We are diving into the microscopic realm of 7th grade science to gain a better understanding of why things operate and work the way they do. In this lab, students were asked to start thinking about everyday life on a microscopic (small/tiny) scale. To begin, students filled a beaker with some vinegar and food coloring of their choosing. Once they mixed the vinegar and food coloring together, students gently placed an egg into the solution. Students recorded their observations in their notes and we allowed the eggs to soak over the weekend. Once we returned from the weekend, students strained out their eggs from the mixture and made new observations.

Students noted before leaving for the weekend that the egg had bubbles forming around its shell. Upon our return, it became very clear that the egg had undergone a chemical change that turned the inside into a gelatinous substance which felt rubbery. The vinegar was able to enter the egg through the small pores of the shell and cause the yoke to undergo a chemical change.

In the end, this lab allowed students to start thinking about objects and change on a microscopic level which is a great introduction to our first unit on “Cells”.