Eat.
Why, why, why: With clever experiments, Prof. Schlücker gets children excited about science. Now he wants to expand the project.
“Huh?” The children in class 4a have question marks on their faces this morning. “We build our own fire extinguisher?” Right. “And for that we need a fireproof surface, a lighter, a candle, vinegar – and baking powder,” explains class teacher Anna Bergner, picking everything out of a large box one after the other. “So let’s bake a cake after all?” calls a child. “But you put vinegar in the salad,” Finja knows. Exactly.
Experimental lesson at the Kraienbruch elementary school in Essen. Sebastian Schlücker, Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Duisburg-Essen, thought it all up and brought the big box with him. The school deep in the north of Essen is an aging, dark brick building on a side street. “My father went to school here, so it’s very important to me.” Experimentamus! – that’s what he calls his campaign, with which he wants to inspire elementary school children with exciting experiments for the often unpopular natural sciences. “The children learn something and have fun at the same time.” That’s the way it should be.
40 illustrative experiments
Schlucker has a whole series of experiments in his box. Why does a parachute slow down the fall? Why does a tea light go out when you put a glass over it? Why does a cotton ball stay dry underwater in an inverted cup? How do I build an electrical circuit so that the children can see the light at the end? Over the years, he has come up with a total of 40 illustrative experiments for primary school children, and has amazed many pupils.
Today the CO2 fire extinguisher is on the program. Chemistry student Nikolas Milches demonstrates it. First he lights a tea light and puts it in a glass. Then he pours some baking soda into a plastic cup and pours a sip of vinegar over it. It bubbles, hisses and foams. Then he holds the cup at an angle over the burning candle – and the flame goes out. “How does that work?” asks Hussein with wide eyes. And so Schlücker has the children exactly where he wants them: They want to know something. Find the answer!
Bubbles in a plastic cup
“The candle went out because of all the fizz,” suspects Suse. “You didn’t even see what it was,” says Finja – and is already on the trail of the gas. It was probably the bubbles. “I think it has to do with the air and the carbon dioxide,” says Sidar. Clever! Because Professor Schlücker had previously explained that CO2 is produced as soon as vinegar and baking soda come together. It’s working in Fred, he says, “My guess is that displaced the oxygen and all the carbon dioxide in the jar meant the candle couldn’t breathe.” Emily yells, “There’s quenching gas in there!” Yeah, right!
Now the children can try it out for themselves at their group tables. Everyone puts on safety goggles and concentrates on the task at hand: stirring, pouring, pouring and extinguishing. How easy it is when you know how to do it. “Now it’s my turn!”
From the hobby room to the classroom
The idea for the school experiments was born a few years ago in the basement at home, says Sebastian Schlücker. “I experimented with my sons at home – and they thought it was great.” It was a coincidence that he told an elementary school teacher about it, and she said: Can you do that at our school too? The matter spread, meanwhile the professor has already visited around a dozen schools in Essen, Gelsenkirchen and Velbert with his experiment boxes.
His boxes provide child-friendly explanations and the learning booklets at the same time. Subjects of general science teaching on air, water, magnetism and electricity are dealt with. “I see it as basic support. The children are curious and want to understand things,” says Schlücker and obviously enjoys it themselves. His mission: to inspire confidence in science and the joy of research in children. “It’s also about maturity, i.e. arguing with facts and distinguishing them from assertions,” says Schlücker. It is important to him that his project takes place in the schools themselves: “With school events at the university, we otherwise only reach the already well-educated clientele.”
The balloon and the recoil principle
Now Schlücker wants to get the project out of the hobby room and raise it more professionally in order to be able to offer his experiments throughout the Ruhr area in the future. For three euros, each child at the participating elementary schools receives a personal exercise book, and the schools are loaned the boxes free of charge. In this way, “Experimentamus!” can be funded with little financial effort. “I don’t earn anything with it. My reward is that the children have fun,” he says, explaining his commitment.
But now everyone still wants to know why a jet fighter flies. For the answer you need a balloon, a long string and a straw. The cord is stretched across the classroom. Student Nikolas Milchers has to climb onto a chair and hold up one end of the cord. “Anything for science,” he moans. The professor inflates the balloon with thick cheeks. Lino then helps him tape the balloon to the straw that the cord runs through.
“In which direction is the balloon flying?” asks Schlücker. The children point to the front. “Correct. The air flows out backwards and pushes the balloon forward.” Schlucker lets go and the balloon whizzes along the cord until it runs out of air. Recoil principle – now every child knows. Suddenly there is a bang, the thing has burst! What smart fun. Big break.
Interested schools can contact: [email protected]
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