Lava in a Cup

http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/lavacup.php

I found this science experiment on Science Bob's website. It has so many cool experiments but I was especially looking for one that wouldn't cause a big mess.

Materials needed:

• Vegetable oil
• Water
• Salt
• Food coloring
• Clear cup 
• Lava in a Cup worksheet

For this experiment I wanted to incorporate some of my therapy goals (using superlatives, reading/following directions, and using "first, then, finally" to organize thoughts). The whole point of the experiment is to see how "heaviness" impacts how things float. Oil is lighter than water so it floats. However, when salt lands on the oil, it brings it down into the water. As the salt dissolves, the oil bobs back to the top.

First, the child can read the instructions and perform the experiment. After brainstorming why the experiment might work we'll start working on the worksheet:

This worksheet took me far too long to make!

The child can fill in the superlatives: heavy __oil___, heavier __water__, heaviest __salt__. Then he/she will detail what happened in the experiment "First, Then, Finally."

I'm going to save all of the experiment worksheets that we do so that there will be a "Book of Experiments" by the end of the semester.