Invisible Ink

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In this simple chemistry activity (page 1 of PDF under SciGirls Activity: Colorblind Dogs) about acids and bases, learners will mix a baking soda and water solution and use it to paint a message on a sheet of white paper. Once the paint has dried completely, learners reveal the secret message by painting over the entire sheet of paper with grape juice. Relates to the linked video, DragonflyTV: Colorblind Dogs.

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
45 to 60 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$5 - $10 per student
Age Range:
Ages 8 - 14
Resource Types:
Activity, Experiment/Lab Activity
Language:
English

Materials List (per student)

  • a piece of white paper
  • an artist's paint brush
  • baking soda
  • water
  • grape juice

Keywords

Subjects

  • Life Sciences
    • Human Senses and Perception
      • Vision
  • Physical Sciences
    • Chemistry
      • Acids and Bases
      • Solutions
    • Vibration and Waves
      • Light and Optics
    • Light and Optics
      • Sunlight and Color
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Asking Questions
      • Conducting Investigations
      • Formulating Explanations

Informal Categories

  • Arts and Crafts
  • Food and Cooking

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • see color
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Links STEM to other topics of interest such as arts and humanities
  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Culture, ethnicity, and gender

  • Girls

    • Explicity developed for this group
    • Highlights STEM opportunities for this group
    • Identifies role models or mentors in STEM fields from this group
    • Uses inclusive images of people from this group

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., 2005

Funding Source:

  • National Science Foundation, 436260