Resources for Students and Teachers

Chemistry and Physics Classroom Shows and Field Trips

Science can be fun! The Mallouk group would like to bring a hands-on chemistry or physics show to your classroom. We have developed different 45-90 minute shows for several grade levels: light and color (K-1), magnets (1-2), acid base chemistry (2-3), energy changes (4-5), periodic properties (6-8), and fuel cells (11-12), so that students who progress through the grades at a particular school can see different sets of demonstrations each year. These shows have been designed at the request of teachers in the Centre region; we would be glad to design a new show around a topic that meets the needs of your class. Our shows are free of charge and involve the assistance of graduate and undergraduate students in the research group, as well as collaboration with other Penn State Chemistry and Physics faculty. The same students assist with field trips of elementary school classes to our laboratory, manning stations that expose children to microscopy, chromatography, fluorescence, polymerization, and other chemical concepts in a fun, hands-on manner. Please talk to us about a show or visit to our laboratory at 814-863-9367 or email Tom Mallouk at tom@chem.psu.edu.

Summer Science Camps and Research Experiences

The Eberly College of Science at Penn State offers 1-week summer camps for students entering grades 5-8 under the aegis of the Action Potential science program. Students in our group have developed curricular material for these camps, and they frequently serve as Action Potential mentors. Some of the most popular camps in recent years have been Penn State Crime Scene Investigators, Mission to Mars, and (in our Harry Potter series) Wizard Mechanics, Potions, and The Adventure of the Apprentice's Stone. Please visit the Action Potential website to find out more.

The Mallouk group also participates in summer Teacher Workshops and in the Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program through the Penn State Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC). The RET program is a great way to get involved in frontier materials research and at the same time develop curricular materials for your classroom. Fellowships are available to support participants in these programs. For more information, visit the MRSEC Teacher Resources .

Science Museum Shows

As part of the MRSEC, graduate and undergraduate students in the group have collaborated with the Franklin Institute (a science museum in Philadelphia) to develop experiments on polymers, zeolites, and optical display materials for "Materials Matter," a museum show that is now being presented at 20 science museums around the country. The theme of "Materials Matter" is to provide a hands-on connection between atomic-scale models and the macroscopic properties of materials. For example, we use balls of different sizes and egg cartons to illustrate ion exchange equilibria in zeolites, and then show the exchange of colored ions in real zeolite samples to explain their use as water softeners. A second hands-on museum show centered on concepts in nanobiology, "Zoom in on Life" was launched in 21 science museums in 2005. A third show on the applications of nanotechnology is currently in the development stage. Students who are interested in getting involved in developing these shows should visit the MRSEC Museum Shows.