Dancing Cereal

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In this quick activity (on page 2 of the PDF under GPS: Body Electricity Activity), learners will observe how dry breakfast cereal appears to dance when it gets close to a balloon charged with static electricity. Then, learners develop an explanation for this phenomenon, in their own words and/or by drawing. Relates to the linked video, DragonflyTV GPS: Body Electricity.

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
10 to 30 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
1 cent - $1 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 8 - 14
Resource Type:
Activity
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • breakfast cereal, such as crisped rice
  • a balloon

Keywords

Subjects

  • Earth and Space Science
    • Earth Structure
      • Rocks and Minerals
  • Engineering and Technology
    • Engineering
      • Electrical Engineering
  • Life Sciences
    • Human Body
  • Physical Sciences
    • Electricity and Magnetism
      • Electric Charges and Currents
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Asking Questions
      • Conducting Investigations
      • Formulating Explanations

Informal Categories

  • Food and Cooking

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves teamwork and communication skills
  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Components that are part of this resource:

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Source Collection

  • DragonflyTV

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Twin Cities Public Television, Inc., 2006

Funding Source:

  • National Science Foundation, 515566