September 2020 | AIChE

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September 2020

Thinking Like a ChemE: Building a Humanitarian Filter

Thinking Like a ChemE: Building a Humanitarian Filter” is a workshop activity that allows students grades 3-8 to think critically while using very basic separation principles to make a water filter from common everyday objects. As background, we ask students to think about the real life application of this exercise: the example we give the students is the victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico who may need a cost efficient water filter from materials they already have. 

Students are divided into teams of 5-7, plus 1 or 2 supervising volunteers per team, depending on the...

Module details
Best-suited audienceArray
Interactive?Yes
Approx. time requirement120 minutes
AIChE community affiliationUniversity of Florida Student Chapter
Approx. # of volunteers10
Recommended audience size40

Audience best suited for module 

Sixth Grade to Eighth Grade (approximately ages 11-14)

Is the module interactive ? (Can students actively participate) 

Yes

Approximate time that the module requires (minutes) 

120.00

AIChE Community Affiliation 

University of Florida Student Chapter

Approximate Budget 

$75

Approximate Number of Volunteers 

10

Recommended Audience Size 

40

Super Slime

Many students are familiar with silly putty and other slime products, however very few understand the science and chemistry that goes into making these products. This activity seeks to educate students on the reaction that creates slime as well as show how the physical properties of the slime change when different proportions of reactants are used. This activity addresses a wide range of topics including physical properties, polymers, and non-Newtonian fluids, as well as introduces students to the Engineering Design Process. 

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Module details
Best-suited audienceArray
Interactive?Yes
Approx. time requirement10 minutes
AIChE community affiliationAIChE at NC State, AICHE Eastern Local Section, Southern Division
Approx. # of volunteers2

Audience best suited for module 

Third Grade to Fifth Grade (approximately ages 8-11)

Is the module interactive ? (Can students actively participate) 

Yes

Approximate time that the module requires (minutes) 

10.00

AIChE Community Affiliation 

AIChE at NC State, AICHE Eastern Local Section, Southern Division

Approximate Budget 

$15

Approximate Number of Volunteers 

2

Racing with Interchangeable Parts

Students are challenged to recreate a tire that is missing from a Lego racecar using measurements that they take.  Students must first measure all of the dimensions of the tire that they need to recreate.  Then the model car and tire will be taken away, and the students will work with Crayola Model Magic clay to recreate the missing tire entirely based on their measurements. The students will then test the fit of their newly created part in the racecar, testing the size and movability of the racecar with their new tire by rolling it down a ramp and (optionally) measuring its...

Module details
Best-suited audienceArray
Interactive?Yes
Approx. time requirement15 minutes
AIChE community affiliationUniversity of New Haven
Approx. # of volunteers2
Recommended audience size12

Audience best suited for module 

Sixth Grade to Eighth Grade (approximately ages 11-14)

Is the module interactive ? (Can students actively participate) 

Yes

Approximate time that the module requires (minutes) 

15.00

AIChE Community Affiliation 

University of New Haven

Approximate Budget 

$82

Approximate Number of Volunteers 

2

Recommended Audience Size 

12

Milk That Turns Into Paint

Make an important adhesive with pigment (paint) based on milk casein, using separation techniques and the functions of conventional materials

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Module details
Best-suited audienceArray
Interactive?Yes
Approx. time requirement30 minutes
AIChE community affiliationUniversidad Nacional Autonoma de Honduras Student Chapter
Approx. # of volunteers5
Recommended audience size50

Audience best suited for module 

Third Grade to Fifth Grade (approximately ages 8-11)

Is the module interactive ? (Can students actively participate) 

Yes

Approximate time that the module requires (minutes) 

30.00

AIChE Community Affiliation 

Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Honduras Student Chapter

Approximate Budget 

$80

Approximate Number of Volunteers 

5

Recommended Audience Size 

50

Liquid Layers

In this module, the interactions between liquids of different densities are shown by placing multiple liquids in a test tube. Each liquid will "isolate" itself from the others, thus showing clear boundaries between different-density liquids! Additionally, solid materials of different weight (paperclip, bottle cap, etc.) will be dropped into the test tube to see how the heavier materials will sink into the liquids with higher densities. 

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Module Topics 

Physics
Module details
TopicsPhysics
Best-suited audienceArray
Interactive?Yes
Approx. time requirement10 minutes
AIChE community affiliationUniversity of Kentucky, Lexington, Student Chapter
Approx. # of volunteers5

Audience best suited for module 

Third Grade to Fifth Grade (approximately ages 8-11)

Is the module interactive ? (Can students actively participate) 

Yes

Approximate time that the module requires (minutes) 

10.00

AIChE Community Affiliation 

University of Kentucky, Lexington, Student Chapter

Approximate Budget 

$30

Approximate Number of Volunteers 

5

Lighting

The Lighting module introduces the concepts of energy and power through a study of light bulbs power consumption. Students determine the power consumption of different light bulb types and compare to the values indicated on the original packaging. Energy consumption is calculated by assuming an average daily usage and energy cost calculated based on current electricity rates. Other aspects of light bulb use are evaluated including: 1) luminosity, 2) dimmability, 3) lifetime, and other factors such as bulb hazards and color. Total cost of illumination is calculated from electricity (...

Module Topics 

Engineering
Module details
TopicsEngineering
Best-suited audienceArray
Interactive?Yes
Approx. time requirement30 minutes
AIChE community affiliationProfessional Member
Approx. # of volunteers2

Audience best suited for module 

Sixth Grade to Eighth Grade (approximately ages 11-14)

Is the module interactive ? (Can students actively participate) 

Yes

Approximate time that the module requires (minutes) 

30.00

AIChE Community Affiliation 

Professional Member

Approximate Budget 

$50

Approximate Number of Volunteers 

2

It's Crystal Clear, This Rocks!

We teach kids about crystallization by making rock candy with them.

 ...

Module Topics 

Material science
Module details
TopicsMaterial science
Best-suited audienceArray
Interactive?Yes
Approx. time requirement10 minutes
AIChE community affiliationUniversity at Buffalo Student Chapter
Approx. # of volunteers2
Recommended audience size20

Audience best suited for module 

Third Grade to Fifth Grade (approximately ages 8-11)
Sixth Grade to Eighth Grade (approximately ages 11-14)
Ninth Grade to Twelfth Grade (approximately ages 14-18)

Is the module interactive ? (Can students actively participate) 

Yes

Approximate time that the module requires (minutes) 

10.00

AIChE Community Affiliation 

University at Buffalo Student Chapter

Approximate Budget 

$80

Approximate Number of Volunteers 

2

Recommended Audience Size 

20

September Joint Meeting - Monty Alger - "Building New Global Learning and Innovation Models"

September 18, 2020
Thursday, September 24, 2020,
6:30pm to 8:00pm
EDT
September Virtual Meeting/Talk: Monty Alger, 2020 AIChE President, will speak on "Building New Global Learning and Innovation Models" on Thursday, September 24th at 6:30pm via Zoom. This meeting is hosted by our neighboring Susquehanna Local Section. Register in advance for this meeting: https://...Read more

Investigating Fluid Flow Using PlayDoh

This module uses PlayDoh extrusion to generate and visualize the parabolic profile for flow of fluids through a tube. Participants make predictions on the pattern of the flow profile, collect data and calculate velocities. Follow-up questions allow those leading the module to debrief on what the participants observed. 

 ...

Module Topics 

Physics
Module details
TopicsPhysics
Best-suited audienceArray
Interactive?Yes
Approx. time requirement15 minutes
AIChE community affiliationMichigan Technological University - Professional Member
Approx. # of volunteers1
Recommended audience size25

Audience best suited for module 

Sixth Grade to Eighth Grade (approximately ages 11-14)

Is the module interactive ? (Can students actively participate) 

Yes

Approximate time that the module requires (minutes) 

15.00

AIChE Community Affiliation 

Michigan Technological University - Professional Member

Approximate Budget 

$45

Approximate Number of Volunteers 

1

Recommended Audience Size 

25

Hydrophilic vs Hydrophobic

After the demonstrations and activity students will know about the properties of hydrophilic and hydrophobic materials. To introduce the concepts, a demonstration of will be used, a “lava lamp” made with cooking oil, water, and alka seltzer. The topic of density will also be explored in the demonstration. After the demonstrations students will be able to participate in a hands on activity where they will take home their own art made using hydrophobic and hydrophilic everyday items. ...

Module Topics 

Physics
Module details
TopicsPhysics
Best-suited audienceArray
Interactive?Yes
Approx. time requirement15 minutes
AIChE community affiliationNew Mexico State University Student Chapter
Approx. # of volunteers3
Recommended audience size30

Audience best suited for module 

Kindergarten to Second Grade (approximately ages 5-8)

Is the module interactive ? (Can students actively participate) 

Yes

Approximate time that the module requires (minutes) 

15.00

AIChE Community Affiliation 

New Mexico State University Student Chapter

Approximate Budget 

$20

Approximate Number of Volunteers 

3

Recommended Audience Size 

30

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