simple potato osmosis lab

Osmosis is best defined as the movement of water molecules across a membrane from an area of high water concentration to an area of lower concentration. This lab shows osmosis in action.  All you need are a few potatoes, 3 plates, some water, and a couple spoons of brown sugar.

1. Cut 2 potatoes in half, you will need 3 potato halves for this experiment. 
2. Remove the skin on one side so the potato has a good flat surface to place in the water.
3. Cut a ~1 inch square out of the rounded side of each potato.
4. Place 1 prepared potato in boiling water for 10 minutes; cool for 5.
5. Place all 3 potatoes flat side down on a plate with a shallow water reservoir and label them.
6. Potato 1 is the control. Potatoes 2 & 3 carefully add brown sugar to the square cut, lightly packing it.
7. Leave overnight and observe the changes.

Results: 

We saw results within 6 hrs.  The control potato did nothing whereas potato #2 (the raw sugar packed potato) water had traveled through the potato to the sugar.  Potato #3 (the boiled potato with sugar) water had also traveled through the potato to the sugar but at a much slower rate do to the damage done to the cells by heating it.

  

 We love science! 

Highhill homeschool

a day to love

It began as a joke.  We should walk to school, ha-ha-ha.  Turned out to be a great idea. So what if it was a giant loop that started at our front door heading down to the river to the foot bridge and right back around to our front door.

*But please don't lick that bar, you will really regret it.

 

After we got home we started our school work with reading (her to me and them me to her) and more rainbow loom bracelets in the big cozy bed. I have to say how pleased I am with her reading.  The progress is slow but she IS reading (and enjoying it!!!) that is all that matters.

After reading we moved on to math in our new to us 5th grade text book. Huge hit! So far she is loving this book.  Most of all I think she loves that I have decided to do it with her as if I was another student in the class :) So we can 'learn' it together.  We even both sat down and folded our papers into squares and numbered our problems together- super old school style!    

 Today science followed math. 

Make another water lens for cell science? Sure, why not. Plastic container with a square cut out of it, plastic wrap secured  over the top with a rubber-band, and add a thin layer of water over the top. Works like a charm.

 Of course we can use a potato to see osmosis! 

(results tomorrow, it is a 2-day project)

 After a slow hot lunch we finished off our school day with a little reading about 'what makes a community?' and writing via the Whack Pack. Exaggerate?! What a great idea for a story.

And of course bounce off to gym! Which as it turns out is a funny story. This very dedicated gym mom somehow got turned around and thought gym started a half hour later than it really does so I dropped my gymnast off 15 minutes late to the post meet talk, how embarrassing!!! When I explained what happened to her coach she laughed, "Misty, gym hasn't started at 4 for over a year now!" 
I have no idea what happened...we were having such a great day too!

current resources (grade level 4-5)

Geography and Civics:

Science:

Creative Writing:

Mathematics:

General Education and Resources:

Reading List Line-Up:

The Black Stallion 

Farley (currently reading)

The Secret of the Old Clock 

Keene

Ginger Pye, 

Estes

King of the Wind 

Henry

Lily's Crossing 

Giff

oh yes we did stuff today, lots of stuff!

Faithful old family Thanksgiving decorations and Blood Types! 

Physics ballooning

Red Blood Cell and Antigens Models out of clay 

Poetry and hot chocolate

Balloon Barometers

simple homemade balloon barometer

Building a balloon barometer is pretty simple all you need is a wide mouth jar, a large balloon, a broom straw or pipe cleaner, glue, a rubber band, a smear of butter.  Smear the butter around the rim of the jar, it helps create the airtight closure. Cut the neck off the balloon then stretch the belly of the balloon tight across the jar top and secure it with a rubber band. Make sure you have created an airtight closure around the rim and on the surface of the balloon. Now take the broom straw and glue it in the center of the rubber lid and on the very edge of the jar.  The straw should extend at least 6 inches from the rim of the jar. 

How It Works: As the weather patterns shift the air pressure around the jar changes but the air pressure in the jar remains the same. An increase in pressure outside pushes the balloon down forcing the end of the straw up While a decrease in pressure will cause the balloon to swell pushing the straw down.     

Inspired from Cricket , the magazine for children Volume 3, number 2, October, 1975 

(yes, I have a vintage collection of Cricket magazines!!! <3)