Science activities for the kids...

Water Bottle Trick: Air Pressure & Gravity

It's the ultimate prank using the simplest of props... a plastic soda bottle filled with water. Even though the words, "DO NOT OPEN" are printed on the bottle, people just can't resist the temptation.

What you need:

• 2 plastic soda bottles (1-liter size works well),
• cap
• permanent ink pen
• thumb tack (push pin)

The Leak-Proof Bottle

1. Use the tack to poke a few holes on the side of the bottle close to the bottom. (Get an adult to help with this part!)
2. Put the bottle in a sink or bowl filled with water. Fill the bottle with water and keep the water running into the bottle as you screw on the cap.
3. Lift the bottle out of the sink being careful not to squeeze it. What happens?
4. Unscrew the cap and watch what happens.

The "Do Not Open" Bottle Trick

1. Start with a new plastic soda bottle (don't use the one from the previous experiment). Write “DO NOT OPEN!” with the permanent ink pen on the bottle.
2. Fill up the bottle as before.
3. Set the bottle on the kitchen counter (word-side out) where someone can see it as they pass by. Stay close enough to watch what happens. Eventually, someone is bound to ask about the bottle. Let them unscrew the cap and you'll witness science in action!

The science:

The science of it is simple with gravity and air pressure acting on the water only once the bottle is opened. Gravity is pushing downward. However, when the lid is on the gravity cannot push on the water surface only the lid. It does push against the outside of the bottle on all sides.

Since the outside atmospheric pressure is greater than the force of gravity, most of the water stays in the bottle. Once the lid is removed, gravity and atmospheric pressure will act at the same time on the water surface. The water will leak out. Scientific proof was never so much fun.

Homeschool Prep

For the last few days, I was occupied with gathering and collecting resources and materials for my children's homeschooling session during the upcoming March school holidays. Since both of them go to school for formal education, homeschooling sessions are limited during schooldays. Thus, the only available time to homeschool is during the holidays.


I've managed to collect many materials from the internet. Thanks for all the informative homeschool blogs that I have been visiting lately. They give me loads of information and direction to select suitable materials online. Surprisingly, getting free dowloadable and printable materials from the internet are easier and better. Besides the abundant choices and varieties, study materials from internet are free. In fact some of the materials (like Maths and English) can be customized according to our level and need.

Honestly speaking, my kids love homeschool very much. In fact, if given a chance to choose, they rather homeschool at home than spending 5-8 hours at school with teachers and friends. Alhamdulillah, studying at home has always been their great interest. It comes to an extent, they will envy each other; whenever one of them has a new activity sheet, the other will insist to get one too. So, as to avoid chaos during homeschool session, I have to make sure that both of them have their respective worksheets.

Since we are planning for a 4 days vacation during this school holidays, the kids will have only a few days to homeschool. It's ok, better than never. So, for Wafitos, I will only focus on Maths, English composition and Arabic. While Afafita will learn phonics (I failed to teach Wafitos phonics before) and Maths of course.

Actually, I'm a bit worried with Wafitos. I think he can't understand much of the lessons of Jawi and Pendidikan Islam at school due to his weak Malay Language proficiency. For example, when he tried to do a Pendidikan Islam test at home prior the real test at school, he can't asnwer simple questions as: " Nabi Muhammad ialah ...(pemimpin/pengikut) umat Islam". Obviously, Wafitos doesn't understand the meaning of 'pengikut' and 'pemimpin'. His answer to a question which made my heart going to stop thumping is, "Allah ialah ........tuhan/makhluk". And of course, without knowing the real meaning, he answered makhluk. (Nak pengsan Mama dia dengarkan).

And not surprisingly, when asked about the Pendidikan Islam test yesterday evening upon reaching home from school, he answered: "I don't know how to do...I don't understand...I just do, lah". Later that day, he approached me and said: "mama...I think you have to teach me Jawi and Arabic, I can't read them well". Ok, fine. That means, bertambahlah kerja mama ni as a homsechool teacher.

I think the best part of all these, were Wafitos' remarks and report on his Bahasa Melayu's test at school on Monday.

"Mama...what's duck in Malay? There's a question in the test, a picture of a duck, and we have to write the first letter of the word. I don't know....I just write letter 'I'. My friends said it's correct. Then there's a picture of root of a plant, the question is to write down the first letter of the word. It was '_kar'. So I put 'ikar', cos I always hear mak (my Mom) said ekar tanah".

Well, done, my boy. heheh. Selamatlah...nampak gaya, A dalam tangan for his Bahasa Melayu and Pendidikan Islam.

Further on, he said: " Mama, kesian one of my friends. He can't do Science. Maybe he didn't undertand".

Well, well. Inilah yg buatkan some of young parents in Malaysia serba salah. We are truly in dilemmas. Since Maths and Science are thought in English, we started to prepare our children to adapt to the new learning method by conversing with them in English. Atas alasan, biar mereka faham bila teachers ajar Maths & Science at school nanti. But, alas, anak kita yang tercicir dlm subjects lain. I shouldn't pinpoint the system and blame other parties in this matter, cos' I know it's my own failure. I failed to ensure my children can fluently converse in both languages, i.e. Malay and English.

Anyway, there can still be ways to mend this language crisis.