5th Grade Art & Science Projects — The Creator's Lab — Advanced Projects and Experiments
Students will grow crystals from a supersaturated solution and observe how the orderly molecular structure of crystals reveals design in creation.
Crystals are solid materials whose atoms are arranged in a highly ordered, repeating pattern called a crystal lattice. This orderly arrangement is what gives crystals their beautiful geometric shapes — flat faces, sharp edges, and symmetrical structures that delight the eye.
You can find crystals all around you in God's creation. Snowflakes are ice crystals, each one with a unique six-sided pattern. Salt, sugar, quartz, diamonds, and even the minerals in your bones are all crystalline. The variety and beauty of crystals across creation point to a Creator who loves order and beauty.
To grow your own crystals, you create a supersaturated solution — a liquid that holds more dissolved solid than it normally could. As the solution slowly cools or the water evaporates, the dissolved molecules come out of solution and arrange themselves into a crystal lattice, building the crystal one layer at a time.
The speed at which crystals grow affects their size. Slow evaporation produces larger, more well-formed crystals, while rapid cooling creates many small crystals. Patience is rewarded in crystal growing — just as in many areas of the Christian life. God often works slowly and steadily to produce something beautiful.
Throughout Scripture, precious stones and crystals are used to describe the beauty of God's presence and His heavenly kingdom. Revelation 21 describes the New Jerusalem with foundations of jasper, sapphire, emerald, and other gemstones. God values beauty and order, and He built these qualities into the very structure of matter.
Grow crystals using a supersaturated borax or sugar solution. Boil water and stir in borax or sugar until no more will dissolve. Pour the solution into a jar and suspend a pipe cleaner shape (star, cross, or heart) from a pencil laid across the top. Place the jar where it will not be disturbed and observe over 24-48 hours. Sketch the crystals that form and note their geometric shapes. Compare your results to photos of natural crystals.