Oobleck - GEMS Book at Steve Spangler Science

Best Seller! Oobleck is a green, oozy substance from "outer space" that is guaranteed to get kids thinking about the properties of solids and liquids. The gooey substance is both a solid and a liquid at the same time. Some describe it as a substance that feels like quicksand. Sink your hand down into a bowl of Oobleck and try to pull up quickly... you're stuck! But pull your hand out slowly and your hand is easily freed. Learn how easy it is to create an amazing learning experience out of cornstarch, water, food coloring and the GEMS teaching guide that is filled with classroom tested teaching ideas. Recommended for children grades 4 to 8.

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What's included?

40-page Oobleck book with 4 activities

How does it work?

Students begin by forming small laboratory teams to examine, experiment with, and hypothesize about Oobleck (in truth, a mixture of cornstarch, water, and food coloring), learning and using the scientific vocabulary needed to describe material properties. In the second activity, the class holds a scientific convention to discuss experimental findings. Students then turn engineers, and design a spacecraft that can successfully land on an ocean of Oobleck. In the final session, the methods the students used to analyze Oobleck are compared to those of professional scientists, such as those working on the Mars Viking mission. A large poster illustrating the mission is included.

What does it teach?

Oobleck is not only a great hands-on experience for all ages, it provides students authentic insight into the real work of scientists. In this immensely popular unit, the strangely behaving substance called Oobleck provides students authentic insight into real-world scientific inquiry. Students are totally engaged in observation, hands-on investigation, a scientific convention, and spacecraft design. One of the all-time most popular GEMS guides, Oobleck makes a joyful scientist out of every child.