Soapy-Water Flush Bring the insects in your lawn to the surface. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION Scientists who study insects sometimes use a “soapy-water flush” to bring insects to the surface. The soap irritates the insects’ exoskeletons, forcing them to crawl up from their homes to the tips of grass blades. With this activity, you can play with… Continue reading
Berlese Funnel Discover and collect the arthropods in your soil. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION Italian entomologist Antonio Berlese invented this insect-collecting device in 1905. It’s still used today to extract arthropods from soil samples. It uses a heat source (in this case a light bulb) to dry the sample, forcing the insects through a screen and into… Continue reading
The Science Center’s Collections Department cares for and preserves a wide variety of artifacts, some of which may surprise you! From animals to fossils, ancient pottery to meteorites, space toys to medical tools, here you can discover a selection of wonderful things from A-Z. Connect with curiosity!
In honor of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, consider planting a Climate Victory Garden! Join our Plant and Animal Manager, Hannah, in our GROW exhibit to see how you can help control climate change in your own backyard. For more St. Louis area Earth Day online content, be sure to visit earthday-365.org. *Note: The… Continue reading
Sing With Us The soil is alive! ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION This sing-along guides you through the 5 factors of soil formation: parent material, relief, climate, organisms, and time. Click/Touch to enlarge image X X A rock represents a soil’s parent material. Imagine a rock falling off a bluff to the ground below, where it begins to… Continue reading
Seed Assay Can you expose the hidden plants in your soil? ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION Biologists of all kinds use assays to determine how to design their experiments. An assay is an investigative process that reveals which variables can be measured in a study system. In this activity, you’ll determine how many seeds are buried in different… Continue reading
Underwear Burial What will the soil do to your underwear? ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION As you bury 2 pairs of underwear, you’ll uncover diverse life underground and discover how soil changes the deeper you dig. Underwear Burial is a jumping off point to other activities in this book. This activity also guides you through the procedures scientists… Continue reading
