Listen to the story Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDef7vCgrk0
Ask you child
Why do you think King Derwin of Didd is so bored with the weather?
What is the task he gives his team of royal magicians?
What is the result?
What type of weather do you think would be fun? You could have your child draw a picture of what this would look like. Maybe create that weather on the village (read below) you build. What would happen to your village if it was raining cats and dogs?
Then if you have the ingredients make Oolbeck.
What is Oobleck? This is just some information on what Oobleck is. If you have not experienced Oobleck before take sometime with your child to experiment/play with it, you will find it is a very interesting substance.
Oobleck – non-Newtonian Fluid
We love a great science experiment, especially when it is a rule breaker like Oobleck. Known as a non-Newtonian fluid, oobleck breaks Newton’s Laws of Fluid Dynamics. To understand this law think about how liquids normally behave. Water flows smoothly and freely, but mix in a bit of dirt to create mud and it slows down. This is because the dynamics (behaviours) of fluids are affected by their viscosity and density.
The book is about a bored king, King Derwin of Didd. Why is he so bored? He is bored by the weather. Sun, rain, fog and snow are just much too boring for him. So he tasks his team of royal magicians to create a new weather to make him happy.
Bartholomew and the Oobleck STEM Activity Supplies
To do this STEM activity you will need items you likely already have laying around the house.
Cornstarch
Water
Green food colouring
Bowl
Spoon
Lego – plates, blocks and mini people
Some type of mesh (you could even build a grid from Lego pieces if you prefer)
Large, shallow edged dish
Easy to clean space
Simply take 2 cups of cornstarch and 1 cup of water and add to a large bowl. Since the oobleck was green in Bartholomew and the Oobleck, color water green first before mixing it with the cornstarch.
Oobleck Inspired STEM Project
After reading the book together, you are ready for the oobleck STEM activity.
First up you need to build a “village”. Encourage your child to come up with ways to make the walls sturdy, Oobleck has weight to it, add beams or a grid to the top.
Next add the villagers!
Once it is built carefully place it all in a large shallow lipped tray to catch all the mess. Then place it on a table in an easy to clean up area. Oobleck is messy fun, so always plan ahead for easy clean up.
Now it was time to mix up the oobleck! Oobleck is soooo easy to make. Simply take 2 cups of cornstarch and 1 cup of water and add to a large bowl. Since the oobleck was green in Bartholomew and the Oobleck, color the water green first before mixing it with the cornstarch.
Almost immediately you will start to see that non-Newtonian fluid dynamic as you try and mix it all together. The trick is to move slowly. The more pressure you place on the oobleck the harder it will get.
Once mixed it was time to reenact the book! Slowly drip your Oobleck over your village, what happens to your village, would you like that type of weather?
Now if your children has never used oobleck, you should spend some time letting them explore the properties of oobleck with their hands. It is such a cool substance that turns solid under pressure and liquefies when you remove the pressure. Having an understanding of those properties before starting this experiment will help them understand why it behaves in such a strange way as it rains down on their village.
Do one or both parts of the steam activity, whatever best fits. We hope you have fun thinking about different types of weather and creating a village and/or oobleck.
Try getting outside today practice writing your name with sideway chalk, you can make sidewalk paint by using the cornstarch and water just like you make Oobleck it is just and 1 to 1 ratio 1cup cornstrach and 1 cup water then add food coloring mix until the clumps are gone. Try playing with a ball or ride your bike. Fresh air is good for all of us!
Check out Mr. Fishers website
https://thurston physical education.weebly.com/
Since we read another Dr. Seuss book maybe check out Seussville
https://www.seussville.com/
Let me know how your villages and Oobleck turn out, I love to see some pictures.