Melting Snow

Today we did a really easy science experiment. It's a good way to introduce the idea of observations and noticing changes, because there is a really big difference between the beginning and the end. 

I found the idea here: http://www.simplelittlehome.com/2012/02/fiar-week-katy-and-big-snow-by-virginia.html?m=1

Supplies: snow, whiteboard marker, clear jar, glass, or dish

I went outside and collected a bowl full of snow. Monkey always loves it when I bring snow inside, probably because it almost never happens! So I had him interested right away. 

I had Monkey fill the glass jar with snow using a spoon. 

While he scooped, I asked him some questions about snow. 

What is snow made out of? "Out of rain."

Why is snow cold? "Because outside is so cold."

What do you think will happen to the snow in the jar? "It will change. It will dry. Because it doesn't belong inside."

I try to ask only open ended questions, which is hard and takes a lot of practice, but I want to hear Monkey's thoughts not guide him with my own. 

Once the jar was full, Monkey used the whiteboard marker and drew a line to mark how high the snow came up in the jar. 

Then I wrote the word snow. 

Then we waited. Monkey checked on the jar every once in a while when he was walking by or if he remembered. After a few hours the snow was completely melted so we talked again. 

What happened to the snow? "It's water."

Where did the water come from? "From the snow. It melted!" 

Then I read what his prediction from earlier had been and asked him if he had been right. We decided he was part right and part not, because the snow certainly changed, but it didn't dry (we think it got even more wet!). 

I tried to talk about how the jar was full of snow but there is only a little bit of water after it melted, but Monkey was not interested. I'm okay with that and I didn't push it because I felt the rest of the experiment was successful, but you could definitely extend the learning here with older children. 

Mar