June is Dairy Month and July is National Ice Cream Month. Why not roll both into one and have a year-end celebration where they learn a little science too?
Activity Outcome:
Describe how an ice cream soda
is a combination of a solid, a liquid and a gas
What You Need:
- Download “So-dalicious Ice Cream Sodas” (pdf) – 1 per student
- Write steps for making ice cream soda on the board
- Seltzer water – about 1 liter per student
- Vanilla ice cream – 1/2 gallon container per 12 students
- Chocolate and/or strawberry syrup – 24-ounce container or plan 1-2 tablespoons per student
- Ice cream scoop
- 10-ounce disposable cups
- Napkins
- Spoons
- Straws
What You Do:
- Open by asking students if
they have ever had an ice cream soda and if they
know how an ice cream soda is made.
- Ask students if they also know
that an ice cream soda is a combination of a liquid,
solid and a gas?
- The soda is the liquid.
- The soda bubbles are the
carbon dioxide gas
- The ice cream is the solid
- Tell students they are going
do an experiment and then make their own ice cream
sodas today. Review the steps for making their ice
cream soda.
- Distribute the “So-dalicious
Ice Cream Sodas” worksheet (pdf) and have
students answer the questions beforehand.
- Have each student make their
own ice cream soda. Demonstrate, making your own
first.
- Have students return to their
seats to enjoy their sodas. Share answers to the
questions on their worksheets. Then discuss what
happens:
- The sugar in the ice cream mixes with the carbon dioxide gas in the seltzer water. It causes the mixture to foam and form bubbles.
- Ice cream has air in it so it floats. That’s why an ice cream soda is also called an ice cream float.
- Our solid ice cream starts to turn to liquid because the seltzer water is warmer than the ice cream.
