Throw Back Thursday- Head In The Clouds...

I'm not sure what it is with my and clouds but they seem to be one of my favorite things to make in the classroom. Today I'm working on making Paper Pom Clouds to hang above one of my bulletin boards. I promise to post a tutorial (and link to it from here) as soon as I get the whole board finished. But for right now, it's still a work in progress. So this is just a sneak peek at the first cloud I made.

In the meantime, let's do a Throw Back Thursday. Making Clouds in the microwave during our Weather Is Wild unit was hands down the most favorite activity we did in my room last year.  My kids were still talking about it at the last week of school. So since I've already got clouds on the brain today, I'm gonna run with this one today!

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Want to see complete and utter amazement on the face of every student in your class? 

Make them a cloud in the microwave.

 But to make it even better, I would highly recommend that you DON'T tell them you will be making a cloud in a microwave. Just tell them you will be putting a bar of soap in the microwave, and ask them write down a  prediction of what's going to happen next. They will tell you you're crazy!! It's going to melt or even better, it's going to explode! 

I just shrugged and told them, we'll see. 

First, I put a bar of ivory soap on top of some wax paper in the microwave.

**NOTE: Do NOT use just any bar of soap. It HAS to be a bar of Ivory soap. If you choose to ignore this very important detail I will not take any responsibility for the not so pretty end result!!**

Next, turn on the microwave for about a minute and a half. Then sit back and watch their faces.

{the cloud is forming}

90 seconds later.....

BOOM!! A Cloud!

Oh how I wish I could show you their happy little faces!! Everyone got to hold it.

The bottom stays very soft and spongey like. It's everything you imagine in your head a real cloud would feel like.  The top hardens a bit, but becomes flakey and will fall apart at the touch. So just resting it on top of flat palms is best. By the time the 25th kid had held it, we had lots of soapy "snowflakes" around the room. Unfortunately, due to the non-durability, I can't make a cloud for every kiddo to take home. If it weren't for that I SO would!!

Instead I'm going to let them make my newest craftivity, which they can carry home no problem!

This cloud craft is just one small part of my Weather Is Wild Unit that I am SO very excited about!!  The boys are all super impressed with his lightening bolt. And by "the boys" I mean all my 1st/2nd graders and my husband. 

Here is a peek at just a few of the other things included in this 103 page unit.

Speaking of weather, ours has been un-seasonably dry all winter.

The teacher wants a snow day!! :)

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See you soon with my new clouds on display!!!