Making Slime with Cornstarch
Type of resource: Website and video
Web address https://www.thoughtco.com/easy-recipe-to-make-oobleck-605996
Language: English
Description
Exploring how to make slime from cornstarch
Scientific concept introduced
States of matter: oobleck slime can be a solid and a liquid
Creative and critical thinking
Critical Thinking:
– Prediction
– Explanation
Creative Thinking:
– Curiosity
– Making
Mathematical reasoning
– Measuring
– Counting
Scientific thinking
– Questioning
– Observing
– Predicting
– Measuring
– Making
– Testing
– Analysing
– Drawing conclusions
– Recording
Learning how to learn
– Fun in learning
– Self-efficacy in learning
– Turn taking in groups
– Reflection on learning
Additional
– Oral language – listening and following instructions
– Cooking skills of pouring, mixing and measuring
– Collaborative skills of sharing and turn taking
– Fine motor skills
Making Slime with Cornstarch
Overall aims
● to enable pupils to make oobleck
● to enable pupils to explore oobleck in liquid and solid form
● to develop pupils’ skills in listening and following instructions
● to develop pupils’ cooking skills of pouring, stirring, mixing and measuring
● to develop pupils’ skills in observing and predicting
● to develop pupils’ skills in counting
● to develop pupils’ skills in turn-taking
● to develop pupils’ skills in measuring (capacity)
● to develop pupils’ skills in recording their learning experience
Vocabulary – keywords should be understood
Oobleck, cornstarch, water, food colouring, tablespoon, bowl, jug, litre, liquid, solid, shape, mixing
Expected learning outcomes (operational aims)
The child will be enabled to:
– follow instructions for the experiment
– name some liquids and solids
– identify the difference between liquids and solids
– count from 1 to 10
– practice the cooking skills of pouring, stirring, mixing and measuring
– make observations and predictions during the experiment
– work together in small groups
– assess their learning experience by drawing (or writing) in response
STEM skills – to which the learning unit is related to
CORE STEM SKILLS
● Asking questions
● Observing
● Predicting
● Explaining
● Analysing
● Curiosity
● Measuring
● Counting
● Making
● Testing
● Drawing conclusions
● Recording
ADDITIONAL SKILLS
● Following guidelines
● Fun in learning
● Self-efficacy in learning
● Turn taking
● Oral language
● Fine motor skills
● Cooking skills of pouring, stirring, mixing and measuring
● Collaborative skills
● Reflection on learning
Teaching methodologies/activity outline
Introduction:
1. Ask pupils what they understand by the word ‘liquid’. (A liquid has no set shape; an example of a liquid is water). Then ask pupils to name some liquids and write these words on the board.
2. Similarly, ask pupils what they understand by the word ‘solid’. (A solid is an object that keeps its own shape; an example of a solid is a book). Then ask pupils to name some solids and write these words on the board.
Activity:
(Ask pupils to work in groups of 5 or 6, reminding them to take turns).
Materials: (per group)
– Water (1 litre)
– A jug
– Cornstarch
– Food coloring (A selection of colours)
– A bowl (or other large container)
– A tablespoon
Instructions:
1. Ask pupils to measure out a jug and a half of the cornstarch using a 1 litre jug and to pour it into the bowl.
2. Then ask pupils to fill the measuring jug with 1 litre of water. Indicate to pupils the line which shows 1 litre.
3. Next each group to choose a food colouring and to take turns, to add in 10 drops of the food colouring to the water. Ask pupils to stir the food colouring and water with a tablespoon.
4. Then ask pupils to pour the water into the bowl containing the cornstarch.
5. Next ask pupils, taking turns, to use their hands to mix the water and the cornstarch well.
Note – Pupils might need to add some more cornstarch if you want a more ‘solid’ oobleck. It will take about 10 minutes of mixing to get a nice balance of liquid and solid oobleck.
6. When this is mixed really well and the oobleck is ready, ask the pupils to take turns slowly lowering their hands into and out of the oobleck, fingers first – hands will sink in. What does the oobleck feel like now – liquid or solid? (It will seem like a liquid).
7. Ask pupils to take turns squeezing the oobleck in their hands. What does the oobleck feel like now – liquid or solid? (It will seem like a solid).
Note – the starch particles will not move out of the way quickly, so the oobleck will feel solid. Inform pupils that oobleck can behave like a liquid and a solid too.
Conclusion:
Ask pupils to complete a Learning Log for this experiment, asking them to draw (or write) and then discuss with the class the following:
– 1 thing they learned
– Their favourite part of the experiment
– What they’d like to learn more about?
Assessment of learning
Pupil observation sheet, pupil learning log
Equipment and materials to be used in learning unit (tools, ingredients etc)
Materials: (per group)
– A litre of water
– Cornstarch
– Food coloring (A selection of colours)
– A bowl (or other large container)
– A tablespoon
Kind of setting
Kitchen or classroom
References – source
Web link (includes a video): https://www.thoughtco.com/easy-recipe-to-make-oobleck-605996
Making Slime with Cornstarch
1. Usefulness for STEM education – integrating content of different disciplines
Cross-curricular character of the resource
The range of S-T-E-M subjects included
The presentation of possibilities of including artistic activities (STEAM approach)
2. Expected learning outcomes
Consistency (links) with preschool core curriculum
Communicativeness of description
3. Methodology of teaching
Clarity, communicativeness of instructions for teachers
Meaningful learning – using practical life problems
Original idea
The level of ease in implementing the methodology to preschool age children
The level of ease in preparing necessary ingredients, materials and equipment needed
4. Sustainability
Ecological characteristics of materials/ results
Supporting healthy eating habits
Low ecological footprint
Possibilities of inclusion (respecting cultural diversity and food intolerances)
5. Class management
Using differentiated forms of work – individual, team work etc.
Individual work
Team work
Whole group
6. Time management
Short activity (10-15 minutes)
Medium activity (20-30 minutes)
Long activity (1 hour or more)
Very long activity (1 day or more)
PDF: https://www.printfriendly.com/p/g/u7Uemd