5th grade science lesson plans
5th graders are a near-perfect age to learn science. They’re naturally curious and excitable; everything seems to fascinate them. At this age, their brains can consume as much as their stomachs! So let’s dazzle and amaze your fifth graders tomorrow with this super-simple science lesson:
Science demonstration-jab a round pencil through a baggie full of water and -surprise! – no water leaks!
- Fill a zipper-seal baggie with water
- Seal it shut
- Hold the baggie full of water over a student’s head
- Use a ROUND PENCIL to poke it through one side and out the other using a round pencil
- Add as much drama as you like
- It won’t leak!
- Leave the pencil in it, and announce you’d like another volunteer
- This time poke it with a 6-SIDED pencil over the head of volunteer #2
- Oops- different result this time!
WHY does this happen? The baggie is made of a plastic that’s also known as a polymer. When you poke the bag with the round pencil, it slips between chains of these polymers, so little water leaks. However, the 6-sided pencil isn’t as smooth around, so the polymers don’t cling as close to it, which causes the leak.
