While Elana and Wendy headed to Starbucks to enjoy an afternoon of idle chat and latte sipping (hee hee), the professors captivated the students by discussing complex scientific words like "hypothesis", "dissolve", "prediction" and "observation".
The first experiment consisted of combining hot water with a detergent powder. The students formed hypotheses about what they thought might happen when the powder was added. Some hypotheses included explosions, flashes and crystallization. Wow!
We recruited an enthusiastic volunteer named Theo who assured us that he had muscles strong enough to stir for a long time!
As the solution was stirred and stirred and stirred, it remained cloudy-white for quite a while. Then something happened. You will have to ask your child for the information on this.
The children were then sent off in scientific research teams and they boldly performed their experiment. Pipe cleaner shapes were formed then suspended in glass jars containing the solution.
After a couple of days, the jars were regarded with scrutinizing scientist eyes as the children compared their prediction with the end result.
Aha! Crystallization! We then had an engaging discussion about molecules (and Borax powder) and how molecules tend to move faster and like to be far away from each other when heat is involved. The opposite occurs with cold; molecules move slower and tend to clump together. Hmmmmm...!
On Wednesday, Professor Molecule (Professor Hypothesis' distant cousin) came for a visit. They created a substance called Oobleck. The name of this substance actually comes from a Dr. Seuss book entitled, Bartholomew and Oobleck. In the story, it rains green Oobleck and gums up an entire town! The cool thing about this substance is that it is slimy, gross, disgusting (these are words your children came up with) and perfect for our class! It normally behaves like a liquid or jelly, but if you squeeze it in your hand, it will seem like a solid.
We apologize for the fact that there are no photos of Professor Molecule but rest assured, her hair is almost as capturing as Professor Hypothesis'. :)
With all of this sitting and thinking about science, we realized the kids needed some exercise. At the end of the week, we headed into the gym and did some Boot Camp. The children rose to the challenge and proved that they can run really fast,
jump really far,
do step ups without stopping,
do the wall bounce,
and do squats until they cheered, "My legs are on fire!"
Happy Father's Day to all of our wonderful dads!! We hope you enjoyed your special day :)
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