Provide children with an opportunity to see first-hand how a seed sprouts and grows into a plant. Provide children with a wet paper towel and a lima bean and instruct them to place the towel and seed inside a zip top plastic bag. Hang the bags in a window. Invite children to examine the seeds each day and write down or draw pictures of what they see happening in a science journal. Over the course of a few days, the seeds will begin to sprout; once they do, have children plant them in soil and take them home.
Children create secret messages while learning about science in this activity. Fill bowls with lemon juice or vinegar and provide children with cotton swabs and thin white paper. Instruct students to dip the cotton swabs into the liquid and write or draw a picture on the paper, but inform them that they won't be able to see the image or message they write on the paper. To reveal the words or pictures, hold the paper up to a 100 watt light bulb --- the heat from the bulb will make the words or pictures appear. Explain that the liquid is slightly acidic and the acid burns when exposed to a heat source, turning it brown.
Explore how rainbows are made with a glass of water, a piece of paper and sunlight. Fill a clear glass with water and hold it above a piece of white paper in a sunny window --- as the sun passes through the water, it bends or refracts, creating a rainbow on the paper. Explain that in nature, rainbows are formed when sunlight hits water vapor in the air.
This activity will make students think twice before drinking soda. Fill a bowl with cola and a bowl with water. Show students two tarnished pennies and ask them to predict which liquid will clean the pennies the best. Place the pennies in the bowls and allow them to soak for 20 minutes. Upon removing the pennies, the one that was placed in the cola will be clean, while the penny that soaked in the water remains tarnished. Explain that this is because the water is pure, while the cola contains mild acids that break down the tarnish.