A Sampling of Class Activities

 

From Scientific Mayhem:  Playdough

Ingredients
3 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp water

Mix ingredients.  If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour.  If the dough is dry, add a little more water.  The final result should be a kneadable dough that does not stick to hands even without the use of a cooking oil or a dusting of flour on hands.

There are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon and 4 tablespoons in a quarter cup.  How many teaspoons are in a whole cup?
If you wanted to make a one-third size batch, what would be the measurements in teaspoons?
If you wanted to make a quadruple size batch, what would be the measurements in cups?

 


 

From Cool Chemistry:  Slime

Ingredients
*Unlike some recipes, this uses boric acid instead of borax.
3 fl oz Elmer’s Washable Clear School Glue (1/3 of a 9 oz bottle)
1 drop of food coloring (optional)
1 pinch extra-fine craft glitter (optional)
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 tsp contact lens cleaner containing boric acid (Note the concentration of boric acid varies by brand.)

Add one ingredient at a time, stirring thoroughly before next.  As final ingredient is stirred in, the mixture will begin to thicken.  When thicker, switch from stirring to kneading with hands.  If too runny after stirring for a couple of minutes, add a tiny bit more baking soda and/or contact lens solution until you are happy with the consistency.

Do you know the differences between boric acid and borax?  Where do they come from?  How long have people been using them for cleaning?

 


 

From Origami Basics:  NASA Technology

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Starshade
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/space-origami-make-your-own-starshade/

Have you ever heard of Robert Lang from Dayton, Ohio?  Electrical engineer, physicist, NASA scientist, inventor, and origami artist.

 


 

From Stop Motion Animation Workshop:  YouTube Videos

The YouTube channel of a former Super Saturday student and son of our stop motion animation teacher is @TechnicalAntonym.  His autobiographical videos about his childhood may be minutes long but take months to make.  Themes include finding humor in awkward moments and appreciation of beautiful moments.  Can you relate to these stories?  Can your family members?