Lesson #3: Growing Crystals
Materials: 2 glass jars, salt, sugar, warm water, 2 pencil, and wool.
Procedure:
- Students will work in groups of three.
- Dissolve as much salt as possible into a jar of warm water. Keep adding and stirring until you can see undissolved salt crystals in the water.
- Tie the wool around the pencil so it rests in the salt water. Leave the jar in a cool place.
- As the water cools, salt crystals grow on the wool. Each day, pour the water away. Add a fresh batch full of dissolved salt. Day by day, the crystals on the string will get bigger.
- Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4 with sugar instead of salt.
- Students complete a daily log documenting the growth and change of the crystals, indicating the changes in shape, size, color and other observations.
- After a week, the groups will compare the crystals.
- Students will draw the crystal formations.
Discussion Questions:
- What changes occurred in the jar?
- How long did it take for formulate the crystals?
- What shapes do crystals form?
Lesson #1: Mineral Identification |
Lesson #2: Chalk Painting