The Crystal Garden

Theme: God makes a garden grow.

Bible Verse: Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds. (Numbers 17:8)

Materials Needed:

• Pieces of brick, charcoal, or any porous solid

• Glass bowl or dish

• Small container

• Laundry bluing (usually available in laundry supplies)

• Salt

• Household ammonia

• Food coloring

Bible Lesson

The Old Testament Israelites went through many cycles of rebellion against God, followed by repentance and restoration. Numbers 16 describes the rebellion of Korah and 250 of his followers. They attempted to declare themselves priests, a privilege reserved for Aaron’s family. In judgment they all were swallowed up by an earthquake. To make absolutely clear the special place of the house of Aaron, God led Moses to give an object lesson. A wooden staff or walking stick from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, with the tribe’s name inscribed, was placed in the Tent of Testimony. When inspected the next day, the only staff that looked different was Aaron’s rod. It had supernaturally sprouted leaves and produced fruit. Here was a real example of “Miracle Grow”! The lesson was clear that Aaron’s family was chosen by God to minister to the Israelites.

It is God who causes every plant to grow on the earth; he is the source of all life. At God’s command, even a dead staff produces leaves and almonds. The one who controls the laws of nature is able to alter these laws at will, just as he did for Moses. God is all-powerful.

Science Activity

This project takes several days to perform. In a small container mix 4 tablespoons (T) of bluing, 4 T of water, 2 T of salt, and 1 T of ammonia. Avoid breathing this mixture. Pour the solution over fragments of charcoal or brick in the bowl. Also put drops of food coloring on various parts of the charcoal; then leave the bowl undisturbed for several days.

A crystal garden can be grown with household materials.

Crystals will slowly grow like coral on the hard surfaces over two or three days. They are typically white and the food coloring will give them variety. The crystals are very fragile; notice their intricate, feathery structure. The crystals will eventually collapse and fragments will begin growing throughout the bowl.

Science Explanation

The brick or charcoal provides a surface on which crystallization can occur. Capillary action causes the solution to soak upward through the fragments. Then, as the water evaporates, the chemical portion of the solution is left behind, forming the flower-like crystals of solid salt. The rate of growth depends on the temperature and humidity of the room. Low humidity will speed the process.

Crystal growth involves much unseen activity on the submicroscopic level. To produce visible crystals in two to three days, hundreds of chemical molecules must move through the charcoal and arrange themselves into the crystal lattice every second. The budding staff described in our Bible story is even more complex than crystal growth. Crystals are not alive and certainly cannot produce almonds overnight! The growth of Aaron’s staff was a miraculous sign from God.