The Bonsai II class tried this experiment the day after the workshop. The students had lots of fun. The students don't understand all of the concepts at their age. However, we do ask questions to get them thinking about general concepts they have knowledge of. We also love to see their facial expressions while doing the experiments.
We used food coloring, using different colors, and had the students identify the colors. We mixed individual colors into our water to make it easier for the students to see the water travel throughout the paper. We dipped a piece of the paper towel into the colored water. London, one of our students, asked "Where did the color come from and how did it get to the paper towel?" We explained that the paper towel liked the water.
We also tried with wax paper, which did not absorb the water. The students asked why the paper did not like the water. We explained that the paper was slippery and did not like water.
We used food coloring, using different colors, and had the students identify the colors. We mixed individual colors into our water to make it easier for the students to see the water travel throughout the paper. We dipped a piece of the paper towel into the colored water. London, one of our students, asked "Where did the color come from and how did it get to the paper towel?" We explained that the paper towel liked the water.
We also tried with wax paper, which did not absorb the water. The students asked why the paper did not like the water. We explained that the paper was slippery and did not like water.