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Polymers Suggested activities 1) Have students research the history of polymer science. Construct a timeline on transparencies which can be later superimposed with the timelines of the other areas. 2) Conduct a polymer ID lab. A good source for this lab is http://www.teachingplastics.org/hands_on_plastics/ which has a free plastic teaching kit available to teachers in several grade levels. 3) Research the chemistry of polymerization and have student prepare a report including visual aids. 4) Create a 3D art project by casting polyurethane foam into a lined box and then sculpting the resulting form. Materials for all the polymer projects are available from IASCO. 5) Examine the chemistry of catalysts and have students create a project by epoxy resin casting. The level of catalyst added has an interesting effect on how quickly the resin solidifies and this factor should be controlled depending on the thickness of the casting. 6) Explore the chemistry of heat treatment of plastics and crosslinking by creating art objects using "shrinky dinks" polystyrene. 7) Study room temperature vulcanization by creating a silicone rubber like silastic "E" RTV available from IASCO.
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