Sometimes, by accident, a turtle gets turned upside down. It seems helpless as it wiggles its legs and moves its head from side-to-side, but it isn’t. All of a sudden, the turtle flips over and walks away. What did it do to make itself turn right-side up? You can find out the secret by making your own turnover model turtle.
What You Need:
Making the Turtle 1. Ask the adult to slice the ball in half. You will use one half to make the turtle's "shell."
2. Set the half-ball on the cardboard, and draw around the edge to make a circle. The circle will be the turtle and its bottom shell. Take away the ball, and draw a head, tail, and legs on the edges of the circle like in the illustration. Make sure the feet face forward and back, as shown. 3. Glue the coin to the cardboard so that it is at the edge, between the feet on one side.
• a Styrofoam ball about 1-1/2" to 2" in diameter • a piece of cardboard
4. Put glue all over the circle, and glue the half-ball to it. Let the glue dry thoroughly.
• a coin, such as a penny or a nickel • scissors, glue, and a pencil • an adult with a sharp knife to help you
If you wish, you can use markers to draw eyes, claws, and decorate the top of the shell.
Make the Turtle Turn Over
How Does the Turtle Do It?
How Do Real Turtles Do It?
Place the turtle upside down on a table or the floor. As long as you hold it, it will stay upside down, but the moment you let go, it will flip right-side up!
The way the turtle flips looks like a magic trick, but it isn't. The science secret is GRAVITY. The coin makes the turtle heavier on that side, so when you set it on its back, the weight of the coin moves that side down. Because the shell is curved, it rolls easily and flips over.
When a real turtle finds itself on its back, it wiggles its feet and moves its head back and forth. This shifts its weight from side-to-side. When its head and its feet point to the same side, that side becomes heavier. The turtle then turns over, just like your turn-over turtle!
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