Science And M&Ms: A Fascinating Combination
When one thinks of the scientific process, M&M candies don’t typically come to mind. But step inside Donna Cumbee's first grade classroom, and you'll quickly learn the connection.
Our first grade students have been busy studying the scientific inquiry process. They have discussed what it means to make an observation, ask questions to form a hypothesis, make a prediction, test the prediction, and then use their findings to adjust their original predictions.
Last Friday they put their skills to the test when Mrs. Cumbee posed the question, “What will happen to an M&M when you put it in a cup of water?” and “What will happen to the M?” (Fun fact: the iconic M on top of the candies are actually printed on edible sheets of glue!)
Students paired up and dropped their M&M’s in small plastic containers filled with water. As they watched the candy sink to the bottom, Mrs. Cumbee told them to observe what the M&M would do. After several minutes they noticed the water starting to change color. “Now watch,” Mrs. Cumbee directed. “Watch the M, it’s going to float to the top.” Thirty-two pairs of eyes stayed glued to the vessels, waiting for the M to float. Several minutes later a student excitedly called out, “Our M is floating!”
The children raced towards the table, eager to see the floating M before rushing back to their desks to see if theirs had floated to the top. With each passing minute another table would excitedly call out that theirs had floated to the top, filling the room with exclamations of “Wow”s!” and “Oh’s!”
The excitement was contagious and certainly made science come to life for these young students!