Super Shrinkers

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In this activity on page 14 of the PDF (Rethinking the 3 R’s: It’s Easy to be Green), learners turn plain pieces of recycled plastic into shrunken works of art. Explore the unique properties of plastic, including what happens when certain plastic is melted in a conventional or toaster oven.
Safety notes: Adult supervision required. Follow Milli's safety tips on page 13.

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
10 to 30 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
1 cent - $1 per student
Age Range:
Ages 6 - 14
Resource Types:
Activity, Experiment/Lab Activity
Language:
English

Materials List (per student)

  • Conventional or toaster oven
  • One or two clear or white polystyrene containers (Resin ID code 6)
  • Blunt-end scissors
  • Oven mitts
  • Colored permanent markers
  • Metric ruler
  • Cookie sheet or metal tray
  • Aluminum foil
  • Colored pencils (optional)
  • Fine sandpaper (optional)
  • Hole punch (optional)
  • String (optional)

Keywords

Subjects

  • Physical Sciences
    • Heat and Thermodynamics
      • Heat and Temperature
    • Chemistry
      • Chemical Bonding
    • States of Matter
      • Solids
    • Structure and Properties of Matter
      • Atomic Structure
      • Volume and Density
  • The Nature of Science
    • The Scientific Process
      • Conducting Investigations
      • Communicating Results

Informal Categories

  • Arts and Crafts
  • Nature and Environment

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Links STEM to other topics of interest such as arts and humanities
  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

Components that are part of this resource:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

  • Department of Volunteer Support, American Chemical Society

Rights:

  • All rights reserved, American Chemical Society, 2012