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Goal

Students will study properties of matter while making a plant based biodegradable, environmentally friendly "styrofoam-like" packing material. 

What will be done with my students

Students will be asked to read and annotate an article about Styrofoam pollution and the life-cycle of polystyrene and then they will learn about a new biodegradable packing material they can make and study in lab after watching a Ted Talk entitled, "Are mushrooms the new plastic?"

This lab fits in perfectly with our unit on studying the properties of matter. In the past, we have made play dough, oobleck, slime and gummy worms.

This year, I would like the students to make something that could help solve the ocean's plastic pollution problem. I would like the students to master the same state standards while learning about a possible solution to a real-life problem.

Once the material is successfully made, measured and studied, the students will be able to take their glass votive project home in an environmentally safe packing material that they made and that many environmentally-friendly companies are beginning to use in their stores. 

Benefits to my students

Students will study the properties of matter in chemistry class while making and then comparing their biodegradable packing material to Styrofoam. They will use the environmentally friendly packing material to transport their etched glass candle votive holders home safely in their backpacks. 

Budget Narrative

I would like to buy two starter-kits for each of my regular chemistry classes and our school's chemistry club (15 kits). In order to grow the environmentally friendly material, we will need flour and agar gel. 

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