Curated OER
Plastics by the Numbers
Students investigate plastic resins and their uses. In this plastics lesson plan, students describe major plastic resins and what they are used for, they compare and contrast the properties of plastic resins and they list products that...
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Polymer Basics
In this polymer worksheet, students use an on line site to complete sentences about plastics, their chemical make-up, their uses, their history and information about recycling plastics.
Curated OER
Integrating Environmental Science: Plastics
In this plastics worksheet, students read about the uses of plastics and their environmental impact. Students answer questions about plastics and their use.
Curated OER
Plastic Identification Lab
In this plastics worksheet, students experiment with an unknown plastic and determine the polymer name and resin code by using a flow chart of various tests. They answer five questions after they collect their data.
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...
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Polymers: The Discovery
Students examine various polymers. In this polymers instructional activity, students perform three experiments with polymers to identify them and observe their interesting properties.
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Cross-Linked Polymer Lab
In this polymer worksheet, students make two types of cross linked polymers and they test their physical properties. These include their response to agitation, stretchability, viscosity, and resilience.
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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
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
Carbon Bonds in Chemistry
Venture into the world of macromolecules with three exciting, distinct laboratory activities. Young chemists examine the forms of carbon and discover how they are associated with atomic arrangement, construct models of carbon-containing...
Curated OER
Polymer Chemistry: More than Just Plastic
Fifth graders examine polymers and how they are formed. In this chemistry lesson students complete their own polymer experiment then discuss what they learned.
Curated OER
WS 10.9 Plastic Recycling
In this recycling worksheet, students search for as many types of plastics categorized with the resin identification codes and fill in a chart for each plastic type. They identify the product name, the category the plastic is in, the...
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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
The Study of Molecular Orientation by Linear Dimension Change of Polymeric Films
Students investigate the linear dimension change of heated plastic film and relate the results to processing and service use of the materials. They calculate percent change in dimension as related to anisotropy and molecular reorientation.
Curated OER
Polymer Lesson Plans
Try these hands on lessons dealing with polymers to get students thinking chemistry and the structure of molecules.
Curated OER
From Polymers to Bioplastics: Looking Toward Finding Renewable Resources
Students investigate the properties of polymers. For this chemistry lesson, students explain the importance of energy sources. They produce a bioplastic from the lab and evaluate its structural integrity.
Curated OER
Playing With Polymers
Students explore the world of polymers. In this chemistry lesson, students make polymers and observe their properties. Follow-up questions and extension activities are included.
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Fun Polymer Activity
Students add borax to a latex polymer and play with it to see the characteristics it now contains. In this polymer lesson plan, students see if it stretches, if it's durable, if the molecules break easily, and more.
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Polymer Rockets
Students examine polymer rockets and complete an activity. In this rockets lesson students design, create and test a polymer rocket and have a blast off competition.
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Cross-Linked Polymer Lab
Students use short-chain polymers and borate ions to produce cross-linked polymers in the lab. In this cross-linked polymer lesson plan, students produce polyvinyl acetate slime and polyvinyl alcohol slime and test their physical...
American Chemical Society
Man and Materials Through History
From the start of the Industrial Revolution, it only took 147 years for someone to invent plastic. This may seem like a long time, but in the history of inventing or discovering new materials, this is incredibly fast. An informative and...
Curated OER
Thermoset Polymers
Students complete a lab activity with polymers to allow them to better understand how to make "observations". In this science lesson students make measurements and collect data.