The Science of Slime in Aldo Moro Primary School in Italy

The activity aims to introduce students to the world of science through an interactive play that allows them to experience first-hand the concepts learned from a theoretical perspective, while also introducing the concept of viscoelasticity. Using safe ingredients, the students will create their own slime and analyse its characteristics, understanding the importance of studying material properties for different applications.

The first part of the activity is dedicated to a presentation where the characteristics of solids and liquids are explained, highlighting the limitations of these definitions in describing the behaviour of certain common objects that do not maintain a constant shape but are not liquids either, as they do not acquire the shape of the container into which they are placed. It is therefore necessary to move beyond these traditional definitions and seek new ones that can more accurately describe the world around us.

The second part of the activity requires each student to make their own slime. The class is divided into two groups, each preparing slime with a different recipe, resulting in materials with different characteristics.

At the end of the activity, students will be able to take their material home, and it is expected that they will begin to notice different mechanical behaviours in the objects they use every day, appreciating the importance of research in this field.