(135h) Using Hands-on Activities to Teach High School Students Chemical Engineering

Through a series of interactive activities, within about an hour and half, students can learn the basics of Chemical Engineering and the variety of jobs within Chemical Engineering. Students start by filling out a questionnaire to assess their knowledge of Chemical Engineering. This leads to the clarification of myths about ChE and engineering in general. Through equipment and product demos, students learn how Chemical Engineers make everything from petroleum to consumer products. Students physically test common consumer products and form hypotheses regarding how they are made. They then re-evaluate their hypothesis through Q & A with the instructor. This active learning process helps students discover:

* Why hair gel has bubbles in it. (This teaches the importance of fluid dynamics.) * How a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works. (This teaches students the importance of separations and polymer processing.) * How you would design a dishwashing tablet that effectively cleans grease, washes away very clean, and has interesting colors. (This teaches students the importance of chemical product design.)

In this talk, the techniques involved in these learning activities will be shared and secrets behind these common consumer products will be revealed.