THEY CALL ME SLIME - A.K.A. PLASTIC

Verdell Marie Henderson                    John Calhoun Elementary
3919 W. Flournoy                           2822 W. Adams
Chicago, IL 60624                          Chicago, IL 60612
312-722-7662                               312-265-7540

Objective:

Identifying plastics and it's chemical, physical and reactional changes. (Grade 
levels 3-6) 

Vocabulary:

colorants                      variables
polymers                       precaution
agents                         exothermic
cross-linked                   properties
slime                          plastic
synthetic                      reaction
chemical compound              sensitive
thermoplastic

Materials:

Determine the amount needed according to class size teams of two.
Sodium Borax 4%
Polyvinyl alcohol 4%
tooth picks
10 baby food jars
styrofoam cups
food coloring
pipette or eye droppers

Strategy:

 1. Depending on the grade level, make an imaginary trip out of the class room. 
    Pretend you're at Chem-West in the plastic lab.

 2. Remember to stress THE RULES OF SAFETY.

 3. Put students in teams of two in the imaginary lab.

 4. Inform students that while they were at the company's Orientation Room, the 
    chemist allowed you to make a plastic solution.  But you've forgotten.  WHAT 
    DID I DO?  Solicit their assistance.

 5. Distribute to each group polyvinyl alcohol (4%) and sodium borax (4%) 
    solutions.

 6. With each group ready to proceed, instruct them to count out their drops and 
    for each solution; realizing that their objective is to produce the same 
    product you've produced.

 7. Discuss ratios for charting purposes.

Note: Make sure teams write down what they've observed first.

Evaluation:

 1. Allow each team to chart how many drops of polyvinyl alcohol (4%) and sodium 
    borax they used to get their end product.

 2. What properties in the reaction changed?  Did any?

 3. How did the end product feel?
 
 4. Did the end product have an odor?  What did it smell like?

 5. What were some things you could do with your end product?

 6. What safety precautions did you follow?

 7. How many new vocabulary words were synonyms?

 8. What should you do to end with a plastic product?

Note: Complete overview: Write a descriptive as well as a narrative paragraph of 
      what happened today at the Chem-West labs.