Today's Classroom Activities :

Crystal Art

Crystal Ornaments
Science/Art Fill a one-quart wide mouth jar with hot water. Add one cup of Borax laundry booster and stir until dissolved. Bend chenille stems around cookie cutters to form shapes. Glue or twist the loose ends together. Attach a 12-inch piece of string to the shape and tie the other end to a pencil. Immerse the shape in the water using the pencil to support it. Leave it in water for 2-8 hours. The longer it is left in, the more crystals will form. Remove the shape from the solution and let it dry thoroughly on waxed paper. Attach a ribbon hanger and display.

Crystal Creations
Using this experiment students will learn how to grow spikes of crystals in the sun.

Scientific Method and Crystal Growth
Students use a hands-on experiment in crystal growth to learn about the nature of science as inquiry. In addition to science as inquiry, the students will learn about mineral crystallization and rates of crystal growth.

Inside a Geode
Students research information about how geodes are formed and identify which minerals are crystallized within them. They study photographs or museum displays of geodes and create a realistic 3-D model of a geode.