Groundworks - Fundamental Skills

Materials needed: Baking soda, vinegar, a plastic bottle, dish soap, food coloring (optional)

Instructions: Create a volcanic eruption by combining baking soda and vinegar inside a plastic bottle. Add a few drops of dish soap and food coloring for added effect. Observe the chemical reaction and discuss the science behind it. 

Materials needed: Drinking straws, paper, tape, scissors

Instructions: Cut out a small rectangular piece of paper and roll it into a tube to create a rocket body. Attach a triangle-shaped paper fin to the bottom end of the rocket body. Insert a straw into the rocket body and secure it with tape. Blow through the straw to launch the rocket and discuss principles of flight and aerodynamics. 

Materials needed: Shallow tray, marbles, paper, paints, tape

Instructions: Place a piece of paper in the tray and secure it with tape. Dip marbles in different colors of paint and drop them onto the paper. Tilt and rotate the tray to create colorful marble patterns on the paper. Allow it to dry and discuss different art techniques and color mixing. 

Materials needed: Yarn or embroidery thread in different colors

Instructions: Teach children how to create friendship bracelets using different colors of yarn or embroidery thread. Encourage them to create patterns using various knotting techniques, such as chevron, stripes, or diamond patterns. Discuss the concept of patterns and explore different mathematical patterns together. 

Materials needed: A small container (such as a shoebox), paper, pencils, various small items representing the present time 

Instructions: Ask children to gather objects and write letters or draw pictures that represent their lives and the current time. Place the items and papers inside the container and seal it. Discuss the concept of time capsules and why they are important for preserving history. Encourage children to set a future date for opening the time capsule.

Materials needed: Socks or paper bags, markers or craft supplies, glue (if using paper bags)

Instructions: Help children create their own puppets by decorating socks or paper bags. Encourage them to use their imagination and develop a story using the puppets. They can act out the story and practice their language arts skills by creating dialogue and engaging in storytelling.

Materials needed: Clear glass slide, coverslip, water, small piece of onion, microscope (if available).

Instructions: a) Peel off a thin, transparent layer from the onion. b) Place the layer on a glass slide. c) Add a drop of water to the onion layer. d) Gently place a coverslip on top to create a microscope slide. e) Observe the slide under a microscope (if available) to explore the structure of plant cells.

Materials needed: Balloon, string, straw, tape.

Instructions: a) Attach one end of the string to a fixed point (e.g., a doorknob) and the other end to another fixed point. b) Thread the straw onto the string and secure it with tape. c) Blow up a balloon and attach it to the straw. d) Release the balloon, and the escaping air will propel the straw, creating a balloon rocket. e) Experiment with different balloon sizes or straw lengths to observe the effect on the rocket's speed and distance.

 Materials needed: Clear plastic bottle, vegetable oil, water, food coloring, effervescent antacid tablets (e.g., Alka-Seltzer).

Instructions: a) Fill the plastic bottle about three-quarters full with vegetable oil. b) Add a few drops of food coloring to the bottle. c) Pour water into the bottle, leaving some space at the top. d) Break an effervescent antacid tablet into smaller pieces and drop them into the bottle. e) Observe as the tablet reacts with water, creating bubbles that rise through the oil, resembling a lava lamp.

Materials needed: Uncooked spaghetti, masking tape.

Instructions: a) Design and construct a bridge using uncooked spaghetti as the building material. b) Use masking tape to hold the spaghetti together at the joints. c) Test the strength of the bridge by gradually adding weight (e.g., coins) to the center until it collapses. d) Record and analyze the bridge's performance, and iterate on the design to improve its load-bearing capacity.

Materials needed: Computer with internet access, Scratch (free online programming platform).

Instructions: a) Visit the Scratch website (scratch.mit.edu) and create a free account. b) Explore the platform's tutorials and resources to learn the basics of block-based coding. c) Start a project and create interactive animations, games, or stories using Scratch's visual programming interface. d) Challenge yourself by adding new features, experimenting with different coding concepts, or collaborating with others on the platform.

Materials needed: Square sheets of paper (can be plain or colored), ruler.

Instructions: a) Learn different origami folding techniques and shapes that involve geometric concepts, such as squares, triangles, and polygons. b) Follow instructions or watch online tutorials to create origami models, like a cube, tetrahedron, or regular polygons. c) Explore the mathematical properties of these models, such as their angles, edge lengths, or surface areas. d) Experiment with different sizes of paper or variations in folding techniques to observe changes in the resulting geometric shapes.