Showing posts with label absorption. Show all posts
Showing posts with label absorption. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Earthworm Study





Students explore worm adaptations and perform 5 lab experiments. Plus they get to create a worm hotel for the classroom!

Included (18 pages):
11 pdf presentation slides
Lab 1 Structural Adaptations: label / estimate / measure / describe attributes / review worm parts
Lab 2 Behavioral Adaptations: light / moisture / sound experimentation
Lab 3 Worm Observation: build a worm hotel instructions / observation sheet
Lab 4 Predator and Prey: draw worms in natural habitat (tunnels) / draw 3 predators / draw 2 worm food items
Lab 5 Straw Paper Work Trick: instructions for kids / kids draw their paper worm


Friday, May 31, 2013

Capacity Relay Race

Split kids up into 2 teams. Give each team a bucket of water and a sponge. Across from each team set up different sized containers (cup, liter, gallon -also can include- pint, quart, half gallon) in a line. Kids within a team take turns racing to fill a gallon of water! 

First, they must fill up their cup by dipping the sponge into the bucket of water and squeezing the water out into the cup. Once the cup is filled, they dump it into the next item. The item won't be filled after a single cup. So, the next team member races to fill up another cup. Once the bottle is filled, they write down how many cups it took to fill the bottle. 

Then, they dump it into the next sized container. The water won't fill up the container. They have to start racing to fill up a cup again and figure out how many cups will fill up this container. 

The winner is the first team to fill up the last, largest container and have the correct answers written down (how many cups are in each container)!

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Sand Castle Experiment

This surface tension experiment comes from The Indianapolis Public Library Kid Blog! Students explore measuring by adding different amounts of water to 1 cup of sand to see what water to sand ratio makes the ideal sand castle. They investigate fractions when measuring their water (1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 1 cup). They construct a total of four mini cup castles (using different amounts of water for each one). Then, they estimate how many pennies each "castle" will hold. Which castle do they think will be the strongest? They count out the pennies, as they lay them on top of each cup castle. Can any of their mini castles hold 25 pennies? Which castle was the strongest? Visit IPL Kid Blog for the scientific explanation behind this experiment!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Celery With A Twist

Can you change the flavor of celery? Everyone knows the old experiment with celery, food coloring, and water to show kids how plants transport water through xylems. But, what would happen if we dissolved sugar in water? Could a celery stalk suck it up? Dissolve 2 tbsp in 1/4 cup of warm water and stir. Let the sugar dissolve completely. In another glass, just pour 1/4 cup water. In a third glass, demonstrate the classic celery / food coloring (1/4 cup water, 1/2 tsp food coloring). Finally, in another glass pour 1/4 cup of fruit punch, juice, or soda (any beverage of your choice). Optional: Spike's Science says to add sand before adding your liquid to keep your celery positioned. Then, wash your celery after the experiment to remove the sand. Now, cut  an inch off the bottom of each of your celery stalks. Leave the leafy part on top. Then, add one stalk to each of your liquids.

When the food coloring has travelled up the celery, you know the experiment is ready! If you added sand, clean your celery with water. Cut the celery up and taste it (not the colored celery, just your flavored and plain)! What happened? The celery with sugar is now sweet! You changed the flavor, amazing! Experiment with other flavors.

Note: To speed up the experiment, use a blow dryer pointed down on top of the celery's leaves. Visit Science on the Shelves for the scientific explanation. 

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Salt-Absorbing Art and Science

photo credit: Third Graders Dreaming Big

Integrate science and art with this awesome activity from Third Graders, Dreaming Big! Visit Third Graders, Dreaming Big to see this artful science experiment in action!

materials:
White or black construction paper
Elmer's glue 
Table salt 
Dropper 
Water 
Food Coloring 

instructions: 

1. Squirt glue in a cool design on construction paper. 

2. Pour salt over the top and shake excess off .

3.  Mix water with food coloring.

4. Use dropper and drop liquid color on the salt.

The salt will absorb the colored water and move along your design!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Traveling Water



Experiment with color mixing and traveling water! Visit All for Kids to check out their experiment (featured above)!