Did you try the Gummy Bear Osmosis Lab? The classic Diffusion and Osmosis Lab uses cheap baggies, iodine, and cornstarch. I used recycled yogurt cups to avoid staining my lab beakers. You can use Orbeez or water jelly marbles for osmosis labs, too. Here are detailed lab instructions. By all means, do Experiment 5.1 from the Apologia textbook. I find these additional labs help the kids understand concepts like osmosis and diffusion well.
Did you know that knitting relate to STEM education? Here is an inspirational article about teaching knitting as a STEM activity. Here is an article, Knitting as Programming. I noticed even and odd patterns in the stitches when I knit. But, thinking about knitting as coding or programming is pretty innovative. You can take this idea and apply it to all kinds of textiles. Here are 4H STEM activities with Textiles. There are some interesting experiments comparing the warmth or flame retardancy of different fabrics. Of course there is an experiment with tie dye. But, these activities might appeal to your daughter, who may not be that interested in science. Here is an article, 6 Math Concepts Explained by Knitting and Crochet. This might revolutionize math for your kid.
You already know I’m committed to labs—especially inquiry-based labs. I want to pair more articles with labs. One idea is hand warmers. Here is an article about the chemical contents of a hand warmer. This lab is geared toward upper elementary aged kids. Here is an easy lab more suitable to Chemistry. I’m thinking about modifying this lab; note, the lab is intended for AP Chemistry, which is hard. We won’t use ammonium nitrate at all. Here are instructions to make sodium acetate from baking soda and vinegar. You may be familiar with sodium acetate from a Hot Ice lab. I like the idea of issuing a Hand Warmer Design Challenge. My plan is to have all of the materials available for kids who complete the series of Heat labs early. Every class has one group of kids who follow directions and finish labs expeditiously. This group is miles ahead of the others. I want to challenge these kids without punishing them for working well in class. With a challenge, I can send home materials for kids who are behind to complete on their own, as homework. It’s always tricky to get more work out of the kids without overwhelming them. I’ll keep you posted.
Boy is this idea counter-intuitive! Often I start a lesson with a lab or an activity. Here is one example: Soda Can Calorimetry. (Video is below.) I show the kids how to set up the lab and how to collect the data. The kids perform the lab and save the data. Basically, they burn food and measure the change in the temperature of water in the soda can. After the lab, I explain just what calorimetry is and how to calculate the calories in the food they just burned. As we work though the data calculations, I ask the kids what calorimetry means, which food has more calories, just what is a calorie or a kilocalorie, and discuss sources of error. At the same time, I ask the kids how many calories are actually in a potato chip or an almond. I have them calculate percent error. The lion share of my instruction is done after the lab. I’ll use the soda can calorimetry apparatus as props.
You don’t need a background in Chemistry. Apologia’s Chemistry textbook has a specific heat of metals experiment in Module Two. (The second video explains how to set up the specific heat lab.) Do this experiment before you read the module. As your teen works through the experiment, ask what specific heat is, why do you heat the metal, and where does the heat go? Yes, open the textbook and look it up! What is the foddered email between heat and temperature? Start with the experiments and work backwards. Your teen will gain a greater understanding of each topic.
Can you really do lab at home? Yes! I’ve taught Biology and Chemistry in all kinds of circumstances. Right now, I’m teaching science to the local Co-op from my basement. In another life I did consulting for College Board. I helped teachers learn how to implement inquiry labs—ironically in hotels and ordinary classrooms without lab facilities. It helps to have access to water; jugs of water are fine. I use hot plates to heat solutions whenever possible. You can set up your science class in the garage—especially if your basement is finished. (Yes, I’ve taught from my garage.).
If you decide to brave teaching your science class, what supplies are essential? First, set up a safety station with a first-aid kit, eye wash, sharps container, and fire extinguisher. Our safety crate is next to the utility sink. We keep a large crate of rags for clean-up next to the utility sink, too. You’ll want a table and chairs. We bought several tables and metal, folding chairs for Walmart. I ordered safety glasses and black aprons from Amazon. Additionally, I keep empty jugs to fill with water for labs. Decide where lab waste will go. I have a large trash can. Liquid waste from labs using household chemicals can go down the sink. You might want to have a bucket set aside for the kids to dump lab waste, to dispose later after class. We have white boards. These aren’t essential. We set up old computers and a TV to broadcast lessons. My husband, Rob, puts all of his math lessons into slideshows.
Below are pix from our basement—which is functional, if not exactly stylish. No, we have no plans to finish the basement. I do have loads of shelves with supplies. Keep in mind, I’ve been accumulating supplies for summers camps and Co-op classes for awhile. Take a look! Stylish, right? Yes, the kids use the washer lid to stack labware after they clean their tables.
We are entering the summer doldrums! Let’s spark some fun with a little science magic! Here, here, and here are good sources for tricks. Many science magic tricks also fall under the heading of discrepant events. Here is a list of discrepant events. Here is a blog post using products from Educational Innovations with demo ideas for science lessons. Here are a number of Physics Tricks, such as the Potato Straw trick. My favorite is the Density Bottle. Plan to do a few tricks!
I have loads of water beads leftover from Camp. Here and here are ideas from Steve Spangler. I like the layers of colorful beads. Here are ideas from Home Science Tools. Here is a detailed formal experiment. What am I doing? The Chemistry class is going to do Ghost Crystals as a discrepancy event. (The crystal and water have nearly the same index of refraction.).
Make ice-cream in a bag. Here is an article explaining freezing point depression and ice-cream. My Co-op Chemistry class might make ice-cream when we study Colligative Properties. (Module 11 has the chemistry of solutions. Sometimes, I teach colligative properties, phase diagrams, freezing point depression, and boiling point elevation with Calorimetry.).
You can make ice cream with a pint of milk, sugar, and a little vanilla. It’s just frozen milk; usually, the kids don’t care. It’s fun to shake the bag! You’ll need lots of coarse salt and ice. Invest in strong freezer bags.
One popular class for home-school families is Human Anatomy. This is one course that works for elementary and high school aged kids. For younger kids consider Apologia’s Young Explorers Human Anatomy and Physiology textbook. There are two note booking journals for younger and older children. Here and here are samples. I use this Anatomy book for both classes instead of expensive posters and a five foot Halloween skeleton.
I like Mader and Windelspecht’s Human Biology textbook. I buy older, used copies for class. Human Biology is a broader course than an Anatomy and Physiology class. It has a Nutrition unit. I like to add interesting topics, such as Twins and Multiples or a nurse to teach how to take blood pressures or make a physical assessment.
There are huge numbers of fun projects both classes can do: make brain hats, assemble homemade stethoscopes, do heart and circulatory activities, or create clay models. Anatomy is one class everyone should have and is a blast to teach. Browse these resources.
Amazon has a pack of 24 safety glasses on sale for $20! Do you have a large Co-op group? Have everyone wear safety glasses for labs. We wear them for nerf wars, too. There are nerf darts behind everything in the basement. The child-sized safety glasses are even less expensive!
Amazon has a good price for a set of 25 prepared slides. I bought this set for Biology when I first taught Co-op Biology. I had the Co-op kids examine and sketch most of the slides in the set. Kids taking Biology should be able to focus a slide and sketch it. As long as they examine several different microscope slides, their contents aren’t that important. I know this view is heretical. I also used prepared pond slides of microbes. When the kids use live pond samples the little critters move too quickly to capture under the microscope. You need to drop Protozoan Quieting solution on to the slide to see any little critter. So, buy a set on sale and sell it later at cost. The second set of slides is even cheaper. These are intended for younger kids. I have a set I use to help kids learn how to focus because the objects are larger, such as a bee’s leg.
Did you have your heart set on glass, graduated cylinders? Amazon has a nice set available. Personally, we use polypropylene, graduated cylinders. They don’t break. No, they aren’t quite as accurate. I do have one glass, borosilicate cylinder for diluting strong acids. Period.
Amazon Prime Day is featuring 3D printers on sale. What can you do with a 3D printer in a science class? Here are four ideas. Before you buy, try a 3D printer. Our local library system has several and trains anyone interested. My husband and I were ‘badged’ or trained. A 3D printer creating an object is like watching paint dry—for hours and hours! Your teen is dreaming about custom LEGO pieces. Download The Frog Dissection Kit from the Thingaverse to a thumb drive. Take your teen and the thumb drive to the library’s MakerSpace. I feel confident that once your teen invests several hours to produce an underwhelming toy, he won’t see the immediate need for a 3D printer.
Boy do the deals look tempting! Make a list of lab materials you want for science class in the fall. Include spot plates or a huge box of craft sticks to use as stir sticks. Are you making slime or polymers? Buy glue during Back to School sales. Do you need basic polypropylene labware? See if set go on sale during Prime Days. Now is the time to price goods before the sales. I look for things I know I’ll need for lab, such as water beads, and get a baseline price. Then I’m ready to take advantage of a good deal.
I buy lab equipment discounted frequently. I just bought two more sets of graduated cylinders from Walmart at $6.99 per set and placed an order at Home Science Tools. ( I have a large Chemistry class this Fall.) I keep an eye out for equipment at Good Will online. Good Will has beakers, microscope slides, flasks, and test tubes. When you search, try ‘Pyrex’, ‘science lab’, ‘lab equipment’, or specific terms, such as microscope slides. Check the shipping and compare prices on eBay, Home Science Tools, Amazon, and Walmart.
I shop for eScience kits and Labpaq kits, too. Do a search on eBay for ‘Labpaq chemistry’ to see sample listings. I look for digital scales, cylinders, thermometers, and labware, such as reaction plates. The micro scales retail for $10. Price the labware at Home Science Tools before you bid. I do not pay more than $30 including shipping for any kit from Good Will. Be sure to check Amazon. You can buy a set of plastic cylinders and beakers for $12. In this economy, finding a bargain is more important than ever!
Are you familiar with Material Science as a discipline? There is a foundation. Really! It’s ASM Materials Education Foundation. They have teacher resources, including this handbook of demos. One example is Nitinol Memory Wire, still sold by Educational Innovations. The demos are interesting: Paperclip Fatigue, Stress in Balloon Inflation, and Strengthen Ceramic Composites, in which the demonstrator smashes Corelle plates. If you’ve ever dropped a piece of Corelle which shattered, it’s an interesting demo. I joined a new group. I’ll keep you updated with random topics.
I have water beads (and spikes, cubes, and crystals) leftover from science camp. Check out the toy aisle at Walmart for water beads. If you have a plant nursery, see if they sell water absorbing crystals or Soil Moist crystals. You can put the beads in your garden or in your plants’ soil. I send home extra beads for the teens’ younger brothers and sisters.
I’m building better Chemistry lessons this year—more challenges and more analyses. I have come across loads of ideas! Let me share: Water Beads (Elementary level), Growing Spheres for 3D Modeling, (Secondary Level) Grow Spheres Help Students Absorb Scientific Principles (Secondary Level), HST Water Beads Lesson #1 and #2 (Elementary or Secondary Level), and Ghost Crystals (Elementary or Secondary Levels). I think I’ll make the water beads into a challenge using the HST lesson and these ideas for extensions from Educational Innovations.
One more round-up! Flinn has the Science Behind Fireworks, complete with activities, including Wood Splints Fame Tests. You can use colorful flame birthday candles with this lab from Beyond Benign, which promotes ‘green chemistry’. I like to look at green chemical labs because often they use household items, which are cheaper and safer. Here is a Chemmatters article about fireworks. Set aside these ideas for January or February to perk up class. Happy Fourth of July!
Our Co-op science classes write four formal lab reports each year. Why four? We are a Catholic Co-op; many of the kids subscribe to various online home study schools. These schools require a minimum total of four, formally written, lab reports. Here is my lab rubric. (Our kids submit observation reports, complete lab analysis with spreadsheets, and do various calculations, too.) There are many options for writing lab reports. Here is How to Write a Lab Report by Sherri Seligson, an Apologia author.
You may want to keep a lab notebook. Getting Nerdy’s Free Lab Notes can be glued into a composition notebook. Have you tried Storyboarding? Here is a Mentos and Coke Storyboard, part of this lesson. I’m thinking about doing more Modeling Chemical Reactions, beginning with Reaction in a Bag. Another technique is to let your kids explain the lab in a video, like this one I made for Measure a Molecule. Sometimes, my kids do calculations instead of a lab report, such as the energy calculations in Flinn’s Flame Test Lab. Instead of a lab report for Flame Tests, you might substitute a lab quiz with Color Flame Candles—especially if the kids do this lab first. (Scroll down to the answers. There are several correct answers for the colors.). I let the kids use their lab notes. I let the lab dictate the type of report. For example, my kids hate the Stoichiometry lab and hate writing formal, lab reports. So, the kids write report for their least favorite labs. Don’t worry. Next Fall, I’ll start,posting loads of samples.
One of the best science supply companies is Flinn Scientific. Here are a bunch of free science activities and challenges, such as this Measurement Challenge or this Chromatography Challenge. The upcoming Chemistry class took Bio this past year. I did spinach and paper chromatography labs with them. Chemistry has a paper chromatography lab, too. I plan to issue this Challenge instead of using a traditional lab, which they’ve already done. The same goes for density as a topic. I want to use this Density Challenge along with the Test Tube Challenge. Yes, I’ll be posting ideas for Fall all summer.
What can you do with pennies? Do you have a large jar of coins? First, compare the Densities of Pennies. Sort the Pennie’s into to groups: pre-1982 and post 1982. (Here is an article about the 1982 penny. The coin changed from copper to zinc with a copper cost.). Here are the masses for the old and new pennies. Have you dropped water on to a penny?
Here is a lab from ACS; the lab reacts new pennies with vinegar and salt. You can extend a lab with iron nails and lemon juice. Here is the half-life of pennies lab. You’ll need 100 and a shoe box. Do you have a digital scale? Here is a penny statistics lab. I plan to do similar labs to teach my kids how to use Excel or Google Sheets. (Okay, my husband, Rob, will teach the kids how to use spreadsheets.). Here is Flipping Coins, another stats lab. Here are instructions for a coin battery. Most of these labs are suitable for middle school students in Physical Science. But, if you have a group of kids who haven’t tried these activities, age isn’t important. See why we save coins for lab? The coins are in a recycled yogurt container. How is that for frugal?
How much time to you set aside for Biology or Chemistry? Our Co-op meets 1 1/2 hours twice a week. The teens are expected to read, complete labs, work on projects, problems, and even some tests at home. Generally, we budget two more hours each week for outside assignments. I have been reading on social media that many Co-ops meet for an hour each week to do Bio or Chem labs. Huh. You could complete the labs in the Apologia textbook with a lab schedule of one hour weekly. From experience, you need three hours weekly face to face to teach either course—provided the kids work outside class! Why? I use labs to launch instruction. For example, here is a post about Reaction in a Bag. The kids do the lab and then discuss evidence for chemical change.Do the same thing with labs from the textbook! Experiment 1 is Density of Liquids. Do the lab and then explain density. I am passionate about teaching science and want it to be fun—not a chore. Talk among the parents in your home-school group. Who wants to teach Chem or Bio? Who has the background? Who is willing to add a few fun labs? Are the families willing to meet longer to do the class well? Yes, you can meet with friends and do the labs from the book once a week for an hour. But, see if there is a friend, retired teacher, or parent who would get excited to teach Chem or Bio.
