Elementary Science Activities for All Seasons . Winter is a time to observe and study crystals, especially as they appear in beautiful snowflakes. Even if you live in a warm area, this activity will help your students understand the formation and complexity ofcrystals, as well as the characteristic of uniformity all crystals share.
Crystals provide information about cloud types, temperatures, and heights of clouds.
After doing this investigation, have your students read about crystals in the library. Here they will be growing crystals from a solution of sugar and water. The sugar is the seed, or catalyst, that starts the crystal formation. Procedures Pour boiled water into a glass measuring cup. Tie the string to the pencil and put it in the cup so that it dangles in the sugar water.