Apologia Chemistry: Periodic Table Activities

I’m in the middle of organizing and field-testing ideas for Fall.  I ran across Periodic People.  So cute!  Kids organize the characters into rows and columns just as elements are in rows and columns or periods and groups.  Teach Engineering has Engineering and the Periodic Table.  This lesson may work for a Zoom lesson.  PBS has an Interactive Periodic Table.  It can be embedded to Google Classroom from the web site.  This NY Regents Periodic Table Lab is excellent—but hard.  The activity requires knowledge about properties of elements, such as electronegativity.  One more idea is Density is a Periodic Property, adapted from this Flinn Kit.  You can buy metal shot or ingots on Amazon.  Silicon is tricky to buy.  The Periodic Element Guys have silicon and other elements samples.  See why I am getting organized now?

Apologia Chemistry: Soda Pop Science

I’m prepping Chemistry classes for Fall.  We are starting remotely.  I am curating experiments to supplement the textbook.  I bought Neo Science Soda Pop Science Kit.  I want substantial science, not Camp, such as Mentos and Diet Coke.  Instead, we’ll do labs such as Fizz Bizz and Elephant’s Toothpaste.  There is a twist.  I use simple experiments like these to teach experimental design.  For Fizz Bizz, kids should test fine and coarse salt and vary the amounts of salt and sugar.  For Elephant’s toothpaste, kids can vary the temperature of the dish soap or peroxide.  They can experiment with varying amounts of peroxide or yeast.  Each variation is a new experiment.  These are good experiments to learn to identify independent, controlled, or confounding variables and how to draw conclusions.  Which combination produces the greatest amount of foam?  Which additive, salt or sugar produces the most bubbles in soda pop?  How many trials did you complete for each experiment?  See?  Kids can learn a great deal from simple experiments.  Paul is helping us preview the labs.

Mad Science Camp: Edible Chemistry

One staple for Mad Science Camp is this Edible Chemistry Kit.  I buy the classroom kit for large Camp groups.  It’s much easier to manage teams and do the experiments with the small color-coded containers.  I buy one set and refill the little containers.  We pull out our kit regularly to do the experiments just for fun.  Have you microwaved marshmallows?  Try Monster Mallows—especially if you have not Microwaved Ivory Soap or Microwaved Peeps.  Try Growing Gummy Bears and Candy Chromatography.  This week when we make Edible Aquifers, we’ll grow gummy bears, make Ice Cream in a Bag, and do some candy chromatography with our soda science.  I need to buy some candy.  Let the fun begin!

Edible Science: Is it Mad Science Camp?

We are doing Soda Pop Science as part of School.  This week we are adding more Edible Science, specifically Fibonacci Lemonade and Edible Aquifers—both School, not Camp?   Are there edible science projects for Mad Science Camp?  Sure!  Make Ice Cream in a Bag.  Any type of milk works.  Crush the ice and shake for 10-20 minutes.  Try S’Mores in a Solar Oven and Stained Glass Candy.  and Microwave Cake in a Mug.  Go Science Camp!

Neo Sci Soda Pop Lab

Goodwill online had a listing for Neo Sci Soda Pop Lab.  I know, I know—a kit?  Really?  I do buy kits periodically to see the contents.  Mainly, I want a look at the labs.  I paid $21 for the kit.  I bought cheap soda in cans and bottles to test.  If I can get a new kit for around $20, I’ll buy it.  

For $21, I am thrilled with Soda Pop Lab.  My chemistry class has to start the course remotely.  I’m assembling kits; the labs must safe and detailed for home use. I plan to add the soda labs to my lab list.  The kit itself has pipettes, cups, a few chemicals, such as sand and salt, and 15 mini thermometers.  This type of kit is designed for classroom use.  This kit is NOT Camp; it’s School.  Here, here, and here are similar soda science labs.  We are working our way through the lab series this week for Chemistry.  See the pix.

Mad Science Camp: Power Balls Kit

I know, I know!  A kit?  Look at the first photo; it was $0.99 at a yard sale.  Here are the general instructions.  We were studying polymers; bouncy balls are fun.  Here, here, and here are kits with molds.  Expect to pay about $10 for a larger kit.  These are different from ordinary diy bouncy balls or these polymer balls. When I do polymers at Camp, I just cave and buy a kit.  The limiting factor is the number of molds.   Bounce it outside after the ball dries.  It will break into a billion crystal bits.

How does your garden grow?

The container garden on the deck is flourishing.  The tomato plants are thriving in the grocery bags.  Take a look!

Mad Science Camp: Elephant’s Toothpaste

There are two versions of Elephant’s Toothpaste: a kid version and an adult supervised or demo-ed version.  (The Magic Genie demo is similar—without dish soap.). The kid version is fine for camp.  Squirt a little food dye along the sides of the bottle or graduated cylinders to make ‘striped’ foam or toothpaste.  Let your kids try the experiment with warm and cold dish soap solution.  Paul microwaved the dish soap for ten seconds.  (Open the lid to release the air.  Oops!  The solution gets very warm!). It reacts for several minutes.  The hydrogen peroxide breaks down into water and oxygen gases, captured in the dish soap foam.  Take a look.

                                  

Science Equipment

I buy most of my science equipment (and textbooks for that matter) used.  Right now, prices for used equipment (and used textbooks) is rising.  More home-schoolers?  Good Will has listings for glassware.  (Search ‘beaker’ on the website.). Take an inventory of your equipment and supplies.  Remember, Home Science Tools always has fair prices, especially on individual pieces of equipment, such as a beaker.  I’m assembling kits for Fall to send home with my students.  

What comprises basic equipment?  Here is a list of basics: a digital scale, cupcake papers (to use as weigh paper),  graduated cylinders and beakers,   thermometer, a reaction plate (or paint paletes), pipettes, a scoop, a test tube set, safety glasses, craft sticks (to stir), a plastic funnel, and hot hands—silicone pot holder.  Glass beakers, graduated cylinders, conductivity meters, and  ring stand set are nice to have.  However, you can get by with the basics.  Save your money for the chemicals.  Keep an eye out for used Chem kits.  Add up the contents before you bid!  

Mad Science Camp: Alka-Seltzer Fireworks

Today we are doing Alka-Seltzer Fireworks.  We are continuing our July 4th theme.  We used film canisters, Alka-Selzer tablets, and paint.  The key is to work quickly.  Add the paint to the film canister, drop the tablet, snap on the lid, invert, and step back.  Wait a bit.  I’ve done Alka-Selzer rockets before without the paint.  You could mix baking soda and citric acid to use instead of tablets.  But, it’s easier to drop in a tablet than try to pour in a powder mixture. You can see in the video we did several trials.  We had issues with snapping the lid shut. Use a bit of paint, half a canister of water, and half an Alka-Seltzer tablet.  The noise in the background is the street pavers.  Yes, the air-conditioning is still out. Both factor into our lack of patience.   Take a look.

Lego Boost Update

Our little household is all about STEM.  Paul, ten, understands coding intuitively.  (Not surprisingly, his daddy, Ken, is a software engineer.).  Ken wants Paul to code everyday and bought Lego Boost.  (Amazon has Lego Boost in stock.). We have been working through the builds and programs.  The robot was good; kitty was a pain.  My husband, Rob, and I sort pieces.  He just assembled the guitar and is programming it.  Lego Boost is a great toy if your child likes both Legos and coding.  Paul and Rob play guitar.  They are trying to program real songs into the Lego Boost guitar.  Here are photos.