Materials
5 clear plastic shoe box-sized storage containers with contents as described below Assorted small items, heavy and light
Water bottle
Magnets, various types Assorted objects, metal and non-metal
Magnifying glasses, flashlight and other items with visual interest Small kitchen scale
Items of varying, interesting textures
Instructions
Start with these five basic experiments and add to your collection as new ideas arise.
1. Water Watch: Put in a water bottle for filling the storage container and assorted objects for a "sink or float" experiment.
2. Magnetic Magic: Use assorted magnets, such as horseshoe and wand types and various objects that are metal and non-metal for testing magnetic attraction.
3. Rate the Weight: For weighing experiments, put a small kitchen scale and an assortment of light and heavy objects to weigh in the third container.
4. Optical Tricks: Children will enjoy handling a variety of tools for exploring sight and light, such as magnifying glasses, prisms, kaleidoscopes, flashlight, unbreakable mirrors and translucent color paddles.
5. Touch Tester: Place a cloth to cover the top and sides of the open container, and items of various shapes and textures to identify by touch in the last container.More to doMore science: You can apply the "shoe box set" idea to organize other materials, such as art supplies and manipulatives in your classroom. Each set is self-contained, compact, stackable, visible and easily accessible. This method of organization invites self-discovery and independence and encourages children to classify materials for clean-up.
