Drexel wiggled his claws. "OR… let’s play a game right now! Everyone, hold up your hands. If you hear something that’s magnetic, clap your hands together like you’re sticking to it. If it’s NOT magnetic, keep your hands apart. Ready?"

He listed a few objects:

• A paperclip?
• A wooden spoon?
• A refrigerator?
• A basketball?

Liam giggled as he clapped for paperclip and refridgerator and kept his hands apart for the others. "That was fun!"

"And that’s how scientists classify matter—by testing its properties!" Chance said proudly.

"Okay, now I want to do an experiment at home!" Liam said eagerly.

"Perfect! Here’s a fun one to try," Chance said. "You’ll need a clear cup of water, a spoonful of salt, a paperclip, and a small object like a piece of plastic."

"Ooooh, what are we testing?" Liam asked.

"Solubility and density!" Chance explained. "First, drop in the paperclip. Does it sink or float? Now, drop in the plastic piece. Does it float? Last, stir in the salt and see what happens. Does the salt dissolve?"

(5) Matter and energy. The student knows that matter has measurable physical properties and those properties determine how matter is classified, changed, and used. The student is expected to:

(A) classify matter based on measurable, testable, and observable physical properties, including mass, magnetism, physical state (solid, liquid, and gas), relative density (sinking and floating using water as a reference point), solubility in water, and the ability to conduct or insulate thermal energy or electric energy;

“Here’s a fun one you can do at home: Take a piece of bread and sprinkle it with bits of leaves or grass. Stack a book on top of it and leave it for a day or two. Check to see how the materials change. It’s a mini version of how pressure and time can change organic material. You can even make layers with different things like flour, sand, or crushed cereal to see how they settle!”

“So I can make a fossil fuel sandwich?” Chance asked.

“Only if you don’t eat it,” Drexel laughed. “Remember, the real ones took lots of pressure and heat!”

“So here’s how it works: A long time ago, plants and tiny sea creatures died and got buried under mud and sand. Then, over time, more layers piled up on top. With enough pressure and heat, those dead organisms changed into fossil fuels.”

Liam blinked. “So it’s like nature’s recycling system?”

“Exactly!” Drexel said. “Coal mostly came from plants in swamps. Oil and natural gas usually came from microscopic sea creatures.”

“Wow,” Liam said. “And now we use that stuff to power cars and cook food?”

“Right again!” Drexel nodded. “Fossil fuels are energy-packed because they come from things that were once alive and full of energy.”

Chance leaned back. “Okay, but I’ve heard people say it took millions of years for that to happen. Is that true?”

“That’s a good point,” Drexel said thoughtfully. “Some scientists believe that fossil fuels formed slowly over millions of years. But as Bible Adventurers, we explore the idea of a young Earth. From a young Earth perspective, events like Noah’s Flood could have quickly buried tons of plants and animals, creating the right conditions for fossil fuels to form faster.”

Liam’s eyes widened. “So the Flood wasn’t just water—it was like a big Earth-mixer?”

“Yep,” Drexel said. “Layers of mud and debris could’ve buried whole forests and sea beds in a short amount of time. The heat and pressure under all that could’ve helped form fossil fuels rapidly. So while people have different ideas about how long it took, we believe God designed Earth’s systems to work powerfully—and sometimes quickly!”

Chance added in, “Mom also says that, since we weren’t there at the beginning, we don’t really know, but God could have made an old or mature universe just like he made Adam and Eve as adults and trees and animals fully formed… not babies”

Drexel responded, “Yep, that’s another theory. It’s important that we stay humble and don’t assume that we have all the answers.

Liam piped up, “Right! But there’s one thing we do know for sure and that’s that God created the world and he did an awesome job!”

Sedimentary Rock Experiment: “For a fun experiment at home,” Chance added, “you can make your own sediment jar. Find a clear bottle and fill it with sand, dirt, pebbles, and water. Shake it up, then let it sit. Over time, the heaviest stuff will settle on the bottom, and the lighter stuff will stay on top. You’ll see how layers form!”

You can also make 7 layer cookie bars for a yummy learning opportunity.