Popcorn is such fun to use in experiments! These popcorn stem challenges and experiments each feature a free recording sheet. While doing the first activity students will create containers for one cup of popcorn will need to be built. The second activity is an experiment that looks at making popcorn kernels dance. An activity is an experiment that compares the weight of popped and unpopped corn is third. Finally, there is a five senses activity. Children can do any or all of the experiments in the set.
Getting the Popcorn STEM Challenges and Experiments Pages
First, you will need to download the popcorn pages
Second, if you don’t have Acrobat Reader you will need to download it. The algorithm page is an Acrobat Reader PDF file.
Third, you will need to go to your download file and open the page. You may be asked if you want the file to open right after you download it. If you are, you won’t have to hunt for it in your download file.
Exploring Each of the Popcorn STEM Challenges and Experiment Pages
Exploring Volume by Building a Popcorn Container
Children will need to use construction paper to build a container for popcorn. They will start by drawing a diagram on the recording sheet. The diagram will need to incude the height, width, and length of the container.
Skills That May Need to Be Reviewed Before Starting
- Children will need to know how to use a ruler. Many children start measuring at the number one on the ruler rather than the edge of end of the ruler.
- Reviewing pictures of 3 dimensional shapes before starting may inspire the shapes of your children’s containers.
- While it may seem obvious, explaining how to tape the sides of at 3 dimensional shape may need to be shared.
Making Popcorn Kernels Dance
This popcorn experiment looks at just what action or ingredients will cause popcorn kernels to dance or hop in a jar. While the recording sheet does not display an area for prediction making, taking the time to make predictions would be a good thing to do.
Popped and Unpopped Corn Weight
This popcorn experiment gives children the chance to make predictions and learn to use a scale. It also gives children the opportunity to see that when an object goes through a physical change other things about it change too.
After completing the experiment, you will want to have your children discuss what they learned about change. It might also be worth asking them if they would change their prediction.
Exploring the Five Senses with Popcorn
While children will have probably snuck pieces of popcorn during the other popcorn science challenges and experiments, this activity encourages eating. Children can write single words or whole sentences describing how popcorn smells, tastes, sounds and feels.
The page was designed so you can cut off the material and process sections. Without those sections the page is more focused on the recording section.
More STEM Challenges
Patriotic Flying Eagle STEM Challenge
Baseball Bat Straw Rocket Activity
Ghostly Cup Stacking STEM Challenge
