Wonders of Water: Meeting 3

Because we've been learning about water we decided to do a little experiment this week. The girls learned that water acts as a magnifier. We followed the instructions here, and made water magnifiers.

Materials:
cardboard (I used a cereal box)
glass microscope slides (found at Hobby Lobby -- about $3/10)
tape
medicine droppers (from pharmacy at Walgreens -- $2/16...I just asked the pharmacist if I could buy a bunch)
cups for water
newspaper and other small things to view through magnifier

Prep work beforehand: I cut rectangles out of the cardboard and then cut holes in the middle of each rectangle.

 During the meeting: The girls taped the microscope slide under the hole in the cardboard. They then folded down each end so the magnifier looked like a little table.

They filled the medicine dropper and then put two or three drops on the slide.

They put a piece of newspaper under the magnifier and looked through the glass at the magnified print. We also examined tiny beads.

The girls loved the experiment but got a little crazy with the water toward the end. The magnifiers can withstand a few drops of water but when the girls totally soaked them, the cardboard collapsed.

After we made magnifiers, we talked about how at the last meeting, the girls had come up with ways to conserve water at home. They talked about the things they had done (turning off the water when brushing teeth, using one cup for drinking all day, etc.)

We have now earned the first of the badges in this series -- the Love Water Award.

Love Water Award is the heart-shaped one on the top left

We finished our meeting by forming a Friendship Circle, singing "Make New Friends" and doing the Friendship Squeeze.