Request a catalog Employment opportunities Exhibits schedule Company history Carson Scholars Polymers Polymer products Order these products in our online catalog . Studies in Compounding Polymers Six lessons guide students through an investigation of polymers and the modern athletic shoe. Students dissect a shoe to determine its parts, how these parts work together, and how polymers affect shoe performance. Students make 5 batches of 2 different simple polymers.
Students then test the resulting polymers to determine how additives alter physical properties.
In the final assessment lesson, student groups form companies that must create a shoe to meet a client's unique specifications and present their results to the class. Also included are a timeline that shows how athletic shoes have changed over the years, as well as a reading supplement on how to buy athletic shoes. Materials are sufficient for classes of 32 students working in groups of 4. One pair of used athletic shoes is needed but not supplied. Students prepare slime while learning about the fundamentals of polymer chemistry and phosphorescence.