Doing science experiments with your children or students, if you are a teacher, can be a lot of fun. Experiments help children to better understand some of the concepts they learn in school. The science experiments that seem to go over really well are the ones where the experiment is an edible one, giving the kids a snack afterward.
Fractures in the Earth's Surface
This experiment shows young children, about kindergarten through second graders, how cracks form on the surface of the earth. Get a block of cheese, or you can use a package of sliced cheese if you want the whole class to participate. Show the kids how when they pull on the cheese, cracks appear. You can hand them another piece of cheese if you want, but this time, poke a hole in it with the tip of a plastic knife. Ask the kids what they think will happen if you pull opposite the hole. Explain to them that this is what happens to the earth's surface as well. Any stress to the surface of the earth will eventually cause cracks to form. Let the kids eat the cheese for a snack.
Tension That Causes Earthquakes
Use this edible experiment with your kindergarten to second-grade children. Give each child a graham cracker that has a perforation in the middle. Tell the children to carefully break along the edges of the perforation. Set the two pieces side by side. Show them push one piece up and pull the other piece down while rubbing the edges of the cracker together. This makes crumbs. These crumbs represent the rocks and dirt that break off the mountains. Tell the kids to break one of the pieces in half. It will probably not be even, which is what you want. Tell them to do the same push and pull technique as they did along the perforation. Moving these pieces of crackers is harder because they are uneven. This unevenness causes earthquakes when the earth shifts.
Candy Ice Crystals
Children learn about ice crystals and rock crystals in science class. You can show your second to fifth graders how crystals form. Each child needs to have a 6-inch length of cotton string, a popsicle stick and a styrofoam cup. Gather the children around as much as possible so everyone can see the cooking part, which the teacher needs to do. Mix up sugar and water to the ratio of 1/3 cup of water to 1 cup of sugar; depending on how many students you have in your class. This amount will work for 1 or 2 students. Heat the sugar and water to boiling. Have each of the children get their string wet in plain water and then remove all the excess water. They each roll their damp strings in sugar. Tie one end of the string around the popsicle stick. Fill each of their cups with the heated sugar mixture and have them place the string in the water while the popsicle stick sits across the top of the cup to hold it in place. Allow these to sit over night. The next day, see the crystal candy that forms on the string. Pull out the candy and lay on a paper towel to dry out, then allow the children to eat.
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