K-2 Brief Description Students melt old crayon stubs and mold them into interesting shapes and characters. Objectives Students learn about states of matter, recycling, and waste reduction. They create something new from discarded materials. Lesson Plan Students break old, thin crayons into small pieces and sort by color. Add water to an electric frying pan and set the temperature to 350 degrees.
Students watch as the steam melts the crayons into the shape of the molds.
Set a paper clip in each mold before the crayons melt completely. Students watch as the shapes cool and re-solidify. Before the lesson, discuss what will happen to the crayons when they are heated and cool down. Help students write their thoughts in their journals. Discuss the questions again after the lesson, and have students compare what they thought would happen with what actually happened.