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In this activity, learners discover that the way a material behaves on the macroscale is affected by its structure on the nanoscale.

In this activity, learners make pykrete by freezing a mixture of water and a material like cotton wool, grass, hair, shredded paper, wood chips, or sawdust.

In this demonstration, learners explore the thermal properties of rubber. Learners investigate whether a rubber band contracts or expands when heated.

In this activity (pages 3-4), learners investigate the properties of smart materials, which are materials that respond to things that happen around them.

Learners observe working lava lamps to understand how they work (included in PDF link).

This activity uses LEGO® bricks to represent atoms bonding into molecules and crystals. The lesson plan is for a 2.5 hour workshop (or four 45-minute classes).

This activity/demo introduces learners to aerogel, a glass nanofoam. Learners discover how aerogel is made and how well it insulates as well as learn about aerogel's other unique properties.

In this activity (pages 13-14), learners investigate the properties of smart materials, which are materials that respond to things that happen around them.

In this activity, learners test and compare the physical properties of thermoplastic polymers. Learners compare different plastics based on their color, degree of transparency, texture, and density.

This simple and engaging astronomy activity explains nuclear fusion and how radiation is generated by stars, using marshmallows as a model.

In this activity (pages 8-9), learners investigate the properties of smart materials, which are materials that respond to things that happen around them.

In this physics demonstration, learners will be surprised when a lemon slice appears to magically levitate within a pint glass.

In this demonstration, learners will be "wowed" as three matches burn to form a triangular pyramid shape and "magically" rise off the table.

Visitors mix urea with water in one flask and mix calcium chloride with water in another flask. They observe that the urea flask gets cold and the calcium chloride flask gets hot.

In this activity (pages 5-7), learners investigate the properties of smart materials, which are materials that respond to things that happen around them.

In this activity, learners explore the concept of density-driven currents (thermohaline circulation) and how these currents are affected by climate change.

In this activity, learners prepare four polymer elastomers and then compare their physical properties, such as texture, color, volume, density, and bounce height.