Categories

This module has been divided into four sections: readings, hands-on activities, challenge activities, and tutorials. The readings are just that, readings which will provide you with some basic understanding of polymers and polymer chemistry, as well as introduce you to some of the people who have spent their lives investigating the science of polymers. They are listed in an orderly fashion, but the links on each page allow you to read through them in any order you feel like. The hands-on activities are experiments and exercises for you to do in the laboratory. Under the category of challenge activities you will find quizzes, research projects, and WebQuests; that is, activities that are more oriented toward the library than the laboratory. Finally, the tutorials offer reviews of some basic chemistry topics which are important to understanding polymers. You may have already studied these topics, but they are here in case you need a review.

Navigating the module

There are many links within this module. The links you see within the text all link to other pages within this module. Links to outside webpages are listed at the end of a page, under the heading "For more information, at other websites..." Clicking one one of these links will open a new copy of your Web browser. You may have already noticed that some of the links in the text are blue, while others are brown. Blue links connect you to other pages within this module. A word linked in brown will connect you to the glossary definition of that word. For example, click on the word polymers and a definition for polymer will appear in a pop-up box. Go ahead. Try it.

Now that you know how this module works, you may begin your explorations throught the world of polymer chemistry. Have fun!

Next: Mystery Materials