Shake for Butter
This STEM activity is suitable for preschool and elementary school levels. This activity helps children learn about the different states of matter, the unique properties of substances, the particulate nature of matter, its fluidity, and how it can exhibit properties like both solid and liquid.
Objective of the Activity:
To help students understand how certain substances can be produced
To impart the knowledge that substances can have various properties
To enhance children's ability to control themselves and their muscles
To enable children to experience the joy of creating
Once Upon a Story
Tako woke up early in the morning. He got up and immediately woke up Ruka too. Then he washed his face, brushed his teeth before eating anything, as he should. As he headed towards the kitchen, he noticed that Ruka had fallen asleep again. He knew Ruka loved sleep very much, but he was surprised how quickly she could fall asleep again after waking her up just a moment ago.
He managed to wake up Ruka again with some effort. Ruka grumbled sleepily as she headed towards the bathroom. Tako sat down at the table. Their grandfather had prepared a wonderful breakfast for both of them. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, isn't it?
However, there was a small shortage on the table. Both Tako and Ruka always loved bread with butter, but their grandfather told Tako that he had used the last butter for the eggs and there was no butter left.
After filling their tummies nicely, they took a box of cream from the refrigerator and headed straight to Tako's room. Tako put on his experiment apron right away. They gathered the remaining ingredients and started the experiment. Let's
Materials
Activity
Step I
Take a large jar and open its lid. Then pour heavy cream or milk cream into the jar, filling it slightly over half. Close the jar tightly. If you need to open the cream container using a piercing or cutting tool, please ask adults for help to avoid harming yourself.
Step II
Now what we need to do is shake the jar. Yes, shake it. Shake continuously for about 35 - 40 minutes. You can ask your friends for help and take turns shaking. Tako and Ruka helped each other and shook the jar together. Be careful not to drop the jar!
Step III
After a while, you will notice that the cream inside the jar has become more liquid, but there will be a ball of butter in the middle of the jar. Now open the jar, wear your gloves, and take out the butter. Place the butter on a paper towel to absorb the surrounding liquid completely.
Step IV
In both cream and milk cream, there are actually plenty of tiny fat globules that are not visible to the naked eye. When we shake the cream, these fat globules collide and stick to each other. During the shaking process, they clump together to form butter. Once the butter solidifies, the remaining liquid is called "buttermilk".
Attention!
It is recommended to wear gloves while shaking the jar. Gloves will prevent the jar from slipping out of hands.
Choose a jar that children can comfortably hold to enhance the safety of the activity.
Attempts to use excessive force during the activity should be avoided.
Do not expect a very large amount of butter to form from the heavy cream.
Children can take turns shaking the jar since the process is quite lengthy. Encourage them to come up with solutions regarding the shaking process.
Assessment Questions
For how many minutes did we shake the jar?
Would you like to taste the butter?
How much butter would you have liked to form before the activity? How much butter did we end up with?
Do you think making butter is difficult or easy?
Do you think there could be an easier way to make butter?
Can butter be obtained from something other than heavy cream?
Activity File
Scientific Concepts
The scientific concepts related to this activity include: Mixture, Composition, Dairy Products. You can conduct your own research to explore interesting facts about these concepts!