Observe the soil by the side of the trail, particularly in desert environments. What is living in that soil? What effect does fallen vegetation have on the soil? As it decays? Look up. If you are in a heavily treed area, what effect does the canopy have on the amount of sunlight getting through to where you are standing? How does that effect the amount of underbrush? What birds do you see in the air and can you tell if they are traveling through or hunting, based on their behavior?
Anywhere else
The key to doing and finding science is simply to observe where you are. Look up and down. Sniff the air, feel the breeze (or lack) and listen for insects, birds and other animals. Then think about or test why what you observe is what it is and how it is affecting the other life around it.
Most importantly, have fun! (and share your science in the comments!)
