Oobleck Activity

Oobleck Activity
December 8, 2010


Corn Starch + Water + Food Coloring =  Oobleck!!


Because the book is a little lengthy for the amount of time needed to complete the activity, ask the reading teacher to read the book Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss in reading class prior to the experiment. 


Questions: Based on it's properties, is Oobleck a solid, liquid or gas? 
Is it an element, compound or mixture? Explain.


They begin the lesson by listing several properties about solids, liquids and gases. They create a hypothesis. Before the students begin the experiment, review how to make good observations and what that means.  Then discuss how to record quality, detailed, and descriptive observations and why it is important for scientists to pay close attention to detail. 


Students begin to test it out. Students must manipulate the Oobleck in a variety of ways and record their observations.  After students have gathered enough data, students clean up their very messy work stations! Groups with the cleanest table get a baggy of candy! You should see how fast and how well they clean up. :) 

Then students finish up the lab by answering the conclusion questions at the end of their worksheet. They justify which state(s) of matter Oobleck is, based on the information they gather. 

Here is a good website about Oobleck with a video:

              http://www.instructables.com/id/Oobleck/

Gingerbread House Activity

Making Gingerbread Houses!
December 16th, 2010




Students sign up to bring in frosting, graham cracker or candy prior to activity.


The activity takes up 2 class periods (1 hour and 40 minutes). We do this activity the Thursday before Christmas break and the day before their math test. In the first 30 minutes students assembly the house, following the powerpoint instructions.

The next 30 minutes students work on their Gingerbread Decimal Review Sheet while their icing sets. The review sheet will prepare them for the test tomorrow and they must complete whatever they do not finish at home for homework. Answer sheet is attached to review sheet for students to check their work.

 The following 30 minutes of class, students decorates the gingerbread houses.

The last 10 minutes of class, students clean up their areas and put their gingerbread houses in a safe spot. Students can leave their houses over night and take them home the next day to allow for the icing to set and to ensure more stable gingerbread houses. 

See more pictures below!!