Elementary School: Slime, Ooblek, Soil and Other Suspicious States of Matter
SCI-90051
Unleash your inner scientist, dive into slime, ooblek, and more!
Slime, Ooblek, Soil and Other Suspicious States of Matter provides students the opportunity to explore many of the scientific aspects of non-Newtonian fluids ranging from slime to ooblek, to elephant’s toothpaste. Students will kindle a fascination with different formulas while creating models for the fluids behavior at the molecular scale and exploring expressions of the fluid activity on Earth’s surface. At the end of the course, students will walk away with both a collection of strange substance and the tools to model how those substances shape the earth.
What you'll learn
- Assemble several non-newtonian fluids including slime and ooblek
- Model the basic relationship between molecular structure and flow properties of slime, ooblek and other fluids
- Predict the role of temperature on flow properties of non-Newtonian fluids such as ice
- Recognize features in the Earth System that result from the ongoing movement of non-Newtonian fluids
Course Information
Course sessions
Section ID:
Class type:
All class meetings held in-person according to published location, dates and times. Students may be expected to engage with course content online during the published course dates.
Textbooks:
All course materials are included unless otherwise stated.
Policies:
- No refunds after: 5/31/2025
- 1st meeting mandatory
- Early enrollment advised
- No UCSD parking permit required
- No visitors permitted
Schedule:
| Date | Day | Start | End | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7/21/2025 | Mon | 9:00 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. | UCSD Division of Extended Studies University City Center, 6256 Greenwich Drive, San Diego |
| 7/22/2025 | Tue | 9:00 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. | UCSD Division of Extended Studies University City Center, 6256 Greenwich Drive, San Diego |
| 7/23/2025 | Wed | 9:00 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. | UCSD Division of Extended Studies University City Center, 6256 Greenwich Drive, San Diego |
| 7/24/2025 | Thu | 9:00 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. | UCSD Division of Extended Studies University City Center, 6256 Greenwich Drive, San Diego |
| 7/25/2025 | Fri | 9:00 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. | UCSD Division of Extended Studies University City Center, 6256 Greenwich Drive, San Diego |
Instructor:
Sasha Carter
BS in Earth Science, PhD in Geological Science,
Dr. Sasha Peter Carter (he/his/him) joined Sally Ride Science Junior Academy in 2016 to create the kinds of science classes he always wished existed – classes that emphasize direct, hands-on interactions with physical science phenomena; classes that get students doing science in the first 15 minutes; classes that foster a collaborative learning community; classes that put students in the driver's seat and give them ownership over their discoveries. His Junior Academy instruction began with Messy Science in 2016 and now includes five different workshops. Sasha brings to the classroom eight years of post-doctoral research in Antarctic water systems and more than five years of teaching students of all ages. When he's not working for Sally Ride Science, he’s teaching Earth science at local colleges and exploring the natural wonders around us.
