Curated OER
Playing With Science
Young scientists investigate the scientific concepts and principles that help make common toys such as hula hoops, yo-yos, slinkies, and silly putty work. As a class, they read "Backyard Rocket Science, Served Wet" to get a look behind...
Cornell University
Polymers: Making Silly Putty
Putty is proof that learning can be fun! Share the wonderful world of polymers with your class through an experiment. Young scientists create their own silly putty, then examine its properties.
Curated OER
Polymers
Present polymers to your chemistry class with this practical PowerPoint. Begin with a definition and the properties of polymer materials. Branch out into diagrams of polymer structure. Consider the two general types: addition polymers...
Curated OER
Water and Polymers
Students conduct qualitative and quantitative investigations based on the interaction between water and various polymers. They determine the percent moisture contained in various plastics along with a qualitative procedure to determine...
Curated OER
Polymers and Crystals: Their Role in Food Science
Blend chemistry with cooking in this exploration of polymers, carbohydrates, and food science. Experimenting with gelatin produces concrete examples of the bonding and ploymerization discussed in the lesson. Copious, comprehensive...
Cornell University
Polymers: Instant Snow
Is it easy to make snow? Scholars use critical thinking skills as they investigate the concept of polymers by making snow. The class tests several different variables and takes measurements over the course of several days. They then...
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
A Century of Plastics
After reading about polymer materials, engineer trainees examine how plastics have been integrated into everyday products. In groups, they compile a list of products made entirely without plastics and then, as a closing activity, try to...
Cornell University
Glued into Science—Classifying Polymers
Explore the unique characteristics of polymers. A complete lesson begins with a presentation introducing polymers. Following the presentation, young scientists develop a laboratory plan for creating substances using polymers. They test...
Curated OER
How Are Polymers Utilized in Everyday Life?
Students investigate polymers and their uses in everyday life. In this polymers lesson, students are assigned one of the 10 areas of polymer science and they do research on their assigned area using the internet. Students gather their...
Curated OER
Polymers and Products from Petroleum
Over four sessions, learners survey the production and use of polymers and petroleum products. First, they participate in a kinesthetic activity to demonstrate how polymers act, and review a list of common products made from polymers....
Curated OER
Degradation and Weathering of Polymeric Materials
Learners investigate issues of degradation and weathering of polymeric materials during their useful life. They evaluate photodegradable plastics and their viability as an environmental solution for litter and investigate the qualitative...
Curated OER
Real-World Projects: Challenges from the Polymer Industry
Two scenarios are presented for chemistry detectives to decipher. Both require the use of an infrared spectrometer and focus on the examination of polymer materials. In the first, lumps in polyethylene bottles are analyzed. In the...
Teach Engineering
Close Encounters of the Polymer Kind
A PowerPoint presents features of polymers and two of its categories (thermoplastics and thermosets). Instructors conduct demonstrations to illustrate the Weissenberg Effect and the Barus & Kaye Effects of polymers in the first of...
Curated OER
Isomers and Polymers
Students create models of structural isomers, geometric isomers, and polymers. In this chemistry instructional activity, students are given definitions and molecular model kits to create a variety of different isomers and polymers.
Chemistry Teacher
Metals, Nonmetals, and Metalloids Lab
What an exciting way to introduce your blossoming chemists to the world of metals, nonmetals, metalloids, and polymers! Here is a lab activity that is designed to allow pupils the opportunity to visualize the reaction of metals,...
Curated OER
Polymers-Greaaaaaat Biiiiiig Molecuuuuuules
Students explore polymer properties. In this lesson about polymers, students perform an experiment to understand polymers, their properties, and that they are formed from small molecules. Students role play pretending they are polymer...
Curated OER
Polymer
Students investigate polymers by completing 3 experiments. In this polymer lesson plan, students mix plastic with acetone, they create polyurethane foam, they make slime and build a polymer model once their polyurethane foam is set. ...
Curated OER
Playful Polymers
Eighth graders investigate polymers and their structures. In this polymers lesson, 8th graders perform 6 activities to learn about polymers and their molecular structure. They categorize a bag of items as polymers and non-polymers based...
Curated OER
Polymers
Learners make polymers in the lab. In this polymers lesson plan, students make a nylon fiber polymer chain. They define monomers, polymers, addition polymerization, condensation polymerization, crosslinking and cyrstallinity.
Curated OER
World of Plastics and Polymers
Students investigate plastics and learn they are giant molecules made of carbon atoms. For this polymers and plastics lesson, students perform 3 activities which all include making polymers from household items such as milk and vinegar,...
Curated OER
Silly Semi-Solids
Students create a polymer out of glue, water, and borax. They discuss the resulting substance and perform several experiments with it.
Curated OER
Simple Tensile Testing of Polymeric Films and Sheeting
Chemistry classes pretend to be consultants to a grocery story trying to decide what polymer to use for therir new non-paper bags. They prepare tensile bars and use them to test plastic film samples for strength and stretchability. Both...
Curated OER
Investigation of Crystallinity in Polymeric Materials
A kaleidoscope is constructed using polarizing polymer paper and then low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, and polypropylene are all melted onto individual glass slides and examined through a microscope. The intent is to...
Curated OER
Polymers all Over the Place
Students investigate properties of common molecules. In this chemistry lesson, students construct polymer models to gain a better understanding of the properties of polymers.