Open Evening

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E is for Explore!: Red Bull and Milk Reaction

E is for Explore!: Red Bull and Milk Reaction.

What happens when you add Red Bull to milk in a 1:1 ratio?

What about vinegar and milk in the same ratio?

Change the type of milk from whole, to semi, to skimmed!

Why does any of this happen?

This simple, quick and clean demonstration is perfect for an introduction to States of Matter, to get brains thinking on an Open Evening or as a mini experiment for a STEM session.

Definitely one to try out! And easily performed and explained at home.

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How to Make Magnetic Slime – Frugal Fun For Boys

Homemade Magnetic Slime

How to Make Magnetic Slime – Frugal Fun For Boys.

I’m sure that most science departments have a whole array of magnetic toys, we certainly have – we may even have some magnetic slime. However, to be able to make more of the stuff? Even use it as part of a STEM session or get prospective students to make it on a school Open Evening… I think it would be pretty fun.

The ingredients are even simpler to buy if you have access to the school ordering system (at least for the iron oxide!) and who doesn’t have some PVA glue?

I think I’d want to try it out myself before I considered doing it at home with children — the iron oxide and breathing aspect makes me hesitant. I also prefer the idea of the slime over putty as think it would be more visual. Especially on an Open Evening in the Physics room!

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The Science Spot: Science Classroom

The Science Spot: Science Classroom has a nifty little collection of Science projects – Element Trading Cards (with worksheets), Bursting Balloons (looking at Charles’ Law) and two Christmas themed activities.

The first one (Christmas Chromatography – Deck the Halls with Science) is something that popped up from a colleague in my inbox over a year ago for a Christmas now long forgotten! The actual link is to a pdf worksheet that can be downloaded and printed, but the basics of it are: draw a bulb, cut it out, put ink on it, make a colourful chromatography bulb to then hang up once they’re all dry. The worksheet comes with handy shapes to use as templates for your bulbs and a method of chromatography using water and pipe cleaners.

Of course, if you have access to coffee filters, you can do this at home and make yourself a pretty garland of “lights” as a family – explaining the science of course!

The science spot page even says that this activity could be adapted for Easter eggs, flowers or rainbows. What other holidays or events could be used? July 4th, perhaps? Valentines hearts, scary Halloween monsters? Maybe fireworks if it was done right. Or, using filter paper pre-cut to form the letters of your school, get students to make them colourful in preparation for or during an Open Evening. Or just to put your teaching name up on the wall!

The second Christmas based activity they have is The Case of the Christmas Cookie Mystery, which I think I have seen before, but never tried. Pdf worksheets and details are available for download and this activity involves testing six powder samples to find the Christmas Cookie Mix. Again, this one can probably be adapted for other holidays, but would make an excellent end of year activity for Science class, STEM session, extended tutor time. Maybe then make your students make a pretty light-bulb garland in the last few minutes of the Christmas lesson!

Merry Christmas!