Teaching Measurements to Create Slime

Grade Levels: K-12 (Modifications can be made depending on grade and skill levels.)

Subject: Mathematics and Science

Duration: 1-2 class periods

Common Core Standards:

• 3.MD.A.2 Measure and estimate liquid volumes and masses of objects using standard units of grams (g), kilograms (kg), and liters (l).

Lesson Overview: 

Slime-making captivates kids' attention and provides an excellent opportunity to introduce and teach them about measurements. By incorporating measurements into the slime-making process, children can develop important math and science skills while having a blast. Moreover, the sensory experience of slime-making stimulates their creativity and fine motor skills.

Lesson Objective:

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Understand the concept of measurements and their importance in scientific experiments.
2. Apply measuring skills to create slime by following a given recipe.
3. Practice using different units of measurement, such as ounces, milliliters, and teaspoons.

Materials Needed:

• Ingredients for making slime
  1. Glue
  2. Borax
  3. Warm water
• Mixing bowls and spoons.
• Measuring cups (Ounces, if desired)
• Food coloring (Optional)
• Plastic zip bags for storing slime
• Slime Recipe from pbs.org
  1. Squeeze ½ cup (4 ounces) of glue into a bowl.
  2. Mix in ½ cup (or 4 ounces) of warm water.
  3. Add a few drops of food coloring, optional.
  4. Mix one teaspoon of Borax into ½ cup of water in a plastic container. Slowly add the solution to the glue mixture.
  5. Stir the mixture in one direction until it starts to thicken. (You might not need all of the Borax solution.)
  6. Knead the slime. At first, it will be wet and gooey, then stringy and sloppy, until it finally holds together.
  7. Keep kneading until the slime is easy to hold and play with.
  8. Put the slime in a plastic bag with a zip top or a sealable container for storage. It will last two weeks before it needs to be thrown away.

Procedure:

Introduction (10 minutes):

1. Begin the lesson by briefly discussing your students' experiences with slime. Bring a sample of slime and show it to your class. 
2. Ask the students if they have ever made slime before. Ask what slime is made of and/or let the students guess the ingredients. 
3. Explain to the students that today they will learn about measurements and their importance in science experiments like making slime.
4. Share the lesson objectives with the students (listed above).

Demonstration and Explanation (20 minutes):

1. Display the ingredients needed to make slime, along with the measuring tools.
2. Discuss the importance of accurate measurements in scientific experiments and how they affect the outcome.
   • If you have time, make slime with inaccurate measurements and then again with correct measurements to show the students accurate measuring and its importance.
3. Introduce the slime recipe and discuss the importance of following the instructions precisely.
4. Explain the different units of measurement that will be used in this activity.
5. Demonstrate how to use the measuring cups correctly, emphasizing the importance of leveling off the measurements for accuracy. If needed, teach your students how to level off their measurements. 

Hands-on Activity (30-40 minutes):

1. Divide the students into small groups or pairs depending on your class size and supplies.
2. Provide each group with the necessary materials, including the recipe.
3. Instruct the students to measure the ingredients according to the given recipe.
4. Encourage students to work collaboratively, assisting one another with measuring and mixing.
5. Circulate among the groups to monitor their progress and address any questions or difficulties.

Clean-up and Reflection (10 minutes):

1. Instruct the students to clean up their work areas and return all materials to their designated places.
2. Gather the students back together and engage in a discussion or collaborative worksheet about the process. Ask questions such as:
   1. Did your slime work? Why or why not?
   2. How did accurate measurements affect the outcome of your slime?    
   3. What challenges did you face while measuring the ingredients?
   4. Why is it important to follow instructions when conducting scientific experiments?
   5. Did your team have any trouble working together? Yes or no, and explain.

Conclusion (5 minutes):

1. Summarize the slime-making process, emphasizing the importance of measurements in scientific experiments.
2. Allow students to share their observations and experiences from the activity.
3. You may want to do a gallery walk so students can see the other teams' slime.

Assessment:

1. Have students describe in their own words the step-by-step process of making slime. You may provide the ingredients list, but not the recipe instructions, to aid in this assignment. 
2. Have students explain the importance of accurate measurements and how they affect the outcome.
3. Have students brainstorm other math and science lessons using hands-on measurement activities. (Baking a cake, growing crystals, etc.)

Written by Deborah Andrus, English Teacher in California
Education World Contributor
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