Swiftie Science!

Posted on February 18, 2025 by Dana Sheridan

ARE YOU READY FOR IT? As you might recall from our recent sneak peek, we joined forces with our friends at Science Outreach at Princeton University and the Department of Chemistry to host a fantastic celebration of science and the lyrics, visuals, and overall awesomeness of Taylor Swift! The crowds were enchanted, bejeweled, and the alchemy exceeded our wildest dreams! How did we mastermind this event? Dear reader, it was a wonderland!

The event was divided into two parts: 1) hands-on activity tables; and 2) an auditorium show. Part one featured five hands-on demonstration tables that uniquely represented a Swift song. This part of the event was led by the amazing Paryn Wallace, Associate Director of Science Outreach, and a talented team of Princeton University undergraduate and graduate student volunteers from Science Outreach at Princeton University.

Front row, left to right: Davis Hobley, Adrija Kundu, Meghana Bhupait, Paryn Wallace, Maddie Bland. Back row: Back row, left to right: Amalia Nevarez, Mell Aguiar, Aryan Gupta, Kennedy Casey, Zaighum Nagra, Jeffrey Asiedu-Brako, Emma Petzold, Ash Reddy

At the “Shake it Off” table, kids could learn about non-Newtonian fluids by examining the curious properties of oobleck as it danced on top of speakers blasting Swift’s music. Nearby was the “Clean” table, where budding scientists could determine the pH levels of various water samples (tap, bottled, rain, etc.) using litmus paper. At the “Blank Space” table, kids learned about chemical reactions as they revealed lemon juice invisible ink messages with a heat source.

One of my favorite tables, however, was “All Too Well.” This classic song is all about memories, so the table featured Nitinol wire. Because of its unique atomic structure, Nitinol wire can “remember” its original shape during temperature changes. It’s pretty astounding to watch. The final hands-on table was “Mastermind,” where we literally brought Taylor’s song lyrics to life as chain reactions of “dominos cascaded in a line.”

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Once the tables were thoroughly explored, it was time for part two, the auditorium show (which was, ironically, held in the Taylor auditorium inside the Frick Chemistry Building)! The show was led by the extraordinary Angie Miller, Lecture Demonstrator in Princeton University’s Department of Chemistry.

Angie had the task of pairing Swiftie concepts with principals of science, so in preparation for the show, Katie and I steered Angie to what we believe to be Taylor’s most science-y music video, “ME!” Here, Taylor cavorts with cats, clouds, rainbow prisms, and colorful foam.

So Angie talked extensively about the scientific method while bursting hydrogen balloons, making nitrogen clouds, and testing audience predictions of marshmallow cat behaviors in vacuum chambers. Angie invited the young scientists to gaze at line spectra of various gases, created colored fireballs with metal salts and a Bunsen burner, and…in a grand finale…played the “ME!” video for the crowd on the big screen while coordinating larger versions of the previous demos, capping everything off with a six beaker rainbow deluxe version of elephant toothpaste!

Peppered throughout the show were audience trivia questions for friendship bracelet prizes. Before the marshmallow cat demo, for example, I asked the audience if someone could name Taylor’s three cats. They sure could! First names AND last names (though I was secretly waiting to hear someone shout “Dibbles!”).

The auditorium show’s crescendo was the “ME!” video, but we had one more fantastic surprise in store for the crowds that day…a cameo appearance by Taylor!

Well, that’s not ACTUALLY Taylor Swift. It’s Princeton University sophomore Margo Mattes! A Politics major and massive Swiftie, Margo gamely volunteered to play Tay and take photos with the kids. She was so utterly fantastic, we can’t thank her enough for giving her time and exuberance to this event!

As the happy crowd exited the building, we handed out friendship bracelet kits made out of UV beads. These plain beads react with sunlight and change to rainbow colors. Just a little extra TS science to take home!

I can’t even begin to express my gratitude and appreciation to everyone who made this event possible. Thank you to the students from Science Outreach at Princeton for your ideas, boundless energy, and time. Margo Mattes, thank you for bringing your sweet brilliance and enthusiasm as Miss Americana. And a massive shout out to event masterminds Paryn Wallace and Angie Miller. You were so game to try this, and Katie and I absolutely loved working with you!

From left to right: Paryn Wallace, Dana Sheridan, Katie Zondlo, Angie Miller

Event images courtesy of Daniel Wang

Hands-On History

Posted on June 23, 2015 by Dana Sheridan

For me, literacy education encompasses both fiction and non-fiction subjects. I’ve already chronicled some of my adventures in science (check out these posts on chemistry and Rube Goldberg engineering, these projects on butterflies, buoyancy, and creative construction, and this science kit review by our kid tester). Today, however, I want to focus on history and relate a fantastic hands-on experience that inspired me over 14 years ago.

In 2001, I was a graduate student at the University of Virginia, happily enrolled in a “Museums and Education” class taught by Professor John Bunch. Part of the class was lecture-based, but another part class involved field trips to various museums and historic sites to get a tour and learn more about their educational programs. Once such field trip was to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home in the beautiful mountains surrounding Charlottesville, Virginia.

Monticello has a very active roster of programs for adults and children alike, but I want to share one ingenious activity my class was invited to experience during our tour. The activity is intended for elementary school group visitors to Monticello.

The activity begins with the students sitting in groups at tables. Each table is given a recreated “historic pocket” (it could be a leather wallet, a burlap bag, an embroidered linen pouch, a basket, etc.). Inside each pocket are various objects representing items that the pocket’s owner would have used in his or her daily life at Monticello. Students are invited to examine the objects (touching is not just permitted, it’s encouraged!). Then they engage in a discussion with a Monticello staff member to determine: 1) What the objects are; 2) How they were used; and 3) What the objects tell about the person who owned them.

Here’s an image of Jefferson’s recreated historic pocket:

Pocket contents include:

Brass sealing stamp
Money (both paper and coin)
Ivory Notecards
Folding spectacles
Map of land holdings
Traveling quill set

From examining these objects, the students learn that Jefferson was literate, wealthy, and the owner of the plantation. They’ve learned it by touching and exploring the objects – holding a quill pen, looking at a map, jingling replica coins in their hands.

Even better, the educators at Monticello don’t just offer one pocket. They have several! In addition to Thomas Jefferson’s pocket, students explore recreated pockets representing members of Thomas Jefferson’s family, including his children and grandchildren, and members of the enslaved plantation community, such as Edith Fossett and her husband, Joseph Fossett. By exploring a variety of pockets, students can compare and contrast the lives of different individuals, and the various roles they played at Monticello.

Here, for example, is the Fossett Family pocket, which represents Edith Fossett, Joseph Fossett, and their children:

Pocket contents include:

Clay marbles
Metal s-hooks
Steel striker (use with flint)
Jaw harp
Coin money pieces
Spoon
Nails
Beans
Cowry Shells

Students learn that Edith and Joseph Fossett were slaves at Monticello – Edith was chief cook, trained in French cookery at the President’s House in Washington D.C., and Joseph was foreman of the blacksmith shop. Being slaves, they were not paid for their work. So why are there some small coin pieces in the pocket?

Interestingly, Joseph Fossett received a small portion of the blacksmith shop’s profits, and sometimes took paid work on the side. Joseph Fossett was one of only five slaves freed in Thomas Jefferson’s will and started a business in Charlottesville. Using money he earned, he was eventually able to buy his wife and some of their eight children out of slavery and move with them to the free state of Ohio.

Students examine objects in the Grandchildren’s basket, including a family letter, sewing sampler, slate, and ball and cup toy. © Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello.

The pocket activity is only the beginning of the students’ experience at Monticello. Next, they proceed to the house and grounds, often hearing the names of the people whose pockets they explored. The activity is very flexible and portable. Staff have taken it off site to schools and teacher training sessions.

Depending on class size and time constraints, classes will rotate to different spaces within the Education Center, exploring a different pocket—and new individual—in every room. Currently, the educational staff are taking the pocket idea and experimenting with applying its hands-on, minds-on concept to entire rooms of their Education Center and Griffin Discovery Room.

It would be interesting to apply the pocket activity to literary figures. What would Jane Austin carry in her pocket? Charles Dickens? J.K. Rowling? Why not apply this concept to the sciences? What would Einstein have in his pocket? Marie Curie?

And what about fictitious characters? I designed a modified version of the pocket activity for Cotsen Critix, our literary society for kids ages 9-12. The kids put together character wallets that included non-obvious photos, small objects, curious clues…but NOT the character’s name! Can you guess this one?

what's in your wallet I love everything about the pocket activity. Intriguing students with a bit of mystery, handling and exploring objects, allowing time for the students to postulate the answers for themselves, comparing objects across individuals, and using the objects to launch an educational dialogue about the people, places, and experiences at Monticello. It’s a powerful lesson in history, right in your hands.

This post has made me realize that I’m long overdue in writing about the other ways in which I incorporate history into my literacy programs. For example, we had a series of 6 classroom programs that featured our library’s special collections (you can read more about that here). I’ve also found ways to bring history to life at some of our special events, including a sign that almost stole the show at a Robin Hood event, this little Medieval herbal bag, a 1963 recipe test for fudge count (that counts as history, right?), and a fantastic Victorian Tea program.

I shall get to work on more history posts, posthaste!

Many thanks to Jacqueline Langholtz, Manager of School & Group Programs at Monticello for chatting with me about this amazing program.

All images used with permission of Monticello.

Science Friday

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Dana Sheridan

While I certainly do my fair share of fiction-focused programs, I consider non-fiction programs to be (dare I say it?) just as much fun. And for today’s adventure in non-fiction, we’re talking science!

We’ve offered some interesting science programs in the past. Take, for example, the Chemistry of Magic, in which we demonstrated the real science behind seemingly magical reactions. Or this Rube Goldberg engineering program. Or even this humble preschool story time that featured the life stages of a butterfly. This week, to get a healthy dose of vitamin “S,” I dropped in on my friends at scienceSeeds.

Team scienceSeeds: John, Michal, and Lindsay

ScienceSeeds is a local science enrichment center for grades K-8 . It was founded in 2008 by Michal Melamede. While raising her children, she noticed a lack of hands-on, age-appropriate, science and engineering opportunities. So Michal decided to establish a business that would encourage curiosity, exploration, discovery, and scientific thinking.

Visiting scienceSeeds is always fun. Especially when they let me play with their toys! Here are a few of their current favorites. Perhaps one or two will inspire a little science at your next program?

JOHN’S FABULOUS CANDELABRA

I have to start with this one because I’m such a hot glue devotee. This is an LED lamp with hot glue stick shades! It was designed by John to demonstrate circuits, fiber optics and light behavior. He used a hot glue gun to hollow out the bottom of 5 hot glue sticks, and then rigged up a series of little LED bulbs on a simple circuit. Everything was attached to a foam core base, and then the base was wrapped with decorative duct tape. I love it.

HYDRAULIC BUTTERFLY

This is another project designed by scienceSeeds staff to teach hydraulics. Using two water-filled syringes and tubing, the butterfly lifts its wings up and down. The syringes are from a medical supply company, the tubing is from a science catalog, the base is wood, the wings are made from foam board, and the butterfly’s body is a clothespin. A little duct tape here and there and you’re ready to go. They also have versions with an owl, a bat, and a dump truck!

FOAM BOARD AUTOMATAUN

One final project from scienceSeeds’ workshop! This one demonstrates how simple machines and mechanisms work. Turn the crank and the movement of the wooden gears and rods causes the star to spin. The base is made from foam board, the sticks are bamboo skewers, and the gears are little wooden circles purchased from Michael’s craft store. A little hot glue and duct tape seals the deal. And just look at this sweet double gear version!

Mark my words…I’m GOING to find a way to work a foam board automataun into a story time project. It shall be done. Oh yes, it shall.

THE EGGBOT

This is a recent acquisition at the workshop. It’s the EggBot, an art robot that can draw on round surfaces like eggs, light bulbs, ping pong balls, ornaments, etc. It hooks up to your computer and, with some lovely freeware, will take a design or image and put it right on your object! scienceSeeds is using it to teach CNC and automated design. Here are a couple test subjects…

Alas, an EggBot kit like the one above retails for $219, so it’s well out of my budget. The company that sells it is called Evil Mad Science LLC. Hah hah hah! Minions not included.

CONFETTI VACUUM CLEANER

This is a modification of a cardboard kit the staff tested. They found that a 1 liter bottle and plastic propeller worked much better than a cardboard tube and propeller. The foam board base holds a simple circuit that connects to a motor. As the motor spins the propeller, it creates a wind tunnel in the bottle that sucks up pieces of confetti. It’s the perfect way to teach engineering and air flow. It’s wildly popular with the kids too.

THE 3-DOODLER

It might be a little hard to see this in the photo, but this device lets you do 3-dimentional drawings! That thin green line you see isn’t drooping down from the tip of the doodler. It’s rising up from the piece of paper and standing on its own! You insert little plastic sticks of various colors into one end of the “pen.” The plastic emerges in liquid form out the other end, but quickly hardens. With some practice, you can “draw” amazing 3D creations like these:

scienceSeeds likes to use the 3-Doodler for their 3D modeling workshops, sometimes in conjunction with their 3D printer. A 3-Doodler pen retails for about $100, and additional plastic sticks are approximately $10 for 25. I noticed that the pen makes a loud whirring noise while being operated (a little louder than an electric toothbrush). The staff also mentioned that after extended periods of use, you can smell burning plastic. The smell bothers some kids. But those things aside, it’s a cool little drawing tool.

I’ll leave you with a photo of scienceSeeds’ classroom space. Look at the cheerful red cabinets! The under-the-counter adjustable storage! The cool green chairs! Now imagine it packed full of kids creating, discovering, building, and innovating. Fantastic.

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Swiftie Science!

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Science Friday