Today we will be starting to grow our very own crystals! It will take a little while for them to grow into something interesting, so this is the perfect time for it! We will also be experimenting a little bit to try to find the way to grow the coolest and biggest crystals.
Be sure to watch the video to see how!
What You Will Need
clear glass jars
salt - as many types as you have (table salt, epsom salt, sea salt, etc.)
string
pencils or Popsicle sticks
boiling water (PARENTS ONLY)
experiment tracking sheet (see bottom of this page)
Parent Tips
Today we're focusing on using science terms when discussing our experiments. Some big words to focus on today are: experiment, hypothesis, solution, saturation. Be sure to try as many combinations of type of salt and location as you can! As the crystals develop you can discuss what they look like (colour, shape, length, etc.), and discuss theories as to why some may be growing faster than others. This can help develop a hypothesis as to why they grow better in different conditions!
Questions and Activities
Which of your experiments do you think will make the biggest crystal?
Be sure to fill in your tracking sheet with which crystals are made of which salt, and where you will put them!
If you can, have a parent help you take pictures of your experiments every few days so you can see the progress as they grow.
Curriculum Connections
Science
Grade 1: Understanding Structures and Mechanisms - 2.3 investigate, through experimentation, the properties of various materials
Grade 1: Understanding Matter and Energy - 2.2 investigate how the sun affects the air, land, and/or water, using a variety of methods ; 2.5 use scientific inquiry/experimentation skills, and knowledge acquired from previous investigations, to explore the effects of light and heat from the sun
Grade 2: Understanding Matter and Energy - 2.3 investigate, through experimentation, interactions that occur as a result of mixing and/or dissolving liquids and solids (e.g., salt and water, sand and water), liquids and liquids (e.g., oil and water), and solids and solids (e.g., salt and sand); 3.4 identify conditions in which the states of liquids and solids remain constant (e.g., solids remain solid when broken; liquids remain liquid when poured) and conditions that can cause their states to change (e.g., liquids may freeze when the temperature drops; solids may melt when heated)
Grade 5: Understanding Matter and Energy - 2.3 use scientific inquiry/experimentation skills (see page 12) to investigate changes of state and changes in matter; 3.3 explain changes of state in matter (e.g., evaporation, condensation, solidification or freezing, fusion or melting, sublimation), and give examples of each (e.g., water from wet clothes evaporates; steam from a boiling kettle condenses on a cold window; water in ponds and lakes solidifies or freezes in winter; a frozen treat melts on a warm summer day; a moth ball sublimates in the closet)
Across all grades: Use appropriate science terminology
Math:
Grade 4: Number Sense and Numeration - represent fractions using concrete materials, words, and standard fractional notation, and explain the meaning of the denominator as the number of the fractional parts of a whole or a set, and the numerator as the number of fractional parts being considered
Grade 6: Number Sense and Numerations - represent ratios found in real life contexts, using concrete materials, drawings, and standard fractional notations
Additional Resources
Magic School Bus S04e01 - The Magic School Bus Meets Molly Cule (Streams on Netflix)
This episode is a very cool way to see how molecules work together to form shapes. Supersatuating the water can be tricky to understand, and this episode explains it well!
If you're enjoying chemistry, check out the STEAM Class on making a Lemon Explosion!
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