RAISING WATER LEVEL WITH WASHERS (small group presentation)
To discover that water has a skin.
To see that a solid can displace water, causing the water level to rise.
A small bowl, a container of washers or pennies, jug, drying cloth and tray.
Invite a child to join you and carry the materials to a table.
Arrange the materials neatly and in order of use.
Have the child almost fill the jug with water and pour the water into the bowl right up to the top.
Tell the child you have a special way to get water out of the bowl without pouring.
Pick up one washer and place it inside the bowl, sliding it down the side.
Invite the child to continue in the same manner.
Watch the water rise over the rim of the bowl forming a bubble-like skin over the glass.
As the water level gets higher and higher encourage the child to guess how many more washers will be needed to cause the water to overflow.
Continue adding washers until the water overflows when the skin breaks.
When finished empty, dry and replace the materials.
As in presentation.
Invite a child to join you at a table.
Ask the child to fill a small container with water.
Lay out a sheet of wax paper.
Using an eye dropper, invite the child to drop several drops of water well spaced on to the wax paper.
Examine the shape of the drops with the child.
Take a small bar of soap and wet it in the container of water.
Touch one drop of water and observe what happens.
Invite the child to try.
When finished, dry and replace materials.