Let's Make Lamp Oil Together

It is great to see what you are doing when the sun goes down. Today you can get ready to read by candlelight. The fuel you will make is from whale blubber. I'll use sperm whale because it is handy.

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Notice everything, every time you do something.

Now, time to collect a nice chunk of blubber.

Wearing gloves and covering your nose will be helpful here.

1. blubber
2. a knife and fork
3. a stove
4. a lighter
5. a pot
6. glass jars
7. a wick
8. newspaper, cardboard, a bag

Have the adult help you put the stove on and get supplies.

This is not easy. In the past whalers used sharpened bars

"This is called a "try pot". You will hear it crackle and pop.

"In turn, the sperm whales were hunted mercilessly in the mid 1700s and early
1800s. A single, large sperm whale could hold as much of three tons of sperm oil, making them an incredibly valuable commodity — and in fact, they became the first of any animal or mineral oil to achieve commercial viability."

Have the jars ready. Notice how the oil has changed color as it cooled.

The ring will keep the wick afloat.

Use a glass jar so you can see the color and the level and the wick.

This is the hard part. You may want to put it in the green bin.

Once Upon a Time...a whale of a tale!!