Outdoor Smores Science Project
Smores are a special treat that some campers make by roasting marshmallows over the campfire and creating a sandwich with the marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate. This treat can also provide a science lesson for kids. The way things cook is by a series of chemical reactions. Students do not need a campfire, a stove or a microwave to make this treat as an outdoor science experiment.
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Solar Oven
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You will first need to make a solar oven in which to conduct this experiment. An old shoe box can be turned into a solar oven in just a few steps. Clean the shoe box inside. Draw a box around the cover, 1 inch from the outside of the box. Write "Do not cut" on one of the longer sides to remind yourself not to cut that side. Cut the other three sides to form a flap, folding it up along the side you did not cut. Glue a piece of plastic from the underside over the hole cut in the cover. Line the rest of the box with foil, shiny side up, including the flap. Cut black construction paper to fit inside the box and line the box with it, over the foil. Do not cover the flap with black paper.
Ingredients
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The most important thing you will need for this to work is a day that is hot enough. The outdoor temperature must be at least 85 degrees Fahrenheit. The sun should also be out to aid in heating the box. You will also need all of the typical smores ingredients, including graham crackers, bars of chocolate and small marshmallows. A small metal pan, piece of foil or black piece of paper are needed. You may also need an oven mitt to remove the smores from the oven when they are done cooking.
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Procedure
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Place a graham cracker onto the pan, piece of paper or piece of foil. Break off a piece of chocolate that fits onto the graham cracker and put it on the graham cracker. Top with several marshmallows. Place the smores into the the solar oven and put the device outside in direct sunlight. Choose a place where it will remain in the sun as it moves. Watch for the chocolate to melt. When it has melted, carefully remove the treat from the oven using the oven mitt if necessary and top with another graham cracker.
Evaluation
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While you are enjoying your smores, the class can discuss how the experiment worked and why. Ask the students whether or not the experiment worked as they expected. Determine what didn't work. Discuss with the students how the heat of the sun was able to be transferred into the oven to be able to cook the smores. Talk about how the energy from the sun was reflected from the foil covering the flap into the cooking chamber of the solar oven and how the dark paper in the oven was able to hold the heat in, cooking the smores.
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References
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