Teacher's Guide for ODYSSEY^TM Pop Quiz: Bubbles and Foam

Format:
      Article / Page
      Summary
      Skills

"Foamy 'Fizzicks'," pg. 6

• How bubbles work is important to the sciences - from chemistry to cosmology. Foam-ologist Sidney Perkowitz explains the basics of bubbles and foams. A sidebar (pg. 10) reveals why the author began studying bubbles and explores what he has learned.
• Observation, Inductive Reasoning, Application

• Kitchen experiments demonstrate how soda gets bubbles, why some drinks fizz more than others, why they go flat, and why we enjoy them so much.
• Observation, Following Directions, Applications

• Under the right conditions, sound waves can cause gasses inside a bubble to expand, then collapse. Scientists can explain the sudden burst of light that results, but they cannot find much use for it.
• Vocabulary, Inductive Reasoning

• Insects nurture young and protect themselves with spittle foam. Lake-dwelling insects use bubbles as scuba gear. Dolphins enjoy playing with bubbles.
• Vocabulary, Adaptation

• Popovers are both tasty treats and interesting science experiments.
• Following Directions, Hypothesis Testing

• Bubbles spell troubles for divers, electroplaters, and boaters. They clog engines and create toxic tides. They may even explain the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle!
• Vocabulary, Deductive Reasoning

• What is the best-selling toy in the world? Bubble solution! We love bubble toys, bubble gum, and even bubble wrap. Explore the history of these popular fads and fascinations.
• Science and Society, Applications

• Foams fight fires, slow airplanes, and thwart terrorist attacks.
• Vocabulary, Applications

• Follow instructions to work your way through this maze in a bubble.
• Following Directions, Decision Making

• Catch Venus in the morning and Mars in the early evening, but be ready to stay up late if you want to see Jupiter and Saturn. Learn what makes the moon go through phases, and construct a "Moon Calendar."
• Observation, Following Directions

• From volcanoes, small bubbles form pumice and ash, and large bubbles erupt with subsurface magma. Take a narrative tour of the spectacular lava bubbles of Hawaii.
• Vocabulary, Deductive Reasoning

1. What branches of science do you think might be involved in the study of bubbles and foams? What questions might scientists try to answer as they study them? What practical applications might such research lead to?
2. Bubbles and foams are common in everyday life. Brainstorm a list of your close encounters of the bubbles kind. The first 10 items on your list will be easy to identify, but do not stop there. Keep brainstorming to recall your unusual bubble experiences. Then, consider your list. In what ways do bubbles or foams make your life easier? Harder? Safer? Riskier?

Pg. 6 - "Foamy 'Fizzicks' "

• Talk It Over:
  1. Explain how bubbles form. What do surfactants and surface tension have to do with the process? How does foam change over time?
  2. Reread Dr. Perkowitz's last response in his interview (pg. 11). Discuss how his sense of wonder led him to see bubbles in a fresh and exciting way.
• Connections:
  1. Art and Design: Select a concept from the article and illustrate it visually (providing labels where appropriate). There are many concepts to choose from, including why bubbles form soccer-ball shapes in foam, how foams become coarser, and how bubbles refract light.
  2. Mathematics: A sphere contains the greatest volume within the least surface area. Show mathematically why spheres have less surface than cubes or cylinders of the same volume.
  3. Language Arts: Write five questions you would like to ask Dr. Perkowitz. Make sure your questions are clearly worded and have not already been answered in his article and interview. Send your questions to ODYSSEY^TM to be forwarded to Dr. Perkowitz.
• Student Assessment:
  1. State two physical laws that apply to bubbles and foams and explain how they work.
  2. A friend writes you a letter asking, "Why are bubbles colorful and foams just plain white?" Write a letter back to your friend, answering the question in a clear and friendly way.

pg. 18 - "Animal Bubbles"

• Talk It Over:
  1. "Play" is as an activity that serves no purpose other than amusement. Dolphins seem to be playing when they blow bubbles. Suggest other examples of wild animals playing. Is play an activity reserved for only the most intelligent animals? Explain the reasons behind your answer.
  2. What properties of bubbles make them effective protection for insect nymphs and grasshoppers?
• Connections:
  1. Creative Writing: Write a brief narrative titled "A Day in the Life of an Insect Nymph." Describe your "world of spittle." End your narrative with your emergence from your bubble.
  2. Web Research: Explore the Web sites suggested on page 18. Find and report other examples of dolphins at play.
  3. Science: How many different ways do animals protect their young, either before or immediately after birth? List as many specific examples as you can. Then, group them into categories such as "bubblelike protection," "solid encasements," or "protective behaviors."
• Student Assessment:
  1. Insects use foam for protection and to keep their young moist and comfortable. Dolphins make bubbles for play. How do humans do each of these things? In an essay of three paragraphs, describe and explain the human equivalent of each of those activities.
  2. With a partner, write and perform a skit. One of you needs to convince the other that insect spittle is not gross. It is fascinating and beautiful!

The Big Chew

Individual (Team) Competition: Plan and carry out a scientific investigation of bubble gum. Decide what you want to measure, whether it is bubble size, strength, speed of inflation, or some other outcome. You may want to compare different brands of bubble gum, but make sure all the factors that might interfere with your results are kept the same (for example, how long the gum has been chewed, who is blowing the bubble, the room temperature, and others). Either break the class into teams or use volunteers for each trial of your "fair test." Make data tables, find averages, and graph your results.

The Small Stage

Small-Group Presentation: Divide the class into teams. Ask each to plan, write, and perform a skit involving bubbles. Skits can be scientific (for example, the physics of "the bends"), humorous (such as an attempt to reintroduce sparkle into a flat soda), or historical (the invention of bubble gum). Whatever the context, the skit must be factually accurate and must teach the audience something important about bubbles.

The Blank Wall

Class Project: Gather information for a mural-sized "Time Line of Bubble-ology." Add dates (exact or approximate) of the first human use of specific bubbles and foams, as well as the dates of inventions and technological developments. Use pictures and labels as needed.

The Yellow Pages

Community Connection: Find a bubble expert in your community. Good places to look include chemical processing or manufacturing plants, diving schools, fire stations, airports, breweries, and large-scale bakeries. Once you find your bubble-ologist, request a visit. Ask your speaker how bubbles and foams affect the work.

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Updated: 11/21/09 06:57 am
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