Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Playful Polymers

For Teachers 8th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Polymers

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students 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.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Cross-Linked Polymer Lab

For Students 10th - 12th
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

World of Plastics and Polymers

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students investigate plastics and learn they are giant molecules made of carbon atoms. In this polymers and plastics lesson, students perform 3 activities which all include making polymers from household items such as milk and vinegar,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Silly Semi-Solids

For Teachers K
Students create a polymer out of glue, water, and borax. They discuss the resulting substance and perform several experiments with it.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Simple Tensile Testing of Polymeric Films and Sheeting

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigation of Crystallinity in Polymeric Materials

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
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...
Interactive
Concord Consortium

Tire Forces

For Students 9th - 12th
No need to tread lightly on this piece of tire rubber! Polymer science pupils observe the behavior of rubber with an interesting interactive. Users apply three different levels of force to a sample, then watch how they affect the polymer...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Polymer Demos

For Students 10th - 12th
In this polymer demonstration worksheet, learners are given eight boxes with titles. They are to describe each polymer demonstration that is done with words and diagrams.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Polymers all Over the Place

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Students investigate properties of common molecules. For this chemistry lesson, students construct polymer models to gain a better understanding of the properties of polymers.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Chemical Resistance and Synthetic Polymers

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students participate in lab activities in which they examine immersion, stain resistance, and stress cracking of synthetic polymers. Students use their collected data to discuss service applications and possible performance of materials.
Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Radical Reactions

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The radical reactions of polymers seems abstract to many pupils, but this lesson turns them into a fun building game. Scholars use dice and building pieces to build polymers. Then, they determine the theoretical and experimental weight...
Activity
Teach Engineering

Bridging to Polymers: Thermoset Lab

For Teachers 10th - 12th
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.
Lesson Plan
Teach Engineering

Fun Look at Material Science

For Students 6th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Polymers Lab: Bouncy Ball and Slime

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders investigate chemical reactions to produce polymers. In this polymers lesson plan, 8th graders experiment with sodium silicate and ethyl alcohol to make a polymer. They also experiment with borax and glue to make a polymer....
Lesson Plan
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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....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Condensation Polymerization: Preparation of Thiokoll® (Polysulfide Rubber)

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
This lab activity is geared toward experienced chemistry learners, in particular, those who are familiar with organic chemistry. They will create a synthetic elastomer  and then make observations and measurements of its different...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cross-Linked Polymer Lab

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
PPT
Curated OER

Structure and Function of MacroMolecules

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Macromolecules such as carbohydrates, steroids, phospholopids are given as examples of polymers and molecules formed with different bonds and specific methods.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Wonderful World of Polymers

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders investigate the concept of polymers. They discover unique properties and how polymers are natural. The lesson contains sufficient background information for the teacher. Students examine different types of materials and...
Activity
Curated OER

Fun Polymer Activity

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

EGG-cellent POLYMER PACKAGING DESIGN

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Learners investigate the concept of a polymer using an experimental design of protecting an egg in a bookbag. They test the properties of polymers and form an educated solution to the proposed problem. Then they describe the steps used...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Playing With Polymers

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore the world of polymers. For this chemistry lesson, students make polymers and observe their properties. Follow-up questions and extension activities are included.
Interactive
Curated OER

Polymer Basics

For Teachers 7th - 10th
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.