Resources: Handouts, washing-up liquid, sugar, water, measuring jugs/spoons, mixing containers, bubble wands and stopwatches. If making your own bubble wands, use either pipe cleaners or wire and straws.
Support Handout (1): The handout provides scaffolded sentence starters, drawing and cloze activities to support recording the prediction, variables, method, results and conclusion, along with question prompts to support at each stage. The results table is partially labelled.
Core Handout (2): The handout provides space to record the aim, prediction, variables, method, results and conclusion, with question prompts to support at each stage. The results table is partially labelled.
Stretch Handout (3): The handout has space to record the aim, prediction, variables, method, results and conclusion.
Enquiry Skill - Recording data, results and findings
Using tables, a variety of graphs, labelled diagrams and models to record observations, measurements, results and findings.
Enquiry Approach - Comparative / fair testing
Conducting a test that controls all but one variable to answer a scientific question.
NOTE: There are ‘How to...’ guide videos after the mission assignment video, which explain how to make the control bubble mixture, and how to make a bubble wand. You may wish to watch these before the lesson, in order to prepare the mixture and bubble wands in advance. Reference to these videos is made in the mission assignment, so they can also be watched with the children as part of the lesson.
The starter video in the presentation will introduce the children to the theme of bubbles. Ask the children to discuss questions they have about bubbles, and watch the second video, which explains why all bubbles are round. Then, using the presentation slides, ask children what they think a ‘good’ bubble is. Teachers should encourage the children to discuss the size, colour, lifespan and shape of bubbles, explaining what factors make the ‘best' bubbles. Ask the children to consider how they measure some of these factors, and encourage them to share their ideas with each other.
Using the presentation slides, explain to the children that they will be carrying out an investigation to find out how to make the longest-lasting bubbles. Give the children time to discuss how they could scientifically investigate this and share their ideas as a class. What should they test to find this out? How would they record it? The presentation slides then explain to the children that it is the mixture that determines how long the bubble will last before popping.
The presentation slides and mission assignment video support the children in planning a scientific test to find out which mixture produces the longest-lasting bubble. They will learn the different substances that go into a bubble mixture and be asked which substance they think might make longer-lasting bubbles.
Ask the children to complete the first page of the handout as they work through the mission assignment video, writing the aim, prediction, variables and method. Then, ask the children to use the second page of the handout to test three different mixtures and record the results. The children should split into three groups. Each group should focus on one of the three bubble mixture substances (washing up liquid, water or sugar). They should create three new mixtures in their group by adding more and more of their substance to the base mix. For example, the sugar group could add a teaspoon of sugar to the mix to make their first mixture, then two teaspoons to make their second mixture, and three teaspoons to make their third mixture. They should then test each of these mixtures three times to ensure accurate results. They will need to make bubble wands from pipe cleaners (or similar) if ready-made ones are not available.
There are ‘How to...’ guide videos after this mission assignment, which explain how to make the control bubble mixture, and how to make a bubble wand.
Challenge task: Ask the children if there are any other variables they think could also be tested to see if they affect the length a bubble lasts before popping. Ideas might include the size of the bubble or the amount of force used to blow it. If you have time, these questions could also be investigated using a similar format.
Use the presentation to support the children in calculating the mean result of each mixture. There is a slide and a video after the mission assignment, which both explain how to do this.
As a class, share the results and discuss the conclusions the children have made - which substance in a bubble mixture makes the longest-lasting bubbles? The children should have found out that adding more sugar made the bubbles last longer. The plenary video explains to the children why this is the result.
Ask the children to discuss why scientists might need to be curious about what makes the best bubble, then watch the expert film.
Expert Film: Sam explains how bubbles are used in a variety of different careers.
Teacher Mastery
Bubble mixture recipe for a whole class:
This mixture can be used as the control mixture and as a base for the groups of children to add more of their substance to.
To run this investigation, Developing Experts recommends splitting the class into three groups. Assign each group one of the three bubble mixture substances (washing up liquid, water, sugar). Each group should then create three new mixtures by adding more and more of their substance to the base mix. For example, the sugar group could add a teaspoon of sugar to the base mix to make their first mixture, then two teaspoons to make their second mixture, and three teaspoons to make their third mixture. They should then test each of these mixtures three times to ensure accurate results.
Encourage the children to blow in the same way, or ideally have the same person blowing bubbles, to make sure this variable is controlled.
Calculating the mean result has been included to extend and challenge KS2 pupils, and there is a slide to support children in doing this. If it is felt that this is too challenging, particularly for younger pupils, the longest or shortest time for each mixture could be compared instead.
A bubble is made from a very thin film of soapy water. Soap molecules line up at the surface and lower the surface tension so the film can stretch and hold air. Over time, the bubble pops because the water in this film drains downward due to gravity and evaporates into the air, making the film thinner and weaker. When sugar or glycerin is added, the liquid becomes thicker (more viscous), and these substances attract and hold onto water molecules. This slows down both the drainage and the evaporation of water from the bubble’s film. Because the film stays thicker and wetter for longer, it is more stable and can stretch more without breaking. This is why bubbles made with sugar or glycerin usually last longer and are less likely to pop.
Additional Activities
1. Ask and Investigate Your Own Bubble Questions
Really good scientists are always asking questions! They are curious about the world around them. What could you investigate with the equipment you have? Using a photo or video of a bubble, ask pupils to generate their own questions. Examples might include:
Choose one or two class questions to plan a simple investigation. Ask pupils to make a prediction, decide what they will change and measure, and record their results.
2. Rainbow Bubbles and Light (Refraction)
Bubbles often show beautiful rainbow colours. Why do you think that happens?
Ask pupils to recall what they know about light and refraction. Discuss how light can bend and split into different colours.
Using chalk, crayons, or paint, pupils create “bubble pictures” on black or dark paper using the colour spectrum. Label the colours and link them back to how light reflects and bends on the bubble’s surface.
3. What’s Inside a Bubble? (Gases)
What is actually inside a bubble?
Discuss that bubbles are filled with a gas, usually air. Ask pupils what might happen if a bubble were filled with a different gas? Would it float, sink, or fall faster?
Use this as a thinking and predicting activity (no gas experiments needed). Pupils can draw and explain what they think would happen if a bubble were filled with helium, carbon dioxide, or air.
4. Design and Pitch a Bubble Mixture
What would the best bubble mixture look like?
Pupils design packaging for their own bubble solution. They should consider what makes their mixture unique. Does it make big bubbles? Strong bubbles? Long-lasting bubbles?
Pupils then pitch their product to the class, explaining why someone should buy their bubble mixture.
5. Bubbles in Everyday Life
Where do we see bubbles outside of science lessons?
Ask pupils to research or brainstorm where bubbles are important in real life, such as:
Pupils can create a poster or fact page showing how bubbles are used and why they are useful.
6. What Makes the Best Bubble? Poster or Advert
What did you find out in your investigations?
Pupils create a poster or advertisement based on their results.
For example:
“Are you having a party? Buy our bubble mixture because it makes the biggest, longest-lasting bubbles!”
Encourage them to include their question, what they tested, what they found out and their final recommendation.
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