Clear Jel™
Item #SS-14A

Not packaged for human consumption.

Two tablespoons of this white powder will make a cup of clear gel that can be colored and used to teach the mixing of colors.

Stirring together globs of oil or acrylic paints has been a good way for children to study the mixing of colors. The mixing occurs slowly and can be stopped at any point. It is especially instructive to mix only a portion of two different colored globs of paint. This allows children to see the original colors, as well as the mixture. Both oil and acrylic paints, however, have the disadvantage of being expensive and difficult to clean. Clear-Jel™, when mixed with food colorings, creates the same effect, but is inexpensive and easy to clean.

Preparation:

Fast Method - 30 Seconds
Pour a cup of hot water from the tap into a blender. Turn on the blender to an intermediate speed and slowly sprinkle two tablespoons of Clear-Jel™ into the vortex over a 30 second period.

Intermediate Method - 15 Minutes
Slowly sprinkle two tablespoons of Clear-Jel™ into one cup of water in a small saucepan. Stir vigorously with a wire whisk or spoon over medium to high heat until all of the clumps have dissolved. This takes about 15 minutes.

Slow Method - 12 Hours
Slowly stir two tablespoons of Clear-Jel™ into a cup of water from the tap and set aside. Stir occasionally. Over the next twelve hours, the white clumps of Clear-Jel™ will dissolve in the water and become clear.

Use:

Divide the clear gel into several portions and color each differently with food coloring. Give the students a small amount of two different colors, e.g., blue and yellow, on a piece of aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or inside a clear plastic "zippered" sandwich bag. Ask the students to observe what happens when the two colors are mixed together.

Make a "stained glass" window effect by allowing colored Clear-Jel™ to dry on a transparent piece of plastic. When dry, hang in a window.

Educational Innovations, Inc.
www.teachersource.com
362 Main Avenue
Norwalk, CT 06851
(888) 912-7474

© 2008 Educational Innovations, Inc.