ChemAttitudes

Responding to a call in the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2016 report on Effective Chemistry Communication in Informal Environments, the Museum of Science, Science Museum of Minnesota, and National Informal STEM Education Network, partnered with the American...

The workshop will utilize the resources below and should be viewed in the following order.

Participant Packet – Start here!

This document provides a short overview of what the workshop is and what you’ll be doing. Inside you’ll find information...

Gum and Chocolate is a fun (and gross!) activity in which participants can experience a chemical reaction in their mouths.

This activity involves real gum and real chocolate, which could conflict with your organization's policies around food, allergens, or chokeables...

Atoms to Atoms is an activity that can be used as a engaging game for training facilitators in talking about chemistry and our perceptions around it, or as a longer activity to supplement the hands-on activities in your kit.

Atoms...

"What's in the Water" lets participants use tools to solve a mystery: what chemicals and compounds are in a sample of water. By investigating with a variety of tools and techniques learners understand how chemistry can help us explore, understand...

"Sublimation Bubbles" how some solid materials can sublimate directly into their liquid form. Participants use water to observe dry ice sublimating into gaseous carbon dioxide, and then capture the gas in soapy bubbles.

The "Rocket Reactions" activity is an exciting way to learn about how materials interact, behave, and change. Participants make little baking soda and vinegar "rockets," launching plastic caps into the air, and experimenting to discover the best mix of fuel...

"Nature of Dye" allows participants to create their own dyes and art while exploring how chemicals interact, and how these interactions can have real-world applications. Participants predict, observe, and share what they notice as they experiment with the dye. What's...

"Molecules in Motion" explores how materials behave and change in a vacuum. Participants can experiment with putting various objects in a small vacuum chamber and then observing the objects as air is removed from the chamber. 

The "Chemistry Makes Scents" lets participants use their noses to distinguish between chemicals with very similar structures. Some molecule pairs contain all the same elements, arranged the same way but flipped in a "mirror image." While these chemicals can behave similarly...

Chemistry is Colorful encourages visitors to explore materials through paper chromatography. This process highlights the properties of different pigments blended together in a marker by creating a colorful chromatogram. Can participants solve the mystery of which ink came from which marker? 

"Cleaning Oil Spills with Chemistry" is a longer activity than many of the others in this kit. Participants will learn how different materials interact, and problem-solve to clean up a miniature model "oil spill." Which method (or combination of methods)...

The Let's Do Chemistry "Build a Battery" activity lets participants learn how batteries work and how materials behave, change, and interact by building their own simple battery out of metal and felt washers. They can use their battery to power...

This funny video will help you and your facilitators run activities in a way that encourages participation and positive attitudes towards learning about chemistry.

These materials will help your facilitators run engaging, enjoyable chemistry activities at your event. Facilitator guides for individual activities are included on each activity's NISENet page, but this section includes additional resources for longer or more complex supplementary activities, including Atoms...

These resources will help you and your facilitators run a fun, successful Let's Do Chemistry event and to encourage positive attitudes toward learning chemistry. Included is guide entitled, "Let’s Do Chemistry: A Framework and Strategies to Encourage Positive Attitudes Toward Learning...

Review these materials before training, demonstrating, or facilitating the Let's Do Chemistry activities. See the activity and facilitator guides for additional suggestions and safety tips.

Logos and publicity materials for the American Chemical Society. Remember to consult the ACS style guide before using its logo on any of your event materials!

Sample press photos for creating your own Explore Science: Let's Do Chemistry promotional materials.

Included here are digital copies of promotional materials for your Explore Science: Let's Do Chemistry toolkit. In addition to ready-to-print materials, you will find design files and images for customizing existing materials or creating your own! For customizable materials, be...

Welcome to your Explore Science: Let's Do Chemistry toolkit! This section contains everything you will need to begin planning and promoting your Let's Do Chemistry event. The downloadable planning and promotion guide will walk you through your event. Also included...

Learn more about helpful safety information museum professionals can use in the preparation and implementation of events for the public. This online workshop begins with a focus on chemistry safety in planning for and hosting outreach events such as for the upcoming National Chemistry Week...

Logos and specifications for Explore Science: Let's Do Chemistry in PDF, Adobe Illustrator, JPG, and PNG formats in color and black and white.  Logos are provided in English as well as bilingual in English and Spanish.

Chemistry is all around us and is a part of us, but chemistry is the least represented of the major science fields in science museums and other informal science education media. ChemAttitudes, which is a collaboration between the NISE Network and...