Students explore soap bubbles, what makes good bubble-blowers, and the
properties of bubble-making substances.
Festival of Bubbles (3-5)
Duration: 45-60 minutes
Learning Goals
Understand scientific inquiry through questioning, predicting, observing,
recording and interpreting data, and communicating results
Use science and math tools—rulers, tape measurers, graduated cylinders—
to measure and collect data
Develop group work skills such as working together and listening to others
Materials Needed
3 one-gallon jugs of water
Different colored bubble solution (Dawn, Palmolive, Sunlight)
Glycerin with eye dropper (available at most pharmacies)
Pint containers, plastic (3 per team—1 container of each brand of
detergent)
Black plastic bags or plastic table cloths to cover the tables
Vinegar (for cleanup)
Sponges (for cleanup, 1 per team)
Squeegees (for cleanup, 1 per team)
Straws (at least 1 per person)
Clear rulers and/or plastic tape measurers (centimeter)
Bucket with water (for cleanup)
Basket or tray for materials (1 per team)
Journals or learning logs
Graphic Organizer
Preparation
One or More Days Before Investigation
Prepare soap solutions. Remove 1 cup of water from each of the 3 onegallon jugs of bottled water; add 1 cup of a liquid bubble solution and
60 drops of glycerin to each jug; shake gently. Label each solution.
Note that this recipe makes enough soap solution for weeks of
activities; about 1 cup for each group is used in this lesson.
Cut large pieces of plastic to cover the tables.
Review the lesson, print and make copies of all printouts, and assemble all
materials.
Day of Investigation
Pour solutions into labeled pint containers.
Organize materials in plastic tubs, trays, or baskets—one for each table per
team—1 cup of solution, 4 to 5 straws (1 per person), plastic cover,
rulers, tape measure, pencils or pens, learning logs (if used, 1 per
person), sponges.
Have vinegar, squeegees, and buckets on hand for cleanup. First squeegee
the area to remove as much soap solution as possible, and then
sprinkle vinegar over the area and squeegee again or wipe with a
sponge.
Safety Considerations
open
Students should wear safety goggles to protect their eyes.
Students should wear smocks, oversized T-shirts, or aprons to protect their
clothing.
If solution gets in a student's eyes, instructors should wash his or her eyes
with clear water.
Instructors should have a bottle of vinegar and a mop or towel handy to
clean up any spills on the floor. Newspapers can also be used for
cleanup.
After the investigations, students should wash their hands to remove any
soap solution.
What to Do
Engage students by asking where they have seen or blown bubbles, and if
they have ever used anything unusual to create a bubble. Record
students' answers on the KWL Chart (PDF, 56K).
Divide students into small groups of four, and hand out Learning Logs
(PDF) and Data Sheets (PDF) for each group.
Designate one student in each group to gather and return materials, one
student as the chief investigator to direct the investigation, one
student to record the data, and one student to be the safety
inspector to make sure students are wearing goggles and
keeping the area clear.
Explore bubbles in small groups. Ask students to create large bubbles by
spreading a thin layer of bubble solution about the size of a large pizza
over a flat surface. Next, students blow a bubble by wetting a straw
and gently blowing just above the surface of the wet area. After the
bubble pops, students measure the diameter of the bubble "footprint"
to the nearest 0.1 cm using a clear ruler or a tape measure. Students
should record their answers in their learning logs.
After all students have an opportunity to blow three bubbles each with
one solution, they can clean up their area and rotate to another
table with a different solution. They will need about 15 minutes
per solution.
Explain the results. Ask students to complete their data sheets and find
their own and their team's average bubble size for each solution. Each
team will report their results. Record each team's results on the Class
Data Sheet (PDF). To see one example of a completed data chart, see
the Sample Class Data Chart (PDF). Note that the results in this chart
will be different from students' results.
Have students compare their data, their team's data, and the class data
as they complete their learning logs. Discuss the results and
have students write a conclusion. Which liquid detergent makes
the largest bubble?
Extend students' learning if you have extra time. Read the poem "Blowing
Soap Bubbles" by Gerard Manley Hopkins and ask students to write
and illustrate their own bubble poem. You may want to research and
study how liquid detergent is made, test several more liquid
detergents, or vary the amount of glycerin used in one brand of
detergent to see if that variable makes a difference in the size of the
bubbles. Create a bar graph to record the average class data.
Evaluate (Outcomes to Look For)
Student participation and engagement
Students collaborate and work together
Answers that reflect an understanding of how to observe and measure
bubbles, and how to find the average bubble size
Answers that reflect an understanding of how to collect, record, and
interpret data