Activities include exploring density with hovering vegetables, exploding colors in milk to learn about molecular movement, and cross linking polymers to make plastic blobber. Students are encouraged to use a notebook as a lab manual and to apply the scientific method to the activities. Included are directions for setting up a kitchen laboratory with a lists of supplies and equipment and safety instructions. In a sample activity, Lava, students combine baking soda and vinegar to create a chemical reaction. There are step by step instructions for creating a dirt or sand volcano in the backyard.
Students pile up moist sand or dirt and put a can with one end removed in the top of the mound.
Lava is formed by a chemical reaction when a mixture of water, vinegar, dish washing liquid, and food coloring is added to the baking soda in the can. The background information for this activity explains how the chemical reaction creates a totally new substance, carbon dioxide. In follow up activities, kitchen made carbon dioxide is used to power a plastic soda bottle boat. Each activity in this book is described in detail and contains pen and ink illustrations that highlight the basic chemistry theory that is applied. A free teacher's guide is available.