Kindergarten, Science, Week 9

Monday we sort of learned that warm air rises.

• I took a bag (we tried gallon and sandwich size plastic bags and paper lunch sacks) and turned on the hair dryer. While the hair dryer was blowing the bag would go up, but as soon as I turned it off the bag would fly in a loop and come down, so I’m not sure if it was the heat or the blowing air that made the bag go up.

Tuesday

• We read Air is All Around You by Branley
• We cut out pictures of the sky and glued them on the top half of the number 2. That completed our unit on Air.

Wednesday we started our unit on Water. These experiments are from 365 More Simple Science Experiments by Churchill, Loeschnig, and Mandell.

Wednesday we learned that marbles and water can’t occupy the same space.

• I took a clear glass and filled it about half full.
• Then I took a piece of Scotch tape and put it on the glass (make a tab at one end so it will come off easily). 
• I had K. use a pencil and draw a line on the tape at the level of the water.
• Next we added about 7 marbles and noted that the water level had risen.
• Why? The marbles and water can’t occupy the same space. The marbles, being heavier than the water sink to the bottom and push the water out of their way, causing the water level to be pushed above the mark on the tape.
• K. wanted to put all the marbles in the water, so I let her.

Thursday we learned about the power of water.

• Turn a faucet on just a little bit. Try to stop the water coming out with your hand. Why can’t you stop it?
• Take a tin can and, using a nail and hammer, make 3 holes. The first should be near the bottom, the second about ½-inch higher, and the third ½-inch higher. The instructions said to make the holes in a straight line, but the water streams merged together, so I would suggest having them offset a little bit.
• Cover the holes with tape and fill the can with water.
• Place the can on the edge of the sink and remove the tape. Which stream of water is longest?
• Why? The water at the bottom of the can is under more pressure than the water above it, so it has the longest stream.
• Why can’t you stop the water from the faucet with your hand? Because all the water pressure behind it.

Friday we learned about disappearing salt.

• You’ll need: a clear glass 3/4ths full of warm tap water, tape, pencil, ½ cup of salt, spoon for stirring
• Mark the level of the water on the tape (as in Wednesday’s experiment).
• Very slowly add the salt, while stirring the water.
• When you are done, check the level of the water. Did it change? If it did change, was it by ½ a cup or very little?
• Why? The molecules of water have space between them. These spaces are filled by the molecules of salt. This is called a solution.
• Compare this to Wednesday’s experiment when the water level rose.

Kindergarten, Science, Week 8

Continuing our unit on Air:

Monday we learned what  a bag of air could do (air is real and takes us space).

• You'll Need: a sturdy paper bag (larger than a lunch sack), an air pump, tape, and a book or video cassette or some such object
• To Prepare: place the end of the air hose in the bag, gather the bag opening around the hose and use tape to secure it.
• Experiment:
• Place the book on top of the flat bag.
• Ask, "Do you think a bag of air could move this book?"
• Pump air into bag.
• Bag will inflate, causing the book to rise.

Tuesday we learned what can push up water in a narrow tube (air presses on everything on all sides).

• You'll Need: a kitchen baster or medicine dropper, container of water, drinking straw, food coloring (if your baster or straw are not clear, color the water so you can see it better)
• Experiment:
• Examine baster. Is it empty? What comes out when you squeeze the bulb?
• Put baster in water. Squeeze bulb. What comes out? What happens when I let go of the bulb?
• Why does the water stay in the tube?
• Now try the same thing with straws. Put a straw in the water, cover the end tightly with your finger and raise it out of the water. Remove your finger and the water runs out. Air pressure keeps the water in, when more air enters the straw it pushes the water out.
• Let child experiment.

Wednesday we learned air pushes on us (moving air pushes things).

• You'll Need: sheets of newspaper
• Experiment:
• Wave your hand in front of your face. What do you feel? When air is moving you can feel it. We feel air moving against us both when the air is moving (wind) or when we are moving.
• Go outside. Stand still and hold a sheet of newspaper against you. When you let go does it stay?
• Now run as fast as you can. Does the newspaper stay?
• You can also play with pinwheels, kites, or even a plastic bag tied onto a string.

Thursday we learned that a glider drifts on moving air.

• You'll Need: a paper airplane
• Experiment:
• Launch the airplane back and forth. Notice that moving air carries the airplane, but when the airplane stops moving, it falls to the ground.

Friday we learned that air slows moving objects.

• You'll Need: 2 sheets of 8-1/2" x 11" paper, a toy parachute, a high place. To make the parachute you'll need a handkerchief, bandanna, or piece of fabric 12" square, string, and a toy that is heavier than the fabric. Tie a 12" string to each corner of the bandanna. Then tie the other ends together and around the toy.
• Experiment:
• Show both sheets of paper. They are the same size. Crumple one. Which do you think will fall faster? Have child drop them at the same time. Why did the crumpled paper drop faster? Less air pressing against it to slow it down.
• Let child play with parachute. When the parachute opens in descends slower than if it doesn't open.

Kindergarten, Science, Week 7

This week we started our unit on Air. Experiments are from Science Experiences for the Early Childhood Years.

Monday we read about Day 2 of Creation and learned what comes out of an empty can.

• Hand your child. an empty can and asked her if she noticed anything in it.
• Asked if she thinks you could make something come out of the can.
• Take a bowl and put 4 - 6 inches of water in it. Take a nail and hammer and let your child hammer a hole in the bottom of the can.
• Had your child put her hand about 1 inch above the end of the can with the hole as you lower it, open end first, into the water.
• Asked if she feels anything coming out of the can? Air!
• The water going into the can pushes the air out of the can.

Tuesday we explored more with "empty" containers.

• Get a bottle that is easy to squeeze and has a small opening or a squirt cap. A 2 liter soda bottle works.
• Ask your child if she notices anything inside the bottle.
• Aim the bottle at your chin and squeeze it. Your child should be able to see the puff of air move your hair.
• Let your child squeeze the bottle at their face. What do they feel? What was in the container?
• Take a square of colored tissue paper and put it over the bottle opening (you may need to mold it to the shape of the bottle to get it to stay. Quickly squeeze the bottle. What happens to the tissue. Play a game and see who can make the tissue shoot the highest or stay up the longest with repeated puffs of air.
• Air is almost everywhere.

Wednesday we learned about the air inside us.

• Ask your child to take a deep breath, close their mouth tightly and pinch their nose for as long as they can.
• Ask them What happened? Why did they let go of their nose? What did their body want so much that they had to let go?
• Our bodies use the part of air called oxygen. We have to keep breathing because the oxygen get used up quickly. Discuss how all living things need air to stay alive.
• Get an nose tissue for you and your child to hold near the nose and mouth. What happens to the tissue when you bring air into your body? when you blow air out of your body?
• Try it with your mouth closed; with your mouth open a bit. Air enters your body 2 places.
• Where does the air go in your body? Lay down when you breathe what part of your body moves?

Thursday we discovered the substance of air.

• Talk about a piece of furniture (we were on the bed, so we used the bed) being real. How do you know it is real? You can feel it.
• Prepare a small plastic bag by gathering the opening around a straw and securing it with tape (one for each of you). Also have a twist-tie or chenille wire to be able to close the bag.
• Blow through the straw into the bag. What are you blowing into the bag? Feel it. Is there something real in it?
• Remove the straw and tie the bag closed with the wire so your child can play with their bag full of air.
• Air is real.

Friday we learned what a glassful of air could do.

• Put a cork in an empty bowl (use a clear bowl). The cork is on the bottom of the bowl. What will happen if we add water?
• Fill the bowl half full of water. Is the cork touching the bottom of the bowl now? Can you put it back on the bottom? Does it stay?
• Show your child a clear glass. Let's see if something in this glass will push the water away and let the cork stay on the bottom of the bowl. Invert the glass over the cork and push it straight down to the bottom of the bowl.
• The air inside the glass can't get out, so it pushes the water away.
• K. wanted to try different things. One thing we tried was a toilet paper roll. It let the water in because it wasn't closed and the air could get out.
• Air takes up space.