Science for Squirts: Ocean in a Bottle

This entry begins a new segment on this blog I'm calling, "Science for Squirts".  My little squirts are at the age in life (2 and 3 years old) when they are most curious about the world around them, so I really want to take advantage and make exploring a fun, educational, and bonding experience.  I'm hoping that these simple yet fun science activities and experiments will be ones you might use as well with the preschoolers in your life! 

First of all, here are some tips for doing science with preschoolers based on Rochel Gelman's research in science education:

1. Don't force it, and don't lecture.

2. Teach through hands-on experiences.

3. Build on what your child already knows.

4. Choose preschool science activities that are conceptually connected to one another (as opposed to skipping from topic to topic).

5. Encourage your child's special interests.

6. Stick to subject matter that is age appropriate.

7. Don't 'dumb down' the vocabulary.

8. Make science tools a part of everyday life.

9. Make preschool science activities a chance to learn the scientific method.  For now, the key terms to focus on in the scientific method are: OBSERVE, PREDICT, CHECK.

Now for our first experiment... (drumroll...) 

OCEAN IN A BOTTLE

What you do:

1. Find an empty, see-through plastic bottle.

2. Put in some water with food coloring and shake it up.

3. Add some sand.

4. Add some cooking oil

What you talk about:

1.  OBSERVE:  talk about the different densities of the oil, water, and sand.  The most dense sinks to the bottom.  The least dense floats on top.  For now, I just explained 'density' to JP as 'weight'... I hope that's not 'dumbing it down' too much!

2. PREDICT: What will happen if I add a rock?  What will happen if I add a piece of styrofoam?  

3: CHECK: Try placing some other things (rock, styrofoam) in the bottle and see if they sink or float.  Ask your child which items are most dense? Least dense? You could also talk about the terms "bottom, middle, and top" with younger kids.  Reinforce this activity while at a pool or taking a bath by putting things in the water to see if they sink or float.

***Another direction to take this possibly with older siblings is to focus on MIXTURES and SOLUTIONS.  Sand is a heterogenous mixture of small bits of rock, shell and coral.  When the sand is poured into the water, it separates making the sand and water a suspension or heterogenous mixture.  Water mixed with food coloring creates a solution, or homogenous mixture.  Oil does not mix with the water, making it a suspension.  Here's more of an explanation on why oil and water don't mix.  Shake the bottle to emulsify the oil in the water (oil will temporarily separate into tiny droplets).