Robert Krampf's experiments are targeted for a wide range of students. Most are simple enough for very young students, but also include suggestions for continuing the experiment at a higher level. Most of them can be adapted for science fair projects.

Campires Experiment #427

Lesson Plan

This week's experiment comes from my neighbors at the Malibu Creek State Park campground. While taking my morning walk, I heard a lady bragging to her husband that he started the campfire with only one match. That made me think of the fellow that I watched the night before as he poured two bottles of charcoal lighter fluid onto a pile of wood and still failed to get the fire going. He would pour on the liquid and get a huge blaze, which quickly died. How could the heat of one match work better than a gallon of blazing lighter fluid? http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/6416.shtml Grade Level(s):   Rate It

Candle in a Bottle Experiment #440	Lesson Plan
I also got a chance to spend some time chatting with the education staff at the museum. While we were swapping ideas for fun science, we took a close look at an old, and often misunderstood experiment. http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/5879.shtml Grade Level(s): 1-2, 3-5, 6-8   Rate It

Chladni Patterns Experiment #437	Lesson Plan
This week's experiment came from playing, as many of my experiments do. I was building a small prototype of a smoke ring generator for my new storm show. Along the way, I got side tracked and spent quite a bit of time playing with patterns created by vibrations. http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/5875.shtml Grade Level(s): 1-2, 3-5, 6-8   Rate It

Chocolate Milk Bubbles Experiment #443

Lesson Plan

This week's experiment is in honor of The Bubble Room, my favorite restaurant in this part of the state. If you have never been there, the place is sort of Willie Wonka combined with a flea market. Great food and lots of personality. It is called The Bubble Room because they have LOTS of bubble lights, the kind that you see as Christmas decorations. With all of those bubbles, I thought I would do a bubble experiment. http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/5882.shtml Grade Level(s): 1-2, 3-5, 6-8   Rate It

Concrete Strength Experiment #445

Lesson Plan

This week's experiment comes from an article that I read on concrete. While it may not sound like an interesting subject, think what your life would be like without it. We use it for roads, bridges, dams, buildings, drainage pipes, and all sorts of other things. The part of the article that grabbed me talked about concrete being both strong and weak. How could something be very strong and very weak at the same time? http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/5884.shtml Grade Level(s): 1-2, 3-5, 6-8   Rate It

Condensation Experiment #434	Lesson Plan
This week's experiment came from a very observant list member named Cheryl. She noticed something strange about the way condensation forms on drinks. http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/5872.shtml Grade Level(s): 1-2, 3-5, 6-8   Rate It

Easy Rainbow Experiment #428  updated	Lesson Plan
This week's experiment came as a result of housecleaning. Being here, I have finally had some time to get the travel trailer organized. As I was moving things around, I noticed the most beautiful rainbow on the ceiling. http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/6417.shtml Grade Level(s):   Rate It

Feathers Experiment #436	Lesson Plan
This week's experiment came from one of my walks on the beach. At the edge of the water, I found several feathers. As I was photographing them, I began thinking about all of the science involved in the function of feathers, and I knew that I had this week's experiment. http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/5874.shtml Grade Level(s): 1-2, 3-5, 6-8   Rate It

Food Coloring Fun Part 1 - Color Swirls Experiment #438

Lesson Plan

This week, I have been working on my new storm show. While working on some classroom demos to for teachers to use, I got side tracked again. It is amazing how often that happens. I was looking at some different ways to look at hurricane patterns, and wound up with a fun experiment, using food coloring. As I played with it, I accidentally found a second, and then a third fun experiment. This is the original. http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/5876.shtml Grade Level(s): 1-2, 3-5, 6-8   Rate It

Food Coloring Fun Part 2 - Zipping Colors Experiment #439

Lesson Plan

Last week we started experimenting with food coloring, and I promised we would continue this week. This one was an accident that caught my attention. As I was putting a drop of food coloring into the bowl of water for last week's experiment, something strange happened. There was some dried coloring on the top of the bottle, and as I removed the top, some dried bits fell into the water. What happened next was quite a surprise. The bits began to move across the surface of the water, zipping along like little motor boats. As they moved, they left a trail of color. http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/5877.shtml Grade Level(s): 1-2, 3-5, 6-8   Rate It

Hurricane Winds Experiment #441

Lesson Plan

Living in Florida, this is the time of year that I spend a lot of time watching the news coverage of hurricanes. My work on the new storm show is really paying off, because I am already seeing things about hurricanes that I never saw before. That is where this week's experiment comes in. It is very simple, but surprises almost everyone. http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/5880.shtml Grade Level(s): 1-2, 3-5, 6-8   Rate It

Ice Cream and Air Experiment #433	Lesson Plan
July is National Ice Cream month, so I thought I should do an experiment that focused on ice cream. I usually have to find a way to tie ice cream in, but this week ice cream is the main focus. http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/5871.shtml Grade Level(s): 1-2, 3-5, 6-8   Rate It

Making Butter Experiment #435

Lesson Plan

This week's experiment came from a conversation that I had with my sister. We were talking about all the inventions and discoveries that have happened during my Grandmother's 100 years, and how much daily life has changed. She commented that she has her students make butter in the classroom, so they would understand where it comes from. I knew that I had another experiment. http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/5873.shtml Grade Level(s): 1-2, 3-5, 6-8   Rate It

Melting Ice Experiment #442

Lesson Plan

This week's experiment comes from my favorite television program. I don't watch a lot of TV, but I always make an effort to watch Good Eats with Alton Brown. If you get the Food Network, the science in this show is incredible. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes science and food. When Mr. Brown performed this experiment, I knew that I had to try it for myself. I thought that you might like it too. http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/5881.shtml Grade Level(s): 1-2, 3-5, 6-8   Rate It

Mouth Pops Experiment #446	Lesson Plan
This week's experiment came from a student at one of my shows. While waiting for my show, he was having fun with this fun method of making sounds, and I just had to try it too. Soon, half of the kids in the audience were having fun with it, so I thought you might enjoy it too. http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/5885.shtml Grade Level(s): 1-2, 3-5, 6-8   Rate It

Old Facefull Experiment #430

Lesson Plan

Greetings from Yellowstone National Park. I am having a fantastic time photographing the scenery, geology and wildlife. Yellowstone is one of those places that everyone should visit at least once. Of course, once you see it, you want to come back over and over. Since I am in the home of Old Faithful, I thought I should do an experiment on geysers. http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/6418.shtml Grade Level(s):   Rate It

Pick Up a Marble Experiment #447	Lesson Plan
This week's experiment came from my friend, Mik Jacobs. He has been working on his new program on energy conservation, but took time out to remind me of a fun science experiment. http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/5886.shtml Grade Level(s): 1-2, 3-5, 6-8   Rate It

Pop Bottle Experiment #444

Lesson Plan

This week's experiment has taken several turns. I started three different projects, but none of them came together firmly enough to use, so they all went back into the idea file for more work. Then, as I was washing dishes, I noticed something fun and unusual. While washing a large water bottle, I suddenly got a small popping sound and a squirt of water in my face. http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/5883.shtml Grade Level(s): 1-2, 3-5, 6-8   Rate It

Scaring Pepper #431 Experiment

Lesson Plan

This week's experiment came as a surprise to me. I got an e-mail, asking for an explanation for one of my favorite science tricks. Because I get so many e-mails with science questions, I often answer them by sending a copy of a past experiment that covered that subject. After so many experiments, I sometimes forget what I have written about. As I looked, I was amazed that I could not find a past experiment that used this simple science trick. Now I have to go back and see what other favorites I have missed. http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/5878.shtml Grade Level(s): 1-2, 3-5, 6-8   Rate It

Soda Water Fountain Experiment #335

Lesson Plan

The name for this week's experiment comes from the song "Big, Rock Candy Mountain", which was a favorite of mine when I was young. The experiment was the result of an accident. I was picking up a large bottle of soda and almost dropped it. As I grabbed it, it hit the corner of a cabinet, which made a small hole in the side. A spray of soda jetted out, making a direct hit on our cat. Rushing to the sink, I managed to spray the window, the stove, the cabinets, my wife, the clean dishes, a shelf of cookbooks, etc. It is all cleaned up now, and everyone has forgiven me, except for the cat. I am sure she has a surprise planned for me at about 3 AM. You can try this in an even more dramatic way, with less cleanup, through a process called nucleation. http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/6419.shtml Grade Level(s):   Rate It

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