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SCIENCE FOR SENIORS- SAMPLE PROGRAMS
By Gloria Hoffner, BA, ADPC

Let’s Get Started! Three Sample Science for Seniors Programs.

Sample 1)

 Current event topic – BP Gulf Oil Spill.

1)Introduction - On April 22, 2010, a BP Oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded. Two days later, it was discovered that oil was pouring from the rig’s broken pipe on the ocean floor of the coast of Louisiana. As of July 2010, the oil spill had spread across waters on the coastlines from Texas to Florida.

2) Video - If possible record CNN or another televised or web program with the most up to date information on the spill. Alternative – borrow or rent video on how oil is produced. Suggestion: A Crude Awakening –The Oil Crash available at Greenplanetfilms.org.

3)Experiment – Gather together the following materials: 10 x 13 glass baking pan; water, motor oil; freshly cut human hair and a pencil.  Fill the pan with water. Pour oil over the top of the water. Place the hair on top of the oil. Now use the pencil to soak the hair in the oil. Next, push the oily hair across the water to the side of the pan. As you do you will notice the hair absorbed the oil.

4)Discussion – Hair salons around the country are collecting clean hair and sending it to the gulf where it is placed in nets and used to absorb oil off the surface of the water. Ask – who has lived, visited, worked or has family and friends in the areas affected by the oil spill? Would you like to read about how oil is drilled from the earth as well as the sea?  What topic would you like for the next science program?

Sample 2)

Animals – Therapy Dogs

Topic – Dogs have been a part of man’s life for more than 15,000 years.  Scientists believe all dogs are descended from wolves and that the first wolf found his/her way into a human camp when seeking shelter from the elements. 

Human domesticated wolves who evolved into dogs. Archeologists believe the first domesticated dogs were in Asia. The many types of dogs are a result of human breeding for specific useful traits such as hunting and herding dogs.

Dogs have over 200 million scent cells while humans have a mere 5 million scent cells.  

In hearing, dogs also have an advantage over people. They can  hear sounds as low as the 16 to 20 Hz frequency and as high as 70,000 to 100,000 Hz. Humans can hear in a range of 20 to 70 Hz for the low sounds and 20,000 Hz for high sounds.

In addition, the averages of 18 muscles in dogs’ ears allow them to tilt their heads to hear sounds faster and at four times the distance of a person.

Dogs do not see the full spectrum of colors seen by humans; rather they see shades of purple and yellow. Their eyes do not see the detail of human sight, however they do see in less light and detect motion faster than a person.

2) Video suggestion – Nature: Dogs – available from ShopPBS.org. Look for a video on the life of dogs. Example: You may be able to obtain a video from the local 4-H clubs, a Canine Association, or even the K-9 Police Department as they use such videos when presenting talks at schools and community events.

3) Demonstration – Dogs can detect odors missed by humans. Gather together two clean glass jars, meat juice, water, sunlight and a friendly dog.  Mark the jars A and B. Place meat juice in jar A. Rinse the jar with water only and place jar A it in the sunlight for one day. Sun and water reduce the residue smell in the jar. Next day – bring both jars and the dog to the Science for Seniors program. Ask residents to smell both jar and guess which one had meat juices. Now place the jars on the floor and see which one the dog is attracted to – stand close by so the dog does not break the jar.

• Discussion – Ask who was surprised they could not tell the difference in the jars? Have residents talk about their own dogs – maybe tell funny stories about their pets finding smelly items. Ask who would like to read a book of animal stories. Ask for suggestions for the next Science for Seniors program.

Sample 3)

Topic - How did the Earth/ Solar System form and how will it end?  Our solar system consists of one sun and eight planets. Scientists believe it formed 4 .5 billion years ago when a swirling cloud of gas and dust known as a nebula had a chain reaction that resulted in gravity pulling together the sun. Remaining dust and particles were pulled together in a similar fashion to form the  planets and moons.

Our sun burns hydrogen and helium. Scientists predict it will continue to burn hydrogen and helium for another 4 billion years. When its hydrogen fuel is exhausted and the sun is burning just helium,  the sun will swell to over one hundred times its current size. As the sun’s mass expands, it will destroy Mercury, Venus, the two inner most planets closest to the sun. Next, it will send solar flares out that will reach the Earth. This will cause the Earth’s oceans to boil and rip the atmosphere from our planet. The expanded sun may also rip the Earth apart. Scientists are unsure if the Earth will be torn into pieces due to a gravitational dug between the sun and the Earth or if  Earth will become a cold, burnt, barren hunk of rock floating in space. 

After the sun becomes a red giant, it will burn for about another billion years. Our sun will eventually shrink down to the size of the Earth and become a white dwarf star.

Why won’t our sun explode like a supernova? Our sun is too small to be a supernova. Supernovas are about eight to 15 times the mass of our sun. They occur about once every 50 years in our galaxy. 

Like all suns, supernovas burn hydrogen and helium however, when a supernova exhausts these fuels the core heats up and becomes denser. There is a resulting implosion that bounces off the core and expels the remaining stellar matter into space. That discharge of stellar matter we observe as a supernova. What remains after a supernova becomes a neutron star.

 2) Video – Core Astronomy at ShopPBS.org and the Universe series at store.discovery.com are two of many videos available on this topic.

3) Demonstration – Gather together a red and a yellow balloon, a straight pin, globe, and a volunteer to blow up a balloon. Blow up the yellow balloon, hold the end closed but do not tie shut – just pinch with your fingers. Now have a resident hold the globe as you release the air from the yellow balloon so the air passes over the globe. This shows how the sun will rip the atmosphere from the Earth. Next blow up the red balloon. Tie it shut. Hold it up and remind residents this is a stand-in for a large red sun, larger than our sun, it is far off in space and will end in a supernova explosion – then pop the balloon with the pin to stimulate the explosion.

4) Discussion – Who has visited a planetarium? Who has seen the stars through a telescope? If possible – you could ask who would like to visit a planetarium and/or invite members of a local astronomy club to set-up telescopes at your facility so your residents could enjoy a closer look at the stars. Ask who would like to read a book about astronomy.  Solicit ideas for the next Science for Seniors program.