Monday, October 6, 2008

Mystery Canisters and the Sunday Search


Remember the days of 35 MM film? And those film canisters that the film came in?

Well, there are many fun labs that one can do with these canisters. (read: labs that could be done with other materials too, but the canisters are FREE, and teachers LOVE free)

Anyway, I am doing a mystery canisters lab soon with my 6th grade crew, during which they have to design canisters that will sink, float, and "suspend" in water. I need a total of 35 canisters. Yesterday, I must have gone to 6 different Targets, Walgreens, and CVS pharmacies. They were very nice about allowing me to dig through their recycling, but all I came up with so far were 20 canisters!

Luckily, I started early. In a plea to get some from parents, I posted it on my homework website. Who knew these would be so hard to come by. I guess it makes sense given that so many now shoot digital....

Oy!

5 comments:

Lane said...

Maybe you're asking the wrong people. I can get you canisters--filled with film that is expired but hasn't been shot.

Here's a fun thing to do with canisters:

Buy a can of compressed air (you can get it at any office supply store).

With the straw attached to the canned air, spray some of the air with the can upsidedown into a canister.

QUICKLY put the canister lid on, set the canister down and step away.

A few seconds later and your students will learn about expanding air pressure as the lid pops off with a big 'boom'!

It's even more fun if you fill it with confetti.

Have fun!

Elizabeth said...

Get me some canisters! I will pay you the shipping!

Lane said...

where do I send 'em?

Elizabeth said...

Ok, first of all, totally going to try that lab!

You can send them to me at:

CHIME Charter Middle School
c/o Elizabeth Davis
22280 Devonshire Street
Chatsworth, CA 91311

Thanks Lane! I really appreciate it! Let me know what I owe you for shipping.

Lane said...

I've got about 60 of them stuffed in an addressed envelope. I just have to make it to the post office. (which might be a couple days).

I emptied all the film from them and put 64 rolls of free film up for grabs on Craigslist. Hope they will go to a good cause, too.