For this experiment, we traded fire extinguishers, exploding toothpaste and liquid nitrogen for balloons and cooking skewers…not an explosive experiment at all. Then why was Becky Ditchfield so nervous?
It’s so simple. Blow up a balloon and tie off the bottom. Then take a cooking skewer and stick it through the balloon. Impossible? Not if you have a little patience and know a little science. Becky definitely got the hang of it until she was asked to try sticking the skewer through a large balloon.
Karen Engates, otherwise known as Dr. Science Mom, runs a science camp after school program in Texas. She is a mother with a Ph.D.
She mainly works with grades kindergarten to third, exploring science. In Texas, grades 4 and 5 have regular science time during the week to prepare for state tests. The younger grades do not have a required weekly science time.
Karen does her best to get the kids excited about science, “I try to do my part to get them motivated, learn a few skills using lab equipment, and show them that having fun in science is possible.”
Her second graders really enjoyed the Taco Sauce Penny Cleaner experiment and wondered “if taco sauce cleans pennies, just think what it could do for your teeth!”
Maybe they’re on to a new product – Taco Sauce Toothpaste – it’s not so minty.
