Science Experiments

Here are some pictures from the chemistry exploration class I led on Monday. I got many of the materials for the projects from SteveSpanglerScience.com. If you haven't checked out their website I would highly recommend it!

In the above picture J is making "worms". She squirted worm goo (sodium alginate) into a worm activator solution and she made a gel-like worm. Sodium alginate is a polymer(large molecules made by linking smaller molecules together).

I also brought in Diary of a Worm for the kids to read.

These cuties are playing with Insta-snow(also from SteveSpangler). The Insta-snow is really sodium polyacrylate. It's the same substance used in baby diapers to absorb liquids. It's also a polymer. I brought in the book Axle Annie to go with this activity.

Here J and the other children are making molecules out of marshmallows and toothpicks.



That stuff is oobleck-a mixture of cornstarch and water. If you punch it, it's a solid; if you pick it up, it's a liquid.


And of course, you can't do chemistry and not make slime. Mix 1/4 tsp. borax in 1/4 cup water in one cup. Next, mix 1/8 cup elmer's glue and 1/8 cup water in another cup. Mix the 2 cups together and voila! you have slime.

This is a "lava lamp". Take a Stevespangler test tube and fill it 2/3 of the way with cooking oil. Then fill it up almost to the top with water. Add a few drops of food coloring and about 1/4 of an alka seltzer. It's very cool.

I love these things. You take these little tiny, clear balls and stick them in water. This is how they look after about an hour. If you let them sit for 5 or 6 hours they turn into marble sized spheres that have absorbed 300-400 times their original weight in liquid. It's really a lesson in osmosis.

I did a few other experiments but don't have pictures. One of the cooler ones was a bouncing egg. I took a raw egg and placed it in a cup of vinegar for 24 hours. The vinegar dissolved the egg shell and I was left with an egg that felt sort of slimy and rubbery. First I tried bouncing it from about 3 inches. It bounced! Then a little higher, still bounced. When I tried bouncing it from about 8 inches it went splat. I'll have to try that one again-it was amazing!

You can also check out J's videos of the chemistry class in posts below.

Making the most of the sunshine!

It's been dreary here for the last week or so with more clouds/rain in the forecast. So, when I woke up this morning and saw the sun I decided we needed to spend the day outside. J and B went out early and played on the swing set. J spent a long time setting up the swing so she could get on it from the slide and then drop off the slide and swing. Does that make any sense? I should have taken a picture. Then, it was woodworking time. They played a game in which J was teaching woodworking to B. B was busy making holes in his sticks by rubbing one stick on another (should have taken a picture of that too).

Next, I boiled up some eggs and they decorated them outside. They had a lot of fun with this and kept their eggs simple this year. We were going to have a picnic but the clouds came back and with it cooler weather. We felt lucky to be out for the best part of the day!

Juggling oobleck and singing too

This video is from a chemistry class I was leading today. B spent most of his time playing with oobleck. The parents got in on the fun too! You can view another of J's videos on a previous post below.

Besides chemistry, this is what B learned today-how to climb walls! He says he is now a master spider.

I

There's a lot "growing" on in our house

Here's our new hanging plant. Yes, it is a carrot! It should have lovely greens before long. I got the idea out of Get Growing! by Lois Walker.

Then there's the fairy house(still waiting for an occupant).

Our eggshells have sprouted wheat grass. Just in time for Easter!

And then there are the seeds that I've started all over the house.



I can't wait to get planting outside!

April 3

Planting lots of seeds!

A little Easter craft.

I got you chickadee!

Can you guess what the inspiration for this candle holder was?

Thursday

Yesterday was a warm, sunny day. Yeah! We spent time outside swinging and observing nature. I brought out the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock (a gem) and we learned all about the parts of the crocus. I thought the crocus was a bulb but it's really a corm. Who knew?!

Then it was inside for some experimenting with eggs. I gave J and B a plastic bag, a few pieces of cardboard from a paper towel tube, a sheet of paper and tape. They had to somehow keep the hard boiled egg from breaking when dropped from 10 ft. The first time they tried it broke.

But, the second time they tried, (after making a few adaptations) not a crack. Yeah!

Next, we did some egg etching. We took a hard boiled egg and drew pictures on it with a crayon. We placed the egg in vinegar for 2 hours. Then we emptied that vinegar and put in fresh vinegar and let it sit for 2 more hours. When we took it out and washed it off the crayon was gone and the picture was "etched" onto the egg. It was pretty cool. I tried taking a picture of the etching but it didn't come out. The vinegar is an acid and it dissolves the calcium carbonate on the part of the shell that it touches. The wax in the crayon keeps that part from dissolving.

Then it was off to swimming a tennis!

And yes, for family members who wonder if we ever get to the 3 R's, we did. Well, we got to reading and math. J finished a book she was reading (Rules) and worked on division with two digit answers and B and I read together and he worked on multiplication. :)