Class 1

• Are riddles fun? Are mysteries interesting? Are Magic tricks fun? Would you try to figure out how a trick works?
• That's what scientists do - Nature does a "magic trick", it's a mystery how it works, and scientists try to figure it out!
• Here are a couple of simple "magic tricks":
  • make salt disappear by dissolving it in water
  • make chalk suddenly appear from "nowhere" by mixing solutions
  • make a visible salt wedge with food coloring
• So now we have some mysteries to solve:
  • where did the salt go?
  • where did the chalk come from?
  • why does salt water sink below fresh water?
  We'll solve these mysteries in the next few classes. While we do it, we'll also get good at methods for solving mysteries, and we'll also learn useful things for making really cool aquariums!
• Some other REALLY BIG MYSTERIES:
  • Why are the islands in Jamaica Bay dying and breaking apart?
  • What is LIFE anyway?
• How to solve the BIG mysteries like Jamaica Bay? It takes TEAMWORK, with SPECIALISTS (get class to come up with this list):
  • boat crew (you'll be able to try that on Pioneer)
  • recorders of information (we can try all of these roles here in the classroom!):
    • artists to draw stuff and make diagrams; sculptors & modelmakers for 3-D
    • photographers and filmmakers
    • writers
    • Web page producers (the modern way to communicate world-wide!)
  • measurers and lab workers - use measuring devices and lab equipment; often get numerical results
  • computer workers
  • scientists - come up with the ideas and explanations
• Everyone in the class gets to practice all these roles, and find what they like best, and/or are good at!

Materials List

• several clear 12 oz plastic cups
• paper towels
• H₂O, CaCl₂, NaHCO₃, NaCl (including big crystals, small crystals)
• food coloring

Questions for Teachers

• availability of projecting microscope setup for next class
• grade level of V = l*w*h, metric system
• weighing with scales (5th grade?)
• link oyster project to salty chalk soda