Dr. Seuss Day tomorrow, March 2

This has been a fun week to celebrate science in my life!  Tomorrow, many schools will recognize the impact of Dr. Seuss on children's literacy through a variety of activities.  After school, you can take your kids to see The Lorax, a classic tale with environmental lessons.  (see PSA post)

For me, it is the perfect excuse to make oobleck with my kids and anyone else who brings me a box of cornstarch.  We have a school-wide reading night, and last year we made a big mess at my station, because kids love oobleck!  (Of course, you have to read Bartholomew and the Oobleck first...a book about weather.)  After that activity, we talk about microorgansims, and I use the book, Horton Hears a Who, to teach them that we haven't always known about things too small to see.

Oobleck is not an exact recipe, but all you need is cornstarch and water.  I have attached a link that discusses the chemistry of this non-newtonian liquid.  I always add green food coloring to simulate the gloppy oobleck that falls from the sky in Dr. Seuss' book.  The best part is that it cleans up with water, or dries out and turns back into powder cornstarch. 

http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryhowtoguide/ht/oobleck.htm