Each month we do a S.W.A.P. (Stations With A Purpose). Each class gets to "swap" to every classroom to do a themed activity. This month's theme was Mad Scientist! Usually the teachers stay in the rooms while the students rotate & that teacher does the same lesson with all 4 classes with as needed accommodations/modifications. This month Dr. Minear's college class took the place of the teachers and we got to move around with our students. Every semester we have elementary majors come do one SWAP and I really think this was the best group we've ever had!
In this station, we witnessed the explosion that happens when you mix 2 Mad Scientist chemicals together. (Baking Soda & Vinegar)
first the students listened to I Need My Monster.
"A unique monster-under-the-bed story with the perfect balance of giggles and shivers, this picture book relies on the power of humor over fear, appeals to a child’s love for creatures both alarming and absurd, and glorifies the scope of a child’s imagination. One night, when Ethan checks under his bed for his monster, Gabe, he finds a note from him instead: "Gone fishing. Back in a week." Ethan knows that without Gabe’s familiar nightly scares he doesn't stand a chance of getting to sleep, so Ethan interviews potential substitutes to see if they've got the right equipment for the job—pointy teeth, sharp claws, and a long tail—but none of them proves scary enough for Ethan. When Gabe returns sooner than expected from his fishing trip, Ethan is thrilled. It turns out that Gabe didn't enjoy fishing because the fish scared too easily."
then the students made a test run with their two ingredients.
and for the final run, they were shown how to measure and pour their ingredients into their bottle, drew a monster face on their balloon, and watched what happen next!
at the next station we discussed reactions also, but through a different concept. The kids each got a mystery ball coated with baking soda. They dropped it in water, but nothing happened. We added dye to the water...still nothing. So then we got to drop in some special mystery liquid (vinegar) and after a major explosion, we found out there was a spooky eyeball floating in our cup!
this next station taught us why bones are important... they help not be a floppy mess!
the students made their own x-rays...
looked at real x-rays...
checked out some skeletons...
snacked on some bones...
and danced to Dem Bones!
and in this last station we were some awesome, spooky scientists that mixed certain amounts of ingredients (glue and borax) to make some gooey goo!
first the students listened to The Shivery Shades of Halloween.
first the students listened to The Shivery Shades of Halloween.
"What color is Halloween? Why, it’s as green as an “eerie glow, evil grin, vile brew, clammy skin,” as white as “cobwebs clinging, a misty trail, a skull, a spook, a face gone pale . . .” Children will learn their colors as they follow a cute little creature on his adventure through haunted halls, moonlit forests . . . perhaps even a Halloween party! Jimmy Pickering’s stylized settings and adorable monsters add a blast of colorful creepy-crawliness that will make kids giggle. Who knew that learning colors could be such spooky fun?"
also, during the reading, throughout the gooey goo experiment, and while using their 5 senses, their description words were being recorded.
