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Upcoming Museum Events:

Click here for full calendar

December 5,6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27	Planetarium Show - "Mystery of the Christmas Star". Friday shows every hour on the hour beginning at 4 p.m. Last show 7 p.m. Museum open until 8 p.m. Saturday shows every hour on the quarter hour beginning at 1:15 p.m. Last show at 4:15 p.m. Museum open until 5 p.m. Watch Trailers Hourly shows
December 7, 14, 21, 28	Sunday Group Planetarium shows - "Mystery of the Christmas Star" reservations required. More info
December 22, 23, 29, 30	Out of This World Space Adventure (ages 6 -12)
December 24	Museum Closes at 1 p.m.
	Full calendar...

How Ducks Stay "Dry"

Fall is the season when we see migrating ducks and geese fly through our sky and swim in our lakes and ponds.  Our experiment this month helps us understand why ducks and geese stay “dry” as they float and swim in the water.  It also teaches us an important conservation tip!  Remember to ask your parents for permission before trying any of the experiments on our website.

Polluting the Duck Pond
Is anything wrong with washing your clothes with detergent in a lake or a pond? 

Tips

• Before you start, read the whole experiment.
• Ask an adult to help.

What you need:

• Small plastic bag and fastener
• Wax paper, cut into small pieces
• Felt-tipped pen
• Large pan or bowl of water
• Liquid detergent

What to do:

1. Place the small pieces of wax paper inside the plastic bag
2. Close the plastic bag with its fastener
3. Draw a duck on the outside of the bag with the felt-tipped pen
4. Float your duck in the pan or bowl
5. Add a small amount of liquid detergent

What happens:
The wax paper and plastic are water-repellent like oily duck feathers.  The oil repels water and helps ducks and geese float.  Detergent lets water stick to greasy materials.  This is what caused your plastic bag duck to sink and can be deadly to ducks if there is detergent in lakes and ponds. 

This experiment comes from: 365 Simple Science Experiments with Everyday Materials. 

Churchill, E. R., Loeschnig, L. V., & Mandell, M. (1997). 365 Simple science experiments with everyday materials. New York, NY: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, Inc.