Involving Dissolving

Grades 1—3

Written by Leigh Agler

Young children have their own ideas about the "disappearance" of solid into liquid (say, sugar into tea)…that's just magic, right? Make it reappear, and that's BIG magic. But dissolving isn't really disappearing—and that may be the best magic of all. Young students learn to look beyond the obvious in this series of highly involving activities on dissolving, evaporation, and crystallization.

Using familiar substances, students create homemade "Gel-o," colorful disks, and crystals that emerge on black paper to make a "starry night." Does the substance disappear? If not, where does it go? Could it ever come back? As young students ponder these ideas and gain experience mixing and observing different solutions, they benefit from this very positive early experience with chemistry.

Two other GEMS guides, Liquid Explorations and Secret Formulas, make nice connecting units on early chemistry for this grade level.

Time: Four 15- to 50-minute sessions.

See the Involving Dissolving online orientation video.

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