SCIENCE
Papa Plateau, Mama Mesa & Family!

Submitted by: Emilee Riley
From: Salt Lake City, Utah
Date Submitted: November 24, 2001

First of all to explain the different sizes of plateaus I would explain the following: the largest plateau is called a plateau. To help them remember it I called it "Papa Plateau." The next size is a mesa, therefore "Mommy Mesa. Next, "baby butte." and finally "Pee Wee Pinnacle."

I made four different colors of play dough and put them in little baggies. They kept in my fridge all year. I got some meat trays, donated from a local food store, to use as their play surface. I had them work in pairs to create the different layers of the plateau. Then they had to make the plateau, mesa, butte, and pinnacle and show me which one was which.
Then I would have them seperate the dough into its respective colors. Below is the recipe I used. It uses corn starch instead of flour and seems to last longer. At the end of the year I gave the children the play dough as a reward. We used it all year for spelling words and all sorts of things.

Play dough recipe

1 1/2 c. corn starch
1/2 c. flour
2 c. cold water
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 c. salt
1 T. oil

Cook on medium heat until it gathers on the spoon for about 6 min. Put on wax paper. Keep refrigerated in a ziploc bag.