Crystal Candy

What could be more fun than doing a Science project? Doing a Science project and then eating it! The Crystal Candy project is a great idea for students from Grades Three to Six. This activity would be good to use when studying about solutions, evaporation, or geology (rock/crystal formation). Students should record how many teaspoons are able to be dissolved in the solution. Students could also sketch the jar at various stages: once when the sugar has just been stirred in and once every day after that until the water has all evaporated.

By following the procedure below, students can actually grow their own sugar rocks. Make things more interesting and exciting by adding colors and flavors. One way to do this is through adding food coloring and baking extracts such as lemon or mint. A small drop of each would be plenty! Alternatively, Kool-Aid can be used to color and flavor the sugar crystals. Stir several spoonfuls in, along with the sugar.

Materials

· Plastic Styrofoam cups – one per pair of students

· Masking tape – one roll

· Marker – one

· Tea spoons – one per pair of students

· Stirring spoons – one per pair of students

· Electric Kettle/microwave – one

· String – one per pair of students

· Pencil – one per pair of students

· Paperclip – one per pair of students

· Water – one cup per pair of students

· Sugar – three cups per pair of students

· Glass jars – one per pair of students (Talk about safety first. Glass jars are breakable!)

· Optional:

o food coloring

o baking extract

o Kool-Aid

Procedure

1. Place students in partners.

2. Use an electric kettle or microwave to heat the water to boiling. (Again, be sure to talk about safety first!)

3. Give one cup of water and three cups of sugar to each group.

4. Have students add in one teaspoon of sugar at a time and stir until dissolved.

5. When sugar no longer dissolves in the solution, it is time to stop adding sugar.

6. Allow students to add food coloring/baking extract/Kool-Aid and stir.

7. Have students tie one end of the string to the middle of the pencil and the other end of the string to the paper clip.

8. Next, students should place the pencil across the mouth of the jar, with the string hanging in so that the paperclip is just a little above the bottom of the jar.

9. Use masking tape and marker to write students names on jars.

10. Set jars aside.

In several days, the sugar rocks will be ready to enjoy!