Polymer Labs

We are in the middle of winter; typically that means flu season.  I like to have extra labs on hand to do when several kids are ill or far ahead of their peers. I keep a large polymer kit on hand.  One suggestion is Polymer Labs: Bouncing balls, Instant Snow Powder, Slime, Jelly Marbles, Heat Sensitive Slime, Magic Sand, Oobleck, Four More Slime Recipes,  Earth Friendly Plastics. Edible Water Pods,  and Wonder Science Polymers. 

First, give the kids a bit of background with The Science of Slime.  I like to set up lab stations.  I put out instructions and the materials.  Then I encourage the kids to vary the ratios and observe the results.  This approach may be too open-ended for you.  If you like more structure, this lab from Cornell measures viscosity between three types of polymers.

This Junior Achievement STEM Summit has instructions and materials for polyurethane foam, Heat-sensitive worms, and magic sand.  The kids color the polyurethane foam and fill plastic gloves.  Fun! Below are specific labs for each type of polymer.

1. Plastics Analysis Lab. The Hands-on Plastics Kit has the different plastic resins specified for the Plastics Analysis Lab.
2.  Bouncy Ball Lab. The kids may want to design a drop test to compare the three recipes.
3. Instant Snow Lab. Vary the temperature of the water and observe the results.  Compare tap water and distilled water with the instant snow.  The lab also suggests adding salt.  Record observations.
4. Slime Lab. This lab has great questions, especially if you want a bit more structure.  Ask the kids to make several types of slime.
5. Water Marbles. Flinn Scientific has this lab, too—a simple water marble lab.
6.  Thermoochromic Slime.  Use the heat sensitive slime with these instructions.
7. Mystic Sand.  Use corn oil and Magic Sand with Flinn’s instructions.

When my kids make polymers, they experiment extensively to make stretchy or bouncy slime.  I ask if they wrote down their procedures?  Can they replicate the results?  Polymers is an excellent opportunity to allow the kids to film.  Have them demonstrate with the materials and explain the polymer’s properties.  Today, my kids were filming.  They used iMovie with my iPad to edit and dub their video.  We post their videos to my YouTube channel and embed the videos into my blog.  Cool, right?