Thank you for the great response to our first newsletter of the term!
Going forward, we will be posting these at the start of each week. This will give you a sneak preview of what your kids will be learning in the days to come and provide you with time to prepare for an enthusiastic science chat with them on the drive home.
So here's what we have in store for your future scientists this week...
COOKING UP SCIENCE
Kitchens may not be the first place that comes to mind when looking for crystals, but our cupboards are full of them! Sugar, salt, and even ice are crystals hiding in plain sight, and the first of these is perfect for serving up a mouthwatering treat. After examining what makes a crystal a crystal by comparing these household ones to their geological counterparts, we will explore solubility to concoct a supersaturated syrup from which we will grow our own rock candy - a tooth-decayingly big, single crystal of sugar on a stick.
PLANET EARTH, ANIMATED
The Earth was far from idyllic in its younger days. The heat from all those collisions that amassed our planet was so immense that our world wasn’t much more than a molten ball of rock. Even if a little patch of it managed to cool into solid ground, the next volcanic eruption wasn’t too far behind to melt it back into a liquid. So this week, we will explore the volcanoes that once dotted our land using chemistry. With the help of vinegar, baking soda, and peroxide, we will cause eruptions that are far safer yet no less spectacular!
RAMPANT REACTIONS
Now that we know a chemical reaction when we see one, it’s time to get reacting! Acids and bases are notorious chemicals, and neutralisation is a surefire way of blunting their danger. But what exactly are they, and how can we tell them apart? This week, our chemists embark on a journey across the pH scale, learning about proton donors and acceptors. Using red cabbage to dye kitchen towels, we will create our own pH paper and compare it to store-bought stuff as we test the acidity (or alkalinity!) of household chemicals.
