Webbing Experiment

During our discussion of Life in the Pond today, we got on the topic of webbed feet.  We discussed the different animals with webbed feet and the children found it fascinating that my black lab also has webbed paws!  I could tell they really didn't comprehend why the little bits of skin would help animals to swim faster, so we set up a small tub of water.  I asked each of them to spread their fingers and swipe them through the water.  Then, we put a plastic bag on our hands, with our fingers spread, and tried again.  They could feel the drag caused by the bag (or webbing) and finally had a concrete understanding of the concept.  I left the tub out with the bag for children who wished to experiment further.  I checked the tub sporadically throughout the day and was so proud to find that not one drop was spilled on the carpet.  The children treated the activity with such respect and were careful not to bump into the tub while walking about the classroom.