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In June 1997, Tennessee Technological University's Center for Manufacturing Research conducted a one-week program on plastics recycling for science teachers. The purpose of the program was to increase the teachers' basic knowledge about the importance of recycling plastics and to better prepare the teachers for teaching recycling in the classroom. As part of the mini-course activities, teacher participants developed a series of lesson plans they felt were practical and would be of use in the classroom. Emphasis was placed on integrating recycling activities into the existing curriculum rather than producing a new curriculum. Activities were developed that could be coordinated with subjects found in the regular school curriculum including mathematics instruction, art education, and language arts. This manual is the compilation of these lessons. The activities in this manual have been classified into the following areas: (1) art; (2) consumer education; (3) language arts; (4) mathematics; (5) music; (6) physical education; (7) science; (8) social sciences; and (9) technology. Activities are arranged by grade level within each area. The classifications were arbitrary and some activities can be classified into more than one area. Recycling subjects such as litter, waste categories, composting, open- and closed-loop recycling, construction materials, renewable and nonrenewable natural resources, and polymers are also included. (PVD)

This sourcebook, for use with groups of up to 25 young people ages 10 and up, is designed to stimulate a sense of environmental stewardship for the planet through group discussion, role playing, experimentation, demonstration, and simulation. Lessons that stand alone or can be used in sequence require common materials and little preparation, making them useful for volunteer leaders with limited resources. The activities are organized in nine sections that illustrate the interlocking and overlapping aspects of nature's cycles. The activities in the sections: (1) introduce the group to four natural cycles: water, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and oxygen; (2) review interaction between producers, consumers, and decomposers within the natural cycles; (3) explore the meaning and production of plastics; (4) talk about the presence of plastic packaging in the environment; (5) help the group see why biodegradable polymers are an important breakthrough; (6) help the group see that composting is nature's way of recycling; (7) explore the need to recycle traditional plastics; (8) help the group focus on the range of possibilities for packaging with biodegradable polymers; and (9) help the group explore ways to increase public awareness about biodegradable polymers while emphasizing the need to reuse, reduce, and recycle. Seven appendices contain information and activities about earth cycles, landfills, composting, labeling, packaging, and letter writing. (MDH)

Presents a creative, hands-on activity for teaching measurement skills inspired by Antoine Laurent Lavosier and a product called polyacrylamide spikes for students to develop their metric measurement skills and boost their math proficiency as they interpret data and results from their investigations. (ASK)

Describes an activity for high school students on household plastic wraps to introduce polymer science. Tests wraps for added plasticizers and stress and strain properties. Suggests focus points for student evaluation. (YDS)

Discusses materials used by dentists to restore teeth after decay has been removed. Shows how dental-material science is an interdisciplinary field in which chemistry plays a major part. Reviews the many developments polymer chemistry has contributed to the field of dental fillings. (CCM)

These four reports provide details of projects to design and implement courses to be offered as requirements for the associate degree program in composites and reinforced plastics technology. The reports describe project activities that led to development of curricula for four courses: composite materials, composite materials fabrication I, composite materials fabrication II, and composite materials testing. These types of activities are discussed: analysis of the existing program; contacts with individuals and businesses in the field; literature review; consultations with professional organizations; visits to businesses; attendance at seminars; and student recruitment. Attachments to each report include minutes of the Composites Advisory Committee meeting; the Delaware County Community College Composites and Reinforced Plastics Technology curriculum; and the following course materials: course objectives and course outline; course syllabus; a list of all equipment acquired for the course; a bibliography that includes books, periodicals, videos, slides, and software acquired by the project; a list of professional societies of which the college is a member; and an announcement of a symposium offered by the project. (YLB)

This guide is intended for use in teaching an introductory course in manufacturing materials and processes. The course centers around four basic materials--metallics, polymers, ceramics, and composites--and seven manufacturing processes--casting, forming, molding, separating, conditioning, assembling, and finishing. Concepts and classifications of material conversion, fundamental manufacturing materials and processes, and the main types of manufacturing materials are discussed in the first section. A course content outline is provided in the second section. The remainder of the guide consists of learning modules on the following topics: manufacturing materials and processes, the nature of manufacturing materials, testing materials, casting and molding materials, forming materials, separating materials, conditioning processes, assembling processes, finishing processes, and methods of evaluating and analyzing products. Each module includes information about the length of time needed to complete the module, an introduction to the instructional content to be covered in class, performance objectives, a day-by-day outline of student learning activities, related diagrams and drawings, and lists of suggested textbooks and references. (MN)

This teaching module was developed by the project "Recent Developments in Science and Technology with Applications for Secondary Science Teaching." Premises about students and their learning and generalizations about content are described. Chapters included are: (1) "Introduction"; (2) "Monomers into Polymers"; (3) "Natural Polymers"; (4) "Thermosets and Thermoplastics"; (5) "Synthesis of Polymers"; (6) "Polymer Structure"; (7) "Common Polymers--Their Use and Properties"; (8) "Polymers--Their Impact on Modern Life"; and (9) "References" (including teacher resources, student resources, multimedia materials, and useful materials to order). Many activities, demonstrations, experiments, and transparencies are provided in each chapter. (YP)

Provides an activity in which students create small classroom factories and investigate several aspects of production including design, engineering, quality control, waste management, packaging, shipment, and communication. (DDR)

Describes how interaction with several polymer manufacturing companies through industrial short courses and research projects has led to the development of dynamic and up-to-date undergraduate and graduate curriculums in polymer science and engineering technology. (DDR)

This document contains 18 units to consider for use in a tech prep competency profile for the occupation of quality control technician. All the units listed will not necessarily apply to every situation or tech prep consortium, nor will all the competencies within each unit be appropriate. Several units appear within each specific occupation and would need to only appear once if the user is compiling a cluster of occupations. The first three units are divided into subunits. These units (communications literacy, mathematics literacy, and science literacy) list the competencies for each subunit. The remaining units are divided into competencies, followed by a listing of competency builders. These units are as follows: technology literacy, employability skills, professionalism, teamwork, quality assurance, technical recording and reporting, computer literacy, workplace safety, troubleshooting and repair, drafting technology, computer-assisted drafting and design (CADD) fundamentals, equipment maintenance, basic materials science, welding basics, and polymeric testing. (YLB)

This document contains 16 units to consider for use in a tech prep competency profile for the occupation of plastics technician. All the units listed will not necessarily apply to every situation or tech prep consortium, nor will all the competencies within each unit be appropriate. Several units appear within each specific occupation and would need to only appear once if the user is compiling a cluster of occupations. The first three units are divided into subunits. These units (communications literacy, mathematics literacy, and science literacy) list the competencies for each subunit. The remaining units are divided into competencies, followed by a listing of competency builders. These units are as follows: technology literacy, employability skills, professionalism, teamwork, quality assurance, technical recording and reporting, computer literacy, workplace safety, hydraulics and pneumatics, basic moldmaking, polymer technology, polymeric testing, and polymer extrusion and molding. (YLB)

ChemSource is designed as a strategy to help preservice and inservice high school chemistry teachers promote student learning more effectively. Its major premise is that well-designed laboratory investigations are an important avenue for cultivating student interest, engagement, and meaningful learning in chemistry. The SourceBook component of ChemSource is a resource containing 36 content modules and additional supporting materials which aim at providing specific teaching tips and the best available instructional ideas and information gleaned from experienced, successful chemistry teachers. Each content module features: Content-in-a-Nutshell; Laboratory Activities; Demonstrations; Common Misconceptions; Humor; Applications and Implications; Analogies; Reference Resources; History; and Media. General materials on pedagogy, classroom management, safety, teaching chemistry to the disabled, and other useful resources and tabulations precede and follow the content modules. Volume 3 includes the following: Nuclear Chemistry; Organic Chemistry; Oxidation-Reduction; Periodicity; Photochemistry; Polymers; Solubility and Precipitation; Inorganic Qualitative Analysis; Rates of Reaction; Chemistry of Rocks, Minerals, and Gems; and Simple Chemical Reactions. (JRH)

This learning module on composites such as polymer matrix, metal matrix, ceramic matrix, particulate, and laminar includes a design brief giving context, objectives, evaluation, student outcomes, and quiz. (SK)

Introduces a number of applications of a polymer which is capable of holding 800 times or more its weight in distilled water. Explores other chemical water absorbers. (ASK)

Describes a joint venture between the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and the Department of Education in France that was created to allow students to do practical scientific work with the help of a CNRS researcher. Presents two practical projects done by students on organic polymers and on color. Concludes that this increases students' interest in chemistry. (JRH)

Offers a technology education activity on the subject of manufacturing processes. Includes background information, concepts presented, objectives, equipment list, procedures, and suggested follow-up activities. (JOW)

Claims that the technology required to produce common products can serve as the basis for student research projects. Describes the process for the creation of rayon from cellulose as a joint teacher/student investigation. (CCM)

Presents a procedure for creating a colored superabsorbant polymer gel. Pieces of the gel can be used to demonstrate convection currents in heating water. (WRM)

Presents an activity that enables students to gain a better understanding of the importance of polymers. Students perform an experiment in which polymer chains of polyvinyl acetate form crosslinks. Includes background information and discussion questions. (DDR)

Explains an approach to presenting polymer chemistry to nonmajors that employs polystyrene foam, foam peanuts made from water soluble starch, and water soluble plastic bags. Students are presented with a pollution scenario and are guided to the discovery of solutions. (DDR)