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What we offer
We have offered further training courses on this subject especially tailored to nursery nurses for several years now. Above all, the courses are directed towards experimenting. There are two different ways of registering: individual participants should contact the centre for teacher training in chemistry at the Technical University of Braunschweig; groups may register directly with us. For pre-school children and junior school pupils in year 3 we have developed experiment instructions in pictures for experiments with early flowering plants and salt.
Target group: pre-school and junior school children.
Offered either as individual experiments or as a series (7 x 1 hour).
Experiments
Lime an carbon dioxide
The fire extinguisher
Candle and air
What are shells and eggshell made of?
Salt experiments
Which is better to float on - saltwater or freshwater?
Ice and salt
Nothing disappears in nature
Dissolving salts - temperature
Colours
Is a colour really only ONE colour?
Which colours does leaf green contain?
Acids and bases
Rainbow with red cabbage juice
Pink invisible ink
Vitamins
How to prevent an apple from going brown so quickly
Instructions especially for pre-school children:
Early flowering plants
Salt experiments
All experiments can be viewed at download & direct access
No download available at the moment. Please contact us if you are interested.
Background
Children as young as 4 years are extremely receptive to scientific experiments. The focus is on the children trying things out for themselves and their perception of phenomena, not so much the theoretical background. Personnel is often lacking in this area with the necessary special skills to meet the children's interests. The experiments shown here are intended to facilitate introducing this topic.
Experience
We have offered further training courses on this topic. The nursery nurses who took part were very interested in gaining ideas for experimenting with the children. Particularly because the training was oriented towards practical work, inhibitions were overcome meaning that experiments can be integrated into everyday nursery life. Not only pre-school children but also junior school classes visit our pupils' laboratory regularly to carry out experiments in this area.
Experiment material
Materials are commonly available (household items). Experiment kits can be reserved in advance and are rented out to schools and nurseries.
What we offer
In the Agnes-Pockels-Pupils' Laboratory, experiment kits are put together for use by schools. On request a visit can be organised to the Agnes-Pockels-Pupils' Laboratory. Accompanying courses for teachers and nursery nurses are offered on this project in cooperation with the centre for teacher training in chemistry at the Technical University of Braunschweig. These are above all focussed on experimenting.
Target group: year 5 and 6.
Offered either as individual experiments or as workshops which run for half a year.
Experiments
Carbohydrates:
Evidence of sugar
Evidence of starch (iodine/starch reaction)
Breakdown of starch by saliva
Making a starch sheet
Fats:
Grease stain test
Solubility of fats and oils
Milk race
Proteins:
Evidence of proteins (Biuret test)
Clotting of proteins
Vitamins:
Carrot colour
Vitamin C - What's in a lemon?!
All the experiments can be viewed at Downloads.
Background
In Germany, school children in years 5 and 6 take part in 'healthy eating' lessons. In this context, we introduce the children to chemistry by performing small experiments with food and learning how to detect substances contained in food. The children learn and practise a scientific approach by being presented with a quest and developing a method of solving this, performing experiments to arrive at the solution, recording results and subsequently interpreting these. Through combining practice and theory, a direct relation to everyday contact with food is established. Due to the numerous experiments, we also offer this series of lessons as a workshop. By taking junior school children as our main target group, we aim to encourage the fact that at this age, girls as well as boys have few inhibitions when experimenting. We also aim to strengthen self-confidence, particularly in girls, with regard to their scientific skills.
Experience
Following several further training courses with teachers, experiments from this field are increasingly being put into practice in lessons for year 5. According to the feedback we receive, not all the experiments are always performed but are selected according to the curriculum. The number of visits to the Agnes-Pockels-Laboratory on this topic has also increased drastically: even pupils from year 9 have already taken part. The degree of difficulty can be adapted by the experiments selected.
Experiment material
Experiment kits can be reserved in advance and are rented out to schools and nurseries.
What we offer
Detailed instructions. Experiment kits for rental (class sets). It is possible to book a visit to the Agnes-Pockels-Pupils' Laboratory.
Further training for teachers on this project with experimental orientation.
Target group: years 5 to 8.
Offered either as individual experiments or as workshops which run for half a year.
Experiments
Water content in milk:
Water in milk
How much water does milk contain?
Fat in milk:
Grease stain test
Mixing oil, water and milk
Studying milk under the microscope
Making 'artificial milk'
Centrifuging milk
Milk race
Carbohydrates in milk:
Evidence of sugar
Proteins in milk:
Clotting of proteins
Chemical evidence
Evidence of calcium
Interesting things made with milk:
Making butter
Plastic made from milk
Milk, quark, whey
Invisible ink made with milk
Background
Milk is a food which plays a central role in a child's daily nutrition. We are told again and again - our children too - how healthy milk is. Through the experiments presented here, the children are introduced to milk and some of its diverse products from a chemical point of view. In addition, they can practise their manual skills with regard to various experimental methods and learn how to draw conclusions based on their observations.
Experience
The experiments were developed during a chemistry workshop at the Agnes-Pockels-Laboratory with pupils from year 6. As the aim was for the children to use their own initiative, their observations were incorporated into elaborating the experiments. Following further training courses for teachers the experiments were successfully incorporated into school lessons.
Experiment material
Experiment kits can be reserved in advance and are rented out to schools.
What we offer
In the Agnes-Pockels-Pupils' Laboratory experiment kits are put together and made available for schools. A visit to the Agnes-Pockels-Pupils' Laboratory can be organised on request. Accompanying courses for teachers and nursery nurses are offered on this project in cooperation with the centre for teacher training in chemistry at the Technical University of Braunschweig which are above all focussed on experimenting.
Target group: years 5 to 9.
Offered either as individual experiments or as workshops which run for half a year or alternatively as a project week.
Experiments
Taking fingerprints and making them visible
Evidence of blood stains
Evidence of forgery
Taking footprints
Invisible ink
Investigating soil
No download available at the moment. Please contact us if you are interested.
Background
Our aim is to introduce junior school children to chemistry by carrying out short experiments to do with forensics. Through these experiments the children learn and practise a scientific approach by being presented with a quest and developing a method to solve this, performing experiments to arrive at the solution, recording results and subsequently interpreting them.
The topic of forensics fascinates school children and automatically encourages an analytical and logical way of thinking, combining, and working, and recording data carefully and precisely since - in a real situation - the consequences of negligent work could be fatal. Due to parallel work with texts, symbol fonts, etc, this topic is also suitable for interdisciplinary lessons. By taking junior school children as our main target group, we aim to encourage the fact that at this age, girls as well as boys have few inhibitions when experimenting. We also aim to strengthen self-confidence, particularly in girls, with regard to scientific skills. Standard chemistry lessons normally start too late in this respect.
Experience
Both children and teachers love this project. It is practical to use double periods. It is also suitable for project days or weeks and for school holiday activities. Individual experiments can also be integrated into science and humanities lessons.
Kit rental
Experiment kits can be reserved in advance and are rented out to schools and nurseries.
What we offer
By way of illustration, the Agnes-Pockels-Pupils' Laboratory offers experiments to accompany the series of lessons on salts and the formation of salt. The morning is spent at the Agnes-Pockels-Pupils' Laboratory providing evidence of common salts using food and articles of daily use.
Target group: years 10 to 12.
Offered either as individual experiments or as a day in the laboratory.
Experiments
Evidence of:
Carbonate
Iron
Fluoride
Phosphate
Chloride
Nitrate and nitrite
Evidence of ions using flame colour
No download available at the moment. Please contact us if you are interested.
Background
Many schools are not adequately equipped for carrying out experiments with a whole school class. The Agnes-Pockels-Pupils' Laboratory aims to compensate for this and to show pupils that chemistry is above all a practical science which requires a great deal of dexterity.
Experience
The experiments have been tested with pupils from year 11 at secondary school. Pupils in year 11 are generally not as interested as younger pupils. However, the visit to the university laboratory was assessed as being positive and the selection of experiments as being interesting. According to our experience up to now, it is not a problem to incorporate what has been learnt into school lessons.
Experiment material
Experiment material can be reserved in advance and is rented out to schools.
What we offer
Due to the equipment required, these experiments are only performed in our laboratory (see below for reservations). The experiments with car exhaust and cigarette smoke can also be performed as group work with a group divided into two. The contents analysed are the same for both initial products.
Target group: year 9 and 10.
Performed in the laboratory, duration per experiment block approx. 1.5 to 2 hours.
Experiments
Wood and iron combustion
Investigating car exhaust
Investigating cigarette smoke
No download available at the moment. Please contact us if you are interested.
Background
These experiments focus on the reactions of various materials with oxygen and their products. Particularly investigations of car exhaust and cigarette smoke are possibilities of enhancing chemistry lessons with topics which are also significant for teenagers in their daily life. The pupils also learn about how to experiment with gases and which equipment is required.
Experience
The experiments were tried out with pupils from year 9. The teenagers are unused to handling the equipment, which makes the experiments demanding as far as manual skills are concerned. The pupils are particularly interested in investigating cigarette smoke.
What we offer
In the Agnes-Pockels-Pupils' Laboratory, experiment kits are put together for use by schools. On request a visit can be organised to the Agnes-Pockels-Pupils' Laboratory. Accompanying courses for teachers are offered on this project at the centre for teacher training in chemistry in cooperation with the Technical University of Braunschweig which are above all focussed on experimenting.
Target group: years 5 to 9.
Offered either as individual experiments or as workshops which run for half a year or alternatively as a project week.
Experiments
Experiments with CO2
The Pharaoh's snake
The volcano
The magic plant
Colour reactions
5 colours in one solution
Secret inks
Where has the colour gone to?
Supermarket products
Milk, quark and whey
Magic porridge
No download available at the moment. Please contact us if you are interested.
Background
This series is about experiment results which show unexpected, surprising effects. Our aim is not to show chemistry as a magic art. Our motto is: chemical experiments - science or magic?
The experiments are chosen to approach the pupils' interest in 'magic' and mysterious processes, stimulated last but not least for example by literature such as Harry Potter. Younger pupils are fascinated by the topic of wizards and witches, which is an integral part of German lessons and school projects for many junior school pupils.
In this regard the experiments are suitable for being integrated into school lessons. Many phenomena which were considered magic in centuries gone by have been consolidated scientifically and some are used for developing technology. The focus of this series of experiments is also understanding the processes that are happening; the pupils can gain such understanding through performing relevant additional experiments. This is a way of introducing pupils to scientific methodology.
Experience
Year 5 and 6 have often taken part in "Chemistry and Magic" workshops. These have shown us that the pupils' ability to perform experiments by themselves, to read and put the experiment instructions into practice, to document their observations and to interpret the results is stimulated, coupled with their natural interest in experimenting. Double periods are most practical for the project, which is also suited to project days or weeks and for school holiday activities. Individual experiments can be integrated into science and humanities lessons. Visits to the Agnes-Pockels-Laboratory for "Chemistry and Magic" have also been organised for years 7 to 9.
Kit rental
Experiment kits can be reserved in advance and are rented out to schools.
What we offer
Tönjes de Vries from the University of Oldenburg developed a series of experiments in his dissertation in 2005 for electrochemical home experiments which are suitable for the sixth form. The Agnes-Pockels-Laboratory has acquired 10 such experiment kits which can be rented out for three months. The pupils can perform the experiments their teacher has selected by themselves at home. The kit includes a detailed teacher's script which can also serve as a template for copies.
Target group: sixth form.
Offered as home experiments set by teachers.
Experiments
Electrical quantities and conductivity
Electrolysis
Electrochemical energy sources
Precipitation series, electrochemical series, electrode potential
Electrochemical behaviour of aluminium
Corrosion and protection from corrosion
Technical electrolysis procedure
Background
Often, there is not much time in class for carrying out experiments which means that it is often useful to give the pupils experiments to do for homework. In this way, all pupils have the opportunity of experimenting by themselves.
Experience
The feedback we have received is consistently positive. It is interesting to note that some pupils take up our offer and even carry on working beyond the experiments which have been set, which is safe to do.
What we offer
This topic aims at interdisciplinary learning involving geology, soil science, botany and chemistry. An excursion (by bike) serves to learn about the geological particularities of the corresponding surrounding area around the school. Soil samples are taken which are then used in the laboratory later; flowering plants are also identified.
Target group: year 11 onwards.
Offered either as project days or as a workshop.
Experiments (soil analysis)
Type of soil
Carbonate
Chloride
Iron ions
Nitrite and nitrate
The experiments on soil analytics correspond largely with the analogue experiments for "Tracing the culprit".
Sorry, No download available at the moment. Please contact us if you are interested.
Background
Our aim is to encourage the pupils in an all-encompassing way of thinking by combining various subjects. The relations between various parameters in our environment are exemplified. Another important aspect is for the pupils to gain knowledge on the particularities in their surrounding area and region (and therefore also emotional ties).
The way we suggest viewing the landscape is based on three steps: geology as an elementary basis - soil formation as a subsequent development since the Ice Age - natural plant growth according to current (chemical) conditions.
The chemical examination of the soil samples (work in the laboratory) proves to be a connection point: on the one hand the various geological conditions for formation become evident, on the other hand, a link between soil and existing plant species can be made.
Experience
This project was carried out for the first time with a class from year 11 at Remlingen secondary school during a project week: day 1: excursion by bike to a hilly region called Asse near Wolfenbüttel, day 2: workshop laboratory work on soil analytics, day 3: analysis and presentation using a large poster and the school website.
Whilst some pupils were particularly interested in the various types of stone, others were very active in collecting and identifying plants, meaning that different interests and motivation reasons were addressed. The soil samples were examined intensively in the laboratory. As a contrast, soil samples from the excursion were added to by soil containing salt, and soil containing sand, also taken from the Braunschweig region.
This project is not limited to excursions in the Asse area; it can be carried out anywhere in and around Braunschweig: the excursion destination is chosen together with the teachers and mapped out.
Experiment materials
Experiment kits for analysing soil can be reserved in advance so that the project can be carried out by the schools themselves.