Rotation.org Writing Team

Kingdom Parables: Seed, Leaven, Treasure, Pearl

Science (Demonstration) Workshop

Summary of Activities

Students will perform experiments that demonstrate what the Kingdom of God is like. Two of the experiments use yeast to create an exciting fountain of foam effect. The third experiment uses a free smartphone app that turns your cell into a metal detector (really!).

Scripture for the Lesson

• Parable of the Mustard Seed - Matthew 13:31-32
• Parable of the Leaven (Yeast) - Matthew 13:33
• Parable of the Treasure in the Field - Matthew 13:44
• Parable of the Pearl - Matthew 13:45-46

Additional Scripture:  "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it?" Luke 13:18 (NRSV)

Lesson Objectives

See the Bible Background at rotation.org for this set's complete list of objectives.

Preparation and Materials

See additional material tips at the end of the lesson.

• Read the Bible Background and scripture.
• Preview the experiment videos and our "teaching note" about them.
• Print Science Bob's Fantastic Foam Instructions (pdf) for the first experiment.
• A bottle of 6% solution Hydrogen Peroxide typically found in salon supply stores
• A bottle of 35% Hydrogen Peroxide (available from science supply outlets)
• Potassium Iodide (a common health supplement liquid)
• Empty 1 liter bottles, one per student for the first foam experiment
• A 2 liter bottle for the second experiment
• Plastic plates, one per student bottle
• Packing tape to tape the bottles to the tray
• Food coloring to make the foam show off more
• Liquid Dish soap (preferably clear)
• A large thermos or source of warm water to mix with the yeast
• Several packets of dry yeast and a cup to mix it in
• Teaspoon, Tablespoon, and Cup measures
• Safety googles for students
• Clean-up supplies
• Smartphone or Tablet with the free Metal Detector app installed
• Selfie stick to complete your detector
• Various metal and non-metal objects
• A sheet to place over the objects
• Sticky labels and a marker

Previews

Here's the Sunday School Science Workshop at 1st UMC, Slidell Louisiana doing the first "foam" experiment using yeast as the catalyst in a bottle that has off-the-shelf hydrogen peroxide and soap in it. In the WT's lesson, each student is given their own 1 liter bottle on a plate and the materials to do the experiment themselves.

Here's Science Bob's "Crazy Foam Experiment" which shows BOTH the small fountain and the "big" fountain effect, also known as, "The Elephant's Toothpaste."  The small fountain uses off-the-shelf hydrogen peroxide with yeast as the catalyst. The big fountain effect uses 30-35% strength H2O2 and potassium iodide as the catalyst.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N0m95PExHY&app=desktop

Lesson Plan

Open

Welcome students and explain how today's lesson will unfold.

Say: In today's lesson, a lot of fun things are going to happen, and I want you to be ready to explain how they help us understand what Jesus said his Kingdom was like.  First, let's read four short parables in which Jesus describes his Kingdom, and then we're going to do some fun experiments that demonstrate what he was talking about!

Read the scriptures.
Offer a few insights but save most of your comments for sharing during the experiments where they will have a lasting impression.

Experiment #1: Kingdom Foam

Make this a hands-on, kid-friendly experiment by giving each student their own 1 liter bottle so that they can add the ingredients and do the experiment with your help.

Intro:
In God's Kingdom, good things happen, but at first, they aren't easy to see, or can be quite UNEXPECTED. A seed and yeast making things grow, for example.

Do the Experiment.  
Help each student put together and set off their own Kingdom Foam fountain. Don't do them all at once. Ask questions as you go. See the handout for the ingredients and helpful instructions.

Then ask:
Let's imagine that we are the yeast God is mixing into the world, and God is the "catalyst." What should we be doing in the world that would help bring God's Kingdom into other people's lives?

Experiment #2: Kingdom Fountain !

A bigger and more impressive version of the foam fountain demonstrated by the teacher. It uses a 2 liter bottle, stronger hydrogen peroxide solution and potassium iodide (a health supplement liquid) as the catalyst for a big eruption!

As you assemble this particular experiment, suggest what the items and ingredients might represent. Pause as you do for discussion, then when ready, have everyone stand back and have an adult squirt the catalyst into the bottle and quickly stand back!

Things to share as you describe the ingredients and assemble them:
How is our church like the bigger bottle and stronger Hydrogen Peroxide? (We are stronger when we work together, hopefully get more results for the Kingdom, help more people, etc.)

Things to share after the Big Fountain:
Sometimes God likes to do things in exciting ways, not just small. He likes to do things with an exclamation point. Name some things we could do to bring more Hope! Help! and Love! to the world.

Experiment #3: How to Detect Treasure

"Yes, there's an app for that."   And you're going to be amazed how easy it is to turn your smartphone into a real metal detector.

Newer iPhones and Android phones come with a compass sensor that "metal detector apps" use to detect subtle fluctuations in the magnetic field caused by ferromagnetic metals (like iron). We tested quite a few of those free apps for this lesson and settled on Tommy Tao's @Metal Detector app for iPhones/iPads. It's available on the App store for free.  Unlike some, it emits sound when metal is detected, and doesn't just give you number read-outs which can be confusing. It also doesn't have annoying in-app purchase reminders. You can assume there are other good ones out there, but keep in mind how some of their features (or lack there of) make it better or more annoying to use.

TEACHING GIFTS!  

Adjust these descriptions and the amount of time you spend on them to the age of your students and time you have to teach.

Begin with a simple demonstration of the app. "Hide" a variety of iron and non-iron objects under a thin bed sheet and take turns with the detector.  After a quick demonstration, keep searching for objects as you walk through the next couple of teaching points...

Ask students if they know how the detector works. Tell them it works by detecting small changes in the magnetic field that surrounds the earth. The changes are created by iron objects. The compass sensor in our phone detects the earth's magnetic field and tells us which direction is "north." When the sensor gets near a metal object, the metal creates a small interference in the magnetic field, and the app triggers an alert.

Ask: What is Jesus trying to help us "detect" (find)  in his parables? (The true Kingdom of God. He is trying to show us where God's Kingdom already is in our lives. Look where the birds are nesting safely. Look where people have given their all to follow God.)  

Continue the experiment, bu using all or some of the following insights...

Say: The app has a "sensitivity" adjustment on it!  Let's turn it down and up and see what happens.

Say: How can we be more "sensitive" to the presence of the Kingdom? God's presence?  (pray, don't be selfish, listen for people's needs)

Say: It's easy to detect big things in God's Kingdom, like the Church, and feeding hungry people. But small things like seeds and leaven, are harder to see. We can see that small actions like kindness are part of the Kingdom too, if we are sensitive to them. Coming to Sunday School trains us to be more sensitive to the things of God's Kingdom, ...things that other people are missing or ignoring, or don't think exist.

Say: The app cannot detect non-metal, such as aluminum or paper. You can set up "false" or non-valuable things, things that are not part of the kingdom. Invite kids to suggest labels of things, actions, behaviors that are NOT part of God's Kingdom and put those labels on things and try to detect them.

Say: What "sound" do we listen to that is trying to alert us to the things in God's Kingdom? (scripture, church, prayer, etc). How do we "turn the sound off?"  What things "blind" or "keep" us from finding the Kingdom? You can demonstrate this by having a student try to find an object with their eyes closed and spinning them around so they don't know where to wave the detector.

Screenshot of the recommended iPhone app.

Tips:

Have volunteers bring in their smartphones with the app already downloaded and installed so that kids can try it out. The more "hands-on" the more fun and memorable.

Securely attach your phone or tablet on a selfie-stick so you can create a real-looking detector that can be waved over the ground. (Selfie sticks are very inexpensive and quite handy for a lot of uses in the classroom.)

Make sure you have your charger cord because the app can drain a poor battery.

Additional Questions to Ponder

• How are YOU like the bottle in the fountain experiments?
• How are YOU like the catalyst? (yeast, potassium iodide)
• How are you like the food coloring that makes the Kingdom result more visible to others?
• How can we help the Kingdom of God bring joy and happiness like the foam did?
• How is Jesus like our "Kingdom Detector"?
• How are you like the sound on the detector telling others you've found Jesus?
• How is Sunday School like "downloading" a "God detector" into your heart?

Adaptations

For those with younger students or short on time, skip the Big Fountain experiment.

The Foam Science

According to Science Bob, "Hydrogen peroxide is similar to water but it has an extra oxygen atom. This makes it more dangerous and only adults should handle the hydrogen peroxide. In the first experiment, when you add the yeast, it acts as a catalyst (a helper) to release the extra oxygen gas in the hydrogen peroxide. The soap helps to create all the foam. In the second experiment, the giant foam eruption at the end was created by our use of a more powerful hydrogen peroxide and a different chemical for a catalyst. The reaction happens very fast and gives off quite a bit of heat." The foam is soap. The gas that escapes is oxygen.

Teaching Points!

• Our Hydrogen Peroxide = God's love of making things happen. It can be "released" by action.
• Our Yeast = God's Spirit is a hidden power that gives rise to faith and action.
• Our Foam = Our lives should be evidence of our love for God and God's world.
• Our Dish soap and food coloring = We need to help point out where God is active in our lives and in the world around us. The church is like food coloring, but our behavior is a big indicator too.

Foam Supply and Setup Tips

All the of the ingredients in these experiments need to be handled with care. 6% hydrogen peroxide solution is slightly stronger than what you have in the medicine cabinet. You can get it at a hair supply store or online. 35% hydrogen peroxide must be purchased online or through a chemical outlet/science story and should only be handled by an adult. Potassium Iodide is common health supplement but should be handled with care because it can stain. Goggles, gloves and "lab coats" not only protect, they increase the excitement.

You need two different strengths of Hydrogen Peroxide for these experiments, 6% Hydrogen Peroxide like you would buy at beauty supply story (pharmacy strength is usually on 3%), and "food grade" or "science lab" grade 30% or 35% Hydrogen Peroxide (available online if you can't find it locally).  

Tape the 1 liter bottles to the plates and the 2 liter to the tray or table so the reaction doesn't make them fall over.

Use rubber gloves, gowns and goggles. Not only will it protect the kids, it's more fun. If you don't have "lab coats," use smocks or purchase "disposable" gowns online. They're inexpensive and reusable.

Based on lesson ideas from members Heidi Weber and Anne Camp.
Written by the Rotation.org Writing Team
Copyright 2017, Rotation.org Inc.