Physics

Activity #1

Measurement-How Heavy Is It?

Materials:

Items of varying weights, such as books, boxes, bricks, feathers, pencils, Styrofoam, wood blocks

Plan:

1. Put out two items at a time. Without letting the children pick up the items, ask them which of the two they think is the heaviest.
2. After the children have made a guess, let them pick up the items to see if they are right.
3. Repeat the game with the other items.
4. If you want to make this more difficult, add a third item.

More to do:
Math: Chart the childrens’ answers to see how many times they guessed correctly and incorrectly.

Activity #2

Crystal Pops

Words to Discuss:
freeze, frozen, crystals, popsicle, liquid, solid, handle, melt, dissolve, cold, colder, hardEncourage the children to think of their own words that tell what is happening to the popsicles.

Materials:
paper cups
popsicle sticks
water
fruit juice
a freezer

Plan:

1. Have the children mix water with a can of frozen juice. Pour the mixture into small paper cups (3 oz). Place the filled cups on a tray and put them in the freezer. Also freeze a cup of water.
2. Look at the mixture every 15 minutes. Talk with the children. Encourage them to describe what they see.
3. When the mixture starts to harden, remove the cups from the freezer and have the children place a popsicle stick handle into each cup.
4. Put the cups back into the freezer. Be sure to let the children see the crystals that are starting to form. Continue to check on the progress, talking about the changes that are occurring.
5. When the juice has frozen, remove the cups and give one to each child. Have the children peel the paper cup away from the popsicle. Observe the frozen crystals. Talk about the designs you see. Have a bite. As the children enjoy the treat, show them the water popsicle and talk with them about differences and similarities they notice. How did the water change when juice was added? What do you think will happen to your crystal popsicle if you don't eat it?

More to do:

Try freezing other edible liquids. Compare the different crystal patterns. Freeze bananas and grapes. Talk about similarities and differences. What happens when popsicles or fruit thaw? Are they the same or have they changed?