Learning about states of matter is fun and exciting when students, acting as water molecules, role-play moving from a solid to a liquid to a gas. The 5-E lesson plan model provides the framework for this activity, ensuring that students actively engage in inquiry science while creatively constructing knowledge. (Contains 2 figures.)

A thin-layer fuel cell is described that is simple and easy to set up and is particularly useful for teaching and classroom demonstrations. The cell is both an electrolyzer and a fuel cell and operates using a thin layer of electrolyte with a thickness of approximately 127 micrometers and a volume of approximately 40 microliters. As an…

Easily recoverable, thumb-sized pieces of high-density dry ice are conveniently produced by deposition of carbon dioxide within a test tube submerged in liquid nitrogen. A carbon dioxide-filled balloon sealed over the mouth of the test tube serves as a gas reservoir, and further permits a dramatic demonstration of both the gas-to-solid phase…

In these two classroom demonstrations, students observe the reaction between H[subscript 2] gas and Pd foil. In the first demonstration, hydrogen and palladium combine within one minute at 1 atm and room temperature to yield the non-stoichiometric, interstitial hydride with formula close to the maximum known value, PdH[subscript 0.7]. In the…

The value teachers put on university-based outreach activities designed for 14-16 year olds that involves both practical and lecture activities are discussed. A variety of good reasons for attending are provided by the teachers but the role of a School Teacher Fellow in mapping the events to the curriculum is shown to be vital to the success of…