Summary

"No bubble is so iridescent or floats longer than that blown by the successful teacher." William Osler

Lawrence Hall of Science has delivered an intriguing GEMS (Great Explorations in Math and Science) handbook for teachers to explore chemistry and physics concepts with their students in Bubble-ology.  This guide provides teachers a fun and fascinating way to teach some important science principles by using soapy bubbles.  Here are a few topics covered in this guide:

‡      Chemistry laws and vocabulary

‡      Surface tension

‡      Color and luminosity

‡      Aerodynamics

‡      Physics theories

‡      Scientific method

In this step-by-step handbook the students will invent a bubble-blowing device; compare dishwashing brands that make the biggest bubble; discover the effects of glycerin on the size of bubbles; learn the Bernoulli principle; predict when a bubble will burst by observing color; and formulate long-lasting bubbles.

Bubble-ology is recommended for grades 5-8, and each activity will take approximately 1-2 sessions lasting 40-60 minutes.  The teacher preparation time is estimated to be brief with the longest being 20 minutes.  The students will get to use graphs, measurements, and the scientific method to complete these experiments.

This GEMS guide also gives the teacher informative background knowledge to educate themselves as well as their students.  This includes science vocabulary, surface tension, shapes, color effects, air resistance, and real-life applications.

Bubble-ology is an interactive way to introduce students to key science principles by using household items to create good, solid fun with soapy bubbles.

"I wonder how much it would take to buy a soap bubble, if there were only one in the world." Mark Twain