Oh yeah, the last time I did this, M was the baby…

One of today’s spelling dictation sentences in the W.I.S.E. guide was “Steam, ice and water, these three are one.” M said, “They are? Do you mean there is water in a boat?” I think he meant a steam boat.

So after spelling dictation, I pulled out an ice cube, and a sauce pan. On high heat, the ice cube melted rapidly. It also slid around amusingly. Then, while the ice cube was still melting, the water began to bubble. I held a metal mixing bowl upside down over the steam with barbecue tongs, to catch the steam and condense it back to water. I checked that it wasn’t too hot, then had M feel the condensed steam and agree that it was water.  Then I put the bowl into the freezer. By the time we’d finished playing Cuisinart rod games, and reviewing memory verses, the water drops had frozen. M felt the ice drops, but needed some help narrating what had happened.

Figuring that I should inject something familiar, I asked him if Lego bricks were Lego bricks if they were loose in a box. He nodded yes. Then I asked if Lego bricks were Lego bricks if they were connected to make a model. He nodded yes. Finally I asked if Lego bricks were Lego bricks if they were flying through the air because his sister had knocked over a container. That caused some enthusiastic kinetic narration, because it was almost time for run around outside time; but now he began to get how water, ice and steam could be the same stuff.

Thank you Wanda Sanseri!