Cooperative Science Activities

ScienceScience BuddiesBuddies Cooperative Science Activities

Laura Candler Table of Contents

• Acknowledgments ...... II • Introduction ...... III • Foreword ...... IV

CHAPTER 1 The Basics • Steps to Implement the Program...... 2 • Strategies for Success ...... 3 • Science Buddies Program Planner ...... 4 • Science Buddies Topic Reference ...... 5 • Science Buddies Process Skills ...... 6 • Record-Keeping and Assessment ...... 7 • Creating a Cooperative Classroom ...... 8 • Silly Slime ...... 40 • Cabbage Juice Chemistry ...... 42 CHAPTER 2 • Raisin Razzmatazz ...... 44 Cooperative Learning • Creeping Colors ...... 46 • The Mysterious Balloon ...... 48 Structures • Sun Fun ...... 50 • Science Buddies Structure Reference ...... 10 • Color Spinners ...... 52 • Blackboard Share ...... 11 • The Magic Card ...... 54 • Mix-Freeze-Pair ...... 12 • The Amazing Paper Kite ...... 56 • Numbered Heads Together ...... 13 • Wonderful Wind Socks ...... 58 • Pair Discussion ...... 14 • Weathering and Erosion Walk ...... 60 • RoundRobin ...... 15 • Balloon Blast-Off ...... 62 • Team Discussion ...... 16 • Straw Oboes ...... 64 • Think-Pair-Share ...... 17 • Lever Logic ...... 66

CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 Activities Additional Reproducibles • Chilly Beans ...... 20 • Yeast Power ...... 22 • Letter to Parents ...... 70 • Worm Hunt ...... 24 • Hints for Science Buddies ...... 71 • Egg-citing Egg Trick ...... 26 • Science Buddies Lab Report (Full Page) ..72 • Tricky Twirler ...... 28 • Science Buddies Lab Report (Half Page) .73 • Taste Test ...... 30 • Science Buddies Roster ...... 74 • Hot and Cold Race ...... 32 • Super Science Buddies Award ...... 75 • Bubble Mania ...... 34 • Color Spinner Patterns ...... 76 • Crystal Creations ...... 36 • The Amazing Paper Kite Pattern ...... 77 • Ice Cream Investigations ...... 38 • Weathering and Erosion Log ...... 78

Parents are a child’s first teachers, eagerly exclaiming over their infant’s early explorations. Later, parents share their toddler’s delight in learning through discovery. Parents praise and encourage these early investigations, cheerfully dabbling in science right along with their child. benefits Unfortunately, parents and children often of sacrifice this spirit of companionship and cooperation discovery when a child enters school. The occur while teacher assumes responsibility for the child’s parents and learning, despite the fact that implement the children are many parents are more than willing to remain actively involved. That trend becomes even more exploring noticeable as the child progresses through and school. discussing science The Science Buddy Program was designed to concepts bridge the learning gap between the school and together. home, especially during the intermediate years. Teachers distribute monthly science activities The importance completed at home by each student along with of parent an adult Science Buddy. The activities use involvement inexpensive, safe household materials and allow in science parents and children to share the excitement of education cannot science discovery. be overstated. Recently the The program is simple to implement. Each National Science activity is described on a single page, ready for Teachers Association duplication. Specific teaching strategies for released a position statement advocating such each investigation offer cooperative learning involvement: ‘By sharing science experiences, ideas for introducing and following up the parents demonstrate that learning is an activity in the classroom. The program takes important and enjoyable process. The parents only minutes of class time, and teachers are not also become more aware of the importance responsible for gathering materials. of science in their own lives.” (NSTA Reports! Oct/Nov 1994) This book is unlike others offered by Kagan Cooperative Learning in that it focuses on Fortunately, the Science Buddy Program offers cooperative learning at home as well as in the a simple way to encourage parents and children classroom. Teachers use cooperative strategies to explore science together. Read on to discover to implement the program, but the primary how you can implement this dynamic program in your own classroom.

Overview This activity demonstrates how heat affects the motion of molecules. Molecules of hot water move around more rapidly than those of cold water. Dropping food coloring into the water shows the molecular action very clearly. Food coloring in hot water will spread throughout the water much more quickly than food coloring in cold water.

Introducing the Activity Before handing out the Science Buddies activity, give each team a clear glass of lukewarm water. If possible, place a thermometer in each The drop of blue food coloring glass and have students read the tempera- 1. spreads SLOWLY throughout the ture. Let them touch the water to feel cold water and the drop of red its temperature. Drop a single drop of spreads QUICKLY throughout the green food coloring into each glass and ask hot. students to observe carefully. Then pose Answers will vary. these questions for a Team Discussion: 2. The color should have spread evenly • Would food coloring behave differently in 3. throughout both glasses after an very cold or very hot water? hour. • What differences do you think you would The color of the food coloring is not observe? 4. important. Only the temperature of the water affects the action of the molecules. Cooperative Classroom 5. The food coloring behaves differently because molecules of hot water Follow Up move more quickly than those of On or after the due date, use Mix- cold water. Therefore, hot water Freeze-Pair to discuss the Talk It Over molecules spread the food coloring questions. Ask students to mix around throughout the glass more quickly the room and then freeze when you give a than molecules of cold water. signal. Tell them to form pairs and discuss 6. Lemonade mix dissolves better in the ﬁ rst question. Call on several students hot water due to the increased ac- to share their answers. Then have students tion of the water molecules. You mix, freeze, pair, and discuss the rest of the might suggest dissolving the mix in questions in the same manner. a cup of hot water and then add- ing cold water and ice to ﬁ ll up the container.

Due Date

1. Pour 1/2 cup very COLD water into one glass. Have your Materials Science Buddy pour 1/2 cup very HOT water into the • 2 identical clear cups other glass. or glasses 2. If you have a thermometer, measure the temperature of • 1/2 cup cold water the water in each glass. Record your results. • 1/2 cup hot water 3. Hold the bottle of blue food coloring over the glass of cold • Red and blue food water. Ask your Science Buddy to hold the bottle of red coloring food coloring over the hot water. • Thermometer 4. Predict what will happen when you drop food coloring (optional) into each glass. In which glass will the color spread faster? 5. On a count of three, both of you drop ONE drop of food coloring into your glass. Do not stir! 6. Watch both glasses closely for at least 5 minutes. Then observe them on and off for about an hour. Record your observations.

1. What happened to each drop of food coloring at ﬁ rst? 2. Did you observe any other differences between the two glasses? 3. What happened to both drops after an hour? 4. What would happen if you used different colors of food coloring? 5. Why do you think the food coloring behaves differently in different water tem- peratures? 6. Do you think lemonade mix dissolves better in hot or cold water? Why? What would be a good way to make lemonade?