Educating and exciting middle school students in chemistry through materials science

CHED 1510

Sherine O. Obare, sobare@uncc.edu, Department of Chemistry and the Nanoscale Science Program, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28223
The twenty-first century requires the training of scientists and engineers in interdisciplinary fields to enable them to address evolving challenges in science and technology. The ability to train future scientists at an early age provides significant promise toward increasing the number of trained students that can tackle various scientific and technological problems. An excellent way to educate students and get them excited about science and chemistry is by choosing exciting experiments that are life-related. Materials science offers a multitude of strategies toward the development of simple yet significant projects for middle school and high school students. We have established exciting experiments that help students understand how chemistry and materials science can lead to significant advances in alternative energy. The projects provide an opportunity for young students to have hands-on learning experiences with instruments used in research laboratories while increasing their skills and understanding of modern scientific technology. These projects not only stimulate students' interest in chemistry, but further demonstrate the relevance of chemistry in everyday life.
 

Research and Education in Material Science
8:30 AM-11:35 AM, Wednesday, April 9, 2008 Hilton New Orleans Riverside -- Rosedown, Oral

Sci-Mix
8:00 PM-10:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Sci-Mix

Division of Chemical Education

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008