This lesson was developed through a grant from the Battelle STEM Grant Program.
Title: Polymers
Grade level: 4th Grade
Objectives: Students will gain knowledge of polymers and how they are useful.
Students will investigate the conservation of matter by conducting an
experiment with a super absorber made of polymers.
Ohio’s New Learning Standards
Science - The total amount of matter is conserved when it undergoes a change.
(Electricity, Heat and Matter)
Science – Changes in an organism’s environment are sometimes beneficial to its
survival and sometimes harmful. (Earth’s Living History)
English Language Arts - Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound
correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and
affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of
context. (RF 4.3a)
English Language Arts - Interpret information presented visually, orally, or
quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or
interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information
contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears. (RI 4.7)
English Language Arts - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic
and convey ideas and information clearly. (W 4.2)
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This lesson was developed through a grant from the Battelle STEM Grant Program.
21st Century Skills
Collaboration
Creativity
Communication
Critical Thinking
Pre visit: What is a Polymer?
Materials:
Dictionary (at least one per group)
2 batches of cooked spaghetti noodles
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1 batched cooked with a few drops of oil to prevent noodles
from sticking to one another
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1 batched cooked with very little stirring to get the noodles
tangled within each other
Procedure:
1.) Write the word “Polymers” up on the board. Ask students to discuss in
their groups what this word means or what they think it might mean.
(21st Century Skill: Collaboration)
2.) Discuss as a whole class what groups came up with for a meaning.
Students might not have any familiarity with the word polymers.
3.) Ask students what we can do when we do not know the definition of a
term.
4.) In groups, have students use dictionaries to lookup the definition of
“polymer”. (American Heritage Dictionary – any of numerous natural
and synthetic compounds of usually high molecular weight consisting
of up to millions of repeated linked units, each a relatively light and
simple molecule.”
5.) Explain to the class that sometimes a definition can be difficult to
understand. Another way definitions can be determined is if the word
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This lesson was developed through a grant from the Battelle STEM Grant Program.
is broken up into smaller parts. The word Polymers it can be broken
down into two separate parts: poly and mere.
6.) Write the following definitions on the board for the two parts:
a. Poly – many
b. Mere – parts
7.) Ask groups to construct a new meaning for the word “Polymers”. What
would these look like?
8.) Discuss ideas with the whole class. Explain polymers can be found in
nature (such as wood, metal, and plant fibers) or they can be synthetic
– man made (such as plastic). Students should remember that
polymers are made up of many small units, or molecules.
9.) Complete the below activity as a model for polymer behavior. This
activity can be completed either as a teacher demonstration or within
small groups.
Spaghetti Polymer Model
Polymers consist of flexible, stretchable chains of molecules that repeat over
and over. To get an idea of how polymers behave, you’ll need some
spaghetti. Cook one batch with a few drops of oil to keep the noodles from
sticking together. Try slowly stretching them, and then pull them quickly so
they break. Do you see how the noodles will stretch when slowly pulled and
break when pulled abruptly? Polymers behave in much the same way.
Sometimes polymer chains can get tangled up. This causes the chains to
connect in more than one place, producing a stronger and more elastic
polymer. Try cooking a batch of spaghetti without stirring or adding oil. After
draining the water and waiting about five minutes, pull the tangled mass of
noodles from the pan and try stretching slowly, then abruptly. Did you notice
any differences from the single noodles?
(Activity from http://www.lessonplanet.com/article/elementary-
science/polymer-lesson-plans)
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This lesson was developed through a grant from the Battelle STEM Grant Program.
While at The Works: How are polymers used?
(Activity can be completed as a museum visit or outreach)
Materials:
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Clear plastic cup
Plastic spoon and fork
Water
Small container
Marvel Mystery Oil® (available from Flinn Scientific Inc.) or kerosene
Enviro-Bond® 403 powder (available from Flinn Scientific Inc.)
Paper towel or napkin
Paper plate
Balance or scale
The Power of Polymers - Lab Sheet (attached: 2 lab sheets per page)
Procedure:
1.) Review with students what they have learned about polymers.
2.) Fill half the plastic cup with tap water.
3.) Pour a thin layer of oil in a second plastic cup. Use the scale to weigh the
oil. Students should record on their lab sheet.
4.) Pour the oil into the cup of water. Notice the oil and water separate, with
the oil floating on top of the water. (Ask why the oil floats on the water.
Review that the densities are not the same within oil and water, therefore,
they separate.)
5.) Scoop a small amount of Enviro-Bond 403 and put on a paper towel or
napkin.
6.) Use the scale to measure the weight of the product. Students should
record on their lab sheet.
7.) Sprinkle the Enviro-Bond on top of the oil in the water cup. Watch the
polymer particles absorb all the oil.
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This lesson was developed through a grant from the Battelle STEM Grant Program.
8.) Wait about 3-5 minutes, or until the oil has been absorbed. While
students are waiting they should be making observations on their lab
sheet.
9.) Lift the polymer-oil mixture from the surface the water using the fork
and place on the paper plate.
10.)
11.)
Weigh the mixture and students record on their lab sheet.
Use the following questions for discussion:
a. How does the water in the cup look? Is it clean?
b. Was all the oil removed?
c. What does this remind you of in real life?
(Activity from: http://www.cmu.edu/gelfand/k12-teachers/polymers/polymerand-absorption/oil-spill-cleanup.html )
Post Visit and Assessment: Real World Connection
Materials:
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Technology with Internet Access (per student or group)
Procedure:
1.) Discuss with students how polymers are useful.
2.) Explain to students that polymers can be very helpful in the clean
up process when disasters happen. Below are some of the events
where polymers might have been helpful in the clean up process.
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2010 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
2012 NASCAR Jet Dryer Explosion at Daytona
3.) Ask students to select one of these events to research online.
(Technology) They should understand what happened in the event
and how it was cleaned up.
4.) Students should write up a small written report or create a
brochure to reflect all they have learned about polymers. (21st
Century Skill: Communicating) Writing should answer:
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This lesson was developed through a grant from the Battelle STEM Grant Program.

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What is a polymer?
What are examples of polymers?
How are polymers useful?
Resources
Books for Students
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Plastics and Polymers Science Fair Projects: Using Hair Gel, Soda Bottles,
and Slimy Stuff by Madeline P. Goodstein
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Plastics and Polymers (Everyday Material Science Experiments) by Robert
C. Mebane and Thomas Rybolt
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Basher Science: Chemistry: Getting a Big Reaction by Simon Basher and
Dan Green
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Real Science-4-Kids Chemistry pre-Level 1 by Rebecca W. Keller
DK Eyewitness Books: Oil by John Farndon
Polymers All Around You by Mickey Sarquis
Teacher Resource Books
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150 Captivating Chemistry Experiments by Teacher’s Discovery
150 MORE Captivating Chemistry Experiments by Teacher’s Discovery
Chains of Opportunity by Mark D. Bowles
Useful Wesites:
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Kids’ Macrogalleria http://www.pslc.ws/macrog/kidsmac/
Science Kids at Home
http://www.sciencekidsathome.com/science_topics/amazingpolymers.html
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Blue Sky Science http://www.blueskysci.com/science-stuff/what-arepolymers/
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Teacher Resource http://sciencespot.net/Media/playpolyteacher.pdf
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This lesson was developed through a grant from the Battelle STEM Grant Program.
The Power of Polymers
Name:__________________
(Lab Sheet)
Item
Weight
Oil
Observation Box: What happens to
the oil as the polymer is added? Draw
a picture to show what you observe.
Polymer
Oil and Polymer
Mixture
Name:__________________
The Power of Polymers
Name:__________________
(Lab Sheet)
Item
Oil
Polymer
Weight
Observation Box: What happens to
the oil as the polymer is added? Draw
a picture to show what you observe.
Oil and Polymer
Mixture
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This lesson was developed through a grant from the Battelle STEM Grant Program.
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