Dancing Raisins

When you say, “we are going to watch raisins dance” children are curious. When you tell them that the fizzy bubbles in ginger ale are the raisins “partner” in the dance, they really want to see it. This is a great observing, waiting and then seeing project. Children’s eyes are glued to their cup of raisins and ginger ale. Some dance a lot, some dance a little and occasionally, some don’t dance at all. At the end of the dance, ups and downs are forgotten when the children are given the choice to eat their raisins and drink their ginger ale.

HOW TO PRESENT IT TO YOUR GROUP:

1. Put a cup that is 3/4 filled with ginger ale in front of each student

2. Explain that the bubbles in the ginger ale are going to be attracted to the raisins. They will attach themselves to the nooks and crannies in the raisin, dance to the surface with it, pop at the top, then the raisin will slowly dance back down to the bottom of the cup until it dances up again.

3. Allow plenty of time for observations and exclamations.

4. When the dance is over, allow students to eat their raisins and/or drink the ginger ale.



THE LESSON: The raisins are denser than the liquid and sink to the bottom of the cup at first. The carbon dioxide bubbles in the ginger ale attach themselves to the crevices on the raisin, lifting the raisin up, then popping and lowering the raisin: up, down, up, down; like a dance!