Bubble Festival

They feel sticky because the extra stuff they put in the soap. Homemade bubbles feel less sticky than store bought bubbles because of all the extra stuff they put in the store bought bubbles. If you make bubbles at home, they only have soap and water.

8. What are the steps of making a bubble? Do you need air, solution, tools?

First I would grab a tub and fill it with water. Then I would take any kind of soap and stir it in the water. Then I would use my hands to make bubbles.

9. Do bubbles float?

Yes they float in the air. It’s pretty fun. You can wave your hands around them and the air pushes them around.

10. Do you know why bubbles float?

I have no idea why they float.

11. What size are bubbles?

They can be any size, from little to very big. There have been times that I’ve made chains of bubbles.

12. Are bubbles permanent objects? (If not, how and why do they stop existing? Why do they pop?)

No bubbles are not permanent objects. They pop because it touches an object or there is too much air pressure.

13. What do you mean by air pressure having an affect on bubbles? (asked in response to his previous answer)

As bubbles get higher in the air, there is more air pressure and it makes them pop.

14. Where do bubbles go when they pop?

The soap goes into the ground wherever you are blowing the bubbles.

15. Are there things that affect bubbles?

Yes there are things that affect bubbles. Depending on how hard the wind is blowing, it could blow it along or pop it. If the bubble lands on a surface of water it could pop or float on top in a half bubble.

16. Are bubbles durable?

A bubble can be durable if you don’t mess with it. I’ve caught bubbles that haven’t popped and kept them for a long time..

17. How long do bubbles last?

Sometimes they last for a long time. Sometimes they pop right away. It depends on how much solution you use, how you blow into the bubble, and what’s going on around you. Bubbles don’t have a specific time that they last.

18. Are bubbles edible? Why or why not?

No, bubbles are not edible because of all the soap in them. I have tasted them and they taste disgusting.

19. How is a big bubble made?

If you blow slowly and soft, when the bubble comes off it’ll be a lot bigger than when you blow hard and fast.

20. If you were able to experiment with bubbles, what would you like to learn/test?

I would want to try to learn why they float and why they pop when they get so high.
21. What happens when bubbles come together?
They usually connect when they come together. Well, they don’t turn into one huge bubble. They just sit on top of each other.

Assessment and Misconceptions:

Geoff is moving from the tenth grade into the eleventh grade, so he has had quite a few more science classes than a first grader, which is who we are focusing our bubble festival towards, yet still had some misconceptions. Overall, Geoff seemed to have a good understanding of bubbles. He understood what bubbles are basically made of, how to manipulate them, and what tools are needed to make bubbles. Conversely, Geoff could describe many bubble characteristics but did not know why they occurred. He knew that bubbles have color and could float but he could not explain to me why bubbles had color or floated. Also, I asked twice, in different formats, how bubbles are made and neither time did he offer that air is needed to make bubbles. I believe he understood that air is needed but he never suggested this information as a characteristic of a bubble.

As for first grade students, I believe the first thing that needs to be addressed is what a bubble is. Geoff kept mentioning that a bubble is soap and water but did not explain that there is air within and around that soap that makes the bubble. I would check for comprehension of this concept after the first grade students’ initial experimentation of a bubble. Similarly, Geoff did not understand why a bubble floated. This is something that needs to be addressed as well. Students may have overlooked that air is within the bubble as Geoff did. Another concept that needs to be considered is color. The students will be able to see a bubble has color but may not understand why the bubble has color. They may not have been introduced to the concept of white light and reflection, which is what causes the color within the bubble.

Overall, many of the characteristics that Geoff knew are concepts that I believe the students will be able to learn through the bubble festival. The few that Geoff did not understand are ones that I believe may need further explanation or further probing questions to grasp the concepts with the first grade students.

Back top top

Clinical Inteview 2:

Interviewer: Monica Vargas
Interviewee: Noah

5 years old, Entering Kindergarten

What are bubbles made out of?

Soap and water

What do bubbles look like?

Circles

Can they be any other shapes?

Nope.

Do you think a bubble can be the shape of a triangle or octagon (like a stop sign)?

No and no, unless someone draws them and puts it into that shape, then we will see.

How big do you think a bubble can be?

This big (arms raised about his head in a circle.

What colors are bubbles?

No colors, just clear because you can see through them like a window.

What would you use to measure a bubble?

Measuring tape, ruler, stick, and yarn, but it has to have soap and water on it.

So if you don't wet your tools, what would happen?

The bubble will pop.

Can you explain to me why do bubbles pop?

Because they hit things. Like when I blow bubbles outside and they hit the car or trees, they pop. Even the air or windows make them pop.

So do you think that bubbles can float?

Yes, because they have soap and they float straight into the air.

Can you tell me some different ways that you can blow bubbles?

With a wand, a net, a straw, a basket, or even your hands (like the bubble lady).

Which one of those ways would allow for you to blow the biggest bubble?

The wand probably because when the bubble lady used it at the library, they were gigantic.

Do you know how she got them to be so gigantic?

She blew fast with all her air.

Do you think that you can blow bubbles on top of each other?

No. They can't stick together. They have to be glued or taped for them to stay on top of each other. You have to be careful though because if you put too much pressure on the bubble, it will pop.

Do you think that you can blow a bubble inside of another bubble?

Yes. I think you can blow five bubbles inside each other. When the bubble lady used her wand, there was about five inside one big one.

Noah is five years old. He is getting ready to go into kindergarten, but attended a pre-school that utilized a lot of hands on activity. In addition to this, I work a lot with him on his kindergarten readiness. He has a great memory and is able to grasp concepts quickly.

Due his curiosity, my mom decided to take to the library circle time sessions and one of them was a bubble lady that taught the children about bubbles. I was amazed to see that he was able to retain some of the information that she discussed. I know that he will have to work on some of the concepts of bubbles, but I feel that this will come with more hands on activities in the upcoming years.

Some of the concepts that Noah will need to grasp is that bubbles can take the form of different shapes, why they float, and that they can be different colors. His concept of the tools having to be wet was sufficient, but he was not able to tell me why the bubbles would pop. I believe that by the time that he is in first grade, he will be able to master these concepts.

Back to top