We started this week with 3 stations to experiment with atoms. All three stations involved static electricity, which is caused by the transfer of electrons from the atoms in one material to another. Ask the kids what happened when they put a charged balloon near a thin stream of water (I recommend doing this one at home--it's so fun! There is a link to all the activities below.) Next, we learned about the parts of an atom and then built a Lithium atom from candy and tooth picks & wood skewers.
Then, we talked about the elements that make up all living things: mainly hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen. We will be digging into the compounds that these make in our bodies for the next 3 weeks, but for today, we just took a look at what those atoms look like. We discussed the balance of negative electrons and positive protons which keeps each atom neutrally charged. Then, they made their own paper plate models for each of the 4 main elements found in the human body. Follow up ideas:
Videos: Just How Small is an Atom? TED-Ed video that helps explain just how small atoms are. Parts of an Atom Further clarification for any kids who want to know more about electrons, neutrons, and protons. This Is Not What an Atom Looks Like Digs deeper into what atoms look like. Activities: Protons, Neutrons and Electrons Demonstrations We did some of these activities, but didn't get a chance to do them all, and this lesson will walk you through what is happening in more detail than I covered in class, if you want to do a follow up lesson.
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May 2020
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