Answer questions related to E = mc2 by collecting information
from library resources.
Ages: 10-14
Time: 1 to 1-1/2 hours
Group Size: 10-20 kids
Materials (per pair): Nametags, copy of E = mc2 Scavenger
Hunt activity sheet, pencils, prizes
Get Ready
Advertise the scavenger hunt
Choose a date and time for the hunt.
Three weeks before, begin advertising via posters in the
children's, young adult, and reference sections; notices on library bulletin
boards, Web site, and in library newsletter; and through young adult groups
(homework clubs or book clubs). Let kids know they can win prizes.
Sign up participants
Post a sign-up sheet at the children's, young adult, and main
desk. Participants should include their names, ages, email addresses, and phone
numbers.
Have a waiting list in case you have cancellations.
Call all participants to confirm attendance the day before
the hunt. Use the waiting list to fill any cancellations.
Recruit staff members to help run the event.
Prepare the hunt
Survey the questions on the E = mc2 Scavenger
Hunt activity sheet. Revise or replace any questions that can't be answered
with your library's resources.
Photocopy the E = mc2 Scavenger
Hunt activity
sheet on colorful paper. Make extra copies.
Make and post clues for the final question. Collect four index
cards and write one of the letter sets (at right) on each of the cards. Then
post each card in a visible place near relevant resource sections (such as the
reference section, card/computer catalog, biography section, science experiment
section, and journals/periodicals section). Participants will copy the letter
sets as they find them, then unscramble the letters to answer the final
question.
Download video clip from NOVA program "Einstein's Big Idea" at:
www.pbs.org/nova/einstein
Obtain prizes (see ideas at right).
Do a test run
Check hunt resources and final question "clues" to make sure none
have been moved or hidden behind other items.
Make sure any "off-limits" areas are clearly indicated.
Prepare the start area
Set up a sign-in table staffed by library personnel.
Supply blank nametags and markers for participants to make
nametags.
Provide snacks and drinks if permitted.
Run the Event
Welcome
Welcome and sign in participants. Direct them to the Start Area
where they can make nametags and have snacks while waiting for others to
arrive.
Do a short icebreaker activity to help people get to know each
other. Use your favorite, or try one of these suggestions:
Each person in the circle says his or her name and favorite breakfast cereal.
Each person receives a slip of paper with half a famous scientist's name on it
(e.g., Albert . . . Einstein, Marie . . . Curie, Galileo . . . Galilei, Isaac .
. . Newton, Niels . . . Bohr, Antoine . . . Lavoisier, Enrico . . . Fermi),
then has to find the other half. Each pair exchanges names and a little
information about themselves.
Connect the hunt to E = mc2. Explain that 2005
marks the centennial of Einstein's famous equation E = mc2.
Ask participants to share what they know about the equation. Offer some
background and/or show a clip of the NOVA program "Einstein's Big Idea" to
introduce the young Einstein and other scientists whose work laid the essential
groundwork for the equation (available at www.pbs.org/nova/einstein).
Form pairs for the hunt. Let participants form their own pairs or
stay in the pairs created during the icebreaker activity.
Explain the rules
Hunt Rules: The Hunt is made up of questions related to Einstein
and E = mc2. To answer the questions, you need to find an
appropriate library resource. One of the goals is to explore the library, so
we've placed clues on four index cards near key resources for some of the
questions. (This means you can't rely on the computer only to finish the Hunt!)
When your sheet is complete, return to the Start Area to have it checked. Pairs
with accurately completed sheets receive a prize! Remember, it's not about
doing it the fastest, but about using the library to find all the
information.
Emphasize any "ground rules" for working in the library, such as
respect off-limits areas, keep noise to a minimum, and don't move any clues.
Set a time limit, such as 45 minutes, if necessary.
Distribute materials
Give each pair a copy of the activity sheet and a pencil. To
avoid a stampede, assign "start clues" by circling different numbers on each
copy of the sheet, and instruct pairs to start their search on the circled
item.
The hunt is on! Library personnel can circulate to assist or
clarify as necessary.
Wrap up
Check answers and share discoveries. Ask which clues they
found most difficult. If there were any "stumpers," review them with the group.
Invite participants to share something new or interesting they learned.
Find out what worked. Ask participants to fill out a brief
evaluation (be sure to ask what they would suggest you do differently if
repeating the event).
Hand out prizes. Offer the same prize for all
participants, or have one prize for participating and another for completing
the sheet, as appropriate for your group.
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Big Ideas
Science is a process of inquiry. The legacy of E =
mc2 continues.
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Final Question Clues
CR
EP
AI
LPP
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Prize Ideas
Einstein- or science-themed bookmark, pencil, or pocket notebook
Pass to a local science museum
Book from the resource lists
Einstein-themed dolls, mugs, t-shirts, and posters (available at science
museum gift shops or such Web sites as www.physlink.com/estore and
www.scienceteecher.com)
Coupon for a video store, movie theater, or ice cream shop
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Answers
Swiftness or speed; celeritas; dictionary
Answers will vary
Answers will vary
Stockholm; almanac, atlas, or encyclopedia
Journals might include Science (weekly) and Nature (weekly);
magazines might include Scientific American (monthly), Discover
(monthly), and Popular Physics (monthly); periodicals area or in an
online database
Answers will vary
Exit sign; locations will vary
Final Question: Paper clip
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Lise Meitner (Emily Woof) and her nephew, physicist Otto Robert Frisch, were
the first to understand that uranium atoms could be split. They calculated how
much energy would be released each time a uranium nucleus underwent
fission—a dramatic example of E = mc2.
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