Science from school to home

SCIENCE FROM SCHOOL TO HOME

There is nothing more exciting to a child than a messy or wondrous experiment and the feeling that he is an adventurous scientist.  This weekend my 8 year old grandson was visiting and as usual we played scientist and we made slime.  This time we used cornstarch, water, and green food coloring. What a fun gooey mess! He dripped it all over the kitchen cabinet and onto the floor even though I had put newspaper under the bowl, but he had such fun.  I showed him how to punch it for a funny sound and to make it stiff, how to squeeze it and to make it feel hard, and how to just put it back into the bowl and it became gooey again.  He happily played with it for over an hour.  The drops on the floor where easy to clean as when they dried they became stiff and scraped right up. 

 He and I have an agreement that when we do messy stuff he has to clean it up.  Afterward we went upstairs and before he went to bed we went on the computer to find out why the cornstarch and water acted the way it did.  He leaned words like polymer, and plastics, how pouring the goo down the sink would clog the plumbing, and how the polymer applied to things he knew such as toys, etc.

  We then looked up other experiments he would enjoy doing when he visited again (which is quite often as he calls me the “fun” grandma).  Doing simple experiments with kids in school or at home is an easy way to make a difference in a Childs learning, desire to visit you at home or in a class and also a great way to boost the child’s confidence in himself.  The child learns that making a mistake when you are experimenting is not the end of the world and that all scientist learn through making mistakes and that something better usually comes out of the problems and that is why it is called experimenting.  If you keep explaining this, when the child comes upon a problem at home or at school, he becomes used to looking at another way to attack the problem and is less likely to strikeout or to have a tantrum, or cry, or feel like a failure, after all he is like a scientist and must find another answer to his problem.

In the classroom I have been working with magnets as part of our earth science unit. To my class science is one of the most exciting, and fun parts of the day. We are always experimenting and writing about our project (a fun way to teach writing and reading).  We used magnets and iron filings to experiment with and to make designs on paper plates.  I gave each child a magnet and some iron filings on a small paper plate.  When they took the magnet away the filings dropped flat on the plate but with the magnet the filings moved all over the plate.  They then found the plate had become all marked up by the filings and had all kinds of designs and patterns which they compared with each other.  The kids became so excited about the project they told their parents about the experiment. I have found all experiments become the focal point of class and the kids can’t wait to come to my class just so they can’t miss something. 

 

 Then there is the parental excitement-they are so happy at the child’s attitude that they start doing more at home with the child.  This week one parent sent in magnetic volcanic dust, another made an electromagnet with two batteries, copper wire, and a nail, and another made one with a battery, and a penny. Any child who brings an experiment from home gets an extra sticker for his chart . Now you have parental involvement in your class which also makes the child feel very important and loved and makes them love science even more. You have now brought more happiness and satisfaction to the home and to your class as well as more education for everyone —a win, win situation.