Borax Bouncy Balls
This one is my favorite! Create a borax solution in water and mix with a blob of liquid glue. Add one drop of food coloring and roll until it turns into a ball. There are lots of different recipes for borax bouncy balls online. My preference is to give the students very broad instructions, inevitably they make very different bouncy balls (or slime!) and this leads into a great conversation about precise measurements and instructions in the procedure. I have them test which recipe creates the ball that bounces the highest, with dropping the ball from 1.0 meters as a controlled variables. There are at least 10 variables they can test with this inquiry experiment – for example: amount of glue, amount of borax solution, type of glue and if you have a more advanced class they can test the concentration of the borax solution.
Here is a good starter video on how to make borax bouncy balls:
Best for: general science, chemistry, physical science
Paper Helicopters (Gyrocopters)
Gyrocopters are so easy to create and fun for the students. Cut a piece of paper into eleven 1” strips, then create blades by cutting 4” down the middle of the strip. Bend the strips in opposite directions and there you go! I have my students develop an inquiry-based test on which design allows for the slowest (and therefore safest) descent. Drop the gyrocopters from a height of 2.0 meters as a control. Students can test lots of variables with this experiment including blade length, blade shape and material.
Here is a nice tutorial for making a paper helicopter:
Best for: general science, physical science, physics
Daphnia – testing water quality
If you can get your hands on some daphnia, or water fleas, you’ve got a great opportunity to teach skills as well as inquiry. Daphnia can be used to test water quality. Set up a control, and experiment with different pH levels, temperatures or adding different chemicals.
Here is a great video on how to properly measure daphnia heart rates.
Best for: biology, environmental science
Blast off – Rates of Reaction
If you can get your hands on film canisters and don’t mind the smell of vinegar this is a reallyfun inquiry lab. Fill a film canister with baking soda and vinegar (or another safe acid and base combination) Students will love the suspense as they countdown to the film canister top exploding off and the film canister going flying into the air! This one is nice for students who have already had safety training, since eye protection is key in this inquiry lab. Students can change the amount of acid, base, add an extra layer between the two (like a piece of tissue). More advanced students can change the concentration of the acid and observe the rate of reaction. It’s SO MUCH FUN! But yes, your classroom will smell.
Here is a video explaining how you can do this experiment:
Best for:chemistry
If you haven't started used the Inquiry-based approach yet, I highly recommend checking out these resources. They'll make your life SO much easier!
Scientific Inquiry Graphic Organizers
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