Each group needs:

• 1 plastic container large enough to hold a 9 x 12-inch piece of construction paper; a clear or frosted container is ideal because the ink colors are easier to see; a smaller container can be used if you cut the construction paper to a smaller size
• inexpensive construction paper; lighter colors such as yellow, pink, light blue and white work best
• 1 divided container to hold various colors of ink; half an ice tray works great
• 1 dropper-full of 4 different colored inks, such as Dr. Ph. Martin's Bombay India Inks; a set of 12 colors for $30 (see Figure 1)
• small paintbrushes or Q-tips to apply ink to the water surface
• protective aprons (the ink stains clothing)
• water
• paper towels for blotting prints (get several rolls for the entire class)
• 3 metal paperclips
• 2 forks; metal works best, but plastic will do
• Post-Activity Quiz, one per student

To share with the entire class:

• a student workstation setup as described above, to use as a teacher demonstration station
• Water Bug Visual Aid, one per teacher; to hold up in class or display via projector or transparency
• capability to show students a few online videos, such as via laptop, projector and/or smartboard