TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Switcheroo
In this hands-on activity, students construct a simple switch and determine what objects and what types of materials can be used to close a switch in a circuit and light a light bulb.
![American Chemical Society: The Bakelizer [Pdf] Handout](http://content.lessonplanet.com/resources/thumbnails/456091/large/bwluav9tywdpy2symdizmdeyny0xmte3mdk4lwcwy3uxni5qcgc.jpg?1674856933 "American Chemical Society: The Bakelizer [Pdf] Handout")
American Chemical Society
American Chemical Society: The Bakelizer [Pdf]
Find out all you want to know about the revolutionary development of Bakelite, the first plastic created entirely from chemicals. Included is a biography of the inventor of Bakelite, Leo Baekeland.
Wikimedia
Wikipedia: Plastic
Wikipedia offers all of the basic information one would need about the topic of plastic. Includes hyperlinked table of contents for easy site navigation.
PBS
Pbs: Who Made America?: Innovators: Leo Hendrik Baekeland
One-page profile of influential innovator, Leo Baekeland, whose vision and ideas produced the first synthetic plastic which was the basis for a variety a newly manufactured goods.
Other
Leo Hendrik Baekeland
An in-depth look at the life of Leo Hendrik Baekeland, including his creation of the first completely synthetic plastic, bakelite.
Other
Petrochemicals Europe: Discovery Timeline
Follow this timeline to learn about the development of the petrochemical industry and significant innovators in the creation of many of the products we take for granted.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Mit: Inventor of the Week: Leo Baekeland
Use this site to learn about how Leo Baekeland invented plastic, and how this simple invention resulted in a "plastic revolution."