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Making a Solar Still to Purify Water, Homeschool Lab Sheet
Sunlight does all the work here. Making a solar still to purify water is one of those experiments that feels almost unbelievable until your student lifts the plastic wrap and sees clean droplets collected in the cup.
This lab sheet walks your homeschooler through making a solar still to purify water using a clear bowl, a small collecting cup, plastic wrap, and a rock. Students start with dirty or salty water, cover the bowl tightly, and let condensation do the rest over several hours. The sheet is well suited for grades 4 through 8 and covers evaporation, condensation, and water purification in a single hands-on session.
The experiment fits naturally into an earth science or chemistry unit study and works equally well as a standalone lesson on the water cycle. A labeled diagram explains how impurities stay behind while vapor rises and condenses onto the plastic wrap. Observation questions ask students to note what collected in the cup and whether the water ran clear, and the conclusion section prompts them to evaluate the results and suggest improvements, demonstrating scientific reasoning alongside the core concept.
Grades 4-8 homeschoolers explore making a solar still to purify water using evaporation and condensation. All household materials included.
Investigating with Making a Solar Still to Purify Water
Usage Notes
Every material on this sheet is a household item: a clear glass or plastic bowl, a small cup or jar, plastic wrap, a rubber band or tape, and a small rock or weight. Optional food coloring or a pinch of dirt makes the impurity separation more visible, which is worth doing if your student is a skeptic. The safety section specifically warns against using heat lamps or stovetops and reminds students not to drink the starting water.
Printing Tips
Regular copy paper works fine here, but 24-lb paper holds up better if the sheet gets wet hands on it during setup. Print one copy per student to insert into a lab notebook, or keep it loose on a clipboard near the sunny spot where the still will sit.