Lesson 35 of 84 · Reaction Rates
Experiment⭐ 30 XP🧪 Potion KitchenNatural Selection and Evolution
Reaction Rates.
🎯 Your mission
Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).
⚡ The twist
Mixing two safe things doesn't always make a safe thing.
Mind = Blown
💧 Hot water can freeze faster than cold water under the right conditions. Nobody fully understands why.
Make a hypothesis first
Predict: will the mixture get hotter, colder, or stay the same?
What You'll Learn
Natural selection is the process in which organisms with helpful traits survive and reproduce more successfully than those without them. Over many generations this can lead to evolution, such as when moths with darker wings became common in soot-covered forests.
Key Words
Tap a word to see its definition.
Materials Needed
- ruler
- magnifying glass
- paper towels
Safety First
- Keep small objects away from young children.
- Work in a well-ventilated area when using vinegar or other strong-smelling substances.
- Dispose of materials properly after the experiment.
Steps
Study the diagram and label the parts you recognize.
Dissect a flower (lily or tulip works well). Identify and label the sepals, petals, stamen, pistil, and ovary. Tape each part to paper.
Note any unexpected results and think about why they happened.
Share your findings with the class or a partner and discuss what you learned.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What do hibernating animals do?
Where you see this in real life
Your toothpaste, your soap, even your breakfast involves this.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Ask a grown-up to help you mix two safe kitchen things. Predict what will happen first.
For the dinner table
“What's something we cook that mixes things together this way?”
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
Share this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
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