Objective
By the end of this lesson, you will understand the basic principles of physics through the concept of a car wash.
Materials and Prep
- A small toy car
- A plastic container or basin
- Water
- Soap or bubble solution
- A sponge or soft cloth
- A towel
Before starting the lesson, make sure the toy car is clean and ready for the car wash activity.
Activities
- Set up the car wash station by filling the plastic container with water and adding some soap or bubble solution to create suds.
- Place the toy car in the container and demonstrate how to wash the car using the sponge or cloth. Talk about how the soap helps to remove dirt and make the car clean.
- Encourage the student to take turns washing the car, emphasizing the importance of gentle scrubbing and rinsing with clean water.
- Once the car is clean, use the towel to dry it off, explaining how evaporation helps to remove the water and make the car dry.
- After the car wash activity, discuss the concepts of water, soap, and evaporation, relating them to the car wash experience.
Preschool Grade Talking Points
- "Water is important for washing things, just like we wash our hands with water."
- "Soap helps to clean by making bubbles and removing dirt."
- "When we wash the car, we need to be gentle so we don't scratch it."
- "After we wash the car, we dry it off with a towel. The water goes away because it becomes a gas called steam."
- "The car wash helps us understand how water, soap, and evaporation work together to make things clean and dry."