Mixing Lab

The lab today was an adventure. Normally we'd use test tubes so they could really see if the liquids we dumped together would mix. This time, my kiddos were on their own as far as glassware goes. Some had big glass cups, others had mason jars, still others never turned their cameras on so I couldn't tell what they were using. 

We had to make fifteen different mixes (putting two kinds of liquids together each time); most kids didn't feel like finding that many containers, so they washed them in between. I had told them to camp out in their kitchens if they were able, to have easier access to the sink. A lot of them made an ice cream pail into a dump bucket, which proved an even more interesting concoction than the ones we made in the lab. 

One kid accidentally knocked over his ammonia container spilling it all over the table. Oops. He kind of stared at it for a while, then picked it back up. Pretty soon I heard, "Miss H? Is this going to be enough for the lab?" There wasn't a whole lot left (he'd been one to get some from school), but hopefully he had enough. His brother came by to help clean up the mess. It smelled so bad he pulled his shirt over his face while cleaning... Then he asked, "This isn't going to stain our nice wood floor is it?!" I told him it was a cleaning product, so it probably would be fine. 

Mess cleaned up, that student resumed the lab. We were using four clear liquids: water, rubbing alcohol, vinegar, and ammonia, and two yellow ones: melted butter and oil. To tell the liquids apart, they were supposed to add a drop of food coloring to each liquid. This same ammonia dropper didn't have food coloring, so he improvised with adding colored drink mix (to the water at least) or just left it clear. It was funny to watch him. He'd pick up a container, wiggle his fingers next to the opening a few times trying to waft the scent towards him (just like I taught them! I'm so proud!), then take his measuring spoon and dip it in. 

Our school board decided to stick with virtual school for the last seven days before Christmas break, which means I need to send next week's lab supplies home this Sunday. One of my kids asked my why we're doing so many labs at home when we didn't do that many at school. Well kids, that's because we spent a long time learning about molecules (and explore with our StickyAtom models). And we skipped the first two or three labs in the book because they weren't super great. Now the labs are getting good. Next week we are separating ink from different colored pens. I have to remember to ask them tomorrow if they have some random colored pens they can cut up at home. Otherwise, I'll need to send them some in their packets...