Welcome to the Saturday Science Blog Hop! This week the hop is co-hosted by Little Bins for Little Hands, P is for Preschooler and Still Playing School and yours truly!

This is the final experiment in the “What is melting?” Saturday Science unit. I followed the book Science is Simple by Peggy Ashbrook for this unit and used it to guide the lessons. Over the past month we have tried to answer the question “what is melting?” with this series of science experiments which includes melting an “iceberg”, melting chocolate kisses, melting ice cubes and melting birthday candles. This week we attempted to melt a rock. (Please note this experiment is to be done only under the direction of an adult.)

The directions for this activity say to get a volcanic rock AKA a pumice stone from the nail care aisle of a store or from a scientific supply store and let your preschooler handle the rock. I gave Caden the rock to hold and check out and explained that this rock is from volcanic lava. I then showed him a You Tube video of an erupting volcano while I set up the experiment. 

We first tried to melt the rock by holding it to the flame of a candle. The only thing that did was turn the rock black with smoke. We then tried to melt the rock by holding a lighter to it. This experiment was a big disappointment. I am not sure what was supposed to happen, as the book doesn’t say. But I am wondering if the pumice stone that we picked up from Target wasn’t a real pumice stone or if the coloring, which obviously isn’t natural had an effect on the experiment. I tried googling this experiment to see what was supposed to happen or another way of doing it but came up empty-handed. 

Regardless of this failed science experiment I am pleased with the outcome of this “What is melting?” unit as a whole. Through this experience Caden has gained a better understanding of melting, even if he still confuses dripping with melting. LOL. And he is really looking forward to doing more science experiments which is wonderful! I feel as though I have finally found something educational that interests him! We are both really looking forward to our next science unit! 

And now it’s time for the Saturday Science Blog Hop!

Gravity Science Experiments for Preschool Kids from Little Bins for Little Hands

Art as Science from P is for Preschooler

Polar Animal Sort: Arctic vs Antarctic from Still Playing School

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