Bubbles in

Science

EYFS

KS1KS2

books

websites

Bubbles for foundation

• Rationale • Bubbles in EYFS• Bubble dance• Observing and Drawing

bubbles• Cross-curricular links• Bubble song

‘Science’ in the EYFS

• ‘Science’ in the EYFS needs to focus the children’s ability to make and communicate observations. They are exploring the world around them, this has so far been done instinctively, whereas now they need to start to develop a more rational way of thinking.

• This can be done by investigating objects using all of their senses, observing and using focused questions, talking about their observations, recording their own observations and comparing observation, what is similar? Are there differences? This can be extended by questioning such as ‘I wonder what will happen if....?’

Bubbles in the EYFS

• There will be a lot of excitement when bubbles are introduced into the nursery/reception class. A major task for you will be to calm the children for long enough for them to focus on the activities.

• The children need to be allowed to just play with the bubbles for a while.

• Once the initial excitement has died down encourage the children to observe the bubbles with one of the activates.

• When making your own bubble mix do not use cheap washing-up liquid. It does not make good bubbles and the children loose interest quickly.

Bubble Dance

• Aim: to encourage the children to really observe the movement of bubbles.

• Turn on the bubble machine or blow some bubbles.

• Ask the children to observe how the bubbles move. Encourage them to talk about what they are seeing and maybe join in.

• Play some bubbly music and copy some of the movement they saw (floating, twirling, popping, gliding etc...)

• Put the bubble machine back on so they can dance with the bubbles.

Drawing Bubbles

• Aim: To get the children to focus and make observations about bubbles.

• Put on the bubble machine or blow some bubbles and encourage the children to look carefully at the bubbles, noticing shape, size and colours.

• Provide some paper and crayons/pens/pencils and ask the children to draw what they have seen (model observation and drawing with the children).

EYFS Cross-curricular links

• CD - Printing with bubble wrap. • CD - Bubble painting (washing up liquid added

to a bowl of paint, blow bubbles with a straw then place a piece of paper over the top to catch the bubbles).

• KUW/PSED - Washing dolls/cars with soapy water.

• KUW - Look at bubbles in food e.g. Make angle delight and fizzy Drinks (make squash with carbonated water).

• PSED – Washing hands.

Bubbles at KS1

• Rationale•What shape bubbles?•What colour bubbles?• Cross curricular links• Using bubbles to explore air

KS1 Rationale

• Children should continue to develop the skill of close and careful observation and start to link experiences.

• Children should begin to realise they can do something to ‘find out’ and should be introduced to the idea of a ‘fair test’ (in a controlled experiment only one variable should be changed at a time).

• They should be encouraged to think about what they are going to do or see and begin to make predictions. These should be recorded, then checked against the results.

• Children at this age should be encouraged to ask questions about their observations and to make explanations based on these observations.

• Children should begin to explore a range of simple recording styles.

KS1 Cross-curricular links

• Literacy – Imagine you were trapped in a bubble floating above the earth. What would you see? Where would you land?

• Maths – Recording bubble findings using simple pictograms.

• D&T – Make bread and look at the process of yeast forming bubbles in the dough.

• Music – Film the bubbles and create some bubbly music to accompany it.

• PSHE – Why is soap important for personal hygine?• Literacy – write a bubble poem using descriptive

language.

What shape are bubbles?

• Blow some bubbles for the class. Point out that the bubble wand aperture is round and the bubbles are round.

• Ask the children what they think will happen if they change the shape of the bubble wand.

• Give the children long pipe cleaners and challenge them to make different shaped bubble wands (square, triangle, heart, flower...)

• Get the children to make a prediction chart before blowing their bubbles. Chart

Prediction chart

Shape of bubble wand

I think the bubbles will be...

My bubbles were...

What colour bubbles?

• Ask the children what colour bubbles are. • Tell the class they are going to see if they

can make different coloured bubbles.• Choose some different coloured pieces of

soap.• Put a piece of soap in a clear jar with some

water and put on the lid tightly.• Get the children to fill in a prediction chart.• Shake the jar and note the colour of the

water and the colour of the bubbles. Chart

Prediction Chart

My soap is... I think the bubbles will be...

The bubbles were...

Using bubbles to explore air

• Explain that bubbles are spheres of air trapped in a thin skin of soap and water – bubbles will therefore act in the same way as air.

• Take the children into the playground and get them to blow some bubbles and observe how they behave. Why are the bubbles moving?

• Focus their observations by asking questions such as ‘can bubbles blow round corners?’ or ‘why do bubbles rise when you blow them?’.

• http://www.lessonplanspage.com/ScienceBubblesInTheWind12.htm

Bubbles at KS2

• Rationale• Ultimate bubble mix?• Can we make better bubbles?• Cross curricular links

KS2 Rationale

• Explanations should be based on observation and at the end of KS2 children should start to include secondary scientific ideas.

• Language should also become more precise and scientific.

• Factors and variables should start to be recognised and children should start to plan their own investigations to manipulate these.

• Children should become secure with using a range of quantitative measurements.

Can we make better bubbles?

• The class will plan their own experiment to test the effectiveness of various additives to a basic bubble solution (soap and water).

• Ingredients to be tested: Sugar, vegetable oil, vinegar, salt, glycerine (use this last).Each solution will be mixed using one part soap, one part something else from the list above, and six parts water.

• The class must decide how they can test the effectiveness of the additives and how they will record their findings.

Frame

Ultimate bubble mix?

• The children will experiment to produce the ultimate bubble mix. The ingredients for bubbles are soap, glycerine, and water. What variables can they alter to effect the bubbles? Variables to be tested: type of soap, thickness of the mixture, amount of glycerine used.

• Divide the class into groups to investigate the different variables using the investigation frame.

Frame

KS2 Cross-curricular links

• Maths – More complex graphs will be used to record findings.

• PSHE – Creating thought bubbles as a result of circle time discussion.

• Geography/Science – The Eden project. Life in a bubble. Controlling climate.

• Drama – freeze frame. Floating above the world in a bubble – where will you land?

Bubble Books

• Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy• Grandpa's secret potion by Holly Hartman• Peppa's Bubble Fun (Board book) by Ladybird• Ultimate Bubble Book: Soapy Science Fun by

Shar Levine• Beginning Fun with Water and Bubbles (Beginning fun

with science) by Gayle Bittinger • Pop!: A Book about Bubbles (Let's Read-And-Find-Out

Science)• by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Bubble websites

• http://bubbles.org• http://www.bubblemania.com/• http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/bubbles/bu

bbles.htm• http://

www.zurqui.com/crinfocus/bubble/bubble.html• http://www.sdahq.org/sdakids/bubbles/• http://www.sdahq.org/cleaning/history/

index.cfm

Bubbles (Tune: Twinkle, Twinkle)

Bubbles floating all around (pretend to catch bubbles) Bubbles fat and bubbles round (make a big circle with arms) Bubbles on my toes and nose (point to toes; point to nose) Blow a bubble. ..up it goes! (pretend to blow bubble; point up) Bubbles floating all around. (pretend to catch bubbles) Fall. . .ing slow…ly to...the...ground. (sing slowly & sink to ground)

Bubble Song