Grocery Store Chemistry to Stock Your Home School Science Shelf

Science is the subject that students most frequently hate. Science lessons are often paper and pencil, read and remember, dull lecture. But it shouldn't be that way. Science can be the favorite subject, especially in K-8 grades. And if students start out loving science this will carry over into the older grades when teachers have more specific details that they must get across.

Science materials can be expensive and often require a certain license to purchase, especially in Chemistry. But I have some great news; you can stock you science shelf for under $30 from your local grocery, pharmacy and hardware store. I've written a grocery list that will give you enough materials for a year's worth of demonstrations and experiments. Your students will look forward to class, wondering what exciting new activity or project they will do each day.

potatoes (one per student, group or demonstration)
Make a potato clock
Grow out the eyes into plants; this proves that potatoes are indeed the root of the plant. Hang the potato by toothpicks (embedded at different points on its circumference) over a jar of water to let it grow.

lemons
Clean rust from metal with lemon and salt. Demonstrate how metal can be cleaned with the acid from the lemon and the grit from the salt. This is a greatway to introduce the idea of using environmentally friendly, non-toxic cleaners. (half per student or group)
Make a lemon battery (one lemon per group).

celery (or white carnations if budget allows)
Place in water with dye in it to demonstrate how dye is drawn up into the stalk with the water (one rib per group). If you can obtain white carnations, this can be really exciting to watch the flowers turn colors.

red (or purple) cabbage
Make an Ph indicator
Make blue dye or ink

yellow onions with skins
Examine cells of onion under microscope.
Make yellow dye
make onion skin paper

cola(contains phosphoric acid)
demonstrate how cola harms your stomach by removing rust from a screw or penny)
test against other acids( clear soda, vinegar, lemon juice) to see which cleans best

food coloring--many uses
milk
Make milk glue