Cave in a Cup

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In this activity (page 2 of PDF under GPS: Cave Swallows Activity), learners will model how caves are formed by placing one piece of chalk in a cup of vinegar and another piece in a cup of water, then watch and record their observations. In just 45 minutes, they get a glimpse of the geological process that created Carlsbad Caverns out of limestone from ancient seabeds. Relates to the linked video, DragonflyTV GPS: Cave Swallows.

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
30 to 45 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$1 - $5 per group of students
Age Range:
Ages 8 - 14
Resource Types:
Activity, Experiment/Lab Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan, Model, Simulation
Language:
English

Materials List (per group of students)

  • white chalk, broken into 1 cm pieces
  • clear plastic cups
  • white vinegar
  • water

Keywords

Subjects

  • Earth and Space Science
    • Earth Processes
      • Geochemical Cycles
    • Earth Structure
      • Oceans and Water
    • Earth's History
      • Geologic Time
  • Physical Sciences
    • Chemistry
      • Chemical Reactions
      • Acids and Bases
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • About Inquiry
      • Conducting Investigations
      • Communicating Results

Informal Categories

  • Nature and Environment

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Foreign language versions of this resource:

Components that are part of this resource:

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Source Collection

  • DragonflyTV

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, Twin Cities Public Television, Inc., 2007

Funding Source:

  • National Science Foundation, 610429