Category

Science

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Stuck in Lockdown and want some science? Check out our online modules!

Hello! And welcome to week 6 everyone!

Coming up on the middle of semester and with the current Covid-climate being so turbulent, a lot of you have probably had classes move online, which can be tricky. If you’re having some issues with science or just can’t get Beer-Lambert’s Law, never fear! We have specially put together a selection of fundamental modules online through Articulate Rise, and the whole selection is there for you to peruse.

Add individual links for each module

We will aim to add more over the rest of semester as well, but if there are specific topics you want help with, or just want to chat about the ones you’ve done, shoot us an email or join in on the Chem Clinics [book here] and we’re always happy to help!

Take care of yourselves and get into science!

Rhiannon, Kitchen Lab Team

mcveighr@qut.edu.au

Exploding Marshmallows! (and experimental design)

Hello all 🤗!

It’s been a few weeks, but we wanted to show you all the cool pictures and ideas that the MTeach (primary) students came up with for our exploding marshmallows workshop [come check it out for yourself here!].

The premise of this workshop is the investigation on how to change the environment of a few different marshmallows – the Giant North American species, the Dwarf Australian species (with pink and white subtypes) and the elusive Sugar Exoskeleton Peep! There are many things you can do with a marshmallow – heat them up, submerge them, squish and stretch them; but how do you measure those things and what do you actually have the time to do in a workshop? Remember to think critically – too many variables, and you won’t be able to get it all done or properly investigate it all. Too obscure of a variable to measure might leave you with no results! Our workshops are intentionally left open ended so as encourage further exploration and investigation by our students.

So, for some inspiration, and also to honour our MTeach students from Week 2, here’s what they got up to in the workshop!

[Top left]: Measuring degree of splat (or expansion) of a marshmallow after a certain time in the microwave.

[Top right]: Measuring which marshmallow is most suited to hot chocolates, using the average temp of hot chocolate of 86°C!

[Bottom]: How compressed can a Peep be? (using weights and a paper plate stabiliser)

All of our students did so well with the experiment, and we saw many innovative and new ways of exploring this workshop!

Thank you to all that could come, and we hope to run some more soon!

The Kitchen Lab Team

Join us at Kitchen Lab in 2021

Can’t get enough of the lab?  Perhaps you wish you had more time to practise and feel prepared for lab work?  Maybe you just want to meet some like-minded folk that love all things science 🙂

Never fear, the Kitchen Lab team are here with a series of workshops that will help you revise and build confidence with those essential lab skills.  Take a look at what’s on offer this semester

To view available sessions and register to attend, follow this link to the events page.

Week Workshop Description
1 Introduction to working in the lab…with chocolate Use your observation skills to classify different types of chocolate.
2 Hitting the bull’s eye – all about measurement This workshop is all about trial and error.  Trial different equipment used for measuring in the lab and learn how to make measurements both accurate and precise
3 Making potions: solutions and dilutions Learn the technical aspects of making up solutions.  This includes measuring reagents, using measurement equipment in the lab, as well as algebra fundamentals, rearranging equations and unit conversions necessary for making up solutions.
4 Titrations and pH: colour changing unicorn solutions Practise doing a titration using a cabbage indicator solution and work through the relevant calculations.
5 Connect the dots: can your dilution make a perfect line? This workshop focuses on the use of the spectrophotometer and developing and using standard curves.
6 & 7 Exploding marshmallows (and other experiments) Pull all your skills together to design and conduct an experiment.  Then analyse and interpret your data and develop the outline of a scientific report.

All on campus workshops are held at Gardens Point campus (GP O-304) on Tuesdays 11am – 12:30 pm and repeated at Kelvin Grove campus (KG S-106) on Wednesday 10:30 am – 12 noon.

If you’d can’t make it on to campus, online modules will be available for you to work though at your own ‘Kitchen Lab’ bench at your own pace.  We are only zoom away if you would like some feedback.

To view and register for the sessions, follow this link to the events page.

If you have questions about the sessions, please contact the Kitchen Lab team at success.health@qut.edu.au

Kitchen Lab Take-home kits are here! Get your kitchens ready!

Hi there everyone!

Kitchen Lab take-home kits are ready to roll (or pick-up). Some may have picked them up already! If you have registered for a kit and have asked for a campus to pick it up from, rest assured they are there. You will have been emailed with where to pick-up your kit from and with what time, or you will have requested when from us.

We have started a Padlet with all the information about the take away kits, including the MSDS safety sheets for each substance given, and what all the equipment is, just in case you’ve never seen it or used it before. We’ll include lab notes and Articulate rise modules, as well as a way to get in touch with Christine, Josh and Rhiannon in case you want to contact us for questions or just a chat (see Padlet link above).

We’ll be setting up some online and in person sessions to help out with the kits as well, so stay tuned.

And just for your benefit, here’s some pictures to see how the kits came together and the chaos our small office became. Have fun in your kitchen lab!

P.S. – We have started an Instagram account for Kitchen Lab! If you take some good photos of your experiments, or want us to put up some photos, feel free to tag or contact us!

Instagram: @kitchenlabscience

What would MacGyver do? Capturing the science happening in your kitchen

We all know how valuable time in the laboratory is for developing those core science skills and supporting our understanding of key concepts. Sadly, with the current social distancing measures, tinkering in the lab is just not an option at the moment. How can we make the most of our time at home to support our science learning and skill development?

What would MacGyver do to keep his skills in tip-top shape?

 

 

 

 

We think he’d head straight to the STIMulate Blackboard page and check out the self-guided Kitchen Lab practical activities, make the most of the materials and space around him and get his science on!

Whether you’re looking to hone your skills on calculating concentrations, dilutions, spectrophotometry fundamentals, standard curves or experimental design, the link above will provide you with some quick activities and inspiration to bring the lab bench into your kitchen.

We also recognise that an important aspect of the Kitchen Lab workshops that cannot easily be replicated in this format is the social element and opportunity for feedback and discussion with peers. For this reason, we have scheduled some zoom sessions for Weeks 7 and 8 to provide an opportunity to come together and discuss the methodology, results, wins and challenges.  Visit the Kitchen Lab events listing to check the event details.

You can also show off the creative science happening in your kitchen by posting a picture on the padlet.
https://ssg.padlet.org/health_ssg/8abxprjgze0s

Happy Sciencing!

Kitchen Lab is now available in YOUR kitchen!!

It’s time to move the science skills from the laboratory bench to the kitchen bench.

Kitchen Lab is a fun and light-hearted place for students to practice critical laboratory skills without the pressures of assessment.  We love working with you in the workshops, but the current situation means we have to shake things up a little!

Bookmark this page so you can access guided activities, videos and register to join us for an online session.

If you have any questions, get in touch with the Kitchen Lab team at success.health@qut.edu.au