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Lesson Plan
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American Chemical Society

Natural Resources and Synthetic Materials

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
All synthetic materials began as natural materials. An engaging lesson begins with a hands-on activity and an example of the type of research that scholars perform independently. Then pupils receive a topic and begin researching the...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Curated OER

Sorting Plastics For Recycling

For Teachers 9th - 12th
First, young chemists practice polymer identification by density and flame tests. With the data collected, they propose a method of separating polyethylene from other plastics and determine what property makes it desirable for recycling....
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PPT
Curated OER

Materials

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
This interactive presentation is a visual delight for young eyes! The title slide allows you to click on one type of material: wood, fabric, plastic, metal, or paper. You are then taken to a slide to consider numerous objects and...
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Lesson Plan
British Council

Plastic-Free Is Not Easy

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Paper or plastic? Scholars discuss a worksheet containing grocery photos in which consumers were challenged to buy items without plastic wrapping or containers. Learners rank the food items by the need for packaging, such as a banana,...
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Lesson Plan
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Bonneville

The Problem of Plastic Trash Islands

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Trash collection can be a hassle, especially out in the ocean. The second of four parts in the Adrift in a Sea of Plastic unit has pupils research plastic trash islands in marine ecosystems. They investigate why they occur and potential...
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Activity
PBS

Sink or Swim?

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
What's with all the numbers on plastic products? Learners complete an in-depth analysis of the physical properties of the different plastic types. They connect the properties of the plastics to uses and test their observation skills by...
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Activity
Teach Engineering

Investigating the Properties of Plastic and its Effects on the Environment

For Teachers 8th - 10th Standards
Pore over the properties of plastic. Working through four different stations, pupils investigate some properties of plastic, including chemical decomposition, mechanical breakdown, density, and the ability to infiltrate the food chain....
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Activity
Teach Engineering

Biodegradable Husk-Bags Design Challenge

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Those corn husks can be put to good use. Future engineers design and build a new, biodegradable bag for potato chips out of corn husks. They test out their bags by shaking, dropping, and tossing them, as well as placing them in water.
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Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

Plastic in the Sea

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
How much plastic do people use? Class members identify how plastic is involved in their daily lives by looking at food packaging either at a grocery store or at home. Learners view statistics for the amount of plastics found on a beach...
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Lesson Plan
WakeGOV

Plastic Sight Words

For Students K - 2nd Standards
Plastic math? Have young learners count and name the number of plastic items in their centers. Kindergartners match sight word cards to the number of plastics in a given group, while learning that plastics come in all different shapes,...
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Interactive
Magic of Physics

Materials Lab

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Why is wood good for building houses, but not the best choice for high-rise apartments? Future materials scientists put building materials to the test using a hands-on interactive. Pupils pull and push on substances such as reinforced...
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Activity
Nomad Press

Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions: Make Your Own Plastic

For Students 5th - 12th
When you hear Leonardo da Vinci mentioned, chances are that you think of the Mona Lisa, or flying machines—but what about plastic? Learners blend heavy cream and vinegar over heat to replicate da Vinci's early organic plastic recipe.
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Lab Resource
Royal Society of Chemistry

Green Plastics—Chemistry Outreach

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
How do green plastics reduce waste and environmental pollution? Budding scientists create and test a variety of compounds used in green plastics during an insightful experiment. Beginning with startling statistics and ending with...
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Lab Resource
Royal Society of Chemistry

Electrochromic Polymer—Chemistry Outreach

For Teachers 10th - Higher Ed Standards
From windows that tint themselves to OLED technology, electrochromic polymers are redefining our ideas about conducting materials! Introduce your chemistry class to the emerging trend with an exciting lab activity. Budding materials...
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Interactive
Concord Consortium

Plastic Forces

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Plastic is fantastic! But, why does it behave the way it does? Science sleuths investigate the behavior of plastic in response to applied forces using an interactive. The resource allows users to bend a sample of plastic using three...
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Lesson Plan
NPR

Test and Evaluate the Prototype

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Time to test the prototype. Groups test their prototypes to the plastics problem under consideration. The results of the tests and peer feedback offer a means to refine the prototype.
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Lesson Plan
NPR

Prototype the Solution

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
It's always nice to see what the solution looks like. Groups build a prototype of their solution to the plastics problem in the sixth installment of a 10-part unit. The prototypes can be either a visual prototype or a working prototype.
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Lesson Plan
NPR

Brainstorm and Evaluate Solutions

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
May the best idea win. In groups, scholars brainstorm solutions to the problem statement developed in the previous lesson. The best idea moves forward to the prototype stage.
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Lesson Plan
NPR

Identify Criteria and Constraints

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
What defines success? The fourth installment of a 10-part series focuses on the criteria for engineering design success in solving the plastics problem. Pupils also consider any constraints.
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Lesson Plan
NPR

Define the Plastic Problem

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Individuals identify a specific problem concerning plastics and write a problem statement, which describes the problem, explains why it's a problem, and identifies desired solutions.
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Lesson Plan
NPR

Investigate the Plastic Problem

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Plastics are forever. The second lesson in a 10-part unit has pupils research the effects of plastics on the environment. They present their findings by creating an infographic.
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Activity
Teach Engineering

Bridging to Polymers: Thermoset Lab

For Teachers 10th - 12th Standards
Investigate thermoset polymers through experimentation. In an effort to determine the strongest, most flexible mixture, groups conduct an experiment on different-ratio epoxy-amine polymers to finish the set of two lessons.
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Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Close Encounters of the Polymer Kind

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
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...
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Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Fun Look at Material Science

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Introduce materials science with a class demonstration. After showing a PowerPoint presentation on materials and their properties, instructors provide a ceramic tile, a Popsicle stick, a paper clip, and a plastic bag as examples of...