Richland Science Lab
Grade:
1st
Experiment: Oobleck
Question: Do things sink in oobleck or float?
Does oobleck act like a liquid or solid?
Standard: 1-PS4-1, 1-PS4-3 Plan and conduct investigations collaboratively to
produce data to serve as the basis for evidence to answer a question.
Duration:
50 minutes
Lesson
Estimated Time
Components
Brief description
Engage
Gather students on the carpet.
Read children part of the book
Batholomew and the Oobleck
5 min
Lab teacher will explain that the
children will create the oobleck from
the story and create science tests on
the oobleck
Engage
5 min
Explain how to make oobleck
Show kids experiment sheet and
materials that will be used once
everyone has made there oobleck
Students will make oobleck
Explore
30 minutes
Then make predictions about
oobleck.
Lastly they will test their
predictions.
Explain
10
Have all students come back to the
carpet. Discuss each
prediction/conclusion. Watch
video. Explain Oobleck to students.
Advance Preparation: Gather materials a couple days before the lab.
Materials Needed for lab:
- Small Tupperware with lid for each student
o Note: dollar store or 99 cent store is a good place to purchase small
Tupperware
- 10 Measuring cups (1 cup)
- 10 Measuring cups (¾ cup)
- 1 Pitcher for water refilling
- 10-15 Medium size containers for each table to hold water and corn starch
- Corn starch
o Note: Smart and Final is a good place to purchase corn starch in bulk.
They have 25 pounds of corn starch in a bag. 130-140 students will
typically use 50 pounds of corn starch
- 30 Plastic spoons for mixing
- Food Coloring
- Sharpies to write students name and teachers name on Small Tupperware
- Pencils
o Note: golf pencils are best as they will need to be cleaned or tossed at the
end of the day.
- Vacuum (to clean floor at end of day)
o Note: backpack vacuum at school works best. Contact custodian before
lab begins to request the vacuum at the end of the day.
- Paper towels, sponge and sanitizer wipes for clean up
How to prepare materials before the lab:
Set up:
Put newspaper or table cloth on top of each table area.
Put a medium size container for water and a medium size container for corn starch
on each lab group table. In water container put water and 1 cup measuring cup. In
corn starch container put corn starch and 3/4 cup measuring cup. Put a spoon and
small Tupperware at each student’s seat. Put one sharpie per table and a small
pencil for each child at the table.
Print out one Oobleck direction sheet per table.
Print out one experiment sheet per child.
Teacher Opening Dialog example:
Hello friends. Welcome to Science. I know you have talked about the author Dr.
Seuss this week. Our science lab today is inspired by one of his books. Raise your
hand if you have read the book Batholomew and the Oobleck. (pause) That is great.
I am going to read a couple pages. (read some pages but not all as it is a long book). I
think this book is really fun. The book it makes me think about what Oobleck really
feels like and how it acts with everyday items. Today you are going to make Oobleck
and do some tests on it.
After you make your Oobleck the questions you are going to investigate are:
Do things sink in oobleck or float?
Does oobleck act like a liquid or solid?
Could someone raise their hand if they can explain what it means when something
floats? (pause for answers) Can someone else raise their hand if they can explain
what it means if something sinks? (pause for answers)
Great. A solid and a liquid act differently. This chair is a solid. Can this penny sink
or float on the chair? (pause) Right. But this cup of water is a liquid (hold up a clean
cup of with water in it). Can the penny sink or float in the water? (pause) Right. (put
the penny in the water so the kids can see it sink).
After you make your Oobleck and you are ready to do your experiment please raise
your hand. A teacher will come around and give you this sheet of paper and a baggie
of items. Before you test the items you must first predict what you think they might
do. There is no right or wrong when you do predicting. Your answers might be
different than your neighbors and that is okay. (Hold up student work sheet). See
how it shows the item and first a place to predict. Go down the list and circle what
you predict for each item. After you have done this you can test the items and write
down what you find is true.
What do you do after you make your oobleck? (pause for group answer)
What do you do first when you get your worksheet? (pause for group answer)
Great, Now I bet you want to know how to make Oobleck. When you are excused you
may take a seat at a desk but first put on your best listening ears for these important
directions. Each table area has a box with corn starch and a box with water. Each
seat has a container with a lid and a spoon for mixing. The VERY first step is to
write your name on your container with a sharpie. Next go around the table and
have each person put 3/4 cup corn starch. Then slowly add in 1 cup water. Mix
with your spoon. Which cup is will hold more the 3/4 cup or 1 cup? (pause) Which
one do you use with Oobleck (pause)? Which one do you use with water? (pause)
As you are mixing a teacher will walk around with food coloring and ask you what
color you would like. We have 2 bottles of food coloring but we can offer you 3 color
options. Does anyone have an idea why? (pause) Yes, color mixing. The colors are
blue and yellow. What color can also be made? (pause) yes, green. What are the
three options (pause for answer) Yes, yellow, blue of green.
When an adult helps you add color they might suggest you add a bit more water to
your Oobleck. Wait until the teacher adds the color and checks your consistency.
You may explore and play with your Oobleck at your desk. Make sure to keep the
Oobleck in the container as you play with it or the classroom will be covered with
Oobleck and that would make your teacher very sad.
Then you should raise your hand to get your worksheet.
As I excuse you by the color of the shirt you have on you may carefully walk to a
table and start by writing your name on your container. Then you may carefully add
3/4 cup cornstarch and 1 cup water to your container. If you have on a green shirt
you may be excused. (pause) If you are wearing a …. shirt you may be excused.
After the students have made Oobleck and tested oobleck have them gather on the
rug to watch one of the video’s linked below in the extension section. After the video
has been watch discuss the worksheet. Did different people get different results?
Isn’t it amazing that actually all answers correct? As oobleck can act like a solid and
a liquid.
Below in bold is the direction sheet that needs to be printed for each table group.
The following spreadsheet is the data form that needs to be printed for each child.
Oobleck Science Lab
1.Write your name with a sharpie pen on your
container
2.Add 3/4 cup corn starch to your container
3.Add 1 cup water to your container
4.Mix
(when you are mixing an adult will come check
consistency and add color)
5.Explore the Oobleck
6.Raise your hand to get your experiment sheet
7.Write your name on your experiment sheet
8.Write down your predictions
9.Test your predictions
Oobleck Science Lab
Object
prediction
actual
Paper clip
float
float
sink
sink
float
float
sink
sink
float
float
sink
sink
Penny
Dice
Ball
float
float
sink
sink
Toothpick
float
float
sink
sink
Classroom extension:
Video extensions:
Cornstarch & Water - Explained by Physicists
Video done with scientist in a lab showing how they test the cornstarch and water
Length 2:35
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGfynrsdaV0
ScienceMan Digital Lesson - Physics - Non-Newtonian Fluids
Length 3:36
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mYHGn_Pd5M
Writing:
W.1.8 With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or
gather information from provided sources to answer a question. (1-PS41),(1-PS4-2),(1-PS4-3)
Discuss oobleck. Work as a group then as a class to brainstorm a web of adjectives
to describe oobleck. Have children write an answer to the question.
What is Oobleck?
Technology: Dr. Seuss iPad Apps
Math
2.MD.D.10 Draw a picture graph and a bar graph (with single-unit scale) to
represent a data set with up to four categories. Solve simple put-together, take-apart,
and compare problems using information presented in a bar graph. (K-2-ETS1-1),(K-2ETS1-3)
Materials: Pepperidge Farm, color goldfish
Plates
Graph
Book:
Read the Book by Dr.Seuss One fish two fish red fish blue fish
Give children a plate of around 20-30 gold fish
Hand out graphing paper. Have them graph the fish that they have on their plate as a
picture graph and a bar graph.
Provide simple put together, take-apart and compare problem worksheet to each
child
Fish Math
Estimate how many fish are on your plate
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Sort your fish by color
Red
Dark Orange
Green
Make a picture graph for your fish
Red
Dark Orange
Light Orange
Green
Purple
Purple
Light Orange
Make a bar graph for your fish
Red
Dark
Orange
Light
Orange
Green
How many total fish do you have
Which fish color do you have the most of
Which fish color do you have the least of
Purple