Besides fun facts about Marie Curie for kids we are going to discover some amazing books, activities, and even make a “radioactive” slime flask for fun.
Marie Curie was born in Poland. She loved learning, especially about science.
And she became famous for her studies and use of the term “radioactive”, a word to describe the phenomenon of elements spontaneously emitting radiation.
So of course, we had to make a slime that celebrates her discovery and is just plain fun to experiment with.
Slime is a simple foray into the world of chemistry using a non-Newtonian fluid that acts like both a solid and a liquid.
Slime is made up of polymers, which are made of long chains of molecules that bind together when the ingredients blend.
It creates a wonderful tactile sensory experience that kids love and they are not likely to forget when you talk to them about Marie Curie while they explore the science of slime.
5 FUN FACTS ABOUT MARIE CURIE FOR KIDS
There are several important things that you should share with your child about Marie Curie so that they can understand who she was and what made her so remarkable.
- She Loved Learning- Marie was very smart and always wanted to learn more. Even when it was hard, she never gave up.
- She Discovered New Things-Marie discovered two new elements: polonium and radium. These are special materials that glow in the dark.
- She Won Big Prizes- Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize, the biggest prize in science, not just once, but twice. She was the first woman to win this award.
- She Helped People- Marie used her discoveries to help people. During wars, she helped doctors use special machines to take pictures of bones and help injured soldiers.
- She Worked Really Hard- Marie worked very hard in her lab. She spent long hours doing experiments and figuring things out until she understood them better.
Marie Curie showed everyone that women could be incredible scientists too.
She taught us that with hard work and curiosity, you can discover amazing things and make the world a better place.
Next, look at some of her achievements.
MOST AMAZING ACHIEVEMENTS FUN FACTS ABOUT MARIE CURIE
- Discovered Polonium, a new element named after her home country, Poland.
- Discovered Radium, a glowing element that helped in medical treatments.
- Won the Nobel Prize in physics for her research on radioactivity.
- Won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for discovering the elements polonium and radium.
- Medical Advances, she used her knowledge to help create mobile X-ray units to help injured soldiers in wartime.
Also, look at these activities and resources.
MARIE CURIE ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES
- I adore the Who Was series and finding Who Was Marie Curie? Was a great discovery for this study from elementary through middle school.
- Make your own Marie Curie X-Ray STEAM Project that doubles as science and art.
- The Marie Curie Word Search is a great way to learn vocabulary words associated with her and the discoveries she made.
- Free History Worksheets on Women Who Changed the World
- Radioactive Jars are cool for display during your study or as part of a science project.
- I am really a fan of these picture books, Ordinary People Change The World and found they had one about Marie Curie. They tell stories of amazing people throughout history in a simple way that doesn’t talk down to younger children.
- Make a Stained Glass Beaker craft while learning about different tools in a lab that chemists and physicists use.
- If your child loves exploring through experiments you will want to grab a basic Experiments Science Kit For Kids.
- Create a timeline of Marie Curie’s life with your child from her birth through winning 2 Nobel Prizes and her death on July 4, 1934.
- Make a Petri Dish Jello Recipe to introduce yet another important lab tool and a tasty one at that.
As a reference to use along with our fun slime experiment, we opened up Superstars of Science to learn a bit about Marie Curie.
Finally, look at how to make “radioactive” slime.
HOW TO MAKE “RADIOACTIVE” SLIME
You will need:
- Graduated cylinder, beaker
- 1 Bottle of school glue (8 oz)
- 1 Tablespoon baking soda
- 1 ½ -2 Tablespoons contact solution
- Glow in the dark paint
First, pour glue into a bowl and add the glow in the dark paint, stir to combine. You can use any glow in the dark craft paint that you find.
Mix in baking soda well.
Add your first tablespoon of contact solution to the mixture and stir, add ½ tablespoon at a time until the mixture starts to lose its stickiness, mix well between each addition to check the texture, if you want it slimier add less, for a thicker slime mixture add more.
Knead the mixture by hand for a few minutes.
To make it fun and give it a Marie Curie twist add it to a graduated cylinder or beaker.
Turn out the lights and be amazed by your “radioactive” creation.
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