The Fast Plant Life Cycle
Let Wisconsin Fast Plants® Grow on You! Wisconsin Fast Plants® are so captivating to watch as they grow and develop that even students who are tough to reach become engaged and attached to them. Time after time, I saw students I least expected to be interested in anything science come to my class during a […]
Chemoween and Other Spooky Science
Treat your ghosts and ghouls to some spirited demos and hands-on activities, and celebrate Halloween as the finale to your October science explorations. You can create a memorable learning experience out of this spooktacular holiday with a discussion of chemistry topics such as acid-base chemistry, density, indicators, polymers, properties of matter, and phase changes. Anatomy, […]
Explaining Patterns in the Periodic Table
Identifying family and period properties within the periodic table Too often, students remember for a short time certain trends and properties associated with groups and periods of elements yet come away from a study of the periodic table without really understanding or appreciating how much information the table provides. In the following activities, students discover […]
Move Your Classroom Outside
Outdoor Learning Activities Spring is in the air, and if your students are like mine, they’re just itching to be outside. An outdoor classroom, whether a formal classroom area or just an informal gathering spot, is the perfect way to help students maintain focus as the school year winds down. Plan your final quarter with […]
Shaving Cream and Food Coloring Chemistry
Decorate wrapping paper or eggs while illustrating scientific concepts and making real-world connections. Foam shaving cream is primarily composed of air and soap. Soap is an amphipathic substance, which means that its molecules have both a hydrophilic (water loving) and a hydrophobic (water fearing) end. Because of this, soap is able to combine with water […]
Egg Vacuum Activity
If you are looking for an attention-getting demonstration of the gas laws for physical science students at any grade level, this is it. Basic equipment includes a hard-boiled egg, an Erlenmeyer flask, and burning piece of paper. Materials needed Erlenmeyer Flask, 1 L, narrow mouth Egg, hard-boiled, shell removed Paper Lighter Tongs Safety Goggles Gloves […]
Making Ice Cream
Demonstrate the colligative property freezing-point depression and make edible ice cream at the same time. This safe, inexpensive, and engaging experiment works well for a science night, open house, kids’ group, or anywhere fun and science meet. Using table salt, reduce the temperature of a mix of ice and liquid water to below the freezing point of water. After 5 minutes, open the cup for a tasty treat.
Eggsploring Enzymes Activity
Enzymes are specialized biological catalysts that complete biological work within cells. In this activity, students investigate the effect of pepsin, a protease, on albumin, an abundance protein in animal cells. Pepsin, an enzyme found in the digestive tracts of animals, catalyzes the digestion of food proteins into peptides containing essential amino acids. The rate at […]
Exploring Plant Pigments
Explore the pigments that give plants their colors The activity is designed for middle school students and explores the pigments that give autumn leaves their flamboyant colors. The shorter days and cooler temperatures of autumn trigger a slowdown in a tree’s metabolism, reducing its chlorophyll production and the flow of water and nutrients within its […]
Crystallization Investigation
Crystallization through precipitation lab Crystals are solids that form when molecules join in a regular repeating pattern. Crystals mesmerized humans early in our history and served as currency as well as decoration. Today, the jewelry industry relies on precious and semi-precious crystals for rings, pendants, and more; the electronics industry relies on quartz crystals for […]