Ice on a String

Ice on a String

You will need: Ice, bowl of water, string, salt, and spoon.

While you still have the ice block from the previous experiment, try this trick on your friends.

Keep the ice floating in the bowl of water and cut a short length of string, some 6 or 7 inches long.

Ask your friend if he can lift the ice from the water with the aid of the string.

When he finally admits himself defeated^ show him how this may be done.

Moisten one end of the piece of string and place it on top of the ice. Sprinkle a spoonful of salt over it, as shown in Fig. 2. The salt will melt the ice around the string, but after a time the ice will freeze over again, this time trapping the end of the string.

By pulling gently on the string you will be able to lift the block of ice clear of the water.

Children learn best through doing

Before children can understand a thing, they need experience: seeing, touching, hearing, tasting, smelling; choosing, arranging, putting things together, taking things apart. Experimenting with real things.

Old-time school teaching used only words and the teachers thought children knew something if they could repeat it. Now we know better. To reach practical understanding we do not need to use many words with young children.

Children are clever. They learn a lot, without being taught. The greatest skill - to be able to talk, to communicate is learnt outside school. In the classroom it's the children who need to talk the most. Unfortunately it is the teacher who does most of the talking!