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Waste, a byproduct of human activity, can cause environmental pollution if released without proper processing. It can accumulate in piles, disturbing natural beauty and emitting unpleasant odors. The aim of this research is to from the students to care about the environment by learning with the Bubble Wrap Recycling Project, Used Plastic and Patchwork. The method of this project is a structured experiment. Common waste includes bubble wrap, plastic, and rags from the convection industry. A student project in an environmental science course involved recycling these materials into sitting pillows. Three variants were tested: 10% bubble wrap, 10% plastic waste, 80% patchwork, 15% bubble wrap, 15% plastic waste, 70% rags, and 20% bubble wrap, 20% plastic waste, 60% rags. The pillow's comfort was measured using a Linkert scale of 1-5. The results showed that the pillow measures 40cm. Recycling is a way to promote environmental care and awareness. Cooperation from educational agents, such as supervisors, leaders, and lecturers, is needed to increase students' environmental awareness. This includes examples of good environmental actions in daily routines, such as disposing of waste and implementing 3R practices.

There is a growing reliance on plastic, even though it is a synthetic material that does not decompose. This article presents a series of six mathematics activities that use plastics as the context to teach environmental education to seventh-grade students. The activities can increase students' awareness of the plastic problem while also serving to demonstrate how mathematics can be used to understand science.

The study aims to present how to apply a STEM activity in which physical computing principles and computational thinking processes are used as a differentiation practice to be used in the education of gifted students. In the activity, the students designed smart packaging that will provide healthy long-term storage of foods to solve the greenhouse gas emission problem caused by intensive plastic production. The activity was carried out with eight gifted students studying in 7th-9th grades. The students investigated the factors that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and synthesized biodegradable polymers during the inquiry process. In the engineering design process, they determined the most suitable solution for packaging design in the polymer synthesis they carried out using different plant extracts with antibacterial properties. They developed a smart packaging design using physical computing in this process. During the STEM activity, the students used computational thinking, engineering design, and inquiry process.

This study presents the design and application of a didactic sequence aimed at enhancing high school students understanding of recyclable plastic polymers. The proposed teaching strategy incorporates cooperative learning activities to identify different types of plastics, particularly recyclable ones. The goal is to increase student's scientific knowledge, enabling them to make informed decisions to mitigate environmental pollution caused by plastic waste. The study also addresses the research question: How can I recycle plastic materials in my everyday life to avoid contributing to environmental pollution?

The earth is drowning in plastic waste. Yet, as the plastic waste crisis grows exponentially, responses to excess waste remain stuck around containment and management processes. These approaches fail to notice that plastics know no boundaries. We now encounter plastic rocks, plastic water, plastic bodies, plastic worlds spilling into oceans and rivers and across landscapes. Responding to the complexity of plastic's unruly presence demands careful attention both globally and within situated local contexts. This article explores how the queer synthetic curriculum takes up the concept of excess through common worlding waste pedagogies to attend to children's relations with plastic waste. We speculate with the idea of excess by making large amounts of plastic the main protagonist in an early childhood classroom. Disrupting waste management's metaphors of distance, we exaggerate plastic's presence: a plastic whale stomach is stuffed with plastic bottles, dozens of bottles hang from the ceiling, hundreds of bottles are strewn across the classroom floor, and crochet hooks turn out plastic yarn balls. Without claiming to develop children's understanding of the problematic nature of waste, this article stories moments of excess that might provoke subjective transformations as children encounter excess in their daily lives.

Within the scope of the current study, the researchers developed activities for middle school students to raise their awareness on the harm of plastics and microplastics, which are detrimental to nature and living things. In addition, through the activities developed, the study aimed to provide students with knowledge of and experience with bioplastics, which have emerged as an alternative to plastic materials and are environmentally friendly. Twelve eighth grade students participated in the current study. The activities developed by the researchers within the framework of the REACT strategy covered a four-week period. The researchers made sure that the activities designed included each step of the REACT strategy (Relating, Experiencing, Applying, Cooperating, Transferring) and the researchers used different tools (mind map, concept map, Vee diagram). The study suggests that activities designed for classroom use should be integrated with tools such as Vee diagram, concept map and mind map in order to increase students' knowledge and awareness about global environmental problems as well as support students' ability to produce solutions to such problems.

Purpose: This study aims to identify and analyze research that promotes sustainable consumption among university students, understand what areas of consumption were addressed, how consumption was intended to become more sustainable and what results were reported. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review was conducted using the Scopus and Web of Science databases and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses methodology. Main criteria for inclusion were focus on changing the consumption behavior of university students, not just diagnosing them, and that students were directly involved in the efforts. Findings: A total of 1,619 articles were extracted, and 34 were included in the study. These selected investigations conducted between 2012 and 2022 focused on areas of consumption such as food, plastic waste, fashion, energy and water. Sustainable consumption was promoted through training programs ranging from one-hour seminars to full-semester courses, marketing and communication campaigns and direct experimentation and interventions. Most articles reported positive results. Research limitations/implications: This study is limited to research carried out to reduce current consumption by university students; it does not include research aimed at improving students' professional skills for promoting sustainable consumption. Practical implications: This study compiles previous research on reducing consumption by university students in a structured manner according to the consumption area, applied strategy and the results obtained. Originality/value: This research is unique and will serve as a source of inspiration and consultation for academics and university managers concerned about human consumption. It presents successful projects and strategies that can be implemented in their own universities to make their students' consumption more sustainable.

To increase interest in chemical engineering and introduce non-traditional chemical engineering fields to high school women, an outreach activity focused on the biomedical applications of polymers was developed. Surveys given to students before and after the activity demonstrated greater agreement with the statements "I am interested in chemical engineering" and "Chemical engineers help people" after the activity. Additionally, there was better alignment between students' aspirations and chemical engineering as a result of the activity.

This STEM research project asks middle school or high school students to work towards creating ecologically friendly packaging. Packaging that can be composted instead of thrown away and collected in landfills and oceans like plastics. This inquiry uses nanocellulose and focuses on water permeability. The fibers of nanocellulose can be dried to make a rather strong and thin film, but due to the spaces between the fibers the film is too water permeable and therefore makes poor packaging materials on its own. Students will create nanocellulose composite films with other biodegradable materials, in an attempt to fill the inter-fiber microscopic spaces and create a new film that can be easily tested for water permeability. Students set up a straightforward science experiment with films, water, and mason jars. They will collect and graph data to determine if their nanocellulose composite films reduce water permeability compared to plain nanocellulose and how close they are to the present standard, plastic. This research is an amalgam of disciplinary core ideas like properties and states of matter, as well as a combination of science and engineering practices. It ignites students' curiosity, provides an organic path to science fair extensions, while also helping to cultivate future scientists, engineers, and environmental activists.

We implemented research-based learning (RBL) as an alternative to traditional frontal classroom lectures and laboratory sessions to impart knowledge on the emerging topic of microplastics in soil to students. The RBL module aimed at studying how microplastics (MPs) affect soil processes. We designed low-cost, small-scale and simple experiments for master's students in Environmental Engineering at the Hamburg University of Technology. Students reported a clear understanding of concepts underlined by their presentation of the results and enthusiasm towards future exploration for their master's or doctoral projects evidenced by a number of students carrying out research projects in the same field after finishing the module. The experiments were consequently published as an online learning module with the Hamburg Open Online University, to make them accessible for other students. The recent push in the education sector to include innovative teaching and learning methodologies offers new opportunities for RBL that are practical and replicable learning experiences that foster students' research and problem-solving skills in areas of chemical, soil physics and environmental engineering fields.

In a small village in the Ecuadorian Andes called Racar, plastics are intimately woven into social and ecological structures. These entanglements move beyond human control and generate toxic dependencies between humans, plastics, and others. This requires a pedagogical shift in how early childhood educators understand and respond to plastics. Drawing on field research with educators in Racar, this paper attempts to interrupt human-centric discourses of the child as separate from Andean ecologies and resituates childhoods as differentially embedded in complex place relations.

This study investigated how modeling in chemistry affect second language learners' descriptions of polymeric concepts. The aim was to investigate how chemistry discussions mediated by representations, contribute to second language students' development in the language of chemistry. The study took place in three multilingual upper secondary classes. Participating students were (n = 16) second language learners and (n = 14) first language learners. There were in total eight different first languages represented. Data comprised polymeric concept descriptions, audio recordings, and photos taken during modeling. The concept descriptions were analyzed by an inductive content analysis which was then used for a deductive analysis of the modeling-activity. The results show that 65% of second language learners' concept descriptions showed an increased clarity, and 45% showed increased use of chemical concepts after the modeling-activity. This study highlights how students in a multilingual context develop their language of chemistry by discussing chemistry scaffolded by representations. The results show that second language learners in a multilingual context benefited from the modeling-activity. As such, the study acknowledges that modeling contexts can be used in teacher education, both in-service and pre-service, to highlight the importance of the role of representations when teaching in the multilingual context.

The Council of the European Union recalls that higher education plays a fundamental role in shaping the future of Europe. Therefore, curricula are required to take into account the competences demanded by the job market so that future workers can effectively undertake their professional activities and form part of an active, responsible, ecological, sustainable, and resilient society. Ocean i3 is a cross-border project with the aim of achieving sustainability in the oceans by training students to become environmentally concerned and responsible professionals. This study explores the perception of students and teachers regarding their participation in Ocean i3 and their understanding of employability. A qualitative methodological approach has been used, based on a case study in which semi-structured interviews have been carried out and the Elevator Pitch presentation technique has been applied. Nine students and four teachers from the University of the Basque Country and the University of Bordeaux have been interviewed. The results highlight the importance of the participants' first contact with the project, the need to be explicit regarding competences that favour employability during the development of the experience, and the need to increase and reinforce internships at social entities located in the territory. It is concluded that the project should focus more explicitly on the concept of employability to raise students' awareness of the impact that their current participation in Ocean i3 can have on their professional future and insertion in the workplace.

There are many environmental issues surrounding the global production and use of plastics. Three science curricula (Grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8) were developed to introduce youth to the past, present, and future of plastics. Designed using research-based methods and grounded in effective science pedagogy, the curricula provide young people opportunities to explore viable alternatives to plastics and develop knowledge and skills necessary to help mitigate environmental impacts associated with the production, use and disposal of plastics. Evaluation results demonstrated that youth improved their understanding of polymers and intention to help reduce impacts of plastics on the environment.

Polymer Chemistry is a subject in the Chemistry Programs, student have a natural curiosity about polymeric materials, that we use in our everyday activities. Our proposal is to apply cooperative learning in the Interfacial polymerization of Nylon 6,10 experimentation. The specific objectives of our project can be summarized as: To identify the origin of the raw materials used for industrial synthesis, to become acquainted with the most important processes used for the synthesis, To identify the most important variables related with the control of the polymerization process, To correlate the physical chemical properties with the final applications of this material. The reader will find in the text a series of questions that will make him reflect--so-called complementary activities-- promoting the development of competences complementary ones based on research exercises. Through to synthesize unsupported membranes of Nylon 6,10 by unstirred interfacial step polymerization of hexamethylene diamine (HMDA) and sebacoyl chloride. To observe the quality of the nylon film produced as a function of the rate of removal and of the concentrations of diamine and diacid chloride in their respective phases. The reader will find in the text a series of questions that will make him reflect--so-called complementary activities--promoting the development of competences complementary ones based on research exercise

This study investigated students' meaning-making of polymeric concepts during modelling and discuss students' creation of visible representations in chemistry. The analysis combines a phenomenographic and social semiotic approach and leads to the finding and description of 21 different meaning-making processes. We refer to meaning-making as the outcome of translative communication through representations, discerned by students, where the collective meaning of created representations that build on each other constitutes the meaning as a whole. The study took place in three Swedish upper secondary chemistry classes. Data were collected from eight groups of 3-4 students (n = 30). Video, audio recordings and photos taken during modelling were analysed to investigate students' meaning-making during the modelling process. The results show translative changes between and within semiotic resources, indicating meaning for students' learning of polymeric concepts. Additionally, the representations produced during modelling were essential resources connecting the submicro and macro levels by creating a 'bridge' between levels. The results show that the modelling activities practised by all groups were multimodal. The study acknowledges that teachers can use the social semiotic lens as a tool to evaluate students' modelling in addition to the importance of translative processes during modelling.

Universities are undertaking transformation projects that align their work with the Sustainable Development Goals. This paper describes how Ocean I3, an educational innovation project that aims to reduce plastic in the sea, has made an impact on its community over its three editions (2018/19 to 2020/21). Methodologically, it has been approached by the people who make up the technical team and academic coordination as an exploratory study using discrete, non-reactive techniques, mainly from the public domain (websites, blogs, press releases, etc.), and instruments, such as field notes and work material to manage, organize, and train within the project. The analytical procedure has represented a dynamic and systematic process of categorisation. The results highlight the repercussion of the project in terms of capstone projects, master's thesis, coursework, etc., produced by the students involved; association with employability; collaborative work from the teaching teams; monitoring experience for research purposes, and social dissemination of the project. It concludes by suggesting lines for Ocean I3 to work on in the future to make its footprint sustainable in institutions over time.

National efforts to reform undergraduate education have highlighted the need to relate abstract concepts in biology to real-world examples, especially for non-majors who may undervalue scientific processes. We therefore decided to introduce a module titled "Climate Change, Sustainable Practices and Plastic Pollution," utilizing such high-impact practices as service-learning. This module involved connecting the course objectives with three hours of community service. Our mixed-methods approach across two different course iterations (n=117) indicated that at the end of the course, non-majors were significantly more likely to agree with all the statements on an open-ended pre- and post-survey about civic engagement and sustainable practices, as adapted from Dauer and Forbes (2016). Focus group and free response data confirmed that students valued service-learning and connected the experience to both learning objectives and their everyday lives. We therefore recommend service-learning as an active engagement tool to teach concepts related to global climate change and environmental pollution.

A case study entitled 'New Age Atlantis or Mysterious Seventh Continent' was developed as an exemplar model to show how the teaching methods and themes of Global Education (GE) can be used in geography lessons. The main intent of this article is to share an example of good practice about the use of this case study in geography lessons in Czechia. The aim of the study was twofold: to develop an understanding about how plastics contribute to ocean pollution, as a serious and current ecological topic in Global Education; as well as to show how the characteristics and movement of ocean water are related to the topic of ocean pollution. The main research goal was to study how pupils were able to put their skills and knowledge in practice by fulfilling the objective of the teaching activity -- to understand global ocean pollution. The teaching activity is based on methods which develop principles of critical thinking, learning by living, brainstorming, discussion, and group teaching. The teaching activity also allows for cross-curricular links to occur between school geography and other subjects including biology, physics, civic education, ecological education, and personal and social education. The teaching activities for the 'New Age Atlantis' case study is aimed at pupils aged between 12 to 15 years. The case study results confirm that as pupils collaborate and communicate with their peers and teachers, they learn to critically accept the opinions of others and, at the same time, to defend their own opinions. All of the pupils were able to understand and recognize the problem at hand.

Four distinct plastics recycling projects created by middle school students emerged from a one-week long plastics recycling activity incorporated within a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) residential summer camp at a research-intensive university. The plastics recycling activity was a project-based learning (PBL) activity facilitated by STEM experts in geometry, architecture, and materials science. Specific instruction involving mathematics and science concepts was provided to emphasize content-specific knowledge related to plastics recycling. A rubric was applied and used to determine evidence of learning manifested in participants' final presentations. Participants' final presentations demonstrated mixed results in terms of student learning outcomes, but indicated that campers demonstrated a clear sense of social environmental awareness and responsibility toward recycling plastics.

We designed a hands-on laboratory exercise to demonstrate why injecting an aqueous polymer solution into an oil reservoir (commonly known as "polymer flooding") enhances oil production. Students are split into three groups of two to three. Each group is assigned to a packed Hele-Shaw cell pre-saturated with oil, our laboratory model of an oil reservoir, and is given an aqueous solution of known polymer concentration to inject into the model reservoir to "push" the oil out. At selected intervals, students record the oil produced, take photos of the cell using their smartphones, and demarcate the invading polymer front on an acetate sheet. There is ample time for students to observe the experiments of other groups and compare the different flow patterns that arise from different polymer concentrations. Students share their results with other groups at the end of the session, which require effective data presentation and communication. Both the in-session tasks and data sharing require team work. While this experiment was designed for a course on "Enhanced Oil Recovery" for final year undergraduate and MSc students in petroleum engineering, it can be readily adapted to courses on groundwater hydrology or subsurface transport by selecting different test fluids.

Buckminsterfullerene (C[subscript 60]), along with diamond and graphite, appears in many chemistry textbooks as an example of an allotrope of carbon. This communication describes a hands-on activity to explore the characteristic structure of C[subscript 60] through the construction of a structural model using transistors and plastic tubes (heat-shrink and silicone). Transistors resemble sp[superscript 2] carbons when their three electrodes are spread 120° in relation to each other. The heat-shrink tube is suitable for connecting thin electrodes of transistors. By connecting 60 transistors using 90 precut plastic tubes, a C[subscript 60] model can be built that costs about 2.1 USD. This activity was carried out with nonchemistry majors using a remote lecture system. The participants enjoyed constructing their C[subscript 60] models and were challenged to estimate the diameter of an actual C[subscript 60] molecule using the models that they had built.

Comprehensive curricula are described for middle and high school classrooms built around the synthesis of biodegradable calcium alginate capsules prepared from food-safe chemicals. Experiments and activities question whether calcium alginate capsules are a viable alternative to single-use water bottles and consider what characteristics are required to become commercially successful. Students prepare calcium alginate capsules using sodium alginate and calcium lactate and observe the physical properties of the fluid-filled pod. In the high school curriculum, capsules using alternative group 2 cation salts are made and compared qualitatively to the calcium alginate capsules. After exploring the capsules, students work collaboratively to design an inquiry experiment. The high school curriculum offers extensions such as analyzing a related literature article and creating professional research posters on their inquiry experiments. The middle school curriculum includes a scaffolded introduction on the topics of renewable vs nonrenewable resources and introduces simple polymer definitions and the concept of cross-linking through use of models. Both curricula align with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) around designing solutions to modern problems and carrying out investigations. Additionally, the experiment is ideal for safe, remote-learning instruction. Overarching connections between science and society are highlighted through the global plastics problem, and potential solutions are presented using the green chemistry principles of renewable feedstocks, design for degradation, and less hazardous chemical synthesis.

This experiment introduces undergraduate organic chemistry students to analysis and interpretation of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra through characterization of postconsumer plastics. Students use FTIR spectra to identify and differentiate the common recyclable polymer resins #1-6: polyethylene terephthalate (PETE), polyethylene (HDPE or LDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), or polystyrene (PS). They then use an FTIR spectrometer with an attenuated total reflectance (ATR) accessory to investigate a self-sourced plastic container, including closures and labels, to identify the resins that compose its various components. Through these activities, students familiarize themselves with the collection and interpretation of IR spectra, a skill they subsequently use throughout the semester in the organic chemistry laboratory. Students' findings often show that a single-use container can be made up of three or more different polymer resins. This experiment has important practical applications for the sorting of plastic resins using IR-based technology in modern recycling facilities. For example, IR sensors used for automatic sorting cannot penetrate shrink-wrapped full-body sleeve labels to identify the container below, which confounds the automatic sorting processes that make plastic recycling economically viable. This experiment could also be implemented in an environmental chemistry course, ideally in conjunction with a field trip to a local recycling facility.

NMR spectroscopy is a powerful spectroscopic tool that not only allows the determination of structures after synthesis, as usually explained to students of Organic Chemistry, but also is useful in many other fields such as medicine imaging, real-time industrial processes, material sciences, or metabolomics. In this experiment, students performed a ring-opening polymerization (ROP) reaction in the laboratory and, then, collected a series of 1D NMR spectra with the aim of determining the tacticity of the polymers formed and their number-average molecular weight. The deconvolution of [superscript 1]H and [superscript 13]C NMR experimental data was central in their learning process, and the consistence of the results obtained was validated within the literature. This exercise gave students skills on polymerization reaction processes, instrumental analysis, and determination and interpretation of NMR spectra in the use of deconvolution procedures along with the critical evaluation of the obtained results.

The knowledge of the mechanical properties of polymers and other materials is essential for several tasks in the field of materials science, like component design and material development. The tensile test is one method of determining many of the material's most defining mechanical characteristics. However, the teaching of laboratory experiments can be difficult when it needs to be incorporated into online-based education. This study presents a teaching concept that leads students on an online learning platform through the execution of the tensile test with educational videos, handouts, and an interactive desktop app. The app allows to simulate tensile tests of currently 79 materials at various testing temperatures and to compare their properties. Students can learn from exploring the different materials and are also able to extend the app's database for their personal use. Learning progress was evaluated with tests before and after the teaching unit, which significantly increased the achieved score afterward. Further results from a survey of the participating students indicate that they appreciate the online-based teaching concept and that the prepared learning tools motivated them to deal with the subject matter.

The CLEAR lab is an interdisciplinary plastic pollution laboratory whose methods foreground humility and good land relations. In this interview, María Fernanda Yanchapaxi and Eve Tuck speak with CLEAR lab founder, Max Liboiron, and co-investigators, Katherine Crocker and Deondre Smiles. Together, they explore Indigenous perspectives on climate change and outline the problems with how Western education thinks about it. Our guests question individualism in the understandings of and responses to climate change and reveal the importance of dismantling individual saviour complex perspectives embedded in educational approaches. Our guests invite educators to reflect on and redefine the values at the core of their practice and seek new ways to act on them.

Research in plastic and visual education covers a wide variety of topics and problems of inquiry. My objective was to identify and analyze the research in this discipline from the past decade on Web of Science; to describe the significant scientific production; and to detect thematic lines, approaches, and models. A mixed method was applied, involving network analysis, scientific mapping, the visualization of similarities, and visual analysis techniques in a structured four-phase design. The analyses allowed me to explore the objectives by establishing a map of the state of the field, with four thematic lines, nine approaches, and eight research methodologies. I found an increase in scientific production in the past 3 years, which revealed a focus on the discipline's traditional issues, such as evaluation and educational processes, an emphasis on the educational approach over the artistic one, and an absence of significant coauthorship networks.

The active participation of citizens in scientific research, through citizen science, has been proven successful. However, knowledge on the potential of citizen science within formal chemistry learning, at the conceptual and procedural levels, remains insufficiently explored. We developed a citizen science project -- PVC: Perceiving the Value of Chemistry behind water and microplastics -- which sought to involve students in monitoring the physicochemical parameters of coastal water quality, through the detection of microplastics in these waters, in addition to the qualitative identification of plastic contaminants on beaches. The project was conducted throughout the 2018/2019 school year and involved 442 middle school students (Key Stage 3 (KS3) aged 12-14, in Portuguese schools) and 9 chemistry teachers, in the northern coastal region of Portugal. The data on learning outcomes was collected through knowledge tests, applied after project conclusion, and was then compared to data collected up to six months later (retention test). In addition, interviews were conducted with participants, and researchers' field notes were recorded and analyzed. Data analysis suggests the PVC project promoted conceptual chemistry learning related to the analysis of physicochemical water parameters (pH, temperature, turbidity, salinity, nitrate and nitrite concentrations and dissolved oxygen), as well as polymers (polymer types, formation and structure). A positive knowledge retention was registered a few months after the project conclusion. At a process level, participants learned laboratory techniques (sieving, gravity and reduced pressure filtrations and crystallization) and the handling of laboratory materials. Furthermore, teachers recognized that their students' participation in the PVC project fostered the development of their argumentation skills, as well as their reflexive and critical thinking skills. The ability to communicate ideas and results, along with the development of students' digital skills, was also mentioned.

This article considers a series of ideas disturbing the conventional wisdom that decrees education an essential force in saving the world. Taking Morton's descriptions of hyperobjects seriously, we consider his radical idea that the world has ended amidst the eco-political depredations of the Anthropocene. Accordingly, we claim that education in modernity most properly belongs - materially and ideologically - with technological enframing and the rise of biopower. In other words, what is taken almost universally as the sacred realm of education is, in fact, a contributory factor in the global eco-ontological crisis. Morton describes global warming, plastics and nuclear arsenals as hyperobjects: viscous, nonlocal entities that exist in temporal and spatial planes vastly different from our own immediate worlds. They are the threatening, difficult to access entities that express the Anthropocene. While most will propose that education will be vital in combating looming ecological apocalypse, we consider that education is a hyperobject itself. Education, we opine, is aligned with the forces and conditions that have generated the present crisis. This is because education embodies the same qualities as the hyperobjects of modernity; according to any rigorous historical ontology, education as we know it must be seen as the most extensive expression of a dangerous biopower that is beyond control. If this position is to be taken seriously, education is not merely impotent in combatting ecological catastrophe, but is a key apparatus supporting the Anthropocene. Education is thus another element of the end of the world.

This article develops an emergentist theory of children's agency. To make this claim, it first identifies the following two predicaments that scholars have faced in children's agency research: (1) social ambiguity in distinguishing children's learning from adults' guidance; and (2) causal uncertainty between children's cognitive development and the affordance of their social contexts. Then, this article discusses "tedate," a type of instructional scaffolding that uses these predicaments to foster agency in classrooms. It explains "tedate" through a two-step process: (1) situating students as liminal beings who use everyday objects as a heuristic for solving problems and a pivot to enter imaginary worlds; and (2) developing students' reflexivity by helping them articulate everyday objects as signs of their literacy. In doing so, this article puts forth an emergentist theory that argues "tedate" helps children develop their capacity for agency by introducing everyday objects in subject lessons that build their reflexivity and literacies.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many universities have switched to online learning platforms, which inhibits engineering students from completing formative hands-on experiments. To address this, we developed at-home experiments for an undergraduate biomaterials course. These inquiry-based learning experiments were well received by students and resulted in positive learning gains by pre/post-test assessment. These results motivate the use of similar experiments to remotely teach engineering concepts to wider audiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

The social dimension of chemistry is relevant and present in numerous socio-scientific issues, for example, the use of plastics. These issues can be covered at school by implementing strategies such as role-playing, which allow different perspectives to be understood, thereby helping to promote changes in attitude. This paper presents a pilot-study about the design and results obtained in the role-playing game "Should we ban single-use plastics?", which covers the problem of plastics in a secondary school chemistry class by way of argumentation and decision making. Role-playing allows students to represent the viewpoints of different important actors in this area both in favor of a ban on their use (fisherman, environmental scientist, teenager, biodegradable material manufacturer) and against (manufacturer of disposable surgical products, teenager, worker in a plastic cutlery factory, director of an oil company). This role-playing was implemented virtually for a class of grade-8 school students (secondary schoolers in Spain). The main findings include the promotion of learning about the chemical aspects of plastics and the change in attitude of some students regarding this issue after preparing and using arguments and counterarguments based on scientific evidence in a debate. Role-playing is well received by students and helps them to experience positive emotions. Students were found to be very critical of the issue addressed, and the COVID-19 pandemic appeared to affect their decisions.

Approaching elective courses and courses on special topics in Chemistry can seem daunting at times, given the varied backgrounds of the students, together with the broad nature of topics. Often, institutions may give incentives for creating sustainability related course offerings, but knowing where to start and how to organize the information presents a challenge, as can tailoring the content and organization to the diverse experiences, interests, and majors of the students. Herein is described a layout to simplify such an endeavor as well as a sample organization of content and representative activities of an interdisciplinary course entitled "Perspectives on Plastic". The proposed curricular structure comprises two key components: a systems-based approach and unique, spiral-like scaffolding of material. The systems-influence allows for students to make real-world connections to the material being taught in class, while the spiraling structure of how material is taught provides students with meaningful connections between individual concepts by cycling back to the same content areas with more comprehensive knowledge each time. Combined, these curricular aspects foster a deeper, more fulfilling understanding of a scientific topic by creating a network of interconnected themes and ideas.

In the present study, we conducted analyses of artwork that represents elements from the natural and man-made environment and established their compliance with the real world. We also present a comparative approach of young schoolchildren's artwork, having the landscape and other environment elements as a main theme. The research took place throughout the 2015-2016 school year, on a representative sample of 20 pupils from Romania, participants in the eTwinning programme. We used the flipped classroom learning strategy in order to introduce the pupils to the Impressionist plastic art form of expression. The teaching experiment included five stages: initial testing, studying a tutorial at home, practicing painting techniques in the classroom, getting feedback from the teachers, and final assessment. We analysed the pupils' artwork from the point of view of framing in the plastic theme. We have taken into account the sub-criteria: to observe the norms of the artistic movement, the chosen technique, the type of chosen tool/material, and the manner of brush strokes.

The current study aimed at plasticizing contemporary artworks by activating the formal and denotative significances of the logo of NEOM through the concept of abstract art. To achieve the study objectives, participants were asked to plasticize contemporary artworks using multiple-sized canvas, several coloring materials, a computer and some software as a technological medium, and high-quality printer papers to activate the significances of the logo of NEOM. Abstract artworks were displayed and analyzed in the light of activating the formal and denotative significances of the logo of NEOM. The author follows the descriptive approach and the quasi-experimental approach. The experiment was applied to female students in the Arts Lab at Umm Al-Qura University in 2018/ 1439H. The experiment yielded the ability of activating the logo of NEOM in artworks (plastic works), combining the significances of the logo of NEOM and abstract art produces unusual artworks, plastically activating the logo of NEOM resulted in enriching the aesthetic value of artworks, and formal and denotative significances of the logo of NEOM enrich plastic arts especially abstract works. The author recommends keeping up with contemporary progress and events and inspiring plastic artworks from the reality around the artist.

The widespread use and irresponsible disposal of single-use plastic shopping bags are posing a significant threat to environmental sustainability. The use of non-plastic reusable shopping bags (NPRSBs) is being promoted in several jurisdictions to avert this challenge. However, this form of pro-environmental behaviour is failing to embed among consumers in emerging markets. This study therefore examines the factors influencing the behaviour of using NPRSBs among consumers, using a modified theory of planned behaviour. Data were collected from 487 South African consumers using a structured questionnaire and were analysed using structural equation modelling. The results identified 'attitudes' and 'personal norms' as the building blocks for the formation of pro-reusable shopping bags use intentions, which, in turn, influence actual behaviour. The findings also pointed to the need to foster the development of descriptive norms related to the use of NPRSBs in order to enhance mainstream use. Accordingly, this study recommends the use of rational and norm-based strategies to stimulate the behaviour of using NPRSBs.

This study aimed to explore the relationships between situational and psychological factors and Hong Kong citizens' plastic waste management (PWM) intentions based on an extended theory of planned behaviour model with situational factors. A total of 996 Hong Kong permanent residents were surveyed, and data were analysed using structural equation modelling. The results revealed that situational factors had a direct and positive effect on PWM intention, but also affected PWM intention indirectly through their significant effects on attitude and perceived behavioural control regarding PWM. The implications for environmental education and policy are discussed.

This paper illustrates a year-long case study investigating in-service teachers' needs and mentor's practices in implementing cutting-edge research science topics as nanotechnology and plastics in the ocean in primary education. In a Community of Learners design and with the support of a mentor, ten primary teachers implemented in 6th grade students a teaching-learning sequence either on "Nanotechnology Applications" or on "Plastics--bane of the ocean." Data were mainly collected by audio-recordings of the training meetings. The results give insights in primary teachers' needs when implementing such topics and mentor's practices in order to support them in this endeavor. Specifically, they indicate increased teacher needs on instructional strategies of approaching cutting-edge research topics. These needs were covered by the mentor employing a wide range of practices, mostly by directly guiding and modeling the conduction of activities.

Teaching chemistry without access to a traditional laboratory space is an ongoing challenge that has become especially relevant because of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. While several remote learning options exist for covering general chemistry concepts (including kitchen-based experiments, online modules, and virtual reality), few options provide opportunities for hands-on learning about the chemistry of synthetic polymer materials. Here, we offer remote learning modules that use household adhesives as a platform for teaching polymer chemistry outside of the laboratory. These modules are designed for students who have taken at least one semester of organic chemistry and have varied hands-on time commitments, ranging from 2 to 10 total hours each. Concepts covered include polymer synthesis, intermolecular interactions, thermomechanical properties, structure-function relationships, and molecular design. The experiments described in these modules also give students a chance to practice research-relevant skills such as searching for primary literature sources, fabricating test samples, explaining unexpected experimental results, and revising experimental procedures to improve methodologies. Ultimately, these modules provide educators with an additional tool for teaching experimental chemistry outside of the laboratory.

As the number of jobs in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) workforce grows exponentially, there has never been a more important time to provide students with real-world learning opportunities that have 21st century implications. Measuring things that matter is a fundamental skill that formulates the backbone of many concepts across all STEM disciplines. Even though measurement underpins countless situations in everyday life, the concept is rarely taught in a manner that connects to the broader community. Unfortunately, when measurement is taught without context, students may struggle to make sense of the numbers and units involved (Farmer et al., 2015). The science innovation discussed in this paper, achieves authenticity by adding personal value to developing measurement as a skill. The overarching focus is to engage students through the study of how wasting perishable food links to plastic wastage. Contextualising the innovation and taking measurements of an everyday issue aligns students' personal experiences with perishable food freshness (Sengupta et al., 2019). Considering the broader community also ties the end users to measurements made, data collected, and research conducted. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how students may develop measurement skills when teaching science through the consideration of a prevalent community issue.

This article describes low-cost well plates that can be used as alternative kits for microscale experiments. Although ordinary well plates are useful and convenient for microscale experiments, they are not cheap. We have developed well plates composed of plastic bottle caps with approximately 3cm diameter and cardboard containers. Plastic bottle caps are capable of holding many chemicals, and they resist concentrated aqueous acidic, basic and salt solutions. Their containers are made from cardboard (0.45mm in thickness), and the production cost per container is 1/60 to 1/45 of the price of an ordinary 12-well plastic plate. Moreover, both plastic bottle caps and cardboard containers are reusable.

Polymer chemistry is essential within chemical education because of its applications in academic and industrial research, materials science, and across engineering disciplines. Teaching polymer chemistry principles early on in the undergraduate curriculum allows students to find connections between chemistry and real-world applications and can promote interest in science and scientific research. Performing laboratory experiments on polymers is of equal importance when integrating polymer concepts into undergraduate-level lectures. There are several widely utilized lab demonstrations on polymer synthesis, characterization, and applications, yet more, easy-to-handle experiments are needed that connect polymers to organic reactions, spectroscopy, and sustainability, especially in a virtual setting. This virtual experiment was designed to incorporate the synthesis of high sulfur-content polymers into the general chemistry laboratory during the pandemic. Teaching assistants (TAs) performed the experiments and collected the necessary data and observations for students. Video recordings of the polymerization reactions, reaction times, and collages of digital images depicting reaction progress (viscosity and color changes) are provided to students. During a single 2-3-h virtual lab meeting, students watch the lab videos, read the student handout and a research paper, and discuss the results and observations with their peers and lab TAs. The lab experiment demonstrates the interdependence of general chemistry learning objectives including chemical bonding, radicals, reaction kinetics, thermodynamics, stoichiometric calculations, and spectroscopy. In addition, this virtual experiment introduces undergraduate students to polymer chemistry, encourages them to look beyond the textbooks and lecture resources by using literature articles, and connects general chemistry concepts with upper-level chemistry classes. Post lab survey results show that students find the video recordings and group discussions on the polymerization reactions very helpful in understanding a new concept within a virtual distant-learning environment.