Homeschool Chemistry for Kids: Weekly Experiments You Can Do at Home
In this ongoing weekly class, students will perform chemistry experiments using household materials and learn the science behind them.
Elene Feigenbaum
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(129)
What's included
1 live meeting
30 mins in-class hours per weekClass Experience
US Grade 4 - 7
Each week, students will explore a different area of chemistry through easy, fun and engaging experiments. Through guided inquiry and observation students will gain an understanding of chemistry content using common household materials. A question, discrepant event or scenario will provided for students to learn to develop hypotheses, make observations, make a claim, and explain their reasoning behind their claim. Students will learn about dependent and independent variables as well as constants and control as they learn how safely design and perform scientific experiments at home. Students do not need to have any prior knowledge of chemistry. Everything will be explained during the lesson. Each lesson is a stand-alone lesson and do not build on each other. Therefore, students can pick which lessons they want to attend. This is a subscription-based, ongoing class. You can "stop subscription" whenever you want to stop attending class. Recordings of the class will be will available upon request after each lesson and students who were enrolled for that week can view a class they missed or rewatch a class at their own leisure. For this reason, my policy is not to offer a refund if a student misses a class or was unprepared for the class at the time of the session, A copy of the supply list is provided under "Learner Supply List" and is attached to the Welcome Post in the Classroom. Topics will include: Electrostatic Tape Can you lift an ice cube with a string? Why do leaves change colors Separating Ink by Paper Chromatography Making a Density Column Non-Newtonian Liquids (Oobleck) How fast can you dissolve a sugar cube? Cleaning Copper Pennies Detecting Acids and Bases with Household Indicators Osmosis and Diffusion with Fruits and Vegetables Elephant Toothpaste May the Force Be With You: Can you move objects without touching them? Surface Tension Fun What foods contain starch? Separating water with pencils Making a Cartesian Diver Let's Make Ice Cream Electroplating a penny Water - Not so Hot and Super Cool Fun with Polymers Superabsorber 'Walking Water: Capillary action, cohesion, and adhesion Make a Lava Lamp Rainbow Rain Color May Come and Go: Iodine Reactions Make a Chemical Clock Invisible Fire Extinguisher Percentage of Oxygen in Air Let Make Plastic Let’s Make Slime Dissolving Styrofoam
Learning Goals
Some of the chemistry content students will learn are: electrostatics, electric force, chemical reactions, acid/base chemistry, electrolysis of water, density, paper chromatography, freezing point depression, and surface area.
Other Details
Supply List
Homeschool Chemistry for Kids: Weekly Experiments You Can Do at Home:
Weekly Supply List
Week of Sept 1- Electrostatic Tape (NO MONDAY CLASS)
scotch tape
plastic spoon
balloon
saran wrap
various types of cloth (wool, silk, cotton)
paper
Week of Sept 8 - Can you lift an ice cube with a string?
Several Ice cubes
Cup of water
salt
sugar
plate
string or yarn
scissors
Week of Sept. 15 – Why leaves change colors?
Green leaf (can be spinach or dark green lettuce leaf)
Coin (like a penny or a nickel)
Strip of white construction paper (works the best), coffee filter paper, notebook paper, or newspaper
2 drinking glasses or plastic cups
Rubbing alcohol –r hand sanitizer (works well)
Coffee stirrer or pencil
Piece of scotch tape
Safety glasses if you have them
Week of Sept. 22 - Separating Ink by Paper Chromatography
2 tall plastic cups.
white construction paper, notebook paper, coffee filter, or newspaper strip
water
water-based markers (black, or brown are best, vis-à-vis marker work well, not permanent
markers)
scotch tape
pencil or popsicle stick
scissors
Paper towel
Week of Sept 29 – NO CLASS
Week of Oct. 6 - How fast can you dissolve a sugar cube?
8-10 sugar cubes
water (warm and cold)
plastic cups
plastic spoons
clock, timer, or stopwatch
Week of Oct. 13 – NO CLASS
Week of Oct. 20 – NO CLASS
Week of Oct 27: Non-Newtonian Liquids (Oobleck)
2 cups cornstarch
1 cup water
bowl
spoon
food coloring (optional)
Week Nov. 3 - Making a Density Column
Several of the following - more is better
Tall clear glass or graduated cylinder
water
food coloring (optional)
vegetable oil
baby oil
mineral oil
corn syrup (Karo syrup)
honey
pancake syrup
sugar
lamp oil (optional)
rubbing alcohol
rubber from pencil eraser
penny, toothpick
popcorn kernel
small plastic object
Week of Nov. 10: - Cleaning Copper Pennies
dirty pennies
plastic cup
vinegar
salt
aluminum foil (optional)
iron nail (optional)
hydrogen peroxide (optional)
Week of Nov. 17 - Detecting Acids and Bases with Household Indicators
several small clear plastic cups or small paint tray
3-4 red (purple) cabbage leaves
zip-lock bag
warm water from sink
lemon juice
vinegar
baking soda
alkaline water
any other liquid you want to test
Week of Nov. 24: Osmosis and Diffusion with Fruits and Vegetables
salt
4 small cups or glasses
water
plate slices of potato and/or carrots
2 raw egg (for extension experiment)
vinegar (for extension experiment)
Week of Dec. 1 - Elephant Toothpaste
hydrogen peroxide(3% or 10%) or Clear Care Contact solution with hydrogen peroxide
dish soap
active dry yeast
small bottle with a narrow opening like small water bottle
food coloring (optional)
bowl
Week of Dec. 8 - Invisible Ink
lemon
glass
piece of pa¬per
can¬dle
wa¬ter
cot¬ton swab or paint brush
hair dryer
Week of Dec. 15 - Surface Tension Fun
penny
medicine dropper
water
bowl or plate
paper clip
dish soap
toothpick
pepper
whole milk (works better than reduced fat milk)
food coloring
Week of Dec. 22 –What foods contain starch?
Povidone Iodine or Tincture of Iodine – make sure it has a reddish brown color
Medicine dropper
paper or plastic plate
food items to test (such as cracker, bread, carrot, potato slice, apple, pasta, orange slice,
nuts)
Week of Dec 29: Let's Make Ice Cream
1 Cup Whole milk or half and half
½ tsp Vanilla
1 Tablespoons Sugar
3 Cups of Ice
1/3 cup Kosher salt
Large zip-lock bag
Small zip-lock bag
Dishpan or sink
Gloves or towel
Bowl
Spoon
Chocolate syrup (optional)
Toppings (optional)
Week of Jan 5- Making a Cartesian Diver
bendable straw
2 small paper clips
2 large paper clips
empty plastic water bottle with cap
small packets of ketchup or mustard (optional)
water
small cup
scissors
Week of Jan 12 - NO CLASS
Week of Jan 19 – NO CLASS
Week of Jan 26 - Electrolysis of Water (Separating water with pencils)
Two number 2 pencils sharpened on both ends
two wires with alligator clips (preferable) or two paper clips, wires or aluminum foils strips
cup of salt water
index card
9V battery or AA battery
tape (electrical, scotch, or duct tape)
red (purple) cabbage leaves (optional)
zip-lock bag (optional)
Week of Feb 2: May the Force Be With You:
plastic spoon
small pieces of paper
tissue paper
empty soda can
balloon
running water from faucet
Week of Feb 9: Electroplating a Penny
AA Battery or 9V Battery
2 wires with alligator clips or copper wires or other metal
Tape
Cup
vinegar
salt
penny (or other copper coin or object)
Second type of metal like paper clip, piece of zinc from a washer iron nail, or a different coin\
Week of Feb 16 : Water is Not so Hot and Super Cool
A syringe with a cap, but without a needle (larger size is better)
Hot but not boiling water.
Bottled Distilled Water (Fiji Water works well)
Small clean plastic cup (smaller is better)
Large bowl
Many ice cubes
Kosher Salt
Plate
Week of Feb. 23: Fun with Polymers
Plastic zip-lock bag
Several Sharpened Pencils
Water
Dishtub or sink
Pure rubber (Non-latex) water balloon
An Orange or lemon – that you can use to remove a piece of rind
Long shishkabob skewer
Week of March 2: Superabsorber
Stopwatch
Cup
Dropper
Various fabrics (sock, paper towel, tissue, dry sponge, disposable baby diaper)
water
Measuring cup
Empty cup or bowl
Various fabrics (sock, paper towel, tissue, dry sponge, disposable baby diaper)
scissors
bowl
Week of March 9: Walking Water
Six clear solo cups or glasses
Water
Food coloring (red, blue and yellow are best)
Paper towels
Week of March 16: Make a Lava Lamp
Two cups or glasses, one clear
Baking soda
Vinegar
Food coloring
vegetable oil
Week of March 23: Rainbow Rain
Tall Clear drinking glass
Small cup
Ice-cold Water
Oil
Food coloring
Spoon
Week of March 30: Iodine and Vitamin C Reactions
Tincture of Iodine solution
5 plastic clear cups
Vitamin C chewable tablet
Cornstarch and spoon
Water
Week April 6: Iodine Clock Reaction (Chemical Clock)
Iodine
5 plastic clear cups
Vitamin C chewable tablet
Cornstarch or liquid laundry starch
spoon
water
hydrogen peroxide
Week of April 13 – NO CLASS
Week of April 20: Invisible Fire Extinguisher
Parental Approval or Help
Aluminum Foil
Candle or Tea Light
Lighter or Match
Vinegar
Baking Soda
2 cups or glasses
Shallow bowl
Week of May 4: Percentage of Oxygen in Air
Parental Approval or Help
Candle or Tea Light
Lighter or Match
drinking glass
Shallow bowl
measuring cup
marker or tape
water
calculator
Week May 11 : Let Make Plastic
1 cup of milk
vinegar (white vinegar is common but you can also use rice vinegar)
lots of paper towel
food coloring (optional)
Strainer or funnel
Week of May 18: Let’s Make Slime
Washable PVA school glue (like Elmer's®)
Water
Baking soda
Contact lens solution (must contain both boric acid and sodium borate in ingredients)
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups
Mixing bowl
Resealable plastic bags or food storage containers
Shaving Cream (optional)
Food coloring (optional)
Glitter (optional)
Iron Filings (optional)
Week of May 25: LeChatlier’s Principle and Reversible Reactions
Iodine
Liquid spray starch or corn starch
Test tubes or clear glasses that can withstand heat
Spoon
Ice water
Hot water
Rubber band
A weight to hang from rubber band
Hair dryer
Week of June 1: Let’s Make Rust
White Vinegar
Salt
Hydrogen peroxide
Fine Steel wool (not coarse)
Tea bags
Hot water
Mug or glass for hot water
6 plastic cups, beakers or glasses
Week of June 8: Dissolving Styrofoam
Glass bowl
Acetone (nail polish remover containing a high percentage of acetone
Styrofoam plates or cups 1 file available upon enrollment
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined August, 2020
4.9
129reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
Ohio Teaching Certificate in Secondary Education
2 Degrees
Master's Degree in Science from Case Western Reserve University
Bachelor's Degree in Science from Stern College for Women Yeshiva University
I have been a science teacher for over thirty years. I have a masters degree in chemistry and I love to teach children through hands-on inquiry-based experimentation.Reviews
Live Group Class
$12
weekly1x per week
30 min
Completed by 442 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 9-13
1-12 learners per class
