Chemical Education Today edited by Erica K. Jacobsen JCE Secondary School Editor
Classroom Activity Connections
Chemistry and Children’s Literature: Johnny Castleseed by Patricia B. McKean
JCE Classroom Activities and Elementary Students Last year, Patricia McKean shared a Classroom Activity Connections that linked the children’s picture book Sun Up, Sun Down with Putting UV-Sensitive Beads to the Test, JCE Classroom Activity #36 (see ref 2 below). The activity was appropriate for use with preschool and elementary-aged students. The Connections article also described her project, Using Children’s Literature To Teach Science (see ref 1 below), in which she matches approximately 100 book selections with science activities. At that time, she promised to highlight additional books and activities in future Connections articles. This month McKean takes us for a walk on the beach where we meet Johnny Castleseed and see the sand castles that a father and son build. McKean connects the book to science activities that use ordinary sand and Magic Sand, which is marketed as a toy. Her activities are related to JCE Classroom Activity #23, Magic Sand. Ac-
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Featured Activity ◭ Extension to JCE Classroom Activity: #23. Magic Sand by JCE Editorial Staff, J. Chem. Educ. 2000, 77, 40A–40B.
tivity #23 was inspired by the work of a high school student, Kara Bruce. As the result of a special project during the summer of 1999, she and Jerrold Jacobsen of the JCE staff created video sequences that illustrate the properties of Magic Sand and compare them with those of ordinary sand. The online supplement (http://www.jce.divched.org/hs/Journal/Issues/2000/ Jan/abs40A.html, accessed Feb 2009) of the original Activity contains five QuickTime movies that show several experiments in action. Teachers who are considering implementing McKean’s activities can use the movies to get a quick view of the properties of Magic Sand, or may wish to show the videos to students.. Erica K. Jacobsen is Editor, Secondary School Chemistry, JCE;
[email protected].
Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 86 No. 5 May 2009 • www.JCE.DivCHED.org • © Division of Chemical Education
Chemical Education Today
Using Magic Sand in the Preschool/Elementary Classroom A children’s picture book is an excellent tool to capture a student’s interest and open a door to the first step of learning a new science concept (1). A previous article connected the book Sun Up, Sun Down with activities using ultraviolet-sensitive beads and sunscreen (2). This article describes another connection: carrying out the activities (see next page) that combine chemistry and geology/earth science concepts to use with the children’s picture book, Johnny Castleseed (3). The activities are related to the JCE Classroom Activity #23 “Magic Sand” (see Featured Activity box), and compare the properties of ordinary sand with Magic Sand. Johnny Castleseed provides a window onto a beach along the California coast. Evan and his father walk to the beach on a trail that passes through giant trees such as laurel, alder, buckeye, and Douglas fir. Evan asks “Who planted these trees?” His father tells him that the seeds simply fell or were buried by squirrels or jays. Evan tells his father that he knows of a man who planted many trees, Johnny Appleseed; in turn, his father tells Evan about Johnny Castleseed. He is a fictitious person who plants a very different kind of seed—an idea. Evan and his father go on to build a sand castle. Others on the beach see them build the castle and get the idea to do the same—Evan and his father have “planted” seeds: “castle seeds”. To complement the story, students can investigate ordinary sand. Students can come to understand that sand is found all over our planet. Many people, including myself, have sand collections with samples from around the world (4, 5). As the materials are readily available, sand castles can be built on any beach or in any handy sandbox or container. Water allows the
sand grains to stick together as it drains down through the sand particles. But what would happen if a different kind of sand is used—a sand that appears to be afraid of water? Along with their investigation of ordinary sand, students can compare its properties to those of Magic Sand. This special sand is made from sand that has been dyed and coated with a hydrophobic substance similar to Scotchgard fabric protector spray. This coating repels water. As a result, Magic Sand can be poured into water and yet be perfectly dry when the water is poured off ! Literature Cited 1. Using Children’s Literature To Teach Science. http://www.cshgreenwich.org/academics/childrensLitAndScience.asp?websitemast erID=439&webpageDetailID=2818 (accessed Feb 2009). 2. McKean, P. B. J. Chem. Educ. 2008, 85, 622–623. 3. Ormondroyd, Edward. Johnny Castleseed; Parnassus Press: Boston, MA, 1985; ISBN 0395479479. 4. Palmer, A. C. Science Scope, Nov/Dec 1987, pp 22–23. 5. Dean, C. So Much To Learn about the Oceans from Sand The New York Times, Jan. 5, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/06/ science/06prof.html?scp=4&sq=sand&st=cse (accessed Feb 2009).
Supporting JCE Online Material
http://www.jce.divched.org/Journal/Issues/2009/May/abs548.html Abstract and keywords Full text (PDF) with links to cited URLs and JCE articles Supplement List and description of standards related to the activity
Patricia B. McKean is a retired teacher who has spent 44 years in elementary, middle, and high school classrooms; gpmckean@ msn.com.
photos by Jerry Jacobsen
Magic Sand has a hydrophobic surface that repels water. It can be poured into water and be perfectly dry when the water is poured off.
© Division of Chemical Education • www.JCE.DivCHED.org • Vol. 86 No. 5 May 2009 • Journal of Chemical Education
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Chemical Education Today
Description of Student Activity
Many people have heard the story of Johnny Appleseed planting his apple seeds throughout the countryside. However, most probably have not heard of Johnny Castleseed. In the story, a young boy builds sand castles on the beach with his father. By the end of the day, he sees the “castle seeds” that he has “planted” in the minds of other people. The boy was able to build sand castles because of the way water and sand behave together. Wet sand grains stick to each other because of the small amount of water left behind between the grains. On a beach, sand is constantly getting wet and drying out. What would sand be like if it couldn’t get wet? How would it behave? Could you still build sand castles with it? Even the tiny sand grains themselves are beautiful to look at. Try looking at a grain of sand under a magnifying lens. If you study sand from different beaches around the United States or the world, you can see differences in color, size, and texture. In this activity, you will investigate ordinary sand along with a very unusual sand sometimes called “Magic Sand”. You will look at both types of sand up close and also see how they interact with water. Materials Ordinary sand (e.g. from a beach or playground), Magic Sand, magnifying lens, water, plastic cups, paper towels, two plastic spoons, glue or rubber cement, and a pipette. Student Procedure Part 1
1. Examine ordinary sand and Magic Sand with a magnifying lens. Do they look different? Draw any differences that you can see.
2. Place a small amount of water in two plastic cups. Add a small amount of ordinary sand to one and Magic Sand to the other. What do you observe?
3. Pour the Magic Sand and water into a dry plastic cup. Can it be poured back and forth many times? Try this using the cup of ordinary sand. Does it work?
4. Use a spoon to remove the Magic Sand and the ordinary sand from each cup and place the samples on separate paper towels. What happens to each towel? What happens to each sand sample? Touch each sample. How does each one feel—wet or dry?
5. Lightly coat the inside of two plastic spoons with white glue or rubber cement. Sprinkle Magic Sand on one and ordinary sand on the other. Add a few drops of water with a pipette. Do the two sands behave differently? Describe what you see.
Part 2
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1. Fill a small cup with water.
Magic Sand has unusual properties. How is it different from ordinary sand?
2. Sprinkle Magic Sand on the surface of the water until it covers the surface.
3. Slowly and carefully touch the surface of the sand with your finger and push the tip of your finger straight down. Remove your finger. Is it wet or dry?
photo by Jerry Jacobsen
Overview
Extensions
1. Ask students to bring sand samples from any beach they visit during a school vacation. A film canister, plastic bag, or small jar is a perfect vehicle for transporting the sand. Sand allows students to study the geology of the land around the world: black sand from Hawaii gives evidence of volcanoes; pink sand from the Caribbean gives evidence of coral.
2. Use the students’ sand samples and Magic Sand to make sand slides with plastic slides. Put a smear of white glue on a slide and cover it with sand; shake excess back into the container. Label slide with geographical location.
3. Have students examine the slides with a magnifying lens or microscope.
4. Keep Magic Sand on your desk or in a science corner for further investigation. Can students build Magic Sand castles underwater?
Questions How are the characteristics of ordinary sand and Magic sand the same? How are they different? References 1. These activities were adapted from a demonstration given at the Institute for Chemical Education Activities Workshop, 1990, Madison, WI. 2. Magic Sand is sold by suppliers such as Educational Innovations (http://www.teachersource.com, “Magic Sand” in assorted colors, ~$4.95 for 1 lb) and Steve Spangler Science (http://www. stevespanglerscience.com, #WMAG–160, $5.95 for 1 lb) (both sites accessed Feb 2009).
Related Standards Standards related to this activity are described in the supporting material on JCE Online. It includes standards such as Benchmarks for Scientific Literacy, National Council for Teachers of Mathematics, and U.S. Science Content Standards.
Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 86 No. 5 May 2009 • www.JCE.DivCHED.org • © Division of Chemical Education
