Squeaks and I were outside enjoying the day when Squeaks asked me a big question: “Why is the sky blue?” This is what I like to call an epic question. Epic questions are big, important questions about things we see, feel, or think about almost every day. Let’s find out why the sky is blue!
Have you ever noticed how the sky is a pretty blue color? It all starts with light from our big, bright Sun. Even though it looks white, sunlight is actually made up of all the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. These colors are all mixed together, so we usually don’t see them separately.
When sunlight reaches the Earth, it hits tiny particles in the air. These particles scatter the light in all directions. Blue light scatters more than the other colors, which is why the sky looks blue to us!
Another epic question Squeaks asked was, “Why is fire hot?” Fire is hot because it gives off energy. When something burns, like wood in a fireplace, it changes and releases energy as heat. This process is called combustion.
For something to burn, it needs three things: fuel (like wood), oxygen (a part of the air), and heat (to get it started). Once a fire starts, it uses up energy and gives off heat. When the fuel is all burned up, the fire goes out.
One of the most epic questions is, “Where did the Earth come from?” Scientists believe the Earth formed from a huge cloud of dust and gas in space over 4 billion years ago. This cloud was shaken, possibly by a nearby star explosion, causing the dust and gas to come together.
As the dust and gas clumped together, the center became very hot and formed the Sun. Gravity pulled the remaining dust and gas into rings around the Sun, eventually forming the planets, including Earth.
Dreams are like movies playing in our heads while we sleep. Scientists think dreams might help us sort out our memories and feelings from the day. During sleep, our brains work hard to organize information and prepare us for the next day.
Even though we don’t know exactly why we dream, we do know that sleep is important for learning and feeling good. Some people even get creative ideas from their dreams!
There are so many epic questions about our world, and finding the answers can be exciting and fun. If you have your own epic questions, keep asking and exploring. Who knows, you might discover something amazing!
Color Mixing Experiment: Gather some colored cellophane or transparent colored plastic sheets in red, blue, and green. Hold them up to the sunlight and observe how the colors mix to form new colors. Try layering the blue sheet over the others and notice how it changes the colors you see. Discuss how this relates to the way sunlight is made up of different colors and how blue light scatters more, making the sky appear blue.
Sky Observation Journal: Encourage the children to keep a journal for a week, observing the sky at different times of the day. Ask them to draw or describe the colors they see in the sky during sunrise, midday, and sunset. Discuss why the sky might look different at these times and how the scattering of light changes with the position of the sun.
Question Time: Ask the children to think of their own “epic questions” about the world around them. Write these questions down and discuss them as a group. Encourage them to think about how they might find answers to these questions through observation, experiments, or asking others. This activity helps them understand the importance of curiosity and exploration in learning.
