Oobleck was not even part of the plan today but somehow it seeped in AND into every crevice of my kitchen. If you don't know of oobleck, keep it that way!
Just kidding, this is fascinating stuff. Just mix a box of cornstarch with a bit of water and you have the most interesting substance on earth.Obviously much more interesting than the science experiment that I had planned for today.
Today we started our studies on the 48th State, Arizona. In grand style, I thought it would be fun to learn more about the landforms and landscape of the Grand Canyon with a hands-on experiment.
This experiment, courtesy of Mystery Science, involves making cornmeal patties and sculpting them into landforms and plateaus. Then you slowly make it rain by dripping water on them. Viola - the water erodes the cornmeal resembling wet mushy grits and maybe if you use your imagination you can see the mesas and parts of a canyon forming.
Somehow, in Zach's amazing brain, he connected mixing cornmeal and water with mixing cornstarch and water.
As I am doing my best to awe them into participating in my erosion experiment, they have both already moved on to their own oobleck experience.
As if the cornmeal mush mess wasn't enough. Now there are bits of dried oobleck all over the house and coating every free surface of the kitchen counter, table and every spare bowl in the kitchen.
Not that my erosion experiment was any cleaner. Whoever comes up with these "science" experiments obviously is not the one that cleans up after them!
Sometimes I wonder if their education is best left to self- discovery Most of my planning efforts and well intentioned ideas are left in the dust.
At least I have dinner half in the bag - grits anyone?
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