Glowing pennies, screaming gummy bears and rainbow-tinted test strips: three chemistry lab rooms in the high school transformed into an immersive tour of the wonders of chemistry during Regents Exam week this winter.
The Chem Demos Club is made up of students in grades 9-12 who explain concepts in chemistry through hands-on experiments. The students select the experiments and plan the event from start to finish during their time after school.
The club led Hillside Elementary fifth grade students through demonstrations and a lab project in each of three themed rooms: the Energy Room, the Acid Base Room, and the Phases and Types of Matter Room. The demonstrations explored chemical phenomena and why they happen.
“They are sharing their love of science with the younger students, and encouraging them in the classroom,” said high school chemistry teacher and club advisor Jill Paquette. “We were excited to bring the event back after a two-year break due to COVID.”
The Screaming Gummy Bear demonstration took place in the Energy Room under the lab’s exhaust hood. “Oohs and whoa’s” cascaded through the fifth grade class as senior Lily Goodman dropped a gummy bear into a heated test tube filled with potassium chlorate. The sugars in the gummy bear made contact with oxygen gas produced by heating the potassium chlorate, instantly combusting the bear. The reaction was punctuated with a bright glow and a loud hiss.
Students were able to learn from each other by observing and asking questions, an exchange that can have a lasting impact.
“When I was in fifth grade, I came here for a science night and I remember the flaming gummy bear. It inspired me to want to pursue chemistry,” Goodman said. “It’s really rewarding to be able to show the kids this stuff and hopefully make them interested in science.”
Fifth grader Gabby Ramos appreciated collaborating with the high school students. “It was really fun to have some experienced guidance. They were really nice to us and they helped us out and answered all our questions,” she said.
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