Alien Matter
This STEM activity is suitable for preschool and elementary school levels. The activity helps children learn about different states of matter, the unique properties of materials, the resistance of matter, its fluidity, and how it can exhibit properties like both solid and liquid. In fact, this simple mixture is also known as oobleck.
Objectives of the Activity:
Enhancing individual communication and motor skills
Understanding that materials can have different properties
Developing children's ability to control themselves and their muscles
Improving children's finger muscles
First, the Story
Ruka, as usual, was lounging in the living room, sleeping soundly. In his dream, he was on a farm where all the cows were giving milk, and Ruka was watching the cows being milked with curiosity. He was watching, but the milk wasn't going into buckets; it was squirting directly at Ruka. Milk was coming from one cow and then another, sometimes Ruka would dodge, and sometimes he would try to drink the milk. Gradually waking up and hazily coming out of his dream, he opened his eyes but could still smell milk. Wondering if he was still dreaming, he got up, stretched fully, and extended his entire body.
Ruka stretched, but the smell persisted. After a brief sniff around, he was sure the smell was coming from the kitchen. He slowly walked towards the kitchen and, upon entering, saw Tako and his grandfather by the stove, making something.
Tako, seeing Ruka enter, said:
Tako and his grandpa turned off the stove. They poured the rice pudding into bowls, sprinkled a bit of cinnamon on top, and placed them on the table to cool. While they went back to the counter to do the dishes, Ruka couldn't stay still, could he? Curious as ever, he jumped onto the table and started sniffing the rice pudding.
Tako went to his room, immediately put on his lab coat, and put a kitchen apron on Ruka. They gathered the necessary materials and started the experiment. Let's do the same experiment with them. Shall we?
Materials
CAUTION: We recommend using a metal bowl instead of glass!
Activity
Step I
To make this substance, put 2 cups of cornstarch in a sturdy, large bowl. Add a few drops of food coloring in your chosen color. Tako chose green; after all, aliens are green, right?
Then, add one cup of water to the mixture and knead for a few minutes.
Step II
Did this colorful dough give you a different sensation? Dip your hand into the bowl, stir a little. What do you feel? Take a piece in your palm and squeeze. What happens? You can even try passing it through a sieve if you have one. Does it flow through the holes?
Step III
Now it's time to add a bit more excitement! If the bowl we're using is sturdy enough, try punching the substance. How does it react? After attempting to punch, dip your hand back into the bowl. What happened? Be careful not to hit too hard and hurt yourself.
Step IV
Cornstarch consists of long, thin particles. These particles do not dissolve in water but spread out. Therefore, the resulting substance exhibits both solid and liquid properties. When you apply force, hit, or squeeze, the particles come together and solidify. When left alone or lifted, the particles slide past each other, and the mixture moves like a liquid.
Attention!
This activity can be conducted both inside and outside the classroom. However, cornstarch can be quite messy, so it might cause cleanliness issues inside the classroom.
Before starting the activity, all children should wear aprons, but wearing gloves is not recommended.
Efforts to use excessive force during the activity should be avoided.
As for coloring, you can use watercolor, gouache, or finger paint.
To prevent overcrowding, students can be divided into groups, with each group making their own mixture.
Alongside this activity, dough work can also be done. The similar characteristics of these substances when mixed can lead to discussions about the different outcomes.
Children should be informed that some mixtures of substances can be very dangerous (like mixing rubbing alcohol with bleach).
Evaluation Questions
What color did you use for the mixture?
Do you think the mixture is liquid or solid?
If the mixture is solid, why do you think that is?
If the mixture is liquid, why do you think that is?
If we mix other substances, what do you think we could create?
What did you feel when you touched the mixture?
What did you feel when you squeezed the mixture?
Activity File
Scientific Concepts
Scientific concepts related to this activity include: States of Matter, Solid, Liquid, Gas, Phase Change, Melting, Freezing, Evaporation, Condensation, Sublimation.
You can explore these concepts through your own research to discover interesting insights!