We don't think about the shape of our ears often, but human ears look very different compared to other creatures. JAMmers will experience what it’s like to have differently shaped ears and how it affects hearing and perhaps be able to answer the questions: Why do animals’ ears look different from yours? What would life be like if your ears were shaped differently? 

We don't think about the shape of our ears often, but human ears look very different compared to other creatures. JAMmers will experience what it’s like to have differently shaped ears and how it affects hearing and perhaps be able to answer the questions: Why do animals’ ears look different from yours? What would life be like if your ears were shaped differently? 

We are now in the dog days of summer, the hottest part of the year.  It is no surprise, then, that the noisy cicadas you’re hearing are called dog day cicadas!  These are fascinating insects, and their calls seem to instantly bring warm summer evenings to mind.  There are several species that fall into this group - and did you know that you and actually identify the different species by their song?

In this JAM, you will learn how and why cicadas make their calls and how they can be so loud!  We’ll test our knowledge of cicada calls and walk along the wetlands trail for observation…possibly even handling.  (They are harmless!)

We are now in the dog days of summer, the hottest part of the year.  It is no surprise, then, that the noisy cicadas you’re hearing are called dog day cicadas!  These are fascinating insects, and their calls seem to instantly bring warm summer evenings to mind.  There are several species that fall into this group - and did you know that you and actually identify the different species by their song?

In this JAM, you will learn how and why cicadas make their calls and how they can be so loud!  We’ll test our knowledge of cicada calls and walk along the wetlands trail for observation…possibly even handling.  (They are harmless!)

Think of the last picture of a plant or an animal you saw in a book - was it a photograph or a drawing?  We are all used to seeing images of nature through photographs in our books, magazines, and videos.  Photography is a pretty young field, and early scientists couldn’t simply pull out a phone and snap a picture!  So, how did they record the tiny details of natural objects?  In this natural history JAM, we’ll take a look at some of the earliest drawings, even from ancient Roman and Greek times, of plants and animals these early scientists made.  We will also go on our own exploration along the wetlands trail to find objects to sketch.

Think of the last picture of a plant or an animal you saw in a book - was it a photograph or a drawing?  We are all used to seeing images of nature through photographs in our books, magazines, and videos.  Photography is a pretty young field, and early scientists couldn’t simply pull out a phone and snap a picture!  So, how did they record the tiny details of natural objects?  In this natural history JAM, we’ll take a look at some of the earliest drawings, even from ancient Roman and Greek times, of plants and animals these early scientists made.  We will also go on our own exploration along the wetlands trail to find objects to sketch.

When you think of a wetland (maybe a marsh, swamp, or small creek flowing from a pond), what living things come to mind?  Most of you can probably name a few large animals and at least one or two plants.  Did you know, though, that these large living organisms actually depend on tiny, even microscopic, plants and animals to survive.  Without them, a wetland would not function the way it does.

In this natural science JAM, you will each be given some sampling tools for collecting specimens in our creek water behind the museum.  You’ll observe your “catch” through microscopes and learn about the amazing tiny things swimming in the creek!

When you think of a wetland (maybe a marsh, swamp, or small creek flowing from a pond), what living things come to mind?  Most of you can probably name a few large animals and at least one or two plants.  Did you know, though, that these large living organisms actually depend on tiny, even microscopic, plants and animals to survive.  Without them, a wetland would not function the way it does.

In this natural science JAM, you will each be given some sampling tools for collecting specimens in our creek water behind the museum.  You’ll observe your “catch” through microscopes and learn about the amazing tiny things swimming in the creek!

Anybody up for some ice cream? Following the steps in this activity, you can make your own. July is a great time to enjoy some cold, refreshing ice cream. As with any kind of cooking and food making, there is science involved. There are chemical changes that happen when making ice cream, such as changes of state and the effect of adding substances that lower the freezing temperature of water. And in the end, you get to eat your science!

Anybody up for some ice cream? Following the steps in this activity, you can make your own. July is a great time to enjoy some cold, refreshing ice cream. As with any kind of cooking and food making, there is science involved. There are chemical changes that happen when making ice cream, such as changes of state and the effect of adding substances that lower the freezing temperature of water. And in the end, you get to eat your science!

Did you know that bats live in Kansas?  What do you think bats do in our native habitats, and where is the best place to find them?  There are a few different species native to Kansas, and part of what makes these animals mysterious is the fact that they are nocturnal.  Being nocturnal creatures, though, makes them a unique piece of the ecological puzzle.

There are also myths and misconceptions about bats - think vampire bats! - that leads to misunderstandings about these animals.  In this JAM, we will learn what makes these animals unique and beneficial to their habitats and to humans.

Did you know that bats live in Kansas?  What do you think bats do in our native habitats, and where is the best place to find them?  There are a few different species native to Kansas, and part of what makes these animals mysterious is the fact that they are nocturnal.  Being nocturnal creatures, though, makes them a unique piece of the ecological puzzle.

There are also myths and misconceptions about bats - think vampire bats! - that leads to misunderstandings about these animals.  In this JAM, we will learn what makes these animals unique and beneficial to their habitats and to humans.

What do snakes do for our native habitats here in northeast Kansas?  Can you identify any local snakes and which ones are potentially dangerous?  Snakes can be found in a variety of habitats - even in the KC metro, there are plenty of parks and natural areas where they can be found.  And more often than not, they will see you before you see them!

Sadly, snakes are often misunderstood animals.  While there certainly are dangerous snakes to watch out for, snakes play a vital role in their habitats as both predator and prey.  In this JAM, we will learn about these fascinating animals and maybe go on a walk in our wetlands to search for two common snakes we have in this area!

What do snakes do for our native habitats here in northeast Kansas?  Can you identify any local snakes and which ones are potentially dangerous?  Snakes can be found in a variety of habitats - even in the KC metro, there are plenty of parks and natural areas where they can be found.  And more often than not, they will see you before you see them!

Sadly, snakes are often misunderstood animals.  While there certainly are dangerous snakes to watch out for, snakes play a vital role in their habitats as both predator and prey.  In this JAM, we will learn about these fascinating animals and maybe go on a walk in our wetlands to search for two common snakes we have in this area!

How do rockets travel into space? You may know that it takes fuel to simply get a rocket off the ground and that the rocket also needs to escape the Earth’s gravity to actually get out of our orbit…which requires a lot of fuel! Fuel can, and has been, made in different ways to generate the forces required to lift rockets. In this aero engineering-themed JAM, you will learn how fuel helps generate these forces—by launching a film canister. You will use two simple ingredients to make your fuel, change the ratios after each launch, and make observations about how the changes in fuel ingredients affects their distance traveled.

How do rockets travel into space? You may know that it takes fuel to simply get a rocket off the ground and that the rocket also needs to escape the Earth’s gravity to actually get out of our orbit…which requires a lot of fuel! Fuel can, and has been, made in different ways to generate the forces required to lift rockets. In this aero engineering-themed JAM, you will learn how fuel helps generate these forces—by launching a film canister. You will use two simple ingredients to make your fuel, change the ratios after each launch, and make observations about how the changes in fuel ingredients affects their distance traveled.

We all rely on clean, drinkable water to survive. (Remember that most of our body is water.)  The water in our bodies must be replenished by drinking plenty of it during the day. How do we get water that we can drink? The water that comes to us from our environment is not usually drinkable—it must be treated to remove harmful substances in it. One type of treatment involves filtration. Filtration removes substances and microscopic organisms that float in the water, as well as some substances that are dissolved in it. Using materials from the pet and hardware stores, you can construct your own water filtration device to see how this treatment process works.

We all rely on clean, drinkable water to survive. (Remember that most of our body is water.)  The water in our bodies must be replenished by drinking plenty of it during the day. How do we get water that we can drink? The water that comes to us from our environment is not usually drinkable—it must be treated to remove harmful substances in it. One type of treatment involves filtration. Filtration removes substances and microscopic organisms that float in the water, as well as some substances that are dissolved in it. Using materials from the pet and hardware stores, you can construct your own water filtration device to see how this treatment process works.

Spring has begun, and you may have noticed that birds are singing their songs again. You may have noticed the first flower blooms of the season. Take a close look inside the flowers, and you will likely see an insect visiting that flower. Flowers and insects have had a very close relationship with each other for a very long time…dating back to when dinosaurs were alive! We call this type of relationship a symbiotic relationship, and the relationship between insects and flowers is just one of many examples in nature. In this JAM, you will learn how the organisms in these interesting associations help one another.

Spring has begun, and you may have noticed that birds are singing their songs again. You may have noticed the first flower blooms of the season. Take a close look inside the flowers, and you will likely see an insect visiting that flower. Flowers and insects have had a very close relationship with each other for a very long time…dating back to when dinosaurs were alive! We call this type of relationship a symbiotic relationship, and the relationship between insects and flowers is just one of many examples in nature. In this JAM, you will learn how the organisms in these interesting associations help one another.

What soil nutrients do plants need to grow their best? If you are a gardener, sometimes you have to wait what seems like a long time before plants begin to poke their leaves and stems through the soil and into daylight to find out. If you do this enough and you do some research, though, you can figure out 1) what nutrients certain plants need, and 2) what supplements may help them grow healthier before you ever put seeds in the ground!  In this life-science activity,  you will set up and conduct an experiment to determine whether seeds will sprout faster in soil mixed with coffee grounds or just “regular” soil and learn a little about how seeds turn into plants.

What soil nutrients do plants need to grow their best? If you are a gardener, sometimes you have to wait what seems like a long time before plants begin to poke their leaves and stems through the soil and into daylight to find out. If you do this enough and you do some research, though, you can figure out 1) what nutrients certain plants need, and 2) what supplements may help them grow healthier before you ever put seeds in the ground!  In this life-science activity,  you will set up and conduct an experiment to determine whether seeds will sprout faster in soil mixed with coffee grounds or just “regular” soil and learn a little about how seeds turn into plants.

If you dig in a patch of dirt, what do you find?  Depending on where you dig, you will likely find different living things crawling in and around your sample.  What would you expect to find in a sample of wetland soil vs, say, a sample of sandy soil?  If you think about what all living things need to survive, this can give you clues to answer this question.

In this JAM, you will look closely at samples of soil collected from different habitats.  While we often barely notice what is living under our feet, the tiny soil invertebrates play a huge role in the diversity and health of the habitats we interact with everyday. 

If you dig in a patch of dirt, what do you find?  Depending on where you dig, you will likely find different living things crawling in and around your sample.  What would you expect to find in a sample of wetland soil vs, say, a sample of sandy soil?  If you think about what all living things need to survive, this can give you clues to answer this question.

In this JAM, you will look closely at samples of soil collected from different habitats.  While we often barely notice what is living under our feet, the tiny soil invertebrates play a huge role in the diversity and health of the habitats we interact with everyday. 

How many animals do you think you can spot on a nature walk?  Of course, it will depend a lot on where you are.  You’ll likely find more things at a state park than you will in your backyard.  Still, there are probably a lot of things to see in seemingly unlikely places…but those things are more likely to see you first because they blend into their environment!  

In this JAM, you will learn about camouflage.  You may know what camouflage is, but what makes certain patterns work so well in one environment and so poorly in another?  Something else to think about: what happens when you take a camouflaged object from land and move it into the water?  You will look at different camouflaged specimens, make your own camouflage animal patterns, and explore what makes them unique. 

How many animals do you think you can spot on a nature walk?  Of course, it will depend a lot on where you are.  You’ll likely find more things at a state park than you will in your backyard.  Still, there are probably a lot of things to see in seemingly unlikely places…but those things are more likely to see you first because they blend into their environment!  

In this JAM, you will learn about camouflage.  You may know what camouflage is, but what makes certain patterns work so well in one environment and so poorly in another?  Something else to think about: what happens when you take a camouflaged object from land and move it into the water?  You will look at different camouflaged specimens, make your own camouflage animal patterns, and explore what makes them unique. 

Do you play a musical instrument?  Do you sing?  Each instrument (and voice) produces a unique sound that can usually be differentiated from one another.  For example, the sound of a bassoon is very different from a flute, which is very different from a violin.  This is partly due to how high or low a sound is (pitch), but also the sound quality (timbre) and other factors.

In this JAM, you will learn what sound is at the most basic level.  With this foundational understanding, we will explore the different ways in which sound can be produced and why these variations result in the huge varieties of sounds we encounter in our everyday lives.

Do you play a musical instrument?  Do you sing?  Each instrument (and voice) produces a unique sound that can usually be differentiated from one another.  For example, the sound of a bassoon is very different from a flute, which is very different from a violin.  This is partly due to how high or low a sound is (pitch), but also the sound quality (timbre) and other factors.

In this JAM, you will learn what sound is at the most basic level.  With this foundational understanding, we will explore the different ways in which sound can be produced and why these variations result in the huge varieties of sounds we encounter in our everyday lives.

Do your parents tell you not to play with your food?  Most of the time, that is good advice!  Sometimes, though, there are activities and experiments you can do that encourage you to do the opposite…like building a vehicle out of food!  You’ve probably done friction experiments with moving objects before, but this experiment is pretty unique.

You will design and build your own racing “cars” using different kinds of fruits and vegetables.  You get to choose which ones you think will work best for different components of your car.  What would work best for wheels?  How will you make an axle?  Finally, you will test your cars on ramps with different surfaces.   

Do your parents tell you not to play with your food?  Most of the time, that is good advice!  Sometimes, though, there are activities and experiments you can do that encourage you to do the opposite…like building a vehicle out of food!  You’ve probably done friction experiments with moving objects before, but this experiment is pretty unique.

You will design and build your own racing “cars” using different kinds of fruits and vegetables.  You get to choose which ones you think will work best for different components of your car.  What would work best for wheels?  How will you make an axle?  Finally, you will test your cars on ramps with different surfaces.