Making Slime with Cornstarch

Making Slime with Cornstarch

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 pouringmixing 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 

3 jajka na 3 dostępne

The range of S-T-E-M subjects included 

3 jajka na 3 dostępne

The presentation of possibilities of including artistic activities (STEAM approach)

3 jajka na 3 dostępne

2. Expected learning outcomes

Consistency (links) with preschool core curriculum

2 jajka na 3 dostępne

Communicativeness of description

3 jajka na 3 dostępne

3. Methodology of teaching

Clarity, communicativeness of instructions for teachers

3 jajka na 3 dostępne

Meaningful learning – using practical life problems

2 jajka na 3 dostępne

Original idea 

3 jajka na 3 dostępne

The level of ease in implementing the methodology to preschool age children

2 jajka na 3 dostępne

The level of ease in preparing necessary ingredients, materials and equipment needed

3 jajka na 3 dostępne

4. Sustainability

Ecological characteristics of materials/ results

3 jajka na 3 dostępne

Supporting healthy eating habits 

1 jajko na 3

Low ecological footprint

3 jajka na 3 dostępne

Possibilities of inclusion (respecting cultural diversity and food intolerances)

1 jajko na 3

5. Class management

Using differentiated forms of work – individual, team work etc.

jedno jajko

Individual work

Team work

Whole group

6. Time management

jajko

Short activity (10-15 minutes)

rozpoczynające pękać podświetlone jajko

Medium activity (20-30 minutes)

mocno popękane jajko

Long activity (1 hour or more)

wychodzący kurczak z jajka

Very long activity (1 day or more)

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