Every year, the Museum of Science in Boston hosts a number of "Green"
activities and events for Earth Day (April 22). A major part of these
events includes a set of tables set up with "Green Science" activities
for children. This year, while Biology and Physics were strangely
absent, Chemistry was present
en masse.
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| Get it? Physics wasn't there, but Chemistry had mass(e)? Knee-slapper, I know. |
Our
Chemistry department has sent volunteers to the Museum for Earth Day
every year in what has become a tradition for us. Gordon couldn't
possibly pass up an opportunity to be Chemically Green!
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| Not be Green? What name so? |
This
year, our ACS chapter organized the activities that our volunteers
would perform, and nearly all of the volunteers themselves were chapter
members. A few of the better loved and more common Green Chemistry
education activities were chosen - the
creation of biodiesel (p. 5 in the link),
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With handy paper demos for explaining the chemistry of the reaction!
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and a local favorite: the
M&M activity (p. 9 in the link).
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Children seem to like this one for some reason.
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In addition, a number of volunteers from Gordon operated a separately organized Beyond Benign activity table.
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| Beyond Benign volunteers, including Ean M. and Owen W. of Gordon College |
We
left Gordon early, and arrived at the Museum at around 10:30. We set up
our table with what supplies were needed, and then the kids rushed us.
What kid doesn't get interested when M&M's are added to the
situation?
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What child wouldn't be dazzled by that smile?
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We had enough volunteers that no one person
was stuck doing the same activity all day; volunteers often moved from
one activity to the other and could even take short breaks.
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Gordon volunteers doing activities with children.
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Working with the children was quite
fun! They were energetic, and open to the concepts of chemistry and
sustainability. They ranged from old toddlers to young high schoolers,
and their parents were happy to have us work with them.
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The kids seemed to like us too.
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After many hours and many more children, we
packed up and arrived back at Gordon around 5:30. It was a good event
and a good experience that we're excited to repeat next year.
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You know - provided they keep the scary stuff in the back...
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-C.J
