Top Ten Household Items #3

#3 on the Top Ten List of Household Items to Use in Your Science Classroom is:

Balloons

I didn't even realize how often I used balloons in the classroom... And I don't think this is a complete list! Share your ideas in the comments!

The Expanding Universe
Blow up a Balloon in a Bottle
The Importance of Cell Walls
Penny in a Balloon
Ideal Gas Law with a Balloon
The Shape of Molecules
Balloon in a Flask
Model Lung
Steel Wool and Vinegar
Bending Water
Cellular Respiration in Yeast
Build a Coral Reef
From Solid and Liquid to Gas
Bernoulli Balloons


Comment on this post to be entered to win a prize box containing most of the Top Ten Items.  And remember, if your comment contains an additional use (not mentioned above) for balloons in the science classroom, you'll receive a bonus entry!

Top Ten Household Items #4

#4 on the Top Ten List of Household Items to Use in Your Science Classroom is:

Vinegar

Vinegar is a great item to have on hand - it's a key component in many simple and safe chemical reactions

Seashells and Acidification
Egg-speriment
Steel Wool and Vinegar
Salt, Vinegar and Pennies
The Importance of Brushing Your Teeth
Baby Birds and Acid Rain
Why You Need Calcium
From Solid and Liquid to Gas
Erupt a Volcano
The Cabbage Caper
Mystery Solutions Lab
pH of Household Substances

Comment on this post to be entered to win a prize box containing most of the Top Ten Items.  And remember, if your comment contains an additional use (not mentioned above) for vinegar in the science classroom, you'll receive a bonus entry!

By the way, vinegar won't be included in the prize box - can't figure out how to ship that easily.  Guess I'll have to find a special surprise item to take its place!

Top Ten Household Items #5

#5 on the Top Ten List of Household Items to Use in Your Science Classroom is:

Salt

Before I started compiling this list, I was certain that salt would end up in the top spot or two.  It seems like I'm constantly pulling it out of the cupboard for one reason or another!

I bumped it down a little on this list, because I just didn't have as many activity links to share as I did for some of the contenders.

I'm sure you'll share lots more ways to use salt in science lessons!  And take some time to try some of these ideas:

Salt Water Painting
Salt, Vinegar and Pennies (chemical change)
The Mistake
Should I Salt My French Fries Before or After
Float an Egg
Semipermeable Membranes
Growing Crystals

It's also really great to look at under a stereoscopic microscope, if you happen to have access to one!

Comment on this post to be entered to win a prize box containing most of the Top Ten Items.  And remember, if your comment contains an additional use (not mentioned above) for salt in the science classroom, you'll receive a bonus entry!

Top Ten Household Items #6

#6 on the Top Ten List of Household Items to Use in Your Science Classroom is:

Index Cards

To be honest, I didn't even consider index cards in my initial list of possible items.  But there are so many ways to use them, beyond just flashcards!

Flatten an Index Card
Index Card Slides
Step Through an Index Card
An Index Card and a Cup of Water
A Penny for Your Finger
Mystery Jars
Penny in a Cup
Layered Water
Mitosis Line-Up
Boat Races
Photosynthesis Races
Flip an Arrow
Water Drop Microscope
Jumping Frog

Comment on this post to be entered to win a prize box containing most of the Top Ten Items.  And remember, if your comment contains an additional use (not mentioned above) for index cards in the science classroom, you'll receive a bonus entry!

Top Ten Household Items #7

#7 on the Top Ten List of Household Items to Use in Your Science Classroom is:

Sugar

Granulated sugar can find its way into plenty of science activities, but I find that sugar cubes lend themselves to even more possibilities.  And, you can always crush the cubes to get granulated sugar!

Sugar Cube Rock Cycle
Sugar Cube Solubility
Sugar Density Column
How Much Sugar in a Can of Soda?
Sugar Cubes in a Flask
The Floating Letter
The Big Green Mixing Bowl

Comment on this post to be entered to win a prize box containing most of the Top Ten Items.  And remember, if your comment contains an additional use (not mentioned above) for sugar in the science classroom, you'll receive a bonus entry!

Top Ten Household Items #8

#8 on the Top Ten List of Household Items to Use in Your Science Classroom is:

Play Doh

Play Doh gets bonus points because you can easily make your own in the colors and quantities you desire, with minimal materials and effort!

After you've got it made, try out some of these ideas:

Color Mixing
Earth vs. Moon Volume Comparison
Make a Topographic Map
A Look Inside Folds and Faults
What's Inside?

Comment on this post to be entered to win a prize box containing most of the Top Ten Items.  And remember, if your comment contains an additional use (not mentioned above) for Play Doh in the science classroom, you'll receive a bonus entry!

Top Ten Household Items #9

#9 on the Top Ten List of Household Items to Use in Your Science Classroom is:

Dried Beans

I love having a stash of a few different kinds of dried beans/peas/lentils on hand.  Try out these activities:

Seed Germination
Semipermeable Membrane Demonstration
Dissect a Seed
The Geologists' Dilemma
Renewable vs. Non-Renewable Resources

Comment on this post to be entered to win a prize box containing most of the Top Ten Items.  And remember, if your comment contains an additional use (not mentioned above) for dried beans in the science classroom, you'll receive a bonus entry!

Top Ten Household Items #10

#10 on the Top Ten List of Household Items to Use in Your Science Classroom is:

Aluminum Foil

Here are a few ways to use aluminum foil in your classroom:

Clean Your Silver
Penny Boats
Sugar Cube Rock Cycle

I really thought I'd find more uses for it included in the Science Matters archives, as it seems like I use it more often just a few times per year.  Regardless, I think it still makes the Top Ten.  In addition, to the activities included, it's great to have on hand when you're talking about the elements on the periodic table and it's fun to throw a ball of it in with items to test with a magnet.

Comment on this post to be entered to win a prize box containing most of the Top Ten Items.  And remember, if your comment contains an additional use (not mentioned above) for aluminum foil in the science classroom, you'll receive a bonus entry!  I can't wait to hear your ideas!

Coming Next Week: Top 10 Household Products to Use in Your Classroom

I'm jumping back into the blogging world with a special-two-week event and a contest!

I've always proclaimed myself to be a hands-on science teacher who relies heavily on readily available household items to carry out experiments.

These are items that are always kept close at hand, because as soon as they get put away, they're needed again.  Sometimes it's for a planned lesson, other times you pull them out to help answer a question as it comes up.

At various times throughout my time authoring this blog, I've debated which of those items I'd place at the very top of my list.

So, this week I'm going to do a Top 5 list.  Each day I'll reveal a favorite product and I'll share links to a plethora of activities/experiments you can carry out using said product.

If you leave a comment, you'll be entered to win a prize pack containing most of the Top 10 items (one or two of them may not be appropriate to ship...).  You'll get a bonus entry if your comment includes another way to use the item in a science classroom!

I'll see you on Monday for #10!