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This is a great demonstration for teaching about physical and chemical weathering. Students will get to smash the sugar cubes, which I would find very fun as a kid. What student doesn't want to smash a sugar cube?

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Team Weathering and Erosion are always working together when it comes to changing the Earth's surface. Since recently I shared some hands-on erosion experiments, I thought why not share the other partner in crime - weathering! (Is it like the chicken and the egg - who came first? Erosion then weathering or weathering then erosion?) And since erosion received so much hands-on time, its partner needs an activity as well. Besides, this one involves sugar. Isn't that exactly what your elementary classrooms need? Sugar?

When I teach my students about weathering, I teach about two types - physical and chemical. We discuss the basics of how each effect happens, and then I like to pull out the science materials to make it fun and more hands-on. After all, I've found that the best way to keep elementary students engaged in learning is by making it exciting!

To demonstrate physical weathering, I provide each student with a sugar cube. Then I tell them to use their book or body weight and physically apply a bit of pressure to break it down. The results are fun, as what kid doesn't love to just crush things to pieces? We then discuss how it relates to the surface of the earth and how it becomes weathered physically. Of course, we discuss that the pressure and weathered effects are more from other sources.

Then we get to the chemical weathering. We talk about how acid rain likes to ruin statues and other structures - so they become chemically weathered - and how sinkholes are created. To demonstrate this, I provide each person with a plastic cup lined with sugar cubes along the bottom and a graham cracker on top (representing soil). Using vinegar and a dropper, we drop it on the "soil" until slowly over time the sugar is destroyed underneath. We then talk about how this is very similar to limestone being weathered and creating empty pockets.

Overall, this is a fun and inexpensive way to help students really visualize both physical and chemical weathering!

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Physical and Chemical Weathering Experiments

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Team Weathering and Erosion are always working together when it comes to changing the Earth's surface. Since recently I shared some hands-on erosion experiments, I thought why not share the other partner in crime -- weathering! (Is it like the chicken and the egg -- who came first?

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Students will be amazed when they see a cloud formed in a jar. The teacher will demonstrate how to put the ingredients into the jar. The students will then have the opportunity to put the ingredients in the jar, helping them feel independent.

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How To Make A Cloud In A Jar - Kitchen Science

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Simple kitchen science experiment how to make a cloud in a jar. This is a great experiment to try with the preschool age group.

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Students will love this activity because they will get to eat the result. Students will get to experience science concepts in a fun way, one of these being evaporation. This will also allow students to use the steps of inquiry and tap into their curiosity.

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Broken glass candy is a gorgeous treat that comes in a rainbow of colors. Learn to make the confection at home with this simple recipe.

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Students will build an understanding of electricity and energy through this fun demonstration. How could lemons power a light? This activity will answer the questions students have about "fruit power."

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Making a lemon battery is one of the coolest science experiments we've ever done.

Even though we were following lemon battery instructions we almost couldn't believe our eyes when we connected it all together and saw the light shine. Using fruit to power lights is definitely a great way to get kids excited about STEM activities.

A lemon battery is a STEM project I've been wanting to try for awhile now so I was thrilled to get to partner with Green Works and StemBox for this post. StemBox, is a monthly subscription service aimed at young girls that delivers hands on science experiments to their front door. This month's box was all about the power of a lemon and my girls had lots of fun experimenting with it!

The Stem Box arrived with everything we needed for the experiment (minus the lemons) and a few bonus items. One of the reasons we hadn't made a lemon battery yet was that I didn't already have all the items on hand. It was nice to have everything delivered-no special trips required.

How to Make a Lemon Battery
Supplies
Step by step instructions with illustrations and an explanation of the science behind the lemon battery were included in the Stem Box. We started by rolling the lemons on the table to get them nice and juicy.

Then my daughter stuck a zinc nail and a piece of copper wire into each of the 4 lemons. She then used the alligator clips to connect each lemon together (nail to wire to nail to wire).

Once the last lemon was connected she used 2 more alligator clips to connect the first and last lemon to an LED bulb. Once the circuit was completed the light lit up-we couldn't get over how cool it was!

After the light lit she tinkered with it a bit further by changing the number of lemons connected and then swapping the lemons for other citrus fruit.

My younger daughter loved helping her sister with the STEM experiment and it ended up being the perfect project for them to do together over spring break.

In addition to the supplies for the lemon battery Green Works also sent some other fun materials-a pin, Green Works Wipes (which came in handy because our oranges got the table quite dirty!), a STEM sticker and a super cool fruit clock. The clock can be powered by any fruit and we got such a kick of seeing it work with a single strawberry. Such a fun way to get kids interested in STEM and how things work!
Want to try the Stem Box subscription service?
With only 1 in every 1,000 girls pursuing STEM careers, Green Works has partnered with Stem Box to find unique and engaging ways to continue inspiring young girls to pursue a career in science. Stem Boxes are designed to be fun and inspiring for girls ages 7 to 13.

Subscription cost:

Month to month = $36
3 month pre-pay = $28
6 month pre-pay = $170

Go to Green Works or Stem Box to sign up your kids today!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Green Works . The opinions and text are all mine.
Don't let the fun and discovery stop there!
We have TONS of science experiments your kids will love on our Super Cool Science Experiments for Kids page!
Take me to the experiments -> Super Cool Science Experiments for Kids

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Making a lemon battery is one of the coolest science experiments we've ever done. Even though we were following lemon battery instructions we almost couldn't believe our eyes when we connected it all together and saw the light shine. Using fruit to power lights is definitely a great way to get kids excited about STEM activities.

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Students will enjoy this demonstration because they get to practice being engineers for the day. The teacher will ask the students what materials they could use to create a structure that can balance on their nose or finger. After creating a structure as a class, the students will build their own structures to test out their engineering abilities.

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I love giving my children open-ended challenges to complete. This STEAM engineering challenge was a hit, with plenty of trial and error and then some very cool designs in the end.

The challenge I gave to my kids was this:
Using the materials provided, build a structure with a single point that you can balance on your finger. . . or on your nose! This post is part of the 28 Days of STEAM Blog Hop, where you can find hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math projects for kids.
You can do this challenge with any of a variety of materials. We started out using the sticks and beads from our Spielgaben set along with some scotch tape.

We also pulled out our Zome Tools kit.

My son started with the Spielgaben set and after a few different attempts he managed to build a structure he could balance on his finger on just one point.

The next challenge was to balance the structure on his nose, and it worked as well! I challenged him to walk across the room like this and he was able to do it.

Next we started building structures with the struts and balls from our Zome Tools kit.

We experimented with several designs, and eventually built this wide structure that my daughter was able to place on her nose and walk down the hallway.

A few things we learned from this challenge:

The bottom of the side poles must be lower than the balancing point on your finger

Adding weight to the bottom of the poles helps

Keeping the weight balanced on both sides of the structure is important

Wider structures have more stability

To illustrate how wider structures provide stability, you may wish to show a video of a tight rope walker carrying a very long, wide pole, like this video of tightrope walker Nik Wallenda walking over the Chicago River between the Marina City towers.

More resources for STEAM learning

Most STEAM posts from Gift of Curiosity:

Looking for even more STEAM ideas for your classroom? Check out these printable resources:
Find more awesome building challenges on my Engineering Challenges Pinterest board.
Follow Gift of Curiosity's board Engineering Challenges on Pinterest.

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I love giving my children open-ended challenges to complete. This STEAM engineering challenge was a hit, with plenty of trial and error and then some very cool designs in the end. The challenge I gave to my kids was this: Using the materials provided, build a structure with a single point that you can balance on your finger.

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Ice cream is something almost every student will be interested in. Students can perform this experiment at home when they a quick bag of ice cream. The teacher will prepare the ingredients for the ice cream and then allow students to shake the bag or container. The ingredients can also be easily adjusted for students who have food allergies.

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Making ice cream in a bag is the perfect recipe for preschoolers! There is fine and gross motor work involved plus you get a yummy treat! Try this as a team building activity or a fun special science experiment for kids.

Ice Cream in a Bag Preschool Science Activity

The best part about this kids ice cream in a bag activity is that I bet you have many, if not all, of the ingredients in your kitchen right now.

You will need:

Whole milk, heavy cream, or half and half

Sugar

Vanilla

Ice

Kosher salt or ice cream salt

Plastic freezer bag

Plastic container

Spoons and bowls

Sprinkles (optional but fun!)

Bring preschoolers together to discuss what they think you need to make ice cream. This can be a great modeled writing activity.

Make a list together of the ingredients and tools they think you'll need before revealing the supplies listed above that are required for this recipe.

Ice Cream In A Bag Recipe

Here is the recipe we used to make ice cream in a bag

Ice (enough to fill a large plastic bag)

6 Tablespoons Salt

1 cup milk/half-n-half

2 Tablespoons Sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

How To Make Ice Cream In A Bag

Fill the plastic container most of the way with ice. Invite the children take turns sprinkling about 6 tablespoons of kosher or ice cream salt all over the ice. This recipe is amazing for scoop and pour practice for little hands!

Pour one cup of whole milk, half and half, or heavy whipping cream into the plastic freezer bag. We used whole milk. Add two tablespoons of white sugar. Invite the children to help to practice fine motor skills! Finally, add a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.

An adult should get most of the air out of the plastic bag and zip it closed. Be sure that the bag is sealed tightly!

Make Ice Cream in a Bag For Kids

Put the freezer bag with the ingredients into the container with the ice. Top with more ice if needed. Put the lid on the container and allow the preschoolers to shake the container. You can also slide it back and forth on a flat surface such as the table or the floor.

Take turns shaking up the ice cream for about 10 to 15 minutes. This is a great activity for center time or recess! You can check the consistency of the ice cream periodically by opening the container and gently squeezing the bag.

How does it work? When we add salt to ice we lower the freezing point. This is the same reason we ice sidewalks and roads in the winter. The melting ice absorbs heat from the bag of ice cream allowing us to quickly freeze our delicious treat!

Once our ice cream was about the consistency of a thick milkshake, we divided it into bowls. Invite the children to add toppings (like sprinkles) if desired! Enjoy!

Read a book about ice cream. Check out our list of ice cream books!

BIO: Devany LeDrew writes at Still Playing School where she shares intentionally planned play based learning activities. Follow Still Playing School on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter!

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Ice Cream In A Bag Preschool Science Activity For Kids

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Making ice cream in a bag is the perfect recipe for preschoolers! There is fine and gross motor work involved plus you get a yummy treat! Try this as a team building activity or a fun special science experiment for kids.

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Students love to see things blow up, even adults enjoy these types of demonstrations. This demonstration will teach students chemistry concepts in a fun and engaging way. The students will also get to wear science googles when the experiment is performed, another exciting aspect.

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Best science experiment ever! Make a fantastic eruption with hydrogen peroxide, yeast, soap, and food coloring! This science project is perfect for science shows for all ages: preschool, kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school! Even adults enjoy this one!

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Students are always curious to learn about their bodies and how they work. This activity will help students to build a model spine to grasp a better understanding of how their spine functions. The teacher can then have students do activities where they use their spine such as touching their toes.

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My kids are fascinated with their own bodies. And with good reason. When you get into how our bodies function it really is fascinating.

This makes learning about the human body a really effective way to get kids interested in STEM. Even better is learning about something they can experience working. Things like breathing and hearing their heartbeat are good places to start.

Another good place to start? The spine.

We might not be able to see our spine or hear it, but we can feel it in action every time we move. And that will make your kids excited to learn about it.

Let's make a spine!

What's In This Post?

How To Make A Spine Model

First up we are going to make the model of our spine so you can see how easy it is. Then I'll share more about the actual science of the spine.

You don't need much to make a spine model. These are the supplies that we used to make our model, but you can substitute whatever you have handy.

You need:

Empty Egg Carton

Pipe Cleaners

Colored Foam Sheets (Or Construction Paper)

How To Build Your Spine Model
Step 1:
Take your empty egg carton and cut the top half off. You can discard this. Take the bottom half and cut the egg spots apart. You should end up with 12 little cups.
Step 2:
Cut your foam board into small circles, about the same diameter as the egg carton cups. Cut out 12 circles. Poke a small hole in the center of each circle.
Step 3:
Poke a hole into one side of your egg carton cups. Poke a second hole in the side opposite.
Step 4:
Thread an egg carton cup into your pipe cleaner. Then add one of your foam circles. Next, add another egg cup. Then another foam circle.

I twisted the ends of two pipe cleaners together to get a longer spine. Continue adding the egg cups and foam circles in the alternating pattern until your spine is the length you want.

Twist the ends of the pipe cleaner so the pieces of your spine don't fall off.

You made a spine!

A little safety tip here. The easiest way I found to cut apart the egg cartons and to poke holes in the materials is to use a knife on a cutting board. So it makes sense to either have a grown up do this or at least have this activity be closely supervised by an adult. Safety first.
More Fun Human Body STEM To Try!
Activities To Try with Your Model Spine

Alright, so we made the spine. Cool, but now what?

The goal of this model is to help your child understand how the spine works in their bodies. While a normal spine has more vertebrae than the one we made, we can still make it work for a good demonstration.

Our spine can stretch and compress. This, along with the fact that our spine curves, helps our spine act as a shock absorber of sorts for our body. We can see this by taking our model and gently pushing and pulling on the ends of the model.

You can see the egg cups move closer together as we push on the spine and spread as we pull. (It might be subtle, but it happens.) This helps us support our bodies while we move.

Have your child bend over and touch their toes. You try it for them to see too.

How do we bend? Do we just bend over and have a flat back, or does our back curve to help us get closer to the ground?

This curvature is possible from the flexibility of our spine. You can see it in the model by holding the model to one person's back and having them bend over. See the stretch? Then switch so everyone can see.

You can either hold the spine model to one person's back to do this one or place it flat on a table. If using a person, have the person stand up straight then stretch to one side. If on the table hold one end steady and gently curve the other end to the side, as you would with a stretch.

What happens to the spine? It allows a certain degree of flexibility thanks to the vertebrae. We can stretch and move side to side.

What Are the Parts of Your Spine?

Your spine is the part of your body that helps hold you upright. It is a very important part of our anatomy and is what designates us as vertebrates.

Vertebrates have backbones, and this includes humans, birds, dogs, cats, etc. Invertebrates do not have backbones. This includes worms and insects. (Learn more about the difference between vertebrates and invertebrates by clicking here.

The spine starts at the skull and runs all the way down to your tailbone. It is made up of several different parts. Here are what the parts of our DIY spinal cord represent.

Egg Carton Cups=Vertebrae

The spine is made up of vertebrae. These are the bony pieces that make up the spine and protect the spinal cord itself. These are represented by the egg carton cups.

These bony pieces allow us to move and bend while still protecting the nervus tissue, artery, and vein that make up the spinal column. We saw how the spine lets us move with our stretching activities above. The hard bones offer strength and protection.

The vertebrae are divided into different sections. There is cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacrum, and coccyx.

Cervical: There are 7 cervical vertebrae and they support the head.

Thoracic: There are 12 thoracic vertebrae and they support the ribs.

Lumbar: There are 15 lumbar vertebrae and they make up the lower back.

Sacrum: There are 5 sacrum vertebrae and they are fused together.

Coccyx: There are 3-5 coccyx vertebrae and they make up your tailbone.

Foam Circles=Intervertebral Discs

Our vertebrae are great for protection and allowing us some flexibility to move, but they can't just be rubbing up against each other. So between each vertebra are intervertebral discs. These discs are represented by our foam circles (or construction paper circles.)

These discs have a big job to do. First, they act as a joint between vertebrae to allow us to move. They also act as ligaments to help hold the vertebrae together. And finally, they aid as shock absorbers between the vertebrae and for our bodies in general. This is all very important to protect our valuable spinal cord.

Pipe Cleaner=Spinal Cord

It seems funny that such a simple item represents such an important part of our bodies. Our spinal cords are the nerves that run from our brain out to our entire body. It basically makes our bodies work.

The spinal cords transmits the neural inputs between the brain and our bodies.

This means when our brain sees our cup and wants to pick it up, it sends a message down our spinal cord. This message gets to our arms and we can pick up the cup. Or we feel something tickling our leg. The spinal cord sends that message up to our brain so we know to move our leg.

Now obviously this is a simplified explanation. But it is the main idea of what is happening.

(The actual details are fascinating, but a bit out of the scope of this activity. However, if your child wants to learn more check out this resource: Spinal Cords for Kids)

What Can Your Spine Do For You?

This model is a great way to show our kids just how important the spine is in our body, and how amazing our bodies are in general.

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How To Make a Model Spine: Anatomy STEM for Kids - Team Cartwright

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My kids are fascinated with their own bodies. And with good reason. When you get into how our bodies function it really is fascinating. This makes learning about the human body a really effective way to get kids interested in STEM. Even better is learning about something they can experience working.

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This demonstration will help students with curious minds during the fall months. Students will have the opportunity to collect leaves for the demonstration, allowing students to feel involved in the demonstration. They will then get to see how the coffee filters change to the color of the leaves they collected. This can be used for any age from preschool to 5th grade, depending on the content along with it.

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Why do Leaves Change Color Experiment for Kids

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Kids will be WOWED with this hands-on, fall science experiment where they will explore Why do Leaves Change Color for kids! Fun Leaf Activity!

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This activity can be a great way to teach students about germs and how important soap is when handwashing. This will be engaging because students will be able to visually see how germs stay on our hands and what we can do to prevent the spread of germs.

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By · This content may contain affiliate links.
Kids will be amazed at this simple hand washing science demonstration that reminds them visually that using soap when washing hands literally makes "germs" scatter.
Yes, dish liquid is great for washing dishes, but there are so many other fun uses for soap. In the classroom I loved using this quick science activity to demonstrate the importance of using soap while washing hands.

With this simple science demonstration you can give kids a vivid visual that will help them remember to use soap each time they wash their hands {hopefully!}.

And bonus! They're also learning a little about surface tension along the way.

Watch the Hand Washing Science Demonstration Video

You can watch the full science demonstration in this short video.

When we did this demonstration I started by gathering a bowl of water, black paper, and dish soap. Then I asked the girls to talk with me about what they know about soap and why we use it.

After our chat I told them we were going to learn about how soap makes germs scatter, and I asked them to sprinkle some pepper into our bowl. (Don't add too much or the demonstration will not work as well.) They observed how the pepper floats on the surface of our water, and I told them that was like germs on the surface of our skin.

Then we covered one finger with dish soap. Our container was full so we just dipped a finger in, but you could also squirt the soap on the finger or dip a finger into a smaller container with soap poured in it.

Now for the big moment! And it's a fast one, so make sure everyone is watching. Stick that finger into the water in the center of the bowl if possible. And POOF! Those "germs" scatter to the edge of the bowl. It's quick, but powerful and kids remember that moment. Afterward we talked about how the "germs" are afraid of the soap and what we can learn from this demonstration.

This was always a powerful message that stuck with my kindergarteners when I was teaching in the classroom, and so far it's had a lasting impression on my own girls as well.

The Science Behind this Hand Washing Demonstration Activity

A note about why this happens:

Inquisitive little scientists might want to know exactly why this happens since the pepper isn't really "germs." Basically the demonstration has more to do with the soap and water. The pepper just allows us to actually see what is happening. When soap is added to the water it lowers the surface tension of the water causing the water molecules on the surface to "scatter" or pull away from the point where you added the soap.

More Hand Washing Tips and Resources

Don't forget a helpful hand washing song!

Help kids remember to wash long enough with a fun hand washing song for kids. Over on Fun-A-Day you can grab the free printable pictured below and see a collection of YouTube videos about hand washing to choose from.

Teach curious kids the history of hand washing!

Max Brooks shares the history of hand washing over on History.com. There's even a free printable activity that includes another fun science experiment about germs.

Get help teaching 13 key classroom procedures

We know there are more routines to teach in the classroom than hand washing.

This 605 page classroom procedures bundle is full of step-by-step instructions for everyday routines children engage in at school, along with helpful tips and guidance to help you teach clear and detailed steps for 13 key classroom routines to your students.

As a bonus, we've added social distancing and online learning routines to accommodate today's unprecedented learning environment.

Also available on Teachers Pay Teachers.

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Make Germs Scatter Hand Washing Science Demonstration

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By · This content may contain affiliate links. Kids will be amazed at this simple hand washing science demonstration that reminds them visually that using soap when washing hands literally makes "germs" scatter. Yes, dish liquid is great for washing dishes, but there are so many other fun uses for soap.