Students in grades 3 through 5 often do tests using liquids and cabbage. Prior to the experiment, the teacher boils a head of coarsely shredded purple cabbage for about 10 minutes, strains it and then places it in the refrigerator until ready to use. Fill clear plastic cups halfway with separate liquids. One cup is filled with ammonia, one with white vinegar and one with water. The students place one teaspoon of the boiled cabbage into each cup and look for a reaction. The results of this experiment should be a change in color of the cabbage. The cabbage in vinegar should change to red because vinegar is an acid. The cabbage in the ammonia should change to green because ammonia is a base and the cabbage placed in water should not change because water is neutral.
This age-appropriate activity teaches students about air pollution awareness. The teacher brings a bike to school and asks students why they think he rode it to school. He explains that he did because he is fighting air pollution. The teacher then shows students pictures of air pollution and the effects of it. The teacher can use the book "Air Pollution" by Gary Lopez. The students are instructed to write in their journals how seeing these pictures makes them feel. The class discusses the topic and thinks of ways it can fight air pollution.
This cloud activity teaches students about the different types of cloud formations, including cumulus, cumulonimbus, cirrus and stratus. The teacher gives students a handout that contains these types of clouds with a picture and description of each. During the school day, the class goes outside and observes the clouds in the sky. The students must identify different types of clouds, draw them and describe them.
This activity teaches students about density. To complete this activity, you'll need at least seven small clear plastic cups, light corn syrup, lamp oil and milk. Pour liquids into glasses in a specific order. In glass No. 1, pour corn syrup, milk then oil. In glass No. 2, pour milk, oil then corn syrup. In glass No. 3, pour oil, corn syrup then milk. Let the students observe the reactions and order the three liquids from most to least dense. Explain that the cups might show layers or the layers might be mixed. If they are mixed, the last layer poured must have a heavier density than the liquids below it.