Ryan's class is talking about matter and air in class. They have been talking about weather and wind and how you know that air is really there since you can't see it. They were all given a balloon, straw, a paper bag, a feather and some other stuff one day last week. It thrilled Ryan to no end to fill his balloon, put it on the straw and then push it off to make it fly around his classroom. His classmates thought it was so funny that the teacher let him do it again.
He was super excited to tell me about the experiment another day where you can keep a paper towel dry. You wad up a paper towel and put it in the bottom of a container-a cup, bowl, tupperware will do. Then you turn the container upside down and put it straight down into a sink or tub full of water. If you keep the container completely straight-put it down into the water and pull it straight back up out of the water, then the paper towel stays dry-you have to use one hand to keep the towel in the container you are using. Ryan explained to us that the reason it stays dry is because the air takes up space in the bowl and so the water can't get in-if you keep the bowl straight. We had to try this out with multiple different containers from our kitchen in the swimming pool on Friday evening.
It is so fascinating to me to see the way a child's mind works and hear what they are really interested in. I'm sure that Ryan will go to school Monday and tell his teacher that we did their experiment at home.
Show them how you can make a life vest out of a shirt with the arms and neck tied closed,or a pair of jeans with the legs knotted, based on the same principle... in the pool. I love that their school allows some interactive learning...
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