Making polymers

A polymer is any of numerous chemical compounds of usually high molecular weight consisting of up to millions of repeated linked units, each a relatively light and simple molecule. Some polymers occur in nature, and some are synthetic (man-made). Polymers have extremely varied and versatile uses in industry, such as in making plastics, concrete, glass, and rubber.

Different kinds of polymers will have different properties -- rubberiness, strength, bounce, stickiness, viscosity, and so on. The different ingredients you use in the following experiments demonstrate some of these characteristics.

This activity is adapted from the "Making it Matter" badge in the Junior Girl Scout Badge Book (c2001).

Polymers

You will need:

borax
water
white glue
salt
sugar
baking powder
coarse corn meal

1 tablespoon (2 or more) and 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoons
1-cup liquid measuring cup

plastic cups (5 per polymer; the girls can share if necessary)
plastic spoons

Make a basic polymer: Measure 1/2 cup water into a plastic cup. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of borax in the water. This solution should be enough for 8 polymer mixtures (8 tablespoons in 1/2 cup). In another cup, put 1 tablespoon of white glue and 1 tablespoon of water; stir well. Add 1 tablespoon of the borax solution and stir. What happens?

Some variations on the basic polymer: Make sure that you have enough borax solution and cups for 4 polymer variations.

In a plastic cup, put 1 tablespoon of white glue and 1 tablespoon of water; stir well. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and stir until the salt is dissolved. Now add 1 tablespoon of the borax solution and stir. What happens?

Try this again using sugar, baking powder, OR corn meal instead of salt. How do the polymers compare?

Be sure to dispose of the polymers properly (not in the sink!), and wash all of the utensils well after you have finished.

Learn much more about polymers here at the University of Southern Mississippi's Polymer Science Learning Center.

Fishing swivel bracelets

Fishing swivels are small metal devices made of two rings with a pivoting joint in-between, designed to keep a fishing line from tangling. They also make inexpensive and cute bracelets with the addition of some beads.

Swivels come in a variety of sizes and shapes, and can be purchased at sporting goods stores, or at Amazon.com. The size 10 and 14 swivels are best for bracelets.

This can get a little fiddly, as the clasps and beads are small, and you will probably have to unbend the clasp in order to get the beads around the bend in the swivel. The swivels tend to come uncrimped if you open and shut them more than once; try beading the entire bracelet then recrimping each swivel with the needle-nosed pliers (don't do them as you go in case it comes uncrimped, as it is hard to get the swivel back together after that).

Make sure that the beads will fit onto your swivels before you start.

You can also use spring-ring clasps on your bracelet, if you want.


Fishing Swivel Bracelets

Supplies:

various beads
dangly charms, if desired
snap fishing swivels (6-8 per bracelet)
spring-ring clasps (optional)


Equipment:

paper plates or plastic trays (like container lids) to keep the beads in one place
needle-nosed pliers


Directions:

Open up a swivel and thread on a few beads. You may need to unbend the wire quite a lot in order to get the beads around the curve.

Thread the loop end of another swivel onto the beaded one, and close the first swivel. Use the needle-nosed pliers if the swivel is hard to close.

If you want to put more than 1 or 2 beads on a swivel, you will need to thread on a bead or two, then the next swivel, then the remaining beads, so that the next swivel is more-or-less centered between the beads.

Open the second swivel, bead it, and thread on another swivel. Repeat until the bracelet fits around your wrist. You may want to make it long enough that you can put the bracelet on without having to open and close a swivel, or use a spring-ring clasp.


Adapted from Dangles and Bangles by Sherri Haab and Michelle Haab (Watson & Guptill, c2005).

Poison ivy

Poison ivy along the trail in Eaton Canyon, Pasadena, July 2010. The two bottom photos are of the same plant, from a short distance and then closer up.

Poison ivy image from Thomas College.

Poison ivy is well-known for its ability to cause a severe rash and blisters on the skin wherever you brush against the plant.

Poison ivy grows throughout most of North America. You can recognize it by the way that the leaves grow in groups of three, and by the almond-like shape of the leaves and their shiny, reddish color when mature. The plant bears sprays of greyish-white berries as early as late June here in southern California. It can grow as a shrub, as a ground cover, or as a vine on another tree or support. The leaves usually have small notches along the edges, but some plants have more notches than others, and even some leaves on the same plant are more notched. When in doubt, stay away!

Do not touch even dead leaves, as the irritant oil can remain active for years. Do not touch pets that have come into contact with the plant. Do not burn any part of the plant or breathe the smoke from an accidental fire. Do not eat it.

Treat poison ivy rash with calamine lotion, an oatmeal or baking soda bath, or with baking soda mixed with a little water to make a runny paste. The rash can last from 1 to 4 weeks. Wash your skin thoroughly with lukewarm water as soon as possible after contact. The rash is not contagious, but you can transfer the irritant to another part of your body or to someone else if you still have some on your skin. If you have touched poison ivy, do not touch your eyes or rub them, even with part of your clothing that may have come into contact with the plant.

Poison oak, a similar species, grows in western North America.

Read more about poison ivy and poison oak at Wikipedia.

Forty years on an iceberg

Forty years on an iceberg [triangular "iceberg" shape],
over the ocean wide [wavy motion].
Nothing to wear but jammys [slide hands up and down the sides of your body],
nothing to do but slide ["slide" motion].
Woo!
The air was cold and icy [shiver!]
the frost began to bite [nipping motion].
I had to hug a polar bear [hug yourself or neighbor]
to keep me warm at night.
Oh!

Repeat over and over, but on the second repeat, hum the first line; on the third repeat, hum the first and second lines, and so on. "Woo!" and "Oh!" are always sung. On the very last repeat, sing all the words.

The Pledge of Allegiance in American Sign Language

Here are a few videos of the Pledge of Allegiance in American Sign Language. Remember that there are regional variations in ASL, just as there are different accents across the country, so that some of the signs may be slightly different from person to person.







Learning to sign the Pledge fulfills one of the requirements for the United We Stand badge (online only).

Cat's cradle

There are some good illustrations on how to play this ancient game here at Cat's Cradle and How to Do Cat's Cradle.

Depending on how you make some of the figures, you can keep going on and on until someone makes a mistake, or you can come up with a figure that ends the game.

This video is an endless loop between the Diamonds, Candles, and Manger figures, but it helps you to see how those three go back and forth --



This particular game goes to Fish in a Dish and Clock to finish --



See if you can figure out what's going on here! --

How to sharpen and clean a pocket knife