Sniff and Toss
| Materials: | colored balloons, flavoring extracts (coconut, lemon, anise, vanilla, etc.). |
| Directions: | Place a few drops (1-2) drops of extract in each balloon. Rub or squeeze the balloon to distribute the extract. Inflate the balloons. Think about color-coding the balloons so all the yellow balloons will be lemon, the black balloons anise, etc. Instruct children to "sniff" their balloon, record their observation, and toss the balloon to another student. Repeat until all children have smelled all balloons. |
| Safety Concerns: | There is no real safety risk with this lesson though it is a bit unsavory to get extract on your tongue or lips as you inflate the balloons. You might use this lesson to teach students about safe wafting procedures (gently fanning vapors from the object to your nose) for smelling unknown, potentially hazardous or offensive material. |
| Questions: | What did you notice about these balloons? Did you find a pattern? Why don't balloons stay inflated? Would dry, powdered scents produce the same effect? How could we compare the permeability of different types of balloons? |
| Concepts: | This activity demonstrates the permeability of the latex rubber balloon. Children will be able to detect the escape of the air molecules through the microscopic pores of the balloons by smelling them. |