History is full of brave kings and queens and their achievements. How many of these rulers do you know about?
Remember the stories of Akbar and Birbal? Or about Rani Abbakka fighting off the Portuguese? This activity is based on many such vignettes from history. Use the clues to identify the king or queen we’re talking about. How many do you know?
Deepavali is a time to revel in the victory of good over evil, and the birth of all things auspicious.
The festival of lights is here. Don your new clothes, enjoy the delicacies, and burst some crackers… but set aside some time to get familiar with some fascinating legends that surround Deepavali.
Add to the festive cheer with this handmade gift box that’s perfect for the season!
Deepavali is not just about the sweets and fireworks, it’s also about exchanging love and gifts! How about packing your gift in this box that resembles a firecracker?
Part #14: May your Diwali turn out to be as exciting as Hanuman’s day … with loads of tasty snacks and the rockets he is able to make at home, thanks to Nala.
Nala and Hanuman are playing in the garden, while Hanuman’s mother Anjana prepares snacks, including Hanuman’s favourite vada and puttu (steamed rice cake), for them. Hanuman gets excited when he hears the cooker whistle.
Hanuman: Hey, Nala! Did you hear that yummy sound?
Nala: Ha ha! Yes. Did you know that’s the world’s first rocket?
Hanuman: The cooker is world’s first rocket?
Nala: Not exactly; but, technically, yes.
Hanuman: Let me get some snacks and then you can tell me in detail…
Hanuman brings back a plate full of dishes and the cooker as well.
Hanuman: Is this really the world’s first rocket?
Nala: Something similar to this. It’s called the wooden pigeon and was invented by Archytas in 400 BC.
Hanuman: Tell me more!
Nala: It is based on Newton’s Third Law of Motion: every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The pressure that builds up inside the cooker pushes against the top and moves it up.
Hanuman: Just like how it pushes the cooker’s pressure regulator, or what mom calls the ‘weight’!
Nala: That’s right.
Hanuman: Can we try building one? But mom may not allow it as it involves fire.
Nala: Don’t worry. We can build similar rockets using the principle of air pressure without fire.
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Step 1: Cut the balloon’s neck using scissors so that it will be easy to tape
Step 2: Insert 1 or 2 straws inside the balloon
Step 3: Tape the inserted straws and make sure air doesn’t leak in the taped part.
Step 4: The balloon rocket is ready for launch. Blow into the straw and let it go. You will see the balloon moving high up like a rocket.
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Hanuman: What will happen to the rocket’s movement if we bend the straw?
Nala: That will give you the world’s second rocket technology called “Aeolipile” or Hero’s Engine.
Hanuman: Really? Can you tell me more?
Nala: It was invented by a scientist called Heron of Alexandria. People started calling it as Hero’s engine. Did you know it is also the basic technology behind steam engines?
Hanuman: Wow! I am going to replace regular straws with bendable straws.
Hanuman bends the ends and blows into the balloon. When he releases it, it spins instead of travelling straight!
Nala: The principle behind this is the Newton’s Third Law again. The balloon produces an action by squeezing the air inside causing it to rush out of the straw. The air travelling around the bend in the straw, exerts a reaction force at a right angle to the straw. This force causes the balloon rocket to spin.
Hanuman: Amazing!
Hanuman plays with it for a few times
Hanuman: Nala, is there a way to build a super fast rocket without mom worrying about our safety?
Nala: How about we use some ingredients from the kitchen to power our rocket then?
Hanuman: Really? We can do that?
Nala: Yes. But first please ask your mother’s permission and also ask her to supervise. Then, let’s move to an open space because this experiment will be messy and the rocket will shoot up.
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Materials required:
Plastic bottle (500 ml)
Vinegar or lemon juice
Baking soda 1 tbsp
Cork that fits into the bottle’s mouth
Cardboard sheet
The author is the founder and CEO of Vaayusastra Aerospace, an IIT-Madras incubated ed-tech startup that offers Air Science workshops for children between five and 14 years.
I am a symbol of peace and progress in a complex and challenging world. What else do you know about me? Watch this video and find out.
Time to up your GK quotient with this quiz.
How many of these questions you can answer. Get, set, go!
How many colours do you eat in a day? Confused? Click here to find out…
To keep up a healthy diet, you should be eating a rainbow! This means eating fruits and vegetables of different colours, every day. This is because each of the different-coloured plants has specific nutrients and health benefits, which are all essential to our health.
As a first activity, pay closer attention to what is on your plate today and see how many colours you are eating.
Second, here’s a challenge for you – complete this picture of a rainbow display of vegetables. Drag and drop the image tiles on the left into their correct place in the picture.
Time for some fun with fractions. How well do you know them?
If there is a yummy large pizza with eight slices and there are four of you, how will you decide how many pieces each of you will get? Will each of you get two slices, or will any of you eat lesser than the others, which means, some will get more than the others.
Welcome to the amazing world of fractions. A fraction represents part of a whole. When something is broken up into a number of parts, the fraction shows how many of those parts you have. If, for instance, each of you eat two slices each, then, each of you would have eaten 2/8 0r 1/4th of the pizza (two slices divided by the whole pizza, which is 8 slices).
Well, here are some fractions for you to try your hand at. Choose the correct answer. How many can you get right?
A crossword set in the kitchen! How many of these clues can you solve?
Calling all wannabe chefs! Here’s a crossword that’s right up your street. How many of these can you get right?
Put on your diving gear and dive into these fascinating facts about underwater life
Did you know that dolphins can have been observed to recognise themselves in the mirror? And that killer whales are not really whales but are actually dolphins? And get this, a blue whale’s tongue can weigh as much as an elephant!
Put on your diving gear and dive into these fascinating facts about underwater life! Watch this video for more.
Learn how to make your own Origami whale! Click here for instructions.
