Each year we try to change up the variables by doing it several different ways. Look at this awesome experiment!
One year we built volcanoes around the Diet Coke bottle and then exploded our volcanoes by dropping in the candy. I gave the students extra points if they dislodged the paper animals they had placed around the base of the volcano. I know. Kind of gruesome when you think about it but I do teach 10 year old boys!!
You could try a different number of mentos or different brands of soda. The possibilities are endless. I really would buy more than one bottle of soda and pack of candy. Creating this geyser is so much fun!
For Potions this week, the Hogwarts Students get to make Instant Slushies in the Kitchen. All you need is your freezer and your favorite bottle of soda!
Here are the instructions from Chemistry.About.Com.
Any soda or soft drink works for this. The slushy project works especially well with 16-oz or 20-oz carbonated soft drinks, since the fizz fluffs up the ice. It's also easiest to use a plastic bottle.
Start with a room temperature soda. You could use any temperature, but it's easy to get a handle on how long it takes to supercool the liquid if you know your approximate starting temperature.
Shake up the bottle and place it in a freezer. Do not disturb the soda while it is chilling or else it will simply freeze.
After about 3 to 3-1/2 hours, carefully remove the bottle from the freezer. Each freezer is a little different, so you may need to adjust the time for your conditions. Handle it carefully without jarring or shaking the bottle which could result in premature freezing.
Gently open the bottle, releasing pressure slowly, and pour the soda into a chilled cup. This will cause it to freeze into slush while you pour.
Isn't this magic trick awesome! I first came across this idea as an object lesson that can teach some pretty cool lessons.
For example: This instant slushy can illustrate what happens when kids make bad choices. They might start lying to their parents or smoking or drinking alcohol. You may not notice a visible difference in them right away. But we shouldn't be tricked. The consequences are real for making bad choices and will show up eventually. Take to your family about some of the consequences of making bad choices while you enjoy your delicious instant slushy.
For Herbology this week, the Hogwarts Students get to create a Worm Farm in a Jar. Below are some instructions from eHow. More great instructions come from A Mom with a Lesson Plan.
I think finding the worms is half the fun! Look under rocks, or on the sidewalks after it rains. You can check your garden or lawn after the sprinklers have been running. If your Mom or Dad says it is okay, you can dig a small hole with a shovel and find worms. Head outside at night with a flashlight. Worms are more active at night.
1 Drill six or eight small holes in the jar's lid. This will provide your worms with plenty of air. 2
Place a 1-inch layer of garden or potting soil into the bottom of the jar. Add a 1-inch layer of sand. Repeat this alternate layering of soil and sand to almost fill the jar. Leave 1 inch of space between the top of the jar and the upper surface of sand or soil.
3
Slowly add about ¾ cup of water to the jar.
4
Provide a food supply for your worms by putting some dead leaves and grass clippings on top of the sand and soil. These critters also like coffee grounds and rolled oats, so add some of either or both if you wish.
5
Gently place your worms into the top of the jar, and cap it tightly. Place the jar in a location free of direct sunlight. Since worms become active after the sun goes down, put the jar into a brown paper lunch bag and tie some twine or string around the bag just under the jar's lid. They'll think it's nighttime and become active, creating tunnels all through the worm farm. Make sure that you don't cover up the air holes, though.
6
Watch your worm farm for a week or two. They'll be fine for this amount of time as long as they have food and moisture. Make sure they always have plenty of grass clippings and dead leaves. Add about ¾ cup of water every 3 to 4 days, or when the soil dries out.
7
Release the worms gently in a shady area of your yard when you're through enjoying your farm. Remove the lid from the jar and lay it on its side on the ground. They will eventually find their way out of the jar and back into their natural habitat.
Today in class we made Insta-Worms. I love this project from Steve Spangler Science. You squeeze the magic worm goo into the worm activator liquid and immediately you have slimy, gooey, oozy worms that are so much fun to touch and to play with.
You can dye them lots of different colors with simple food coloring. You can learn all about the chemistry involved with cross-linking and polymers. But mostly you can have fun! This would make a great start for a science fair project. We had contests to see who could make the longest worm and who could make the fattest worm. We made worm webs and worm eggs. You can dry them out and then rehydrate them. It was a ball.
They would also make a great cub scout activity or project for activity day girls. They would make the perfect addition to a science themed birthday party. They always work out-- no wondering if your science experiment will flop. And they are always a huge hit!
Spring is in the air and worms are out to play.
Order some today.
Here are a few other activities we have done to round out our study of reptiles. I have to admit I am not a reptile lover but these activities were lots of fun.
For this activity, the students made a paper lizard and then put him outside in different areas with a thermometer to see how his temperature varied in the sun and in the shade. Here the students took a picture of their lizard with the iPad's infa-red camera feature! Doesn't that look fun!
You can also follow the instructions at the link above to move your lizard around during the day and try to keep him alive by staying within his safe temperature zone! I think this would make the beginnings of a terrific elementary science experiment.
For this activity I gathered up 10 different scents and put the scents on cotton balls. I made two cotton balls for each scent. Then I put the cotton balls in envelopes, mixed them up,and handed one envelope to each student. The scents were not labeled in any way. The students then had to wander around the room and sniff each other's envelopes until they could find their match. It was not as easy as it seems. This was lots of fun!
Toad Houses
The Reptiles Alive Website also has fun ideas for building toad houses out of clay pots.
Here are some other amazing toad house designs from Pinterest.
This website also has word searches and other fun reptile ideas.
Here is another one of the student's great camo chameleons. I found the camo chameleon idea at reptiles alive as well. Find that here.
And here is a fantastic Ted Talk for reptile and robot enthusiasts. Learn how scientists are using gecko feet as model for building robots that can scale walls. Take that Spiderman!
All of these ideas would be fun for a reptile inspired birthday party or summer camp day!
We are studying reptiles and I found this fun activity that you can do with chameleons.
Just print out the five different colored backgrounds and the black and white drawing of the chameleon. Find everything you need at this site: Camo Chameleon
Then have your kids color their chameleon so that he blends in with the background that you put him on. I have included some of my students work so far.
They loved this activity.
They also loved these fun camouflage videos that I used to go along with this unit.
To go along with our reptile unit, we did these fun egg geodes! They were simple and easy and created such a unique result. The kids were excited to pull them out of the alum solution after just 1 day.
Thanks again to Steve Spangler Science for another award winning activity. Find all the instructions here.
I don't know how many times I have seen the fireworks milk experiment on the internet or in science books or on Pinterest and I told myself that I was going to do that sometime. But, of course, I never got around to it. I finally tried it today and it was is so easy and fascinating that I am kicking myself for not trying it sooner. We were finishing up our unit on mammals and starting our unit on reptiles. I wanted some experiments that had to do with understanding their differences.
The milk experiment was to illustrate the point that all mammals depend on their mothers and on mother's milk. After they are born they need their mothers in order to survive.
Find the instructions for this experiment at the link below.
On the other hand, reptiles are independent from the moment they hatch from their eggs and can survive on their own.
Notice how we practiced with a plastic egg first before trying the real thing!
The egg drop experiment was a fun way to illustrate the reptile point of view. They kick the support system out of the way early on (the pie plate and cardboard tube) and launch into the water on their own.
Even if you aren't learning about reptiles or mammals in your house, try these two easy experiments out today! I am sure you already have the supplies on hand. As you learn and explore together you can emphasize how important MOMS are to mammals, including human children! (It never hurts to put in a plug for the moms in the world. We are an amazing species!) You can mention how life really wouldn't go on without MOMS. I for one am so grateful that God made us the way that he did. I am so glad that we get to depend on our families. I wouldn't have it any other way!
Thanks Steve Spangler for these great experiments! I LOVE their website.
Are your little ones acting like wild animals this winter? Then these party ideas are for you! Whether you have a winter birthday celebration to plan or are just looking for a reason to party, pick some of the ideas below for some wild and crazy fun.
1. Watch this fantastic TED talk about Leopards, Lions and other Big Cats. Derek and Beverly Joubert are amazing and the footage they capture is incredible. My students loved this video.
2. Make some Elephant Toothpaste.
We were so inspired by the elephant who wouldn't give up in the video above that we made this toothpaste in her honor. The chemical reaction is so fun to watch and this toothpaste just doesn't quit either! I purchased the 6 % Hydrogen Peroxide at a local Taylor Maid Beauty Supply Store for just $4.00.
We are reading the book "I am Malala" in our school class and apparently snow bears are much more common in the Swat Valley of Pakistan than more traditional snowmen. Try this multi-cultural version of snow play for a fun change.
11. Hunt for Peanuts. Give each party guest a bucket and instruct them to act like elephants as they hunt for shelled peanuts around the house. (Check for peanut allergies first.) The one with the most peanuts at the end wins.
12. Play Animal Charades. Free printable animal charade cards are found at the link below from Layers of Learning.
