Guest helsha80 Posted January 20, 2005 Posted January 20, 2005 Next half term our school is doing a science based activity week. Does any one have some ideas for investigations that are easy to get visual results from and will give a 'WOW' factor. I have thought of ice cubes with animals in, how can we melt the ice to get them out. How can we prove that flowers drink water? Aweek is a long time. I thought of using a linking story a day, doing an 'experiment' and possibly some thing the children could make to remind them of their day. Helen
Guest Posted January 20, 2005 Posted January 20, 2005 Hi Helen, One idea - I have used white carnations, put in different colour water and water the flowers change colour - use food colouring. This is very effective and the children love it. Hope that helps, will keep thinking. Abi
Susan Posted January 20, 2005 Posted January 20, 2005 How about making the ice with the children! You could put the animals in the water and freeze them either before or after melting it and prove that it is a 2 way process? You could also do some ice building, I think it was suggested previosly in another thread. Colour spinners are also fun and you would demonstrate colour mixing? Make and fly simple kites?
Susan Posted January 20, 2005 Posted January 20, 2005 Oh Helen, I dont think Ive welcomed you in before so welcome I have found an old converstaion about ice here.
Guest Posted January 20, 2005 Posted January 20, 2005 We used our Foundation Stage teddy as the starting point we did 2 investigations one group tried to find materials suitable for making him a waterproof coat and the other tried to make him a boat which would float. They had lots of fun as teddy got very wet in both activities. On the ice theme i put water into plastic gloves and put it in the freezer.
Guest Posted January 20, 2005 Posted January 20, 2005 Drop food colouring into a clear container of water to watch the dispersal of the liquid children love usinga pipett.
Verona Posted January 20, 2005 Posted January 20, 2005 If you trim a stick of celery and stand it in a glass or jar of coloured water it has the same effect as putting carnations or daffodils in the water. Sue J
Rea Posted January 20, 2005 Posted January 20, 2005 Wrap ice cubes in different materials, tin foil, towel, paper, for example and see which melt fastest. Try doing what mimi suggests but put cooking oil in the water, the food colouring travels through the oil as a drop and then explodes as it reaches the water. Bicarbonate of soda reacts brilliantly to lemon juice and vinegar. Tape a small magnet to a long rule, and run it under a piece of paper or thin card with small metal cars on, try drawing a road layout on the paper and following the route. Draw a line on the floor where the sun creates a shadow and then return to it at a set time to see if the line is still at the edge of the shadow. I think I'm going to go all scientific next week too, great fun isn't it??
SueFinanceManager Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 Hi Helen Mr Archimedes Bath by P Allen is a nice book. Mr Archimedes shares his bath with his friends and the water keeps overflowing. I have read the story then done the experiment straight after to illustrate the principle. Last term I made some small boats out of plastic trays and gave them differtent coloured flags. Told the children they belonged to greedy pirates, Captain Blue (blue flag etc) and that these pirates were trying to see who could carry the most treasure. We all stood around the water table and then filled the boats with different stuff, talked about what happened if we put all the stuff in the front or back, how we needed to distribute the cargo evenly and of course filled them up until they sank leaving all but one floating who was declared the winner. The more imaginative the better, wooden beads became barrels of beer, compare bears were golden statues etc. Hoep this helps, Sue
Inge Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 Get the children to half fill plastic bottles or containers with a variety of mixtures, shake and watch the results. try oil and water, soil and water, sand and water, soap bar and water, a control one of plain water of course, the children can note the changes, how long it takes, what it looks like etc. They will come up with their own ideas too. Leave them for the week to see the differences. try putting a large sultana or raisin into a bottle of lemonade and watch.!! Magnets and materials - will it pick it up? Use items in the room and bring in a few surprises, we have keys that do not work and a metal chain as well as a few plastic bits that do!! Inge
Guest Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 Great ideas!! Our science week is next month & it's about space & the planets!!! Will be writing back nearer the time to see if anyone can help out with practical ideas for that one!! Dianne
Guest Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 How about balloon rockets - blow up a big ballon, stick a short piece of drinking straw onto it and thread it onto a taught piece of string. Let it go and watch... Balloon powered cars are good fun too - Hawkins Bazaar sell them and I think you can get them through educational suppliers too. Alkazelter (spelling?) rockets are fun too - put half a tablet in the lid of a film cannister, add a little water and put the lid on. Stand back and wait... You could also make yoghurt pot telephones, experiment with flexible mirrors, get out the simple electrical circuit kit, try some simple water-based ink separation using coffee filters, etc, etc. TONS of stuff out there! We are basing our science week this summer on nursery rhymes nad there is a good book called science through rhymes (or something similar) available from the ASE (Association for Science in Education) - have a look at their website. Another website to watch is BAYS Try typing science club into your search engine... Good luck
Guest Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 Went on Science meeting recently and saw a film case filled with half a vitamin C tablet and half full of water, put the lid on and place on the floor upside down and stand clear and watch. Pot will shoot up to the ceiling. Run along side "Whatever Next" and you will have them amazed.Good luck.
Susan Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 Hi Aslett and welcome! thats an interesting first post
Sue R Posted January 22, 2005 Posted January 22, 2005 Hi Aslett!! Welcome, keep 'em coming!! Just what i needed!! Doing Whatever Next to encourage a reluctant child...... Sue
Inge Posted January 23, 2005 Posted January 23, 2005 make bread, grow dried yeast not easy blend!!(or any cooking) Inge
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