Jennifer Davies

July 13, 2020

Mini Lab/Demonstration

Grade 1 – Topic A

GLE
1–1 Bring focus to investigative
activities, based on their own
Science questions and those of others.
Inquiry
1–4 Demonstrate positive attitudes for
the study of science and for the
Attitudes
application of science in responsible
ways.
1–5 Identify and evaluate methods for
creating colour and for applying
Understanding
colours to different materials.
SLE
Focus
 predict what they think will happen or what they
might find
Reflect and Interpret
 describe what was observed, using pictures and oral
language
 a willingness to work with others and to consider their
ideas
4. Predict and describe changes in colour that result from the
mixing of primary colours and from mixing a primary color
with white or with black.

Materials (per student)

 Small jar (plastic) (8 oz)
o Can be a pop bottle from home or bought from the dollar store by the teacher etc…
o Better to have a jar with a big lid so students don’t spill their mixtures as they are pouring
 Measuring cups
o If that is not an option use plastic see through cups with line marked where 3 oz is (I would do this before
the experiment but kids can take part in the measuring as well)
 Stir sticks – 1 per student
 Color combination cards
 Baby oil (amount based on size of jar you have)
o Can use any type of oil – vegetable olive, etc…
 Water (amount based on size of jar you have)
NOTE – water and oil are a half and half ratio

Materials (per group of 3)

 Toothpicks – set of 3 for each group
 Food coloring (water based) – Primary colors
 Food coloring (oil based) – Primary colors – can be found at Michaels or amazon

Procedures - Students will do this individually but will be in groups of three, where each student will have a
different primary color combination to create a secondary color

Introduction
- Students as a group will predict what each combination of primary color will create writing them down or using
some sort of pencil crayon/crayon/marker to colour their predictions (1 page per group)

Experiment – 2 parts
Part 1:
1. Students will fill up half of a see through cup
2. Then they will put 3 drops of one of their primary colors
3. Students will then mix with a stir stick
4. Then pour it into their jar
5. Once students are done they will be asked to rinse out their plastic see through cup
Part 2:
1. Students will fill up the same plastic cup to the same line mark with baby oil
2. Then they will use the tooth pick to scrape out some of the oil based food coloring and dip it into their
baby oil (students will be shown a demonstration of how to do this)
3. Students will then mix their tooth pick around the oil until the colour is showing
4. Then students will pour the baby oil color into the jar with the water
  A few options:
o Groups can each take turns pouring the oil mixture so everyone can watch in the group and
then start to see the colors mixing
o Students can do it individually and then share the colors after when they do their reflection
piece for the lab
Conclusion
- Students will be asked to share their findings with their group and colour a reflection sharing what they observed
when shaking all the jars at their table group (1 page per group)
- Then students will proceed with clean up procedures

Science behind it
Students will see how the primary colors create the colors we know as secondary. These colors are the result of
the way in which we as humans can see colors. The pigments in the primary colors when mixed together reflect with light
around us to come up with the colors we consider to be secondary, orange, purple and green.
Although kids in this experiment are learning more about how to mix primary colors to mix secondary colors this
could be used to teach students about water and oil densities etc… which is introduced in grade 2. Water molecules and
oil molecules cannot mix because each substance is made up of different amounts of molecules. When trying to mix
them, water is much denser which is why the water sits at the bottom and the oil sits above the water. When the jar is
shaken up the oil and water mix together for only a certain amount of time and then will eventually separate, as the
molecules will not mix.

Resource used for lab

Tornio, Stacey. September 28, 2018. These calming jars will blow your students minds. Retrieved from
https://www.weareteachers.com/calm-down-jars/?utm_source=Pinterest