🔬✨ Get Ready for Glover’s STEM Night! ✨🔬
Calling all young scientists! 🌟 Glover’s STEM Night is coming up on April 10, from 6 to 8pm, and we’re excited to see our students explore, experiment, and showcase their creativity!
To help students prepare, we’re offering Science Experiment Workshops where they’ll learn about the scientific method, walk through an experiment, and get inspiration for their own projects.
📅 Workshop Schedule:
🧪 Monday, 3/3: Kindergarten & 1st Grade
🧪 Thursday, 3/6: 2nd & 3rd Grade
🧪 Friday, 3/7: 4th & 5th Grade
⏰ Time: 3:19 – 4:00 PM
Plus, we’ll have Tuesday Idea Labs in the art room from 3:19 – 4:00 PM for extra help and brainstorming in the art room (#25)! The specific dates are:
3/11
3/18
3/25
4/1
✅ Need ideas? We’ve got a list of fun experiment suggestions below and guidance on how to present projects—including using a tri-fold display board.
🎟️ Sign up for workshops & support sessions here
🙌 Volunteer to help out
As a reminder, NO candy/food will be allowed for distribution at the Science Fair.
Got questions? Reach out to Becky and Jeff at gloverpto@gmail.com
Experiment Ideas - K & 1st Grade
Here are some fun and simple science experiments that are perfect for Kindergarten and 1st-grade students:
1. Dancing Raisins
📌 Concept: Buoyancy & Carbonation
💡 Materials: Clear soda (like Sprite), water, raisins, two clear cups
🔬 Experiment:
Fill one cup with plain water and another with soda.
Drop raisins into both cups and observe.
Raisins will sink in water but "dance" in soda due to bubbles attaching to them!
2. Magic Milk
📌 Concept: Surface Tension
💡 Materials: Whole milk, food coloring, dish soap, cotton swab, plate
🔬 Experiment:
Pour milk onto a plate.
Add a few drops of food coloring.
Dip a cotton swab in dish soap and touch the milk.
Watch the colors swirl as the soap breaks the surface tension!
3. Baking Soda & Vinegar Volcano
📌 Concept: Chemical Reactions
💡 Materials: Baking soda, vinegar, dish soap, food coloring, small container
🔬 Experiment:
Place baking soda in a small container.
Add a few drops of food coloring and dish soap.
Pour in vinegar and watch it fizz and bubble like a volcano!
4. Walking Water
📌 Concept: Capillary Action
💡 Materials: 3 cups, water, food coloring, paper towels
🔬 Experiment:
Fill two cups with water and color them (e.g., red and blue).
Leave the middle cup empty.
Place paper towel strips between the cups.
Over time, the colored water will "walk" into the empty cup and mix into a new color!
5. Sink or Float?
📌 Concept: Density & Buoyancy
💡 Materials: Large bowl of water, small objects (pencil, rock, coin, leaf, cork, etc.)
🔬 Experiment:
Have kids predict whether each object will sink or float.
Drop objects in one at a time and observe.
Discuss why some sink and others float!
6. Shadow Tracing
📌 Concept: Light & Shadows
💡 Materials: Paper, markers, small toys, flashlight (or sunlight)
🔬 Experiment:
Place a toy on paper and shine a flashlight to create a shadow.
Trace the shadow with a marker.
Move the light and see how the shadow changes!
7. Ice Fishing with String
📌 Concept: Freezing & Melting
💡 Materials: Ice cubes, water, salt, string
🔬 Experiment:
Place an ice cube in a cup of water.
Lay a string across the ice and sprinkle salt on top.
Wait a few seconds, then lift the string— the ice will stick!
These are engaging, hands-on experiments that spark curiosity while reinforcing basic science concepts. Let us know if you need more ideas! 🚀
Experiment Ideas - 2nd & 3rd Grade
1. Balloon Rocket
📌 Concept: Newton’s Third Law of Motion
💡 Materials: Balloon, string, straw, tape
🔬 Experiment:
Thread a string through a straw and tie it between two objects (chairs work well).
Blow up a balloon and tape it to the straw without tying the end.
Release the balloon and watch it race along the string!
Explain how air pushing out propels the balloon forward.
2. Make Your Own Butter
📌 Concept: Physical Change & Emulsions
💡 Materials: Heavy whipping cream, small jar with lid, salt (optional)
🔬 Experiment:
Fill a jar halfway with heavy cream.
Shake vigorously for 5-10 minutes.
Watch as it turns into butter and separates from the buttermilk!
Discuss how shaking breaks down fat molecules, forming butter.
3. Invisible Ink with Lemon Juice
📌 Concept: Acid-Base Reactions & Oxidation
💡 Materials: Lemon juice, cotton swab, paper, heat source (lamp, iron, or hairdryer)
🔬 Experiment:
Write a message on paper using lemon juice as ink.
Let it dry completely.
Apply heat and watch the message appear as the acid reacts with heat!
4. Bending Water with a Balloon
📌 Concept: Static Electricity
💡 Materials: Balloon, faucet with running water
🔬 Experiment:
Blow up a balloon and rub it on your hair or a wool sweater.
Turn on a thin stream of water from the faucet.
Hold the charged balloon near the water and watch the stream bend toward it!
Explain how static electricity attracts the water molecules.
5. Growing Gummy Bears in Water
📌 Concept: Absorption & Osmosis
💡 Materials: Gummy bears, cups, water, salt water, vinegar
🔬 Experiment:
Place gummy bears in different liquids (plain water, saltwater, vinegar).
Leave them overnight and compare the results.
Discuss how water moves through the gummy bear, making it swell or shrink!
6. DIY Lava Lamp
📌 Concept: Density & Chemical Reactions
💡 Materials: Clear bottle, water, oil, food coloring, Alka-Seltzer tablet
🔬 Experiment:
Fill a bottle ¾ with oil and the rest with water.
Add a few drops of food coloring.
Drop in an Alka-Seltzer tablet and watch the bubbles rise like a lava lamp!
7. Paper Towel Color Mixing
📌 Concept: Capillary Action & Color Mixing
💡 Materials: 3 clear cups, paper towels, food coloring (red, yellow, blue)
🔬 Experiment:
Fill two cups with colored water (e.g., red & yellow).
Place an empty cup between them.
Put a folded paper towel from each full cup into the empty cup.
Watch as the colors travel and mix into a new color!
These experiments help reinforce core science concepts while keeping kids engaged. Let us know if you need more ideas! 🚀
Experiment Ideas - 4th & 5th Grade
1. Elephant Toothpaste
📌 Concept: Chemical Reactions & Catalysts
💡 Materials: 3% or 6% hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, yeast, warm water, food coloring, empty bottle
🔬 Experiment:
Mix yeast with warm water and set aside.
In a bottle, mix hydrogen peroxide with dish soap and food coloring.
Pour the yeast mixture into the bottle and watch the foamy reaction erupt!
Discuss how yeast acts as a catalyst to break down hydrogen peroxide, releasing oxygen gas.
2. Build a Popsicle Stick Catapult
📌 Concept: Engineering & Potential Energy
💡 Materials: Popsicle sticks, rubber bands, plastic spoon, pom-poms or marshmallows
🔬 Experiment:
Stack 7-8 popsicle sticks together and rubber-band both ends.
Attach two sticks in a V shape using another rubber band at one end.
Insert the stack between the V and secure it with rubber bands.
Tape a plastic spoon to the top and launch small objects!
Discuss how stored (potential) energy converts to kinetic energy.
3. Egg Drop Challenge
📌 Concept: Physics & Engineering Design
💡 Materials: Raw egg, cotton balls, plastic bags, straws, tape, cardboard, and other cushioning materials
🔬 Experiment:
Have students design a protective structure to keep an egg from breaking when dropped from a height.
Drop the eggs and test different designs.
Discuss force, gravity, and impact absorption.
4. DIY Water Filter
📌 Concept: Water Filtration & Environmental Science
💡 Materials: Plastic bottle, coffee filter, sand, gravel, charcoal, dirty water
🔬 Experiment:
Cut the bottom off a plastic bottle and turn it upside down.
Layer coffee filter, charcoal, sand, and gravel inside the bottle.
Pour dirty water through and observe how it filters out debris.
Discuss real-world applications of water filtration.
5. Lemon Battery
📌 Concept: Electricity & Chemical Reactions
💡 Materials: Lemon, copper coin or nail, zinc nail, LED light or small buzzer, wires with alligator clips
🔬 Experiment:
Insert a zinc nail and a copper coin into a lemon.
Attach wires to each metal piece and connect them to an LED or buzzer.
Watch as the lemon generates enough electricity to power the device!
Discuss how citrus acid helps conduct electricity between metals.
6. Balloon-Powered Car
📌 Concept: Newton’s Laws of Motion
💡 Materials: Balloon, straws, tape, cardboard, bottle caps, skewers
🔬 Experiment:
Construct a small car with cardboard, bottle cap wheels, and a straw.
Attach a balloon to the straw, blow it up, and release it to propel the car forward.
Discuss how air pushing backward propels the car forward (Newton’s Third Law).
7. Create a Sundial
📌 Concept: Earth’s Rotation & Shadows
💡 Materials: Stick, paper plate, markers, clock
🔬 Experiment:
Stick a pencil or stick in the center of a paper plate.
Place it in a sunny spot and mark the shadow’s position every hour.
Observe how the shadow moves and relate it to the Earth’s rotation.
These experiments encourage critical thinking and reinforce STEM concepts in an engaging way. 🚀
STEM Workshops (Grades K–5)
Each session is 45 minutes, accommodating up to 25 students per session. Students will engage with the scientific method, pursue their own inquiries, and leave with a take-home worksheet to conduct an experiment at home.
Workshop Structure
1. Welcome & Introduction (10-15 min)
Briefly introduce the scientific method (tailored to grade level):
Ask a Question
Do Research (if applicable)
Form a Hypothesis
Test with an Experiment
Analyze Results
Draw a Conclusion
Share Findings
Use an engaging example experiment or real-world problem to illustrate the process.
2. Student Inquiry & Exploration (20-40 min)
Guided Inquiry: Help students generate their own testable questions based on a given topic (or free inquiry).
Hands-On Investigation: Allow students to explore a mini-experiment (based on available time/resources).
Observation & Discussion: Facilitate discussion on what they notice, encouraging critical thinking.
3. Wrap-Up & Reflection (10-15 min)
Discuss what was learned and how they could test their ideas further at home.
Hand out the take-home worksheet to guide their independent experiment.
Encourage students to share their results later (e.g., through a class display, online submission, or future discussion).
