Typically completed by 3-11 year olds, CREST Star and SuperStar challenges relate to everyday experiences. Children complete eight activities to gain a CREST Award, with each activity taking between 45 minutes and one hour to complete.
The activities are designed to be easy-to-run and low-cost. You don’t need to be a teacher, have a science background or have access to specialist equipment to run them. The packs contain helpful hints and tips for you to use, explaining the scientific themes and offering guidance on conversation topics for your children.
This resource is published under an Attribution - non-commercial - no derivatives 4.0 International creative commons licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
A Sticky Problem
A Sticky Problem Organiser’s Card About the activity This activity is designed to get children thinking about the different properties of glue. The children have been asked to read a letter printed in the Weekly Woodworker magazine from Ineda Bond. She’s not sure which glue is the most suitable to build a cart and needs some help. Through this activity you will support your group to: • Make three different glue recipes • Conduct different tests on all their glue mixtures to compare different properties • Write a letter to tell Weekly Woodworker magazine about their results Kit list Glue ingredients: • Flour • Vinegar • Skimmed milk (or non-fat milk powder with hot tap water) • Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda, NOT baking powder) • Cornflour For testing: • Glue spreaders • Small blocks of wood, card or cork, wooden lolly sticks • Force meters (optional) • Funnel • Beaker • Paper towels • Bowls or pots to make the glues in • Samples of cloth, large bowl of warm soapy water, timer • Labels, or pens to label the different glues
What to do 1. Introduce the activity using the letter from Ineda Bond. Ask them about the different properties of glue. 2. Give out activity cards and equipment to the children. 3. Explain that they will be using the equipment provided to make three different glue mixtures and test them. 4. Encourage children to discuss their ideas and how to carry out their investigations. Prompt questions: • What makes a ‘good’ glue? • What properties will they test and how will they test them? • How will they record their results? • How will they make sure their test is fair? 5. Support children to conduct their tests and make their own records of their results. They could also take photographs or make drawings. 6. Ask the children to present their findings to the rest of the group, they can be as creative in their presentation as they want, the activity card suggests they could write a reply to Weekly Woodworker magazine. Could also take photographs or make drawings. Things to think about You should be able to store the glue in plastic containers in the fridge for a short time. Keep the containers sealed. If the paste dries up, just put the sealed container in a bowl of warm water. The only way to measure glue performance accurately is through laboratory testing. Because of this, the children’s tests will not be perfect, but it is important that they are encouraged to try to make fair comparisons between glues. Keywords • Glue • Adhesive • Bonds • Properties Watch out! These glues can be messy but are perfectly safe. Pay extra attention where hot water is used. Children need to wash their hands and rinse equipment when finished. They may need plastic aprons and gloves. British Science Association Registered Charity No. 212479 and SC039236
Collections of one hour challenges recommended for children aged 3-7 years that relate to children’s everyday experiences. Find out more about this level and how to gain a CREST Award on the CREST Star page.
Collections of one hour challenges recommended for children aged 7-11 years that relate to broader situations that children are likely to have come across. Find out more about this level and how to gain a CREST Award on the CREST SuperStar page.
