Christmas Chemistry Experiments | Copper Patina Ornament

Item description

Your students will love this Christmas chemistry activity! They will make a Christmas chemistry ornament using copper and create a blue patina with this EASY Christmas STEAM activity!

This easy, fun chemistry activity uses easy-to-find materials (copper foil, salt, and ammonia). The end result is an amazingly beautiful ornament (check out the thumbnail photos!) that students will cherish for years to come! The ornaments also make lovely gifts ♥️ Even the students that are challenged with creativity will have a fabulous-looking end product – this is a fool-proof STEAM project!

This resource begins with background information on copper and how patina forms on copper. Then students make observations about copper foil. Ornaments are made by cutting the foil into a Christmas-y shape. Templates for the shapes are provided for students to cut and trace onto the copper foil. The students then treat the copper with salt and ammonia and allow the patina to develop over a period of 24-48 hours. Follow-up discussion questions are provided, along with ways to extend the fun with more hands-on learning.

Four versions of a CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) activity are also included, rounding out this fun activity with writing, reasoning, and evaluating.

New Christmas STEM projects will be added WEEKLY during December 2022 – FOLLOW ME for updates!

Included in the Product:

• Introductory information copper patina
• Hands-on experiment treating copper to create patina
• Discussion questions
• Extension activities

This lab is perfect for:

• Classroom
• Homeschool
• Enrichment/gifted learning
• Science club
• Fun at home

Versions Included:

• Color
• Printer-friendly Black and White without photos

BONUS: This activity also includes FOUR versions of a CER Graphic Organizer 

• Basic version (Question, Claim, Evidence, Reasoning sections)
• Basic version with prompts (each section explains what students need to write)
• Advanced version (added sections for recording control, independent and dependent variables)
• Advanced version with prompts (each section explains what students need to write)

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As always, please contact me with any questions!

Thank you so much,

Stephanie Morris