Smashing Success: A Hands-On Exploration of Collisions with OpenSciEd

In OpenSciEd Unit 8.1, Lesson 2, students dive into the fascinating world of collisions. This hands-on lab is always a hit with my students, not just because it’s educational, but because they get to break stuff! The lesson explores what happens during collisions using a variety of objects, each providing a different experience and learning opportunity.

Objects of Destruction

For this activity, I provide my students with a range of objects to test, including golf balls, tennis balls, marbles, washers, weights, old CD cases, Thai noodles, and my personal favorite—homemade sugar glass. Each object behaves differently when subjected to force, allowing students to observe the varying outcomes of collisions.

But the real star of the show? The sugar glass. It mimics real glass by cracking, shattering, and even sounding like the real thing, making it an exciting material for students to explore.

Crafting the Perfect Sugar Glass

Making sugar glass is easier than you might think, and it adds an extra layer of engagement to the lesson. Here’s how I do it:

1. Gather Your Supplies: You’ll need clear mints (check out my favorite products page for the exact ones I use), a silicone baking mold, and optionally, a light spray of oil.

2. Prepare the Mold: Unwrap the mints and place two in each cavity of the mold. Spraying the mold with oil can help with release, but I’ve found it works fine without it too.

3. Bake: Heat your oven to 400°F and bake the mints for about 10 minutes. I like to check on them after 5 minutes to ensure everything is melting evenly.

4. Cool and Store: When you take the mold out of the oven, the glass will be full of white bubbles—don’t worry, most of these will disappear as the candy cools. Once cooled, pop the sugar glass out of the mold and layer them in Tupperware with paper towels for easy transport to school.

Conducting the Lab

When it’s time for the students to start their experiments, I make sure to use large plastic lab bins to contain the mess. The sugar glass shatters quite dramatically, so be prepared with a broom or vacuum cleaner to handle any stray pieces that escape the bins.

Before starting, I give students clear instructions on the level of force they can use to break their objects. This not only keeps the experiment controlled but also ensures that the students stay safe while having fun.

This lab is always a highlight of the unit. Watching the students engage, hypothesize, and, of course, break things, makes for an unforgettable learning experience.