What you need
- One Zip Lock bag
- Water (enough to fill up the Zip Lock bag)
- Five Sharp pencils
Fill the ziplock bag with water and close it.
Hold up the ziplock bag and poke it with the sharp end of the pencil. Try fast vs. slow… which works better? Push the pencil all the way through the bag!
See how many pencils you can stab into the bag before it starts to leak!
Get the Unit of Work on Water Science here!
- Explore the water cycle
- Learn about cohesion, adhesion & capillary action
- From water currents to floatation, join us to explore water science!
Includes cross-curricular teaching ideas, student quizzes, a sample marking rubric, scope & sequences & more
School science visits since 2004!
– Curriculum-linked & award-winning incursions.
– Over 40 primary & high school programs to choose from.
– Designed by experienced educators.
– Over 2 million students reached.
– Face to face incursions & online programs available.
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– Help students learn how science really works
Why does this work?
The bag is made from a flexible plastic polymer!
When you stab the pencils through the bag, the plastic polymer moves apart creating the hole. Once the pencil has moved through the hole, the polymer pushes back up against the pencil to create a temporary seal with friction.
Variables to test
- Does this make a difference with hot vs. cold water?
- Try different brands of zip-lock bags.
- Can you use thin vs. thick pencils?
- What about other objects like bamboo skewers, sewing needles or tomato stakes?
Working with Water
Years K to 2
Maximum 30 students
School workshop (NSW & VIC)
60 or 90 minutes
Online Class Available
Forces, Friction & Movement
Years K to 6
Maximum 30 students
School workshop
60 or 90 minutes
Online Class Available
STEM Full Day Accelerator - Primary
Designed from real classroom experiences, this modular day helps you create consistently effective science learning that directly address the new curriculum with easily accessible and cost-effective materials.
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