For homeschool groups wanting Christian inclusion. Materials are designed for 8 learners. This is the lava lamp experiment with more STEM and more oil tie-ins to Scripture.
a) Graduated water
Prepare the activities, knowing that something will overflow on the table. A big towel is best to have.
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” Psalm 23:5
Objective: Add an equal amount of water repeatedly to start a graduated bottle.
Materials (number) needed:
- masking tape (6 inches per bottle)
- DIY bottles (8) masking tape (6 inches per bottle)
- pencils (8)
- 1/4 cup measures (1 or 8)
- water
Instruction
- Hand out materials per child.
- Fill measuring cups going around the circle.
- Help each mark the water level on the tape after each fill.
- Stop filling water at 3 of 4 quarter cups (CC.B.4.C).
- Pass around a lid with some oil to touch, or anoint if appropriate.
- Add vegetable oil to the bottle as the teacher for the remaining 1/4 of the bottle and discourage kids from shaking theirs by leaving the cap off. The rest of the project is better with delayed gratification around shaking.
(CommonCoreMathContentKindergarten.B.4.C) One more measuring cup is 1 larger.
b) Oil separate dance
Objective: Use gross motor learning to dance the molecular difference between oil and water.
Materials (number) needed:
- music player of the Chicken Dance (1)
Instruction
- Let any shaken bottles settle out during the next two activities.
- Introduce the nature of water, elbows out bouncing around like two hydrogen atoms.
- Show the oil nature with elbows tucked to sides with fists up by shoulders, jumping straight up and down like a stiff molecule of oil (MD.A.2).
- Play music, switching dance moves with the song.
(CommonCoreMathContentKindergartenMD.A.2) The molecular flexibility attribute can be more, like water, or less like oil.
c) Coco-melt
“And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil.” Exodus 30:25
Objective: Start children melting baggies of coconut oil for next activity | d |
Materials (number) needed
- DIY coconut oil baggies (8)
- coconut oil (1 cup)
- 4 ounce plastic baggies (8)
Instruction
- Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to each baggie ahead of time, should be cloudy.
- Introduce hands and armpits as warmers (G.A.1).
- Start next activity while children warm until the oil is a clear liquid.
(G.A.1) Baggie is still a rectangle in hands or under arms.
d) Mess made
“but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.” Matthew 25:4
Materials (number) needed:
- DIY previous graduated bottles (8)
- food coloring (24 drops) or glitter (8 tsp)
- melted coconut oil previous (8 baggies)
Instruction
- Ask each child’s choice for one mix in.
- Assist as needed with 4 drops (one-to-one count (CC.B.4.A) or 1 tsp of glitter and observe.
- Have each child hold melted coconut oil baggie above their bottle.
- Cut the corner tip off and let the child squeeze out the remainder. Observe.
(CC.B.4.A) Each drop corresponds to a number.
e) Salts and seltzer
“And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.” Mark 6:13
Objective: Create sinking and a bubbling effect in the bottle.
Your turn to video capture – at bottle level
Post and tag lamps on instagram.com/sciencefairyCO
- DIY previous graduated bottles (8)
- table salt teaspoons (16)
- teaspoon (1)
- Alka-Seltzer tablets (4 whole)
- hot glue gun (1)
Instruction
- Go around to each child’s bottle and hand them the full teaspoon of salt.
- Suggest they crouch to table level to watch what happens right after the salt goes in.
- Repeat using the Alka-Seltzer tablets (split in half) instead of salt.
- In our lives, Jesus reacts and brings medicine for our bodies and hearts like these reagents.
- Hot glue lids shut afterwards for safe keeping.
Note: While these materials are consumable, do not let the children drink this mixture.