Time Frame
1 class periods of 45 minutes each
Summary
Students will discover that solid particles when heated will expand.
Materials
- marshmallows
- microwave
- graham crackers and chocolate bars (optional)
Instructional Procedures
This can be done the same day as the Big Stinky Demo.
- The teacher will show a large Marshmallow to the class. Then put it onto a cracker and heat it up for 5 seconds.
- Take it out quickly and show to the students.
- Try heating it up for 10 and 15 seconds.
- Explain that as the particles are heated up they move faster, thus expand.
- You can have students bring graham crackers and chocolate to make Somores.
- This is a great one to have the students take home and show to their parents. You may want to give them extra credit for bringing back a signed paper that they explained it to their parents.
Scoring guide: These are questions that you can ask the students. If they answer it correctly they get to eat the accelerated particles.
- What happens to particles when you heat them up?
- What happens to the volume when you heat up the particles?
- What happens to the particles when you cool them off?
- What happens to the Volume when you cool off the particles?
- Describe the particles in a gas?
- Describe the particles in a solid?
- Describe the particles in a liquid?
- Why did the marshmallow get big?
- Why does the marshmallow get little if you let it sit a little bit?
- Why does the chocolate melt?
- What is happening to the particles in the chocolate?
- How and why did the principal find out that we were making smores?
Bibliography
Lesson Design by Jordan School District Teachers and Staff.
Created: 09/30/2014
Updated: 02/05/2018
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