Science Experiments for the Primary Classroom






         Providing a clearer understanding

May 5, 2010

Liquids

Filed under: — pbutler @ 5:51 pm

Strand – Materials

Strand Unit – Materials and change

Class – 3rd – 6th

Which of the following liquids is heaviest? (water, syrup or cooking oil)

Prior knowledge required by students

Solids and gases can be changed into liquids. The blood in our bodies can be described as a liquid. Liquids can be poured into containers and they take the shape of the container.

stage 1

Introduce the concept of liquids and their properties by asking some of the introductory questions below.

Stimulus questions to engage the students and get them interested

What is the difference between a liquid and a gas?

What is the difference between a liquid and a solid?

Does liquid take up more space than gas?

Does liquid take up more space than a solid?

Do you think that cooking oil is lighter than water, why?

Do you think that syrup is lighter than water, why?

Listen to an audio clip of the children questioning each other.    

stage 2

The Experiment

Materials needed – (glass jar, cooking oil, maple syrup, water)

Divide the class into groups of 2 – 4.

Give each group a glass,  cooking oil and syrup.

Fill one third of the glass with water.

Add the same amount of cooking oil and the same amount of syrup to the glass.

Ask each group to predict what will happen.

Make sure that all of the groups predictions are recorded.

Before conducting the experiment, take a look at the following video to see how the experiment transpires.

Experiment – density

stage 3

Learning outcomes

After the experiment, give the children the opportunity to share their ideas and findings by asking the following questions.

Which of the three liquids stayed at the top of the glass?

Which of the liquids sank to the bottom ?

Which of the liquids is the heaviest?

Which of the liquids is the lightest?

Listen to an audio clip of the children’s findings and explanations 

Conclusion

See whos predictions were correct by revisiting the predictions recorded earlier and have some fun with the interactive quiz. Discuss how the children worked like scientists where they answered some research questions, planned an experiment and then carried out the experiment.

interactive quizMatch Up

Follow-up-activity

Try the same experiment with other everyday transparent liquids.



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