Educational Resources

Hands-on Activity: Are You Stronger Than A Cotton Ball?

Are you stronger than a cotton ball? (PDF)
Deconstruct a piece of yarn and unroll a cotton ball to discover what it takes to turn loose fibers into strong yarn.

Hands-on Activity: Dyeing to Color Fabric

Dyeing to Color Fabric
Which fiber types will absorb Kool-Aid dye the best: nature-made fibers such as cotton or human-made fibers such as polyester?

Elementary & Middle School (Ages 5-13)

From Adventures in Chemistry (Grades K-5) 

• D is for Drop
  Find out why water drops do not stick to Delilah’s raincoat. Use this property to build a raceway for a water drop and guide it from start to finish.
• Diapers: The Inside Story
  This activity focuses on sodium polyacrylate but can include the fabrics that make disposable diapers so effective at absorbing wetness while keeping babies feeling dry. Compare the pros and cons of both disposable diapers and reusable cotton diapers. 

From Inquiry in Action

• Keeping Warm in the Cold
  Kindergarten students make a coat for a cup of warm water to find out if insulation makes a difference and understand why a coat will keep them feeling warm in cold weather. 
• Designing a Shade Structure
  Kindergarten students make a simple structure that casts a shadow. Then, students compare the temperature inside and outside the shadow. 
• Designing an Absorbency Test
  First or second graders compare four different materials to find out which is the most absorbent. Students discover that absorbency is a characteristic property of a material. 

UNTOLD: Science Stories from Earth and Beyond is a collection of 10 videos containing science stories and demonstrations to show middle school students how science helps us learn about our world. 

• Cellulose: From Trees to Explosives 
  Cellulose is a polymer found in trees and cotton to provide structure. People use cellulose to make paper, viscose fabric, cellophane wrap, and explosive nitrocellulose. The video also tells the story of the accidental invention of guncotton. A chemist spilled some chemicals and wiped them up with his wife’s cotton apron. Then he hung the apron to dry near the stove. It exploded!