NATIONAL CHEMISTRY WEEK 10 -25 -08 Alpha Chi

NATIONAL CHEMISTRY WEEK 10 -25 -08 Alpha Chi Sigma – Epsilon Chapter

Alpha Chi Sigma Lab of Fun The theme for national chemistry week was “Having a Ball with Chemistry. ” To go with this theme we decided to do various sports related activities.

Alpha Chi Sigma Lab of Fun Handouts were made for the parents to take home so they could help the children remember all the activities and what they had learned at the event. To get more children to attend, flyers were handed out at the local elementary schools during the week prior to the event. There were about 75 children between the ages of 2 and 12 that attended the event. These children included professor’s children, boy scout troops, and many other elementary age children. The entire chemistry department at Indiana University participated in this event, not just our chapter.

Extracting iron from breakfast cereal Iron was extracted from Wheaties breakfast cereal to show the children that iron is present in their food. We also took this opportunity to explain the importance of having iron in their daily diet.

Magic Sand The children attending our lab were given the chance to play with Magic sand. This sand is coated in a hydrophobic substance and will stay dry, even when submerged in water. We related this activity to the swimsuits that were recently used in the Olympics.

Playing with Magic Sand

Making Bouncy Balls Our chapter decided to make bouncy balls because we knew it would be fun for the children and we wanted them to have something to take home with them. The balls were made from a glue and borax solution.

Making Bouncy Balls

Making oobleck To add to the fun, we also decided to make oobleck. This is an interesting substance made from corn starch and water that appears liquid but feels solid when touched.

Summary of the event In all fifteen actives (27%) and thirteen pledges (62%) came to help with the event. We all greatly enjoyed helping the children learn new things and perform each activity. Seeing how much the children enjoyed each activity was very rewarding and made all of our hard work worthwhile.