SciGirls I 2016 - Day Seven

Zucchini bread, blender salsa with chips,fiesta scrambled eggs, and water with a little fresh cucumber and mint!!!!! These were the delicacies prepared by Chef Paula Kendrick at the first ever SciGirls Brunch hosted at the Fresh from Florida Demonstration Kitchen. No, this experience was not only about sampling foods, but Dietitian Jamie Burch joined us to provide information on the science of ingredients in quick breads. Liquids add moisture, sugar and fats act as tenderizers, eggs(an emulsifier) not only add moisture but also bind ingredients together, leavening agents cause the bread to rise, and salt enhances the flavor of other ingredients. The differences between whole-wheat flour and refined flour was discussed, as well as the composition of an egg. We're sure that many people remain unaware of the differences in the protein content of flours, but hard wheat flour is higher in protein with about 13-14%. As Chef Paula was cooking up those goodies, she stressed the importance of food safety reminding the SciGirls that foods should be put in the fridge within 2 hours. Foods become more susceptible to the growth of pathogens at a much higher rate when left on the counter. When refrigerated, the opportunity for foodborne illness decreases, this is why it's recommended that refrigerators maintain temperatures between 32 and 40 degrees and freezer temperatures are zero and below. What an incredible four-star experience we had thanks to Kristi Hatakka and Sean Doran! We then ventured back to the MagLab where we were joined by Desiree Fraser of Diverse Computing. Desiree is currently assigned to work on the eAgent 2.0 which offers assistance to the law enforcement community with direct access to the National Crime Information Center. After giving the girls a bit of information on herself, the basics of computer coding, and stressing the importance of having an initiative to learn, Desiree joined the SciGirls in the computer lab with a brief computer coding session with Code-Monster. Then we were off to our final activity of the day, where we were met by Cody, Stephanie, Drew, and Whitney with an interactive opportunity into the world of virtual reality. The girls worked with web based 3D modeling with the AFrame program, creating objects in their own 3D world through the HTC Vive VR module, and 360Degree video. An amazing treat for the girls were the Google Cardboard Goggles that were provided for decorating and personal use. Thanks Andrew! Another great day is all we can say. And five, four, three, two, one...SciGirls I 2016 Special, coming soon!

SciGirls II 2016 Day 6

What a fabulous Monday!! Today we started early at the Marianna Caverns Tour. Our tour guide, Noreen, gave us all the scoop on the beautiful formations within the cave. Our girls learned all about the different elements that are naturally created in the caves and how they form. We were able to distinguish limestone to calcite, from manganese to iron, based on the beautiful black, orange, grey, and white colors all around us. Some of the formations were really beautiful, our favorites being cave "draperies," cave "bacon," and cave "diamonds!" We had a discussion about how the floor of the cave was also textured by rainwater due to carbonic acid. It's amazing to know that it takes 100 years for just one cubic inch of formation to form! We were even lucky enough to see two Eastern Pipistrelle Bats! After our cave tour, we went to Blue Springs to cool off. The water is so crystal clear and very pretty there. After eating lunch, we took out some kayaks and pedalboats. Though our arms and legs may be a bit sore, we had a wonderful time! We then stayed a bit at Blue Springs just to swim around and play! No trip to Marianna with SciGirls is complete without a visit to our favorite frozen yogurt shop, Milk and Honey! They were so welcoming to us and even gave us a discount on our froyo! We chilled, ate froyo, and watched Lion King until it was time to head home. It truly was a great day! Tomorrow we look forward to media day! We will visit the Florida Center for Interactive Media in the morning and then WFSU in the afternoon! It's bound to be another wonderful, sci-rific day!

SciGirls I 2016 - Day Six

Did you walk your dog outside today? Did you practice the five second rule to determine if it was okay to walk your dog outside on the blistering summer pavements found in Florida? Here is the rule - if you can't allow your hand to remain on a hot surface for five seconds, that same surface is harmful to your beloved pet! This was just one of the amazing hints, tips, and facts that SciGirls received from Dr. Rachel Barton and her wonderful Vet Techs Katie Watson and Amy Greene at the Tallahassee Animal Services Center. A very special thank you goes out to these ladies who continue to set aside a special day during the summer to provide us a glimpse into shelter medicine. The ASC takes in over 5,000 animals each year and works very hard to return these animals to the community with owners who will provide them the love and care needed for a healthy and sustained life. The people at the shelter work to release these animals either through live release, adoption, transfers, return to owner, and euthanasia. The facility is extensive and houses kennels(for both dogs and cats), a surgical room, and the Animal Control central office. SciGirls were treated to a tour of the facility and many of them began contemplating ways in which they could convince their parents to begin the adoption process. After a tour, the girls were broken into two groups for participation in a spaying and a lecture on zoonotic diseases. With a quick bite to eat for lunch, the girls began the afternoon at one of three stations: heartworm testing, Animal control response, or dog breed analysis. The American and Canadian Kennels clubs recognize 175 breeds of dogs: the British Kennel Club recognizes 210 breeds. Why is there such a variation? Natural differences due to local environment and selective-breeding by humans have changed the face of the evolution of the canine species. Prior to leaving, Dr. Barton reminded the girls to always be able to say "I think because....." Science begins with a hypothesis that you will either work to prove or disprove, but what matters is that you weren't afraid to think. Yes - that was little synopsis of our day but it's not over. We're getting our palates ready as we say move over MasterChef Jr. - here come SciGirls I!

SciGirls I 2016 - Day Five

Today, SciGirls boldly went to where no ordinary man has gone before. No we weren't visitors on the Star Ship Enterprise, we were the guests of BASF at the Attapulgite mining site. Here the girls learned that the remains of the current site were deposited some 18 million years ago with limestone being the bottom layer. According to Assistant State Geologist Harley Means, the top portion was left 3 million years ago and is referred to as the Miccosukee formation. These sediments only represent little snapshots in time and there is still much to be discovered....and the SciGirls found plenty: stingray teeth, shark teeth, manatee bones, sea urchin spines, and alligator teeth were a few of the finds. A very special thank you to Mr. Howard Kirk, who even in his retirement, continues to be an avid supporter and guide of the SciGirls in the quarry adventure. Did I forget to mention to you that this is one of the hottest days of the SciGirls experience? It is so hot, that after two hours in the sun with literally no trees, we made a mad dash to Wakulla Springs for a little fun in the sun, but only after completing water testing. To top off this wonderful first week of SciGirls 2016, we ended our day with an awesome boat tour of the Wakulla Springs and a tiny portion of its water system. There were many anhingas, egrets, blue heron, turtles, and alligators to keep the oohs and aahs echoing across the boat. But we all know the stars of the show were fashionably late! That's right, the manatee did not show up until 40 minutes into the hour boat tour. However, it was well worth it. Dr. Seuss said, "Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done!" We say join us for Day Six, because this was only week one!

SciGirls 2 Day 5 2016

Today, we really had a ball learning about and playing paintball! Before we began, the girls learned the history and science behind paintballing. They viewed a power point that explained all about F=MA, and how 3 types of forces all act together to make the paintball gun work. After the learning part, we got to play! The teachers were very excited about the safety aspect of the Tallahassee Paintball Sports. Girls could not be inside the netting without full gear and the staff was very quick to make sure that all of us were following the rules at all times. The girls got to play four games,including elimination games, and capture the flag games. Next we headed to the new Fred George park to eat lunch in the shade. After a long ride, we made it to Wakulla Springs! The girls cooled off with cold swims and high dive jumps! Towards the end of our day, we went on a boat tour where we were toured by Captain Mike. We got to see many wildlife and plants, including numerous alligators. We also saw anhinga, egrets, and many moorhens. Some plants we saw included bald cypress, wax myrtle, and eelgrass. We saw many fish like mullet and spotted gar. The best part was when we saw a pod of manatees at the very end of the tour. Our girls were able to fill up many aspects of their scavenger hunt! We definitely ended week one with a bang, literally! Next week, we look forward to many more experiences, beginning with the Marianna Caverns and Blue Springs on Monday! We hope our SciGirls have a wonderful, restful weekend, and come back hungry for more!

SciGirls II Day 4 2016

Whew! Today was another great day! We started at Novey Animal Hospital where our girls went through 3 different stations and learned all about the ins and outs of the hospital. The first station was led by Candy, a kennel technician. She talked all about diseases that dogs and cats can get including heartworms and tapeworms, and how to prevent them. She also taught the girls about dog and cat behaviors and body language and spent some time discussing symptoms of sick pets and their causes. Our girls even got to do some blood tests to see how vets can tell if dogs and cats are positive for heartworms. The next station was lead by Jen, the head receptionist. She taught the girls that reception is not just about taking phone calls, but that it involves being a pharmacist, counselor, and a liaison between the clients and the doctors, as well. She also verified that just like human doctors, vets have poor handwriting, too! Jen also went into client communication, how to multitask when on the phone with clients, and handling clients in the hospital all at the same time. We all found it funny that an "Easy Cheese" container is in most rooms to help animals take medicines! The last station was led by Gabe, a vet technician. We were in the treatment center for this and observed a dog getting a dental procedure. He discussed injections, shots, dental procedures, imaging diagnostics, surgery, microbiology, ultrasound, and much more! So much goes into treatment for our sweet pets! Our girls also got to see the bacteria growth from the "clean hand" cultures they took on Monday. Some of our girls, and teachers, have decided they should probably wash their hands a bit better! :) A huge shout out and thank you goes to Dr. Novey and her staff! They were very welcoming and we had a great learning experience! We were then off to soar in the trees at the Tree-to-Tree Ziplining adventure at the Tallahassee Museum!! Unfortunately, some bad weather got in our way, and we were on weather delay for a little while, but it did not stop us from combatting the Canopy Crossing course once the rain subsided! A little ice cream treat was had by all afterwards and back to the lab we went! Tomorrow, we look forward to learning the science behind paintballing, while we have a fun, little war! Then a definite cool down at Wakulla Springs to round out our wonderful first week of camp! SciGirls 2016 Rocks!

SciGirls I 2016 - Day Four

Forensics is using science to make the invisible visible! This was the great message offered by Shawn Yao and his wonderful team of experts who greeted the SciGirls this morning. With seven stations appropriately manned, the girls were given a tour of the Tallahassee Police Department's Forensics Unit. Do you know that the most common fingerprint pattern found is the loop? Yes. While 65% of the population has this pattern, only 5% of the population have the arch. There are different means that forensic scientists use to recover prints from a crime scene because of the rigid detail that may result from the amount of moisture on a person's finger. Not only did the girls learn about fingerprinting, but they also received mini-lessons in blood spatter, firearm safety, evidence collection, and cartridge identification. Newer facets and methodology utilized in forensics are being developed everyday that require awareness of such items Smartwater (and no we're not talking about the type you drink) and degrees in chemistry, biology, and art, just to name a few. The mention of chemistry was a great way to introduce our next experience as we headed down the road to BASF with the motto of "We create chemistry." Dave Simkins, the site manager for the office in Quincy asked the girls to define chemistry. Many answers were provided but Mr. Simpkins offered a definition that got the minds of these young scientists thinking: "Chemistry is what makes life." And believe it or not, a lot of chemistry is happening in this very area. BASF is the largest chemical country in the world with over 70 offices. In the mines located between Quincy and Attapulgus, there is enough attapulgite to sustain the world for many, many, many years. There are 70 different versions of clay and these are associated with everyday products from cooking oil to makeup to the BEHR paint that you can find at your local Home Depot or Lowe's. Blythe Lamonica and Walt Loomis spearheaded this opportunity to help the girls understand that chemicals are essential in everything we do. The girls were attentive to the message but more excited to don their pink hard hats, protective eyewear, and ear protection and take a behind-the-scenes tour of the facility. (It was so "behind-the-scenes" that no photos were allowed.) The amount of attapulgite that is processed through the plant on a daily basis equates to about 100,000 pounds in a year. After a brief tour of the plant and the lab, we returned to the teaching classroom to exchange the hard hats for aprons in the Kids'Lab. This interactive experience, led by Silvia Medrano, provided an opportunity to work with Dawn dish detergent again and get a brief vocabulary review of the term surfactant. But this was only the beginning. The great sites and high heights that Dr. Seuss spoke of will be SciGirls first stop in the morning - no parachute needed, just fearlessness to explore!