At the end of the day yesterday, the Haifa class got to take a look at some melted wax. We talked a little bit about how the wax dripped from the candles and hardened and that was what we were touching.
Today, the Haifa class came in to see lots of different candles burning on the Science table. As they came over, I asked each of them where they thought the candles went after they burned all the way down. Many of them told me that the candle wax went down into the base of the candlesticks! Some told me that the wax turned into a puddle, and some told me the wax turned into water and dripped away!
Jacob was especially interested in this idea of where the wax went. He was convinced that the wax accumulated in the base of the candlesticks. I pulled out the candlesticks we use every Shabbat, which are crystal, and he couldn't find the wax. We talked for a good ten minutes about what could have happened to the wax.
We are going to continue this conversation tomorrow, but feel free to ask your children about the wax that burns from your Chanukiah candles. Their answers are definitely interesting!
-Alison and Sauci
Wow! What a wonderful exploration. I'm excited to hear their thoughts. Would you like a twisted havdalah candle to try tomorrow?
ReplyDeleteEllen, perhaps you should show them the pictures you put on facebook of your menorah candles, and see if they can decipher the weird melting pattern! :)
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