Materials
Cutouts of Jack, the giant, Jack's mother and the cow Clear contact paper or laminate
Clear drinking straws Glue
Clear one-gallon (4 L) jar Water
Celery stalk Wooden bead
Instructions
1. Color and laminate story characters. Make sure to leave at least a 1/4 inch (6 mm) oflaminate around each cutout.
2. Glue clear straws to the backs of the characters for handles.
3. Fill the gallon jar three-fourths full with water.
4. Place story objects next to jar, then tell the following story:Once upon a time, there was a boy named Jack. His family was very poor. (Hold up cutoutof Jack.) One day, Jack was taking his cow to market (hold up Jack and the cow) when hemet a man who traded Jack a magic bean for the cow. (Hold up wooden bead.)Jack took the magic bean back to his mother. (Hold up the mother.) She was so angry, shethrew the magic bean out the window. (Drop wooden bead into jar of water.) The magicbean grew larger! (Ask the children if they see how much bigger the magic bean looks now.The next morning, a large beanstalk had grown outside Jack's window. (Place celery stalk inthe jar so that it leans to the side and children can see how it is magnified.)Jack climbed up the beanstalk, high, high into the clouds. (Move the figure of Jack up theoutside of the jar.) At the top was the castle of the evil giant! The giant had stolen a bag ofgold from Jack's family many years before, leaving them penniless. When Jack entered thecastle, he could see the giant counting the gold. (Lower the cutout of the giant into thewater.) The giant said, "Fee, Fie, Foe, Fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman!"(Lower the figure of Jack into the water.) Jack realized that being in the giant's castle madehim big and strong, too. He quickly grabbed the gold and ran. But the giant ran after Jack.Jack climbed down the beanstalk as fast as he could, but he could see the giant was comingdown after him. (Remove figure of Jack from the water.) Jack called to his mother to bringhim an ax. He quickly chopped down the beanstalk. (Remove the celery from the water.) Thegiant came crashing to the ground. (Remove figure of giant from the water.)And so, Jack and his mother got their gold back and lived happily ever after.More to doMore science: Encourage the children to put theirhands into the jar of water and see how they aremagnified. They do the same under running water.Help the children notice that there is no magnification. Explain that in order forsomething to magnify, it has to be curved, transparent and have light.
