Oobleck

Our classroom will never in a thousand years win an award for cleanliness.  I try.  I really do.  The kids are equally proactive in their quest for organization and a well-oiled classroom.

We're organized.  We go with the flow.  We can locate all of the essential tools.  We can even pinpoint the locales of some pretty obscure ones.

It's not that we're careless, you see.  It's just that working in a class lab environment does not lend itself to squeaky clean anything.



The precedent in our class is set on the first day, when we immediately pull out the paint, glitter, and the miscellaneous doodads (did I really just use that word?  well, that's what they are) to construct representations of each child as an ocean creature.  We also cut, glue and assemble colorful Tangrams.  Sometime during that first month we create our own modeling "clay" from flour, water, and salt.  Sixteen kids with their hands full of salted dough.  You can see where this is going.



I've learned that the amount of fun work being done is directly proportionate to the amount of mess involved.

It is inescapable.  But I like it that way.




I love Oobleck.  Oobleck is a Non-Newtonian fluid.  That means it is a very odd material that behaves like a liquid and like a solid.  Oobleck is a messy mystery.

Hmmm.. what's the strange stuff in the pan?

First, we list all of the solids, liquids and gases we can think of...

Named for a Dr. Suess book, Oobleck is easily "cooked up" with water and corn starch.  You can even add green food coloring if you're feeling especially ambitious.


What happens when you poke at Oobleck with your finger?  It retracts like a liquid might.  What happens when you squeeze it into a ball?  It acts more like a solid, you see.  When you loosen your hand, mysterious Oobleck is back to behaving like a liquid again.

Natalie and Grace daintily try the finger poking strategy and record results...

Kevin jumps right in and attempts to keep the Oobleck as a solid.

Here comes this post's theme..... messiness and smiles!

I love the smiles that Oobleck presents.  They're smiles of recognition that some materials don't behave the way that they are supposed to.  They're smiles of achievement as we try to wrap our minds around the periodic table and list as many elements as we possibly can.  And they're understanding smiles that say:  yes. I've got a messy classroom.


Messy, yes.  But hardworking?  Always.

Mia.  Hard worker with a great smile.