eating her curds and whey...Ewwww---that was the general reaction of the Pearl Peanuts group when we made curds and whey for this month's science experience....
For our after school group (Pearl Peanuts), I designated all the activities for January to be science-related. This week we made plastic milk or curds and whey. The activity was courtesy of PBS kids. First we gathered our materials--skim milk, vinegar, strainer, and microwave-safe bowl. Next we measured 1.5 cup of skim milk and poured it into the bowl. Then we added 4 teaspoons of vinegar into the bowl, and we placed the bowl and mixture into the microwave, and we let it cook for 1 minute. When the minute was finished, we took the book out of the microwave, and the kids noted the changes of the milk and vinegar, i.e. the smell was stronger and the vinegar and milk made a chemical change into a blob. We used a strainer to separate the liquid from the solid, and each kid touched the blob or plastic milk.
The next experiment we performed was courtesy of Vicki Cobb. It was called the Science in a Bag of Potato Chips. A few months ago, I personally saw Vicki Cobb perform this experiment, and I thought it was very cool. We needed a candle, unopened bag of potato chips, scissors, matches, and a bowl. There was a second part to the experiment, but we did not perform it. First, we talked about the crispness of the chips and how chips can become stale or soggy. Then I explained to them that the potato chip makers needed to find a way to keep the chips fresh and crispy. Potato chip makers decided that foil-lined bags and nitrogen gas would preserve their chips' freshness. Onto the experiment...I lit a candle. As Mrs. Cobb suggested, I blew lightly on the candle's flame to show that my breath was fanning the flame and not extinguishing it. Only if I blew with more force would the flame extinguish. Next, I snipped the corner of the potato chip bag, and I placed it near the candle's flame and squeezed the bag. The nitrogen in the bag of potato chips deprived the candle's flame of oxygen, which is the gas needed for candle's to remain lit. Of course, the kids were all excited about it, but they were even more excited when they got to eat the chips.
Also note that throughout the entire program I STRESSED ADULT SUPERVISION. I must have stated it every 5 minutes. What amazes me is the age differences in this group and how wonderful they pay attention (most of the time)! I think the youngest is 3 years old, and the oldest is 11 years old.
Little Miss Muffet Sat on Her Tuffet...
eating her curds and whey...Ewwww---that was the general reaction of the Pearl Peanuts group when we made curds and whey for this month's science experience....
For our after school group (Pearl Peanuts), I designated all the activities for January to be science-related. This week we made plastic milk or curds and whey. The activity was courtesy of PBS kids. First we gathered our materials--skim milk, vinegar, strainer, and microwave-safe bowl. Next we measured 1.5 cup of skim milk and poured it into the bowl. Then we added 4 teaspoons of vinegar into the bowl, and we placed the bowl and mixture into the microwave, and we let it cook for 1 minute. When the minute was finished, we took the book out of the microwave, and the kids noted the changes of the milk and vinegar, i.e. the smell was stronger and the vinegar and milk made a chemical change into a blob. We used a strainer to separate the liquid from the solid, and each kid touched the blob or plastic milk.
The next experiment we performed was courtesy of Vicki Cobb. It was called the Science in a Bag of Potato Chips. A few months ago, I personally saw Vicki Cobb perform this experiment, and I thought it was very cool. We needed a candle, unopened bag of potato chips, scissors, matches, and a bowl. There was a second part to the experiment, but we did not perform it. First, we talked about the crispness of the chips and how chips can become stale or soggy. Then I explained to them that the potato chip makers needed to find a way to keep the chips fresh and crispy. Potato chip makers decided that foil-lined bags and nitrogen gas would preserve their chips' freshness. Onto the experiment...I lit a candle. As Mrs. Cobb suggested, I blew lightly on the candle's flame to show that my breath was fanning the flame and not extinguishing it. Only if I blew with more force would the flame extinguish. Next, I snipped the corner of the potato chip bag, and I placed it near the candle's flame and squeezed the bag. The nitrogen in the bag of potato chips deprived the candle's flame of oxygen, which is the gas needed for candle's to remain lit. Of course, the kids were all excited about it, but they were even more excited when they got to eat the chips.
Also note that throughout the entire program I STRESSED ADULT SUPERVISION. I must have stated it every 5 minutes. What amazes me is the age differences in this group and how wonderful they pay attention (most of the time)! I think the youngest is 3 years old, and the oldest is 11 years old.
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