Plants: Does it Matter Which Direction you Plant a Seed?

Take the basic procedure used for observing seed germination one step further.

Prepare two bags.  This time, across the bottom of each bag, mark 4 arrows, one up, one down, one to the left and one to the right.

Place a bean above each arrow, so that the concave part of the seed is pointing in the direction of the arrow.

Hang the bag on the refrigerator (or on another vertical surface) and leave the other on a flat surface and observe.

Observe what happens with the seeds in the different bags. 

Seeds rely on gravity to help them grow the "appropriate" way.  When the bag is hanging vertically, the seeds will orient their roots so they all go down.  Because the roots can't go "down" while the bag is laying flat, the roots in that bag will grow in whatever direction they can.

Erosion: A Flowing River

This is a good one to do outside, if you can swing it.  If not, it can be done inside, you'll just need to work harder to contain the water.

Materials:

--Paper cup

--Drinking straw
--Clay
-- Cookie sheet
--Loose soil or sand
--Jug filled with water (or other water source)

Prep Work:

Poke a hole in the side of the paper cup, near the bottom. 

Cut the straw in half and place one half in the hole.

Seal the hole, around the straw, with the clay.

For the Demonstration:

Lay the cookie sheet upside down on the ground and raise one end about 2 inches, using scrap wood, a brick, a pile of soil, whatever's convenient. 

Cover the cookie sheet with a thin layer of soil or sand. Place the cup at the raised end of the cookie sheet.

Hold your finger over the straw as you fill the cup with water. Remove your finger and watch the way path of the water.

Raise the end of the cookie sheet to about 6 inches, recover the sheet with soil and repeat.

What differences did the slope make in the erosion?

Cover the cookie sheet with a layer of soil again.  This time, place a small rock  in the soil in front of the straw. 

Fill the cup and watch what happens to the water as it encounters the rock.  You can place additional rocks along the way to change the direction of the river.

Candy Cell Models

One week of candy wasn't quite enough, so here's one more!  Happy Halloween!

A good friend did this with her 5th grade students following Halloween one year, and it was a great success. 

The students were studying cells and they were placed in groups and instructed to make a cell model using different types of candy.  The students rationalized what would work best for each organelle and each contributed some candy from their own stash to create the finished product. 

The students enjoyed their work and their parents were quite happy to have the candy put to use other than eating!

And, this activity could be adapted to whatever you happe to be studying right around Halloween.  Students could use candy to make models of body parts/systems, atoms, viruses, bacteria, etc.

Jello Brain Update!

Remember the free Jell-o brain molds I told you about? 

Well, they arrived a couple of weeks ago. 

For size comparison - that's a 5 year old head it's next too (albeit a rather large 5 year old head....)

I haven't put mine to use yet (have to remember to get more Jell-o at the grocery store...), but my friend Susan got hers and tried it...


Photo from Susan at Learning ALL the Time



Fun stuff! 

If you're interested, you have through Monday (October 31) to get a free mold (only pay $2.95 shipping and handling).  After Halloween, it's regularly priced - $2 + Shipping. 

If you'd like one, head to the Kraft Corner Store!  You'll have a head start on next Hallween, and some interactive Central Nervous System lessons in the meantime!

Website: Candy Experiments

I've shared a number of candy-based learning opportunities this week, but I wanted to draw your attention to a website dedicated to this topic alone. 
You can find additional experiments at Candy Experiments, as well as some you've seen here (what can I say, great minds think alike!). 

In addition to several new experiment ideas, Loralee also has made instructional printables available would be great for setting up lab stations or party stations (and I LOVE the idea of handing them out along with the Halloween candy) and tips for running a successful candy experiment party.

Have fun exploring, and then playing!

Denisty: Candy Density

This is really just another way to get your students to practice measuring and calculating density.  But, it involves the use of candy, so it's more interesting than your run-of-the-mill density calculation.

The original version of this activity uses Whoppers, Lemon Heads and jelly beans.  You could certainly modify that to use whatever you have available and/or is on sale.  However, you will want to make sure you have a variety of densities present in your candy selection.  The Whoppers are nice, because they will float.

You'll want students to use 3 pieces of each candy, so they can average their data.  (This could be done in groups, to save time and candy usage).

First have students find the mass of each piece of candy.  Then they'll find the volume via water displacement.  Because the Whopper floats, they'll need to use the tip of a pencil to push it down, so it's just below the water surface.  Finally, they can calculate the density.

If you wish to take it a step further....
After calculating the density of individual pieces of candy, have them calculate the density of all three pieces at the same time.  The mass and the volume will each be lager than they were for the individual pieces, but the density will remain the same (assuming all measurements and calculations are made accurately).  It's a good opportunity to remind students that density is an intensive property, not dependent upon the amount present.  And, by making it a hands-on reminder, your students are more likely to remember it!

Density: Sink or Float: Candy Edition

Same idea as the original Sink or Float activity, but it uses candy instead.  Again, it's good for the preschool and early elementary set.  (I've got a candy density activity for older students coming tomorrow). 

Gather an assortment of candies.

Hypothesize which candies will sink and which will float.  Divide the candy into appropriate piles. 

Then test!  You may want to test the candy first with the wrapper on and then with it off - why do some candies float when they're in the wrapper, but sink when they're unwrapped? 

After seeing which candies float and which sink, you may want to slice or break some of them open to look at the inside.  See if there are any clues to help you figure out what some float!