Oobleck

The theme for Papakura Central School during term 1 is 'change'.  For a science rotation in the middle school, we opted to explore 'change' with science experiments. Room 14s first foray into science was Non-Newtonian fluid: oobleck.

First the students explored what they already knew about 'matter' - liquids, solids and gases.  As the students shared their prior knowledge, it cropped up that ice is a liquid and, when it is frozen, it is a solid.   That gave us an 'in' into oobleck, as oobleck fits two categories of 'matter' too.  Matter can change.

To make oobleck the students mixed corn starch and water in tubs and explored how it mixes, how it feels when it is squeezed, and how it feels when it is left on an open palm.

Here are some of room 14 students playing with the oozing, melting, dripping oobleck. When pressure is applied to oobleck it becomes solid.