Students experimenting with Oobleck

Second graders at Charles Campagne Elementary School participated in the Primary Properties of Matter workshop on Wednesday, March 29, 2023 with naturalists from Nassau BOCES. Primary Properties of Matter is one of the outdoor and environmental education programs that Nassau BOCES offers Long Island students.

During the workshop, the naturalists discussed the differences between a solid, liquid, and gas and students explored their five senses to determine what different objects were. They also investigated the physical properties of matter by creating Oobleck, a mixture of cornstarch and water. The naturalists helped the students create their own cup of the substance and added some food coloring for fun. Students were able to play with the Oobleck and observe its properties. They found that Oobleck can behave like a solid or a liquid depending on how much pressure is applied.

As they experimented with the Oobleck, naturalist Bette Bass read “Bartholomew and the Oobleck” by Dr. Seuss. The workshop was a great way for the second graders to have fun and enhance their knowledge of the properties of matter.