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PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE WEEK

LESSONS & ACTIVITIES

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE RULES

RULES FOR SAFE AND FUN SCIENCE

▪ Always have permission BEFORE you begin a project or experiment

▪ Have a lab partner, an adult, if you are working with anything sharp, hot, or with chemicals.

▪ Always protect your work area with old newspapers, a plastic drop cloth, or an old plastic table cloth.

▪ Only use equipment that is reserved for use with science experiments.

▪ Do not use glass containers accept under direct adult supervision. Use clean, dry plastic containers ... they don't shatter.

▪ Keep your hands away from your mouth and eyes. You could get germs or chemicals where they could injure you. (Remember how it feels to get shampoo in your eyes?)

▪ Wash your hands after each experiment!!

▪ NEVER EVER taste your ingredients or experiments unless your teacher says you may. Even if you are creating something edible, don't take one single sniff or nibble until you have their permission.

▪ Use safety goggles or plastic safety glasses and an apron when you work with stuff that might splatter and be harmful.

▪ Dispose of experiments and project in the proper container. Never pour anything down the drain or in the toilet without permission.

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

COLUMNS

Time

10 minutes

Materials

(per group of two)

• 2 empty toilet-paper tubes (but have lots of extras, as kids will want to try again and again)

• sand or salt

• dishpan, tray, or

• cardboard box lid to catch any spilled sand or salt

• masking tape

• sturdy chair

• funnel

Icebreaker

Hold up a toilet-paper tube and announce that you are going to stand on it. Ask: Do you think this tube will hold me up? (Kids will probably say no; if they say yes, ask what the maximum weight they think it can support is–a car? an elephant?). Now introduce the activity challenge–to find a way to make a toilet-paper tube support a person's weight.

Lead the Activity

• Supervise this activity carefully to ensure kids' safety. Limit testing to one person at a time. Have someone sit in the chair to hold it steady while the tester leans on the back of the chair. 

• Instruct kids to step evenly on the top of the tube. They may observe on their own that a slight lean in any direction causes the tube to crumple more quickly on that side. Placing a piece of cardboard over the top of the tube may help distribute weight more evenly.

The Big Idea

Kids may find different solutions to increase the strength of the tube. Reinforcing the sides of the tube by wrapping it with bands of tape makes it a little stronger. The tape increases the stiffness of the sides of the tube and helps it resist buckling under the load. 

Placing tape over the ends of the tube and filling the tube with sand or salt increases its strength enough to hold a person's weight. The load is distributed evenly by the material inside the tube. The sand's tendency to spread out is resisted by the sides of the tube, which hold it in and enable it to support the load. In construction, a thin-walled column can be filled with inexpensive material which still greatly increases the column's strength in compression.

Build on It

Supply additional materials (such as marbles or pebbles) for kids to test their predictions. Possible outcome: Kids may find that the smaller particles work better because they push out more evenly against the sides of the column.

Make Connections

Math Use the tubes to discuss circumference, diameter, and area of circles. Ask kids to predict which can support a greater weight: a single column with a circumference of 24 cm or three columns with circumferences of 8 cm each? Have them test their predictions. Possible outcome: Kids will probably find that the answer depends on how they arrange the columns. Three smaller columns arranged a small distance apart in a triangular shape may support more weight than a single large central column. 

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

HANG IN THERE

Time

25–30 minutes

Materials

(per group of four)

• 60 cm (about 2 ft.) each of several cables, such as yarn, thread, dental floss, and fishing line

• 2 empty 2-liter plastic bottles with caps, or a metal bucket with handle

• 2 pipe cleaners, or a metal "s"-hook

• broomstick or pole

• dishpan

• measuring cup

• funnel

• sand, salt, or water

Icebreaker

Introduce the term "cable" by discussing elevators. Hold up a piece of yarn, string, or fishing line. Ask: Would you ride in an elevator hung from cables made of this material? (Kids will probably say no.) To show that it is surprisingly difficult to break the material in tension, wrap the ends of the cable around two pencils and pull the pencils apart. (The pencils keep you from hurting your hands.) Now introduce the activity–measuring just how much weight different cables can support.

Lead the Activity

• Instruct kids to pour the sand only as fast as it passes through the funnel. This prevents clogging the opening and allows more accurate measurement of how much sand the cable can hold before it breaks. If you are using water, tell kids to support the bottle as they add each cupful of water, and then replace the bottle cap before letting go of the bottle again. This will prevent spills when the cable breaks. 

• As the load gets heavier, have kids move the desks or chairs closer together to ensure that the broom handle doesn't break. If the soda bottle touches the floor before a cable breaks, the pole can be raised and held by hand.

The Big Idea

Unlike many other parts of structures, which experience combinations of compression and tension, cables support loads purely in tension. Thicker cables are not necessarily stronger than thinner cables. The particular material of the cable, as well as how the cable is formed, determine its strength and stretchiness. In this activity, kids will likely find that sewing thread is relatively weak and that fishing line is strong, with yarn and dental floss falling in between. Kids will probably be surprised at how much weight the different cables can support.  

Different uses require cables with different degrees of stretchiness. For example, the non-stretchy wires that support tall radio towers keep the towers from moving too much. On the other hand, because ship mooring cables are stretchy, they can act as shock absorbers during storms. A fishing line's stretchiness allows it to absorb a sharp but short jerk that would snap a non-stretchy cable.  

Build on It

Possible outcome: Kids may try twisting or braiding several lengths of cable or wrapping different kinds of cable together. Draw comparisons to the actual methods used in suspension bridges and elevator cables. (You may wish to show the video segment suggested above.)

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

NEWSPAPER TOWER

Time

10 minutes

Materials

(per group of two)

• 2 unfolded sheets of newspaper

• ruler

• hand wipes for cleanup

Introduce the Activity

Hold up an index card and announce that you want to stand it up on a table. Ask kids if they think you can do this. (They will probably laugh and say no.) Stand the card up on one edge so that it falls over. Ask: Is there anything I can do to make this card stand up? (Kids may suggest changing the shape of the paper by folding it, curving it into a column, or tearing the bottom to make "feet.")

Lead the Activity

• Remind kids to brainstorm all the ways they can alter the paper. Encourage them to think about shapes and stability. Reinforce that looking at what other groups are doing is OK; this is not a competition between groups, but rather a chance to learn from others' discoveries.  

• As groups finish and measure their towers, take a group "tour" of the results. Ask: What forces are affecting these towers? (Use one tower as a model to point out that gravity and the dead load of the tower are pushing down, the surface is pushing back up, and small air movements are adding forces from the side.) What different solutions did groups come up with to counteract these forces? What is similar about the taller structures? (Encourage kids to point out creative uses of shapes, fastening techniques, wide bases, and other solutions to balancing and stiffening their towers.)

The Big Idea

The strength of a building material can depend on how it is used. Pleating or rolling paper can increase its stiffness. By crumpling, folding, and otherwise reshaping the flimsy flat sheets and by forming a wide base, kids can make the newspaper stand up. 

Many forces are at work on towers. Gravity and the dead load of the tower push down, the ground pushes back up, and small air movements push from the side. A foundation distributes the load into the surrounding ground material and can help balance the sideways wind force. The size of the foundation depends on the strength of the supporting ground. A foundation placed in rock can be smaller than a foundation placed in sand or mud.

Build on It

• Possible outcome: Kids may use the tape to stiffen the newspaper, particularly at the base, or to hold stable shapes such as triangles or columns together.  

• Discuss the difference between dead load (the weight of the tower itself) and live load (the weight of the golf ball).

Make Connections

Physical Education Have kids compare how well they can balance with their feet together and apart. (Apart is more stable.) Brainstorm things that have wide bases for stability (snowshoes, skis, traffic cones). What spacing between their feet feels most stable? How can kids apply this knowledge in basketball, wrestling, or gymnastics? 

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

PAPER BRIDGE

Time

20–30 minutes

Materials

(per group of two)

• plain paper (such as photocopier paper)

• 5 paper clips

• ruler

• 2 books or blocks

• at least 100 pennies, metal washers, or other small weights

• scissors

Introduce the Activity

Hold up a single piece of paper. Ask: How many pennies do you think a bridge made out of this paper can hold? After kids make some guesses, lay the sheet of paper flat across two books placed 20 cm (about 8 in.) apart. With the kids keeping count, place pennies on the bridge, near the middle, until the bridge fails. (It will hold only a few.) Now introduce the activity challenge.

Lead the Activity

• Ask kids questions about their designs. What can they do to the paper to make it stronger? Should they cut the paper? How can they use the paper clips? (Kids may accordion-pleat the paper, roll it, or cut it into strips and weave them together. The paper clips could be used to stiffen folded paper.) 

• Have a discussion about different types of bridges kids have seen. How long were they? How tall? What were the bridges designed to transport (e.g., trains, cars, people)? What other considerations went into designing the bridges (e.g., earthquakes, boat traffic)? 

• As kids test their bridges, suggest that they observe the bridges closely to determine where they fail.

The Big Idea

Changing the shape of a material can change the way it resists forces. Although a piece of paper seems flexible and weak, it can be folded, rolled, twisted, or otherwise altered to support quite a bit of weight. Folding the paper helps it to resist bending forces created by the live load of the pennies on top of the bridge. The paper can be folded into the shape of an I-beam or accordion-pleated, as shown below. Rolling the paper around the pennies and fastening the ends with paper clips is another possible solution.

Build on It

• Use this opportunity to discuss that while engineers cannot build multiple full-size bridges to test their ideas, they use models and computer simulations to test and redesign structures.

• Possible outcome: Kids will probably find that the bridge can support more weight distributed along the bridge than at a single point.

Make Connections

Social Studies Have small groups of kids each choose a bridge featured in the video or another large bridge. Each group should create an advertisement for their bridge that highlights what they think is most important to the people in the bridge's community. Encourage kids to use both text and images to convey their message.  

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

MODEL CAR DESIGN

Model Racers

Before a new car makes it to the showroom, various prototypes must be tested and evaluated. In this activity, you'll get a chance to design your own model car. You'll use a variety of materials to construct a vehicle that travels the greatest distance on balloon power. During your trials, you'll use what you observe to update and improve your design and understanding of model car mechanics.

Materials

• Milk carton

• Balloon

• Scissors

• Wheels from a toy car (or heavy stock paper disks)

• Paper clips

• Clay

• Tape

• Assortment of construction materials

 Procedure: Basic Prototype

1. Work in teams of two. Use a scissors to cut away the sides of a milk cartoon to form a basic chassis design that resembles the illustration show here. Punch a hole at the centre of the rear end of the chassis. The nozzle of the inflated balloon will be inserted and secured in this opening.

2. Use tape to attach four paper clips to the underside of the chassis. The extended "arms" of the clips will be used as axles on which to attach wheels.

3. After slipping on the wheels, place a pea-sized lump of clay on the tip of each clip. The clay will prevent the spinning wheels from moving off the paper clip axle.

[pic]

4. Blow up a balloon and insert its neck through the nozzle hole. Position your car on a test track and release the balloon nozzle. Observe and analyse its progress along the floor.

[pic]

5. How could you improve the efficiency of your model? What design changes would improve its performance? With your instructor's approval, update your design. Analyse the new model's performance. Did the changes help? If so, how?

Questions

1. What is the stored source of power for your model car?

2. What are the three most important factors that affect the performance of your vehicle?

3. What design factors are least applicable for transfer between your scale model and a full-sized vehicle? Explain.

Critical Stretch

Does a reused balloon have the same energy storage potential as a new balloon? Considering the challenges of balloon reuse, how can you best insure that your testing is not affected by changes in the balloon's stored energy?

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Egg Boat

Eggs Ahoy! Build a boat to make eggs floatMaterials Needed

Materials

▪ raw eggs

▪ 2 aluminium pie pans

▪ 2 plastic sandwich bags

▪ one meter of tape

▪ scissors

▪ large plastic container or your bathtub or sink filled with water

Instructions

1. Boats can hold lots of things-people, cargo, even cars. Can you make a boat that can hold eggs?

2. You can use two aluminium pie pans, two plastic sandwich bags, and one meter of tape.

3. Once you've built your boat, try it out in a wide plastic container filled with water.

How did you build your boat? How many eggs could it hold? Get together with some friends and have a contest to see whose boat can hold the most eggs without sinking.

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

The Amazing Egg

This is a fun experiment. It takes more than one day, but is a good illustration of the scientific principles. You will be turning an egg into a rubbery ball to found out how your cells get food.

Materials:

- 1 uncooked egg in its shell*

- jar with a lid (old mayonnaise or peanut butter jar)

- white vinegar

- measuring tape

Directions:

1. Wrap the measuring tape around the middle of the egg. Write down that measurement.

2. Place the egg inside the jar. Make sure that it does not crack as you are putting it in.

3. Pour enough white vinegar over the egg to completely cover it. Screw the lid of the jar back on.

4. Leave the egg in the jar for three days. Every once in a while, look to see if it is changing and how.

5. After three days, carefully take the egg out of the jar. Measure around the middle of the egg again.

What happened?

When you put the egg in the vinegar, you see bubbles. After three days the shell of the egg is gone and the egg has gotten bigger.

Why? The eggshell is made of a substance similar to limestone. When the acid in the vinegar touches the shell, there is a chemical reaction. The shell breaks down during the reaction, creating gases including carbon dioxide, resulting in the bubbles that you see.

Vinegar has water in it. The water moves through very small holes in the egg’s membrane. This process is called osmosis. As more water goes inside the egg, it gets bigger. This is the same way that nutrients move into your body’s cells.

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Bats 1

There are some animals that can’t see with their eyes very well, but they can still move safely and find food. Bats are one of these wonderful and unique animals.

Most bats send out sounds that bounce off objects and return to the bat’s ears as echoes. A bat can decide where objects are, how big objects are, even the shape of objects so they know what is food and what they might run into.

Sound travels through air, through water, and through solids. When you speak, sound vibrations travel from your mouth through the air. Here’s an activity to “see” like a bat.

What you need for this activity:

a helper

some kind of blindfold

Directions:

1. Place the blind fold over your eyes.

2. Ask your helper to click his/her fingers or slap his/her hands above you, behind you, to your right, to your left, below you, and directly in front of you.

3. Guess where the sound is coming from each time.

Which was the direction that was hardest to figure out? Why do you think so?

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SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Bats 2

Bats can tell what their prey is like by listening for changes in vibrations. Sound vibrations traveled through the air when your helper clicked fingers or clapped hands. But sound vibrations travel through liquids and solids too.

What you need for this activity:

a string

two small metal spoons

one large metal spoon

a helper

Directions:

1. Tie the string to one of the small spoon handles so that the spoon hangs in the middle of the string.

2. Wind one end of the string around one finger and the other end of the string around the other finger.

3. Put your left finger lightly in the entrance of your left ear. Put your right finger lightly in the entrance of your right ear.

4. Lean forward so the spoon hangs loosely. Ask your helper to lightly tap the other small spoon against the hanging spoon. Describe what you hear.

5. Tie the string in the same exact way to the large spoon and repeat step #4.

6. Now, do steps #4 and #5 again. But this time keep your eyes closed. Describe how you can tell the difference in sounds between the small spoon and the large spoon.

Questions to Answer: 1. Describe how this experiment might show how bats and some other animals might find their prey.

2. Name some animals that you think use sound vibrations to find food and to move safely through their environment.

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

BLOWING UP A BALLOON

Materials:

7 inch balloon

a glass soda bottle (6 ounce or 10 ounce size)

drinking straw

ball of clay (about walnut size)

masking tape

scissors

Directions:

1. Use the scissors to cut the lip (the rolled part at the opening) off of the balloon.

2. Pull the balloon over the straw until it covers one half inch of the straw.

3. Wrap tape around the edge of the balloon so it is attached to the straw and no air can leak out around the edges of where it is cut.

4. Place the straw and balloon inside the soda bottle so that the balloon almost touches the bottom of the bottle.

5. Press the clay around the straw and the mouth of the bottle to make the bottle airtight, except where the straw sticks out. Make sure to leave enough straw outside the bottle to be able to blow into it.

6. Blow into the straw. Can you inflate the balloon?

What happens? You can only inflate the balloon a tiny bit no matter how much or how hard you blow.

Why? When you put the balloon in the bottle, the bottle is not really empty. It is filled with air. If you blow the balloon up, it will get bigger. To make room for the balloon, you need to get rid of some of the air in the bottle. But, but there is no way for the air to leave the bottle because you have it plugged up with the clay.

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Cream of Tartar Crystals

Materials:

2/3 cup cream of tartar

1 cup water

Directions:

1. Heat the water to boiling.

2. Gradually add some of the cream of tartar and stir, keeping the solution boiling.

3. Add more cream of tartar while stirring, repeating until the water can no longer absorb any more.

4. Pour your solution into a jar.

5. Tie a pipe cleaner (aka channel stem) that has been shaped (into a circle, star, etc.) onto a piece of string.

6. Suspend the shape into the cream of tartar solution, using a pencil across the mouth of the jar to hold the string.

7. Don’t let the shape touch the bottom or the sides of the jar.

In fairly short order, you should begin to see crystals forming on the pipe cleaner. These make really neat decorations for around the house, on Christmas trees, as mobiles, etc.

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

SAFE EXPLOSION

MATERIALS:

▪ Alka Selzer Tablets (generic work fine and are cheaper)

▪ Empty Film Canisters (clear ones work best)

▪ Hot Water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Draw a line around bottom of film canister about 1 cm from bottom (a little less than 1/2" for the metrically impaired). This helps you to fill the film canister over and over again without having to remeasure each time.

2. Fill up to that line with very warm tap water. You could fill up a container of very warm water into a pitcher and take it with you outside so that you don’t have to keep running in and out for water.

3. Place one quarter of an alka seltzer tablet in the canister and immediately secure lid, turn upside down and place on sidewalk/driveway or similar surface in open, outdoor area

4. Stand back and wait for the "explosion" as the gases build up and the film canister bottom goes FLYING, sometimes as high as 20 feet.

This is tremendously fun for children’s parties or as a science fair experiment going on outside.

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

FLOATING EGG

Ever wondered how those magicians suspended objects in water appears to be plain water? This experiment illustrates the scientific principles of density and buoyancy.

MATERIALS:

▪ Clear glass wide mouth jar, vase, or beaker

▪ Tap water

▪ Raw egg

▪ Spoon

▪ Salt and plenty of it!!

DIRECTIONS:

1. Fill a jar halfway with water.

2. Dissolve plenty of salt in it. Not so much that it all settles to the bottom, but as close to it as you can get.

3. Now add the same amount of water as you did the first time. Pour the water carefully over the spoon so that the two liquids don’t mix.

4. Carefully place the egg in the jar.

What happens? The egg remains suspended in the middle of the jar.

Why? Since the egg is heavier than the plain tap water, but lighter than the salt water on the bottom, it sinks only to the middle of the jar. The egg is floating on top of the salt water layer.

Variation:

Take a raw potato and cut a round-ish ball. Add eyes and fins from cellophane. You now have a magic fish that will float in your secret water. This goes over big at kids’ parties, especially if you let each child make their own.

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SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

CYCLONE EXPERIMENT

Materials:

Two 2-liter plastic soda bottles*

Water

Food coloring of your choice

Glitter (optional)

3 x 5-inch index card or piece of thin cardboard

Masking tape

Duct or electrical tape

Scissors

Directions:

1. Wash out the soda bottles and remove their labels.

2. Fill one bottle with water and add a teaspoon of the food coloring and a few pinches of glitter.

3. The food coloring color doesn’t really matter, it and the glitter are used to make the cyclone more visible.

4. Roll the index card width-wise so that it will fit in the mouths of the soda bottles.

5. Use masking tape to hold the end of the card in place.

6. Put the rolled-up card in the mouth of the bottle that contains the water.

7. Take the other soda bottle and place its mouth over the rolled-up card, pushing the bottle down so the mouths of both bottles are flush.

8. Tape the mouths of the bottles together with duct or electric tape, making sure that the seal between the two is as waterproof as possible.

9. Grab the bottles by their bases and turn the “cyclone” upside down.

10. As the water begins to pour from one bottle to the other, gently swing the bottles in a counterclockwise motion until the tornado forms.

*Note: You can use small plastic soda bottles, but they don’t give quite the effect desired. I don’t recommend the 3-liter bottles because they become quite heavy.

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SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

How to Gross Your Mother Out in Three Ingredients or Less

FAKE SNOT

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Water

3 packages of Unflavored gelatin

Light corn syrup; * see note

Directions:

1. Heat 1/2 cup water just until it boils.

2. Remove from heat.

3. Sprinkle in 3 envelopes of gelatin. Let it soften a few minutes, and stir with a fork.

4. Add enough *corn syrup to make 1 cup of thick glop.

5. Stir wit the fork and lift out the long strands of gunk.

6. If it thickens too much, add more water.

Supposedly you could even eat this stuff … but the very idea was truly disgusting!! I tried using a flavored gelatin, but it just didn’t work properly, you definitely need to use the unflavored kind. Although, using a few drops of food coloring may improve the look somewhat … but don’t bet on it. This is truly gross looking!!

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

MOVING MILK

An interesting and fun science experiment that allows you to see that milk is more complex than it would first appear.

MATERIALS:

▪ 1/4 cup whole milk

▪ 1 teaspoon liquid dish washing detergent

▪ 4 wooden toothpicks

▪ 1 small container that has been thoroughly washed and dried

▪ 4 different colours of liquid food colouring*

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pour about 1/4 cup of whole milk into the container. This should be about ½ inch deep.

2. Place a drop of each of 4 different food colours on the milk in the container, in opposite corners from one another.

3. Dip a toothpick into liquid dish washing detergent, then touch the toothpick into the middle of the dish. What happens?

4. Try again with more detergent, touching the milk in different areas. You can record your observations on a piece of paper, in a science journal, or in a science lab notebook.

5. Think about what you saw. Can you explain why the milk did what it did?

What happened and why? The milk you are working with is more complicated it looks. It is made up mostly of water and then equal parts of protein, fats, and sugar. The fat has been broken up and spread throughout the milk (by the process called HOMOGENIZATION) into tiny pieces of fat called globules. When the milk was first placed into the carton, it was still and did not move. Even when the food colouring was added to the milk, things were still quiet. This is because the fat globules were steady and undisturbed. When the soap hits the milk, things begin to move. The soap breaks up the fat globules and lets them spread across the surface of the milk. As the globules break and expand, they create movement in the milk.

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Singing Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

2 cups brown sugar

3 eggs, separated

2 squares bitter chocolate, melted

1 cup raisins

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon cloves

4 cups sifted flour

1 cup strawberry jam

1 cup chopped nuts

2 teaspoons baking powder mixed in 1 cup buttermilk

Project Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks and stir. Add melted chocolate and stir. Add raisins. Add cinnamon, cloves, and flour, stir. Stir in nuts and jam.

2. Now add the baking powder to the buttermilk and quickly stir into the cake mixture. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites.

3. Quickly pour mix into greased and floured angel food cake pan.

4. Bake at 350 degrees until cake stops singing, about 45 minutes. Make sure you time this so your guests are present during the baking. Once the cake is baked, the effect is over.

Have fun with this!!

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

TASTE OF OUTER SPACE

Here’s a neat experiment that illustrates why it is harder to drink in outer space.

INGREDIENTS:

▪ Glass of water

▪ Drinking straw

▪ Straight-back chair

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put the glass of water on the floor near the side of the chair.

2. Lie across the chair so that your stomach is higher than your mouth. Your stomach will be on the seat of the chair with your feet and head hanging off either side.

3. Lift the glass and try to take a drink (without the straw). What happens?

4. Now put the straw in the glass and try to take a sip.

What happens?

It is almost too difficult to get a drink from the glass while lying on the chair.

Why?

Gravity!! Gravity makes it easy to feed ourselves her on Earth because it automatically “forces” the food down your throat and helps it through the digestive tract. There is no gravity in space. When you lie on the chair you are effectively changing your centre of gravity and imitating conditions in space. However, when you use a straw it is a little easier because you are able to use pressure on the drink to force it into your mouth (sucking). Once the drink is in your mouth, your muscles in your throat do the rest.

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SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Vulcanian Eruptions

Volcanoes erupt in more than one way. This experiment will look at vulcanian type eruptions. Vulcanian eruptions take their name from Volcano, an island near Italy. In this type of eruption, gas pressure under the magma causes it to be an eruption of dust and large pieces of debris.

Materials:

small jar

large pan

dirt or clay

2 effervescent antacid tablets (e.g. Alka Seltzer)

1 teaspoon baking soda

food coloring (optional)

½ cup water

Directions:

1. Place the jar in the middle of the pan.

2. Make a volcano shape around the jar with the dirt or clay. The jar opening should be the opening of the volcano’s crater.

3. Place the tablets, baking soda, and food coloring (optional ingredient) in the jar.

4. Add the water.

It is a good idea with all science experiments to wear eye and clothing protection if you will be working with anything that might splatter. This is a non-edible experiment.

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Bouncing Balls

Materials

▪ One large ball

▪ One small ball

Directions

1. Place the small ball on top of the large ball.

2. Drop them at the same time together. Try to drop them straight down.

3. The energy from the first bottom ball is transferred to the second top ball, and that is why the top small ball ends up bouncing so high!

Tip:

Try using different types and sizes of balls. Which bounces higher?

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SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Balloon in a Bottle

What You'll Need

Empty soda or water bottle

Balloon

Large bowl

Hot water

Ice water

Directions

1. Fill the bottle with hot water, swirl the water around to make the bottle hot, and pour it out.

2. Refill the bottle 1/4 full with hot water and place the balloon over the top.

3. Now, fill the bowl with ice water, and place the bottle in the bowl.

4. Watch as all of the air is taken from the balloon. It might even get pulled into the bottle!

This works because hot air expands and cool air contracts. So when you first place the balloon over the bottle, the air in the bottle is hot. As the air cools from the ice water, it contracts and trys to pull more air in from the outside.

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Egg in a Bottle

This experiment requires adult supervision!

What You'll Need

Empty glass apple cider container or apple juice jug

Newspapers

Hard Boiled Eggs

Matches

Directions

1. You need an empty glass apple cider container or apple juice jug.

2. Put torn newspapers in the jug and light. Please use proper safety precautions.

3. As soon as the fire gets going place a hard boiled egg on top.

4. Soon it will get sucked into the jar with a pop.

Note:

The container you use should have an opening only slightly smaller than the egg.

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Floating Ball

What You'll Need

Straw

A Ping-Pong ball, or a small styrofoam ball from craft store

Directions

1. Take the straw, hold it in your mouth, and point it straight up.

2. Blow pretty hard through the straw to make a good air stream.

3. Set the ball gently in the air stream. The ball should float in the stream! Make sure you do not chase the ball, and just let it float in the steady stream. It won’t go anywhere if you keep pointed up in one place!

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Obleick- Cool Gooey Ooze

What You'll Need

Newspaper

Measuring cups

1 Cup of dry cornstarch

Large bowl or pan

Food colouring (optional)

1/2 Cup of water

Directions

1. Put newspaper down on the table top.

2. Put the cornstarch into the bowl. Add a drop or two of food coloring. Add water slowly, mixing the cornstarch and water with your fingers until all the powder is wet.

3. Keep adding water until the Ooze feels like a liquid when being mixed slowly. Then try tapping on the surface with finger or a spoon. When Ooze is just right, it won't splash--it will feel solid.

If Ooze is too powdery, add a little more water. If it's too wet, add more cornstarch.

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Speed Boat

What You'll Need

2 liter soda bottle

straw

clay

paper towel

1/2 Tablespoon baking soda

1/4 cup vinegar

Directions

1. Cut a small hole in the bottom of your soda bottle, and poke the straw half way through.

2. Plug the gap around the straw with clay so that no air can escape out of the bottom of the bottle except through the straw.

3. Place the baking soda in the center of your paper towel, fold it lenthwise and twist the ends closed. This is to protect the baking soda from the vinegar for a few seconds.

4. Pour the vinegar into the bottle, add the paper towel with the baking soda and place the cap on quickly.

5. Put the bottle into water (pool or bathtub) with the straw submerged under the water surface like a motor.

6. As the baking soda and vinegar begin to react, the "boat" will be powered forward!

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

"Lava Lamp" Bottle

What You'll Need

Oil

Water

Plastic cup

Food colouring

Empty soda or water bottle

Directions

1. Fill a bottle 3/4 full with vegetable oil. A clear bottle will work best.

2. Fill a plastic cup with water and add a few drops of food coloring. Stir.

3. Add the colored water to the bottle with the oil, and screw the lid on tight.

4. Turn the bottle sideways, and watch as the color moves through the oil in funny shapes and blobs

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Bubbles

What You'll Need

Liquid dish soap

Water

Cookie tray

12" Metal wire

Directions

1. Mix one part liquid soap with six parts water. (For example: 6 cups of water with 1 cup of dish soap, or 3 cups of water with 1/2 cup of dish soap.)

2. Pour the liquid into a large cookie tray.

3. Make a 12 inch loop out of a piece of wire. Coat hangers will work but only if they aren't covered with nylon.

4. Lower your wire loop into the bubble solution and pull it out gently at an angle. The bubble will form as you pull up the wire.

How big of a bubble can you make?

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Colour a Flower

What You'll Need

White flowers

A vase of water

Food colouring

Directions

1. Put a white carnation or daisy in a vase with 1/2 cup of water.

2. Mix 10 or more drops of food coloring into the water.

3. Leave the flower overnight, and you'll see the petals change colors. If you leave the flower in the colored water longer, more color will fill the petals.

The food coloring travels up through the stem by capillary action and leaks into the flower's petals. If you look closely at the petals you can see the path that the food color and water travel.

I guess that proves the saying "You are what you eat!"

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Pool Shark

If you’re hopeless at pool but would like to know how it feels to sink a shot like a true pool shark, then this is the trick for you!

|[pic] |1. Lay the cue stick on the table so that the tip is resting in one of the pockets like this. |

| | |

| |*It’s a good idea to set it up while nobody is looking. |

|[pic] |2. Lay five balls along the cue stick so each one is touching its neighbours – the colours aren’t important. |

| | |

| |*This trick works with three or four balls too – try it! |

|[pic] |3. Shoot the white ball into the purple ball from any angle and the red ball on the other end will shoot clean |

| |into the pocket. |

What's going on?

When pool balls collide, energy is transferred from one to the other. The angle the white ball hits the ball you’re trying to sink is critical, which is why pool is such a hard game to master. But by lining up five balls first, the angle you hit the end ball becomes completely irrelevant. Each collision transfers energy from one ball to the next at exactly the right angle so that the end last shoots clean into the pocket.

Collisions between pool balls won’t change the course of history but the study of collisions between tiny subatomic particles definitely will. Physicists use huge particle accelerators to smash tiny subatomic particles like protons and neutrons into each other. By studying the trajectories of the fragments, physicists are trying to figure out what matter is made of. They’ve found that the subatomic world is ruled by a set of laws of nature that are very different to those which govern the way pool balls behave. By studying these rules they hope to create new technologies like quantum computers which will be incredibly fast and much more powerful than any computer in the world today.

So hopefully, while you’re cracking billiard balls into the corner pocket like a true pool shark with this cool trick, some physicist will be cracking the quantum codes that govern the subatomic world … then we might finally get that better broadband access people keep raving about. Who knows?

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Bread Clip Speedboat

Float a breadclip in milk, add a drop of detergent and believe it or not, you’ve got yourself a groovy little speedboat that really moo-o-o-ves!

|[pic] |1. Pour some full cream milk into a shallow plate (be a bit sparing - depth isn’t critical). |

|[pic] |2. Carefully float a bread clip near the edge of the plate. |

|[pic] |3. Squeeze a drop of detergent into the little hole and watch what happens. Your bread clip goes |

| |zooming around the plate! |

| | |

| |Note: When your boat stops, just add more detergent – use a toothpick or match to turn your breadclip |

| |if it gets stuck. |

|[pic] |4. If you like, use nail clippers to modify your breadclip into a little speedboat shape. |

|[pic] |5. Pretty snazzy breadclip eh? |

|[pic] |6. And for a very cool effect, add a drop or two of food colouring to the little hole before adding the|

| |detergent. |

|[pic] |7. You’ll notice that the food colour doesn’t make the boat move like detergent does. |

|[pic] |8. When you add a drop of detergent, the food colour comes spurting out of your boat as it races along |

| |… cool eh? |

What's going on? Scientists have discovered that when detergent is added to water, they 'prefer' to be at the surface with their water loving heads pointing down into the water and their oil loving tails sticking up out of the water. When a drop of detergent is added, the water molecules race across the surface at amazing speeds, decreasing the surface tension as they go. If there are too many detergent molecules to all fit on the surface, the rest start forming little droplets under the surface. These droplets form in a special way so that all the detergent molecule's tails are pointing into droplet with the water loving heads facing out. You could say the oil loving tails are 'hiding' from the water molecules surrounding the droplet.

Let's get back to the breadclip. When detergent is added, the molecules race out of the little chamber across the surface of the water until it is completely packed. They decrease the surface tension on the chamber side of the breadclip first. The surface tension on the opposite side of the breadclip is still much greater and as a result, the breadclip is pulled along. Once the surface is filled with detergent molecules, everything settles down again. There's no more room at the surface and any further detergent you add will just form droplets (micelles) under the surface. There is still some surface tension but it is greatly reduced and more importantly, it's the same on all sides of the breadclip … show's over.

Now here's what makes detergents so useful. Oil globules usually float to the surface when mixed with water. Introducing just a bit of detergent can help mix oil into the water. Oil droplets attract detergents' oil loving tails so they quickly become covered in a shell of detergent molecules. All the tails latch onto the oil in the middle and all the water loving heads face out. If these droplets (called micelles) are small enough, they can remain suspended in water for a very long time without joining together to form larger globules. An even mixture of oil in water like this is called an emulsion and detergents are emulsifiers. Scientists also call emulsifiers 'surfactants' (short for surface active agents) because they tend to congregate on oil and water surfaces.

Adding detergent to milk stirs it up so there is a constant flow from the bottom up to the surface but this is where my explanation runs dry. The surface tension of milk near a drop of detergent in milk is obviously reduced because you can see a flow away from it. But exactly what the detergent is doing to the milk has either not been studied (and published) yet, or I simply haven't managed to find the published results. The detergent might be mixing with or replacing the natural proteins coating the oil droplets. This might constantly alter the surface tension causing a flow but it's all a bit of mystery.

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Coin Popper

Here’s an oldie but a goldie of a science trick. Pop a 10 cent coin on the mouth of a cold bottle and let the show begin! Whoopy-doo eh?

|[pic] |1. Place an empty bottle in the freezer and leave it for about 30 minutes (use a plastic |

| |bottle for safety if you’re a really young whipper-snapper). |

|[pic] |2. Take the bottle out of the freezer. Wet your finger with water and rub it around the |

| |mouth of the bottle. |

|[pic] |3. Carefully place a 10 cent coin neatly on the bottle so that the it seals the mouth. |

|[pic] |4. Now watch and listen carefully. Something interesting will happen very soon! |

| | |

| |If the coin moves too much, carefully put it back so that it seals the bottle again. |

What's going on?

You didn’t really place an empty bottle in the freezer … there was air in there right? When you took the bottle out of the freezer, it was full of cold air. As soon as the bottle was out of the freezer, it and the air inside started to heat up. How here’s a very important fact of nature … when you heat up a gas it expands. Air is just a mixture of gases, (mainly nitrogen, oxygen and a tiny bit of carbon dioxide), and as it heats up it tries to expand. But the 10 cent coin is blocking the hole so Instead of expanding, pressure builds up inside the bottle. When the air pressure inside is sufficiently higher than the air pressure outside the bottle, it lifts the coin momentarily allowing some air to escape. The motion is great enough to make a little “clink” sound that you should be able to hear. Pretty cool little trick eh? I reckon it’s a clinker!

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

[pic]

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Five Cent Science

Brief description

Asked how many drops of water will fit on a five cent coin and most people predict two or three. In this surprising activity, students identify the many variables that affect the outcome and discover the answer can exceed forty drops!

Duration: 20 to 30 minutes

Year Level: Lower to upper primary

Preparation: 2 minutes (depending on availability of materials)

Overview

Whole class Introduce lesson and discuss procedure (5 – 10 min)

Designate groups

Small groups Pipette water drops onto coins (10 – 15 min)

Whole class Discuss results and variables (5 min)

Set the “Dripping Tap” homework exercise

Materials and equipment

Total Qty Description

15-20 five cent coins

15-20 eye-droppers or pipettes*

15-20 plastic cups

1 jug of water

*your local high school or pathology laboratory might be happy to give you this amount of disposable

plastic pipettes

Objectives

Science skills

Students will:

������ carefully follow the instructions

������ use the dropper to carefully place drops of water on the coin

������ observe that the size of the drops varies depending on how the dropper is held and operated

������ identify the other variables which might affect the number of drops the coin can hold

������ adjust their predictions based on their observations

Science concepts

������ water is strongly attracted to itself resulting in a very strong

surface tension

������ the outcome of an experiment can be influenced by many

variables

PROCEDURE

Introduction (Whole class / 5 – 10 min)

������ Ask the class to predict how many drops of water they could fit on a five cent coin, and to record their predictions in their science journal

������ Ask the students if they can think of anything that might affect the result

������ After considering some of these variables, ask the class if they would like to alter their first prediction

������ Instruct the class how to conduct the activity with notes and a diagram of the dropper and coin (see Teacher Notes page4)

Hands-on activities (Small groups / 10 – 15 min)

Small group activities

������ Allocate plastic cups and eye-droppers to groups and fill plastic cups

������ To minimise classroom traffic, fill plastic cups with water from a bottle or jug (each group will need less than 100 ml)

������ Repeat the activity at least 2 or 3 times

������ Identify as many variables as possible and record in science journal

Conclusion (Whole class / 5 – 10 min)

Class discussion

������ Lead a class discussion about the activity by asking questions such as:

“were you surprised at the number of drops you could fit on the coin?”

“would you get a different result if you held the dropper one metre above the coin?”

“what else could affect the result?”

Teacher notes

How to pipette the drops onto the coin

[pic]

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

The “O-Wing” Experiment

Brief description

Students build and test several O-Wing gliders to investigate the effect of wing size on flight performance. Next, they design their own experiment to investigate the effect of fuselage (straw) length on the O-Wing’s performance. As a fun closing activity, students can construct multi-winged O-Wing gliders to compete in ‘The Most Bizarre O-Wing Challenge’.

Duration: 60 – 80 minutes

Year Level: Lower to upper primary

Location: School hall, outdoors or classroom (depending on weather and availability)

Topics: Scientific method, experimenting, controlling variables, measurement, qualitative and quantitative results, flight

Preparation: 10 minutes

Overview

Whole class Teacher demonstration (5 – 10 min)

Discuss procedure and safety instructions

Designate group work jobs

Small groups Experiment 1 – Experimenting with wing size (30 – 45 min)

Experiment 2 – Experimenting with fuselage length

Whole class Discussion (5 – 10 min)

Individual Weirdest O-Wing Challenge (Optional) (10 – 15 min)

Whole class Discuss activities (15 – 20 min)

Materials and equipment

Each group will need :

10 plastic drinking straws ruler

1 stiff card (eg manilla folder) pencils

1 roll clear sticky tape scissors

Lesson 6 – The “O-Wing” Experiment Page 2

Preparation

Materials for teacher to collect:

������ Sufficient quantities of straws and stiff card

������ Download and photocopy 30 student worksheets

Objectives

The objectives below are a guide only. You should check the outcomes statement for the year level of your class before deciding which of the following objectives are appropriate.

Science skills

Experiment 1: Effect of wing size on O-Wing performance

Students will:

������ follow the instructions accurately

������ identify the variables affecting the flight of an O-Wing

������ control as many variables as possible for each test flight of their

O-Wing gliders

������ measure and record the length of each test flight

������ record their qualitative observations of each test flight

������ draw conclusions about the effect of wing size on the O-Wing’s

performance

������ make suggestions for how their experiment could be improved to

yield more accurate results

Experiment 2: Effect of fuselage (straw) length on O-Wing performance

Students will: ������ design an experiment to test for the effect of different fuselage (straw) lengths on the O-Wing’s performance

������ perform their experiment

������ measure and record their results

������ draw conclusions about the effect of wing size on the O-Wing’s

performance

������ make suggestions for how their experiment could be improved to

yield more accurate results

PROCEDURE

Selecting a suitable location for test flights

A school hall is the best location for the test flights if available. The test flights can also be performed outdoors on a clear, still day. If neither of these options are available, the classroom can be cleared for the test flights, however it may be more appropriate to conduct the test flights in a whole class activity to reduce traffic and provide a clear flight path for each test.

Introduction (Whole class / 5 – 10 min)

������ Demonstrate the construction of an O-Wing and ask the class if they expect this strange contraption will actually fly (most people are quite surprised to see an Owing glide), then demonstrate its flight

������ Discuss the first O-Wing experiment to be conducted and logistics of test flying (see teacher notes)

������ Ask students to identify, and discuss all the variables that might affect each test flight and how these might be controlled – these include, but are not limited to: force of throw (or initial velocity) height of release angle to the ground at release (eg throwing horizontal or up toward the sky) angle of the wings to the ground (eg wings above straw, or wings below straw) wind

������ Distribute and discuss worksheets (if averaging has not yet been covered, discuss how the average of the tests will be calculated)

������ Allocate group work jobs and badges (if using group work model)

������ Prepare the room for experiments and test flights

Experiment 1: Effect of Wing Size (Small groups / 15 – 20 min)

������ All group members read the instructions and cooperate to prepare a work station

������ All group members contribute to the successful completion of the experiment

������ WHOLE CLASS DISCUSSION – briefly discuss the results of the first experiment

Experiment 2: Effect of Fuselage Length (15 – 20 min)

������ All group members contribute the experiment design and discuss and appropriate procedure

������ All group members cooperate to complete the experiment

Conclusion (Whole class / 10 – 15 min)

������ Discuss the results of the two experiments

������ Demonstrate the effect of adding ballast (weight) to the front of the O-Wing glider (see teacher notes)

������ Set the construction challenge for the weirdest / most beautiful / most intricate O-Wing Glider

[pic]

[pic]

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

MR HANKY

[pic]

[pic]

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

GLUBBER AND GLUE PUTTY

PROBLEM: What happens when I combine Borax or laundry starch with white glue?

RESEARCH: Find out the difference between monomers and polymers.

MATERIALS:  3 tablespoons Faultless powdered starch (scented, gloss, or any

other brand of starch will not work)

 1 tablespoon Borax

2 cups hot water (but only as hot as it comes from the tap)

A paper or plastic cup

A spoon

A measuring cup

A bowl

½ cup white glue (Elmer’s Glue-All or Elmer’s School Glue works best)

2 self-sealing plastic bags to store the Glubber and the Glue Putty

PROCEDURE:

PART 1: GLUBBER

1. Mix three tablespoons of starch and 1 cup of hot water in a bowl, stirring well with the spoon.

2. Pour ¼ cup of the glue and ¼ cup of water into the cup.

3. Press it and mix it with the spoon for about one minute until a thick material forms.

4. Remove the Glue Putty from the cup.

5. Hold it over the sink to let any remaining liquid drain off the putty.

6. Shape it into a ball. Does it bounce?

7. Let the ball sit on the table. Describe what happens during the next five minutes.

8. Pull some of the Glue Putty slowly between your hands. How much does it stretch? Let go and describe what happens.

9. What happens when you pull it hard and fast?

PART II: GLUE PUTTY

1. Repeat step 1 above using Borax in place of the starch. It is OK if some crystals remain in the bottom of the bowl.

3. Pour ¼ cup of white glue and ¼ cup of liquid into the bag, leaving the crystals that did not dissolve in the bowl.

5. Seal the bag and squeeze gently to mix. The glue will form a solid lump.

6. Keep squeezing for about a minute after the glue starts to form the lump.

7. Open the bag and hold it over the sink to let any remaining liquid drain off.

8. Shape the Glubber into a ball. Does it bounce? How is it different in the way it bounces to the Glue Putty?

9. Let the ball sit on the table. Describe what happens during the next five minutes.

10. Try pulling some of the Glubber slowly between your hands. Does it stretch? Let go and see if it will snap back.

11. What happens when you pull it hard and fast?

12. Describe the ways the Glue Putty and the Glubber and the same and how they are different.

13. Are the two substances more like a liquid or more like a solid?

CAUTION: Be very careful not to let the Glubber or Glue Putty get on clothes or furniture. It will not come out easily.

CONCLUSION: This is not optional. You must explain what you learned by doing this activity. Remember that you must answer the question you asked in your original problem statement.

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

Elmer's Slime

One of the simplest of the slimes, and a favorite among schoolteachers. Not terribly toxic, but watch the kiddies so they don't eat it. It produces a lovely, white (unless you color it), opaque goo. It will dry out, so store it sealed and refrigerated (zip lock bags work well). It also has a limited shelf life, and may eventually develop mold (horrors!) It (usually) cleans up easily. If it dries on anything, try soaking in water. It is best not to set it on wood, fabric, or any other surface that does not clean up easily.

This is the quick and easy method.

Materials

• Teaspoon (or metric measure)

• Big jar or measuring cup (1 qt. or 1l)

• Bowl - 2 quart (2l)

• Measuring cup

• Borax powder

• 4 ounce (120 ml) bottle of white glue (not school glue!)

• Water (pref. distilled)

• Food coloring (opt.)

Pour the glue into the jar. Fill the empty glue bottle with water, and add to the jar. Stir. You can add food coloring here if you want to be festive - a few drops will do. Pour one cup (240 ml) of distilled water into the bowl and add 1 teaspoon (5ml) of borax powder. Muddle well.

Slowly add the glue mixture to the bowl, stirring as you do so. Place the thick slime that forms into your hand and knead until it feels dry. (There will be an excess of water remaining in the bowl.) It will be wet, stringy and messy at first, but the more you play with it, the better it mixes and the less sticky and firmer it becomes. Store your slime in a zip-lock in the fridge. That's it!

A slightly firmer variation

This makes a firmer, dryer slime that will even bounce if it is kneaded eough.

1. Mix 4 tsp. (20 ml) water with 5 tsp. (25 ml) Elmer's or other white glue in a small bowl.

2. Add 1 tsp. (5 ml) talcum powder and stir until thoroughly mixed.

3. Add 1 or 2 tsp. (5 or 10 ml) saturated borax and water solution. Stir four a few minutes.

4. Remove the glob from the bowl and stirrer. Knead it for a while and it will become drier. You will probably need to wipe off some of the excess moisture from your hands with a paper towel from time to time. Don't be tempted to wipe the glob with a paper towel as it will only stick. You can add a little talcum to the surface if you are having trouble getting it dry enough. Store in a zip lock in the fridge.

Metamucil "Flubber"

You can create homemade "flubber" by using Metamucil. Place a teaspoon of the product into a shaker jar with 8-10 ounces of water. Shake vigorously for about 60 seconds, then pour the contents into a standard size cereal bowl. (Here's where it gets fun) Place the bowl into the Microwave. Run at full power for 4-5 minutes....until the goo starts to "rise". It will look like bread-dough rising in a bowl, but much faster. When the bubbles are just about to overflow the bowl, turn off the microwave. Let it cool slightly and repeat the. The more times you repeat this process, the more "rubbery" the flubber gets.

After 5 or 6 runs, pour the goo onto a plate or cookie pan. With a spoon, stir the goo while it's cooling. (Be very careful, as this concoction will burn your fingers right down to the bone in a nanosecond, until some cooling has taken place.)

Once it's cooled, you have a "non-stick" Flubber. Take a knife and cut it into different-size pieces. You can shape it into all kinds of neat things... use our imagination.

If your first batch is "sticky" to the touch, you've used too much water. If prepared properly, it should feel cold and clammy to the touch, but should not stick to your fingers or anything else. If it does, try another batch with less water.

Flubber will keep for months if you store it in a baggy...it will last even longer if you refrigerate it.

PVA Slime

This is often referred to as "institutional" or "commercial" slime. This is the type that is generally found in toy stores. It is a little trickier to make, not quite as safe, and more difficult to get the main ingredient for (polyvinyl alcohol) than is the Elmer's slime. But it produces a superior slime. Longer lasting, more transparent, and with a visual and tactile appeal that is more, well, "slimy".

Assuming you can get hold of PVA, it is a fairly simple process to make slime. First, mix a 4% solution of PVA and water. 4 % would be 40 grams of PVA to 960 ml of distilled water (of course you can adjust and make more or less). Wear a mask and have plenty of ventilation when doing this! It helps to have a heated magnetic laboratory stirrer (don't use one of your good kitchen saucepans - it's best to use Pyrex lab ware). Slowly, gradually, mix the PVA into the distilled water. Heat it slowly, stirring the whole while, until the PVA goes into solution. This will take 15 minutes or more. Do not let it boil. Once cool, the solution can be stored in a stoppered bottle.

The 4% Borax solution is made by dissolving 4 grams of borax into 100 ml of distilled water. It should go into solution without heating. This can also be stored in a stoppered bottle.

Mix the two solutions in a glass or ceramic bowl. Do not use plastic. Start with the PVA solution, and stir in the coloring, if used, and borax solution. The standard ratio is 5 parts PVA solution to 1 part Borax solution. This works well, but ratios have been quoted bother slime makers as 6:1, 20:3, and as high as 200:15 (app. 13:1). The best bet is to start with the basic 4% solutions at 5:1, adjusting the ratio as necessary to get the consistency you want. Store in a sealed container. No need to refrigerate. Keep it clean and it should last indefinitely.

I read recently (and I apologize to the author, because I cannot find the page again to reference it) that the consistency of PVA slime depends also on the molecular weight of the PVA used.

Some archival art glues are actually a 5% PVA solution. It is almost certainly more expensive to purchase the glue than it would be to purchase the PVA, but, if you do happen to have a bottle around the house that you probably wouldn't use otherwise, it should work (check the ingredients!) PVA is also sold as a mold release agent for fiberglass molding, etc. Check with supply houses for molding, boat repair, or auto painting. Also, some soluble bags used in hospitals are made of PVA. If anyone knows how to make slime from these, I would like to hear about it.

PARRY SCHOOL

SCIENCE ACTIVITIES

CLASS/WHITEBOARD ACTIVITIES

▪ Optical Illusions



▪ National Memory Test



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