Here comes the sun! Let’s get out and enjoy it. How about we try one of those age-old trials of using the sun’s mighty heat to melt things? And why don’t we also reuse some of those old, broken, and hard-to-use crayon pieces?

THIS ISSUE’S STEAM TOPIC:
Exploring and observing the science behind the sun’s heat to melt crayons.

THE MISSION:
Use your scientific and detective skills to figure out how the sun’s heat can be strengthened to melt the crayons.  

THE CHALLENGE:
How can you strengthen the sun’s heat to speed up the melting of the crayons? If you use the aluminum foil to line the box you can intensify the rays and heat from the sun. This allows for faster melting of the crayons because of higher temperatures. Is there a way to trap the heat to increase the time? Try using clear plastic wrap to trap the heat but also to allow the light to come in. Go outside and see what variations you can make.

Materials you could use (but are not limited to):

• Box (Cardboard preferred)
• Tin or aluminum foil
• Tape
• Broken crayons
• Muffin tins (or some kind of mold)
• Plastic wrap or clear bowl (optional)

Incorporating the arts:

This challenge is very open-ended as it can be applied whenever and wherever there is sun! To start this challenge you have to make the box. You can use an old shoe box or whatever you might have laying around. Line the box with the foil to create a reflective surface. Place your crayons inside the muffin tin or mold that you have chosen. Be sure that it is something that the new crayon shape can be easily taken out of. You can be very creative at this point. You can use whatever colors and shapes you want. (Once the new shape is made you can also cut or shape it into something else!)

Once your crayons are in their containers, place the containers inside the foil-lined box in direct sunlight. Place the bowl or plastic wrap over the top of the box or the molds. Watch as the crayons start to melt and take on their new colors and shapes.

Once they are melted to your satisfaction, take the whole box out of the sun and let it sit in the shade before you try to take the crayons off or touch the bowl and inside of the box. They will be hot! Let the crayons cool so that they are not liquid and can be used. What was once a broken little crayon is now recreated into something useful! Now that you have your box made, you can use it to melt so many things: You can make more crayons or you can make a mid-day s’more!

Questions to mull over:

• What is the sun made of to make it so hot?
• How does the heat go through the clear cover but not come back out?
• Can you safely cook other food in it?
• What kitchen appliance is this project mimicking?
• Is this a sustainable practice in saving energy?
• How fast does something melt?
• Does it still melt if it is not in direct sunlight but outside in the heat?

Thank you to Sarah McInnis, education coordinator at the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire, for making this STEAM Challenge possible.