Children know that when they drink water, it goes down into their body to help keep them healthy. This first experiment shows how plants drink from the bottom to the top. You'll need a glass, water, red food coloring, and a cut carnation or celery stalk. Mix the food coloring and water into the glass. Be sure to add enough of the dye so the color is bright. Next, place the flower or stalk into the glass. The next day, you'll be able to detect the 'veins' the water traveled through, and may even have red tipped flowers to adorn the breakfast table. Our second experiment reminds children that not everything is as it appears. You'll need six identical clear cups. In the first, place an inch of salt; in the next, an inch of sugar. The third cup should have an inch of lukewarm water; the fourth an inch of clear vinegar. The fifth and sixth cups should each have an inch of lukewarm water in them. To the fifth, add a tablespoon of salt, and to the sixth add a tablespoon of sugar. The first two glasses should appear similar to each other, and the remaining four will be identical. Ask the children to identify the contents by sight. Next, allow them to smell the contents and guess what they are . Are their answers different from the previous question? Finally, allow them to taste the contents of each glass. This experiment stresses the need to carefully examine situations with all available resources before making a final decision.
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