Boomerang - May, 2022 by Hancock Health

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ISSUE #18 • May 2022

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IN THIS ISSUE 04 SUPER FUN SCIENCE PROJECTS FOR A HEALTHY PLANET Learn more about sustainability and being a friend to the environment!

08 HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT = HEALTHY YOU Did you know that the environment affects your health?

10 GET CRAFTY!

Try these crafts inspired by mother nature!

PLUS: 13 BOOKSHELF BOOKS THAT PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH THE ENVIRONMENT 14 WORDSEARCH: TAKE CARE OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT

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SUPER FUN SCIENCE PROJECTS FOR A HEALTHY PLANET Science experiments are a wonderful way to learn about the environment. They teach us important lessons about sustainability and how to be ecofriendly. The best part is that you don’t even need a science lab or any special equipment to do fun experiments at home. Here are some environmental science experiments that use supplies you already have at home.

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Oil Spill Cleanup What is the best way to clean up an oil spill in the ocean? What impact does an oil spill have on plants and animals? Learn more by trying to clean up your own “oil spill” with this easy, hands-on activity. This easy science experiment uses dish soap to show the process of “emulsification.” This is when two liquids that normally separate mix together. The purpose of this experiment is to show why you need an emulsifying agent to remove oil from a bird’s feathers (or our oceans).

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

That’s right! The oil no longer

•

Water

rises to the top. This means

•

An empty plastic bottle

that the dish soap did its

•

Cooking oil

job as an emulsifying agent,

•

Natural food coloring

allowing the water and oil

•

Dish soap

to mix together. When this happens, the oil is broken up

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL DO

into smaller droplets, making it

(AND LEARN):

easier to move.

Fill your plastic bottle about halfway with water. Next, add

When an oil spill occurs in the

one tablespoon of cooking oil

ocean, response teams use

and watch what happens to

a similar approach for cleaning

the water. What do you notice?

it up. Oftentimes, a small boat or plane is used to release

Water is denser than oil, which

chemical dispersants into the

causes the two liquids to

water that act as emulsifying

separate and the oil to rise to

agents. Much like the dish

the top. Now, add a few drops

soap in this experiment, these

of natural food coloring and

chemicals break down the oil

watch what happens. Take

into smaller and less harmful

notes on your observations.

compounds. Micro-organisms in the water then eat them and

Now, add two tablespoons of

break them down into even

dish soap. This will act as an

less harmful compounds.

emulsifier by breaking down the oil and allowing it to mix with the water. Do you see how the food coloring tints the water to be the same color? What do you notice about the oil this time?

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Don’t Go Away Rain Gauge

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL DO: 1.

a meteorologist when chance to practice! (Even

if you have different career aspirations, this is still fun!)

•

2-liter plastic bottle

•

Scissors

•

Duct tape

•

Sand

•

Sharpie marker

•

Ruler

Empty and wash out the

spout portion of the bottle

2-liter bottle.

and flip it upside down.

With the scissors, cut off

and use some duct tape

the spout top right where

to secure it. This will help

the taper or curve begins

catch and collect the

(this might be best done

rainfall by funneling it into

by an adult).

the bottle.

Fill the bottom of the

open, unobstructed area

sand. This will keep the

outside to place your rain

bottle from falling over

gauge.

Pour in just enough water

Every time it rains, record your rain data!

so you can see the water level above the sand. Yes,

Now you can accurately

your sand will be wet!

measure how much rain has

This is called the

fallen after every shower!

“saturation point.” Use a marker to draw a line at the saturation point above the sand. Next to the line, write “starting point.” 6.

Line the ruler up (from the starting/saturation point) and draw a line for every inch up to the top of the bottle.

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Now it’s time to find an

bottle with 1/2 inch of

on windy days.

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Take the top “cut off”

Insert it into the bottle

Dream of being you grow up? Now’s your

Dirty Air

HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL DO: 1.

Look around you. Do you “see” the air surrounding

Coat the top of the piece

OPTIONAL: Create two

of plastic with petroleum

air-pollution sensors and

jelly.

place one of them indoors in a common area

Secure the plastic to

with normal air circulation.

typically see “air,” so it’s

a wood block, brick or

Then compare the

easy to assume that our

other weighted object

pollution collected by

air is clean. But is it? In this

using duct tape.

each. As you can see, air

you? No, right? We don’t

may be “invisible” but

experiment, we’ll find out just what is in the air

we breathe. HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED: •

A piece of white or clear plastic (salad plate size)

Identify an outdoor

it’s not empty. Even the

location that is

air we breathe inside

mostly open with decent

contains particles that can

air circulation (on a

harm us. Can you think

fence is preferable to on

of any ways to cut down

the ground).

the pollution inside your home?

Let the plastic/block sit

•

Petroleum jelly

•

Duct tape

for at least 24 hours

•

A wood block or brick

(weather permitting).

•

Blank white paper

At the end of your experiment time, bring the plastic/block inside. (If you used a clear piece of plastic, place it on a white piece of paper or light- colored surface.)

Examine the top of the plastic for any particles collected. Make a list of these particles.

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ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH HOW THE EARTH’S ENVIRONMENT IMPACTS OUR BODIES

While we don’t always see it, our environment is constantly shaping our health. How we interact with the world around us, including where we live and what we eat, has a major influence on our health and our bodies. Professionals in the environmental health field study how people interact with the world around them and determine the various ways in which these interactions impact our physical fitness, vulnerability to disease and overall wellness.

W H AT I S E N V I R O N M E N TA L H E A LT H ?

Environmental health is a field of public health that monitors environmental factors that we don’t have direct control over but impact our health anyway. For example, when roads aren’t properly maintained, it often results in more car crashes, and thus, more physical injuries or even death within a community. It’s the job of public health professionals to use strategic efforts to improve these environmental health factors and enhance the overall wellness of individuals, families and communities at large.

W H AT ’ S T H E I M P O R T A N C E O F E N V I R O N M E N TA L H E A LT H ? Maintaining a healthy environment is essential for helping people to live longer and improve their quality of life. A healthy environment helps individuals and communities reduce their exposure to disease and other pollutants that have a toxic effect on the body.

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H O W E X A C T LY D O E S THE ENVIRONMENT I M PA C T O U R H E A LT H ?

•

Public health professionals have learned that the environment affects our health in a variety of ways, including: •

•

Air quality: It’s no secret that humans need air to survive. However, we don’t always do our part to keep it clean. Poor air quality has been linked to a wide range of health issues, including SIDS, lung cancer and COPD. Water and sanitation: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 780 million people around the world do not have access to safe drinking water. Even worse, more than 2.5 billion people lack access to proper sanitation services, such as clean restrooms. This lack of clean water and proper sanitation has been linked to staggering health issues for communities, including typhoid and other diarrheal diseases that can even lead to death for young children. Waste and toxic substances: In today’s world, many of the materials needed to improve industries and technologies include heavy metals and plastics. When these materials are released into the environment, they can hurt the human body and even lead to serious medical conditions.

Homes and communities: Your home and community environments have a huge impact on your overall health and wellbeing. Think about it: We spend a majority of our time at home, work or school, so it’s important that these places are safe. For example, if you live in a neighborhood with polluted air or unsafe sidewalks, it can be difficult to get outside and exercise.

With a parent or guardian, you can check your own home for radon or lead paint to prevent exposure to toxic substances.

Rather than using plastic bags at the grocery store and throwing them away later, you can use reusable shopping bags to cut down on plastic waste. At the very least, recycle those plastic bags!

You’ve probably heard of this one: Reduce, reuse, and recycle! Reducing the amount of “stuff” you use and consume has the greatest benefit for our environment.

Talk with your local government about investing in environmental health activities to ensure every neighborhood has access to safe environments to live, work and play.

HOW CAN WE PROTECT AND IMPROVE OUR E N V I R O N M E N TA L H E A LT H ?

Unlike diet and exercise, many environmental health factors are not something that we can manage or fix by ourselves. Rather, combatting these risks requires action on the local, federal and international level through environmental laws, policies and protection programs. However, there are many things you can do to protect the environmental health and safety of your family and community. Here are a few ideas to get you started: 1.

Reduce your carbon footprint and improve air quality by riding your bike, taking the bus or carpooling with a friend to school.

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There’s no better way to celebrate Mother Nature than by making some environmentally friendly crafts. Here are two fun projects you can make using recycled materials from around your home or out in nature.

Wonderful windsocks Making windy days fun is a total breeze with your very own windsock, a light, flexible cylinder or cone you set up outside to show the direction and strength of the wind.

With Eco-Friendly Nature Creations

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Here’s what you’ll need: • A cylindrical oatmeal container • Crepe paper or fabric strips • Construction paper • Tape, glue or staples • Paint or markers (optional) Here’s how it’s done: 1. Remove the lid and cut off the bottom of your cylindrical oatmeal container.

Cover the container with construction paper of your choosing. Make it colorful!

Decorate your container. You can use paint, makers, glitter or even stickers. The most important part here is that you get creative and have fun.

Glue, tape or staple your crepe paper and/or fabric strips to the inside of one end of your container.

Punch four holes in the other end of your container (opposite from where you added the crepe paper and/or fabric strips).

Tie one string, about 12 inches long, to two opposing holes, and another string to the other two holes.

Gather your two strings with a third, longer piece of string. You will use this string to hang up your windsock.

Here’s how it’s done: 1. Take a walk with your parent or guardian to collect some sticks, feathers, leaves, flowers and anything else you can find. You will use these nature materials to create your nature picture. PRO TIP: FLAT OBJECTS WORK BEST!

Once you’ve collected your materials, set up your workspace. Be sure to cover the area you'll be working on with newspaper or old magazines.

Lay your nature items flat on the newspaper. (Optional: Carefully brush a layer of craft glue over each item. Sprinkle glitter or powdered paint over items to add a special touch. Let the craft glue dry.)

Now, arrange your nature items on a piece of construction paper. This will be the base of your nature picture. Take time to experiment with the arrangement of your design.

When you're all done, hang your windsock outside a window where you can easily see it from inside. Now, you can watch your masterpiece blowing in the wind!

DIY nature pictures This fun experiment requires you to get out outdoors and explore nature. When you’re done, paint what you’ve found and use your colorful objects to create a scenic landscape. Here’s what you’ll need: • Nature materials (e.g., flowers, feathers, sticks, leaves, stones, etc.) • Paint and paint brush • Small mixing bowl or paper plate for your paints • Newspaper • Construction paper • Craft glue, tape, scissors • Glitter, powdered paint (optional)

PRO TIP: CHOOSE A COLOR OF CONSTRUCTION PAPER THAT WILL HIGHLIGHT THE COLORS OF YOUR NATURE ITEMS!

Once you’re happy with your design, carefully lift each nature item and put a drop of glue on its backside. Then, lightly press it back in place on the construction paper. Let the glue dry.

When you’re done, hang your picture for friends and family to see! These nature pictures make great refrigerator and wall art.

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HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR YOUR TRASH TO BREAK DOWN? TETRA PACKS

PLASTIC-COATED PAPER

LEATHER

SODA CAN

PLASTC BOTTLE

PVC CARDS

PHONE CARDS, IDS, ETC

WHY IS LITTERING BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT? 12

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2-5 WEEKS

1-5 YEARS

CIGARETTE BUTT

5YEARS

10-20 YEARS

PLASTIC BAG

50 YEARS

OUR LIFETIME

FRUIT PEEL

50 YEARS

STYROFOAM CUP

80-100 YEARS

100 YEARS

BATTERIES

450 YEARS

500 YEARS

DIAPERS AND SANITARY NAPKINS

1K YEARS

1M YEARS

GLASS BOTTLE

Trash that ends up in the sea is often eaten by animals that live there, which can harm or even kill them. It is also a problem for us humans. We are at the top of the food chain, which means we end up eating our trash! It also ruins the beauty of the sea, stops tourists from coming back, damages boats and carries diseases.

WWW.GREENFINS.NET

BOOMERANG BOOKSHELF WANT TO READ MORE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT? THE END OF THE WILD BY NICOLE HELGET GONE CAMPING BY TAMERA WISSINGER HOOT BY CARL HIAASEN WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS BY CAROLE LINSTROM TREE OF DREAMS BY LAURA RESAU Check these books out at the Hancock County Public Library. For more book suggestions, ask at the children's desk.

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TAKE CARE OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT WATER AIR ENVIRONMENT ECOLOGY SUSTAINABLE NATURE WIND RECYCLE SOLAR SKY EARTH 20 14

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S G Y L E O N E A B N T O L

I S R I E W R T T E I N E E

T K O K Y A T A K A E N A B

I Y O N G S T I B Y A N B R

U U U A O R R R T E I O P Y

A I D T L E C U E E E R L C

A K A U O T E W A R C G A N

R L R R C A U R N R B D N L

W O N E E W T I U Y T T T E

A S S L Y H B N N T A I S W

E S U S T A I N A B L E O I

N T T N E M N O R I V N E N

N N S Y C I I Y S N S E R D

E L C Y C E R A T R A L O S

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Become the healthiest generation ever!

When you know more about your health and how to take care of it, you can be more, do more and have more fun — starting now!