Objective
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to identify that materials can be changed or combined.
Materials and Prep
- Various household materials such as water, flour, salt, vinegar, baking soda, oil, etc.
- Containers for mixing and experimenting (cups, bowls, spoons, etc.)
- Protective clothing (apron or old clothes)
- Adult supervision
Activities
- Activity 1: Mixing Colors
- Activity 2: Making Dough
- Activity 3: Fizzing Reaction
Take three empty cups and fill each one with water. Add a few drops of food coloring to each cup - one red, one yellow, and one blue. Mix the colors together and observe what happens. Can you make new colors by combining different amounts of the primary colors?
In a bowl, mix together flour, water, and salt. Keep adding flour until the mixture becomes a dough-like consistency. Knead the dough with your hands and see how it changes. Can you make different shapes out of the dough?
In a cup, combine vinegar and baking soda. Observe the reaction and the fizzing that occurs. Can you think of other materials that can create a similar reaction with baking soda?
Talking Points
- "Materials can be changed or combined." When we mix different materials together, they can create new substances or change their properties.
- "Mixing colors." When we mix different colors together, we can create new colors. For example, red and yellow make orange, blue and yellow make green, and red and blue make purple.
- "Making dough." When we combine flour, water, and salt, we can create a dough-like substance. By kneading the dough, we can shape it into different forms like balls or snakes.
- "Fizzing reaction." When we mix vinegar and baking soda, they react and create a fizzing effect. This reaction releases carbon dioxide gas, which causes the fizzing sound and bubbles.
- "Experimenting with other materials." Besides vinegar, baking soda can also react with lemon juice or citric acid. You can try mixing baking soda with different liquids to see what happens.