From the Jill Davis Workshop "Simple Science"

Hitchhiking Seeds (Plants have ways to spread their seeds.) Ask each child to bring an adult sized, thick sock to school. Have each child slip his sock over one of his shoes. Invite students to walk through a grassy area outside- the drier the better. As they walk, they’ll be collecting seeds on their sock-covered feet. After returning to the classroom, have students take a peek at their sock; there will be plenty of seeds sticking to it. Have students speculate why seeds are stuck to the sock. Carefully take off socks and take a closer look- using magnifying glasses and tweezers. Why? In nature, seeds must travel to a favorable spot in order to sprout and grow. Seeds might have hooks, barbs, or spines to help them hitch a ride on clothing, animal fur, or bird feathers.

Leaves of Green (Primary colors mix to make secondary colors.) Stock a center with yellow and blue food coloring, a few spray bottles filled with water, foil pie pants, and white coffee filters. Have each child spray the filter with water until damp, not soaked. Have child drop 3 drops of yellow food coloring on center of the filter. Then direct him to drop 1 drop of blue in the center of the yellow spot. To thoroughly mix the yellow and blue coloring, have the child spray the filter with a little more water. Experiment with more leaves by using different amounts of yellow and blue. When the filters have dried, have the child cut into leaf shapes.

Sugar Surprise (Water turns to a gas and evaporates.) Put 2 tsp. of water into a small clear plastic cut. Then stir in 10 tsp. of sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Next place 2 tsp. of the mixture into a foil pie pan. Use food coloring to tint the sugar mixture in the pan. Repeat 2 times, using a different color each time. Place the pans in a warm, sunny location, encouraging students to predict what will happen. In a week, students will be amazed to see that the water has disappeared, leaving only the colored sugar crystals in the pan. Why? The water in each pan has evaporated into the air and left sugar behind.

Shadow Makers (When an object blocks light, it creates a shadow.) Stock a center with flashlights and small objects. Demonstrate how to shine the flashlight beam on the wall and use objects to create shadows. Encourage students to use the objects to create different shadows. For a challenge, use clear and translucent objects in the center- such as waxed paper, tissue paper, milk jugs, plastic cups and containers, and overhead transparencies. These shadows are not so easily seen. Why? The best shadow-making devices block the light. The translucent objects let some of the light shine through, so their shadows are not so easily seen. The clear items let most of the light shine through, resulting in slight shadows.

Whisked Away by Bubbles (A bubble is air trapped inside a liquid.) Half-fill your sensory table with water; then place several wire whisks (or rotary egg beaters) nearby. Ask students to predict whether bubbles can be made with plain water. Have children test predictions using whisks. Squirt bubble solution into the water. Then ask children to predict what will happen when they use the whisks. With just a flick of the wrist, there will be bunches of bubbles. Why? Water does not produce bubbles because its molecules cling to each other causing surface tension. Adding soap to the water weakens the surface tension and makes the water stretchy enough to form bubbles.

Science Recipes

Bubble Recipe Mix 6 parts water, 2 parts Joy dishwashing soap, and ¾ parts corn syrup. Store in a covered container.

Goop Mix ½ c. corn starch and ¼ cup of water in a small bowl or pie plate. Add more water (drops at a time) as needed.

Obleck Pour 8 ounce bottle of Elmer’s white glue into a mixing bowl. Fill the empty bottle with warm water and shake. Pour glue-water mixture into the mixing bowl and use a spoon to mix well. Add 2 drops of food coloring. Measure ½ cup of warm water into the plastic cup and add a teaspoon of Borax powder to the water. As you slowly stir glue mixture, slowly add a little of the Borax solution. Seal in a plastic baggie.

Sidewalk Chalk Mix 1 c. Plaster of Paris and 1 c. water. Add powdered tempera paint to achieve the color you want. Let stand for a few minutes and pour into mold. Molds can be small paper cups, toilet tissue rolls, candy molds, etc. Set aside and let dry completely (anywhere from several hours to a few days). Once dry, remove chalk from mold. If still moist. Let dry another 24 hours.

Glitter/Colored Salt Place 3 tbsp coarse/rock salt in a sealable bag. Add 2 drops of food coloring. Seal bag and move salt around using your finger. Keep bag open and let dry (usually half day or less).

Science Resources