Fantastic plastic

Fantastic plastic

Averil Macdonald

London: Gatsby SEP 2008 | Pp55 | £6.00 | ISBN978 1 901351 77 4

Reviewed by Trevor Critchley

This year marks the centenary of the world's first synthetic polymer, Bakelite. Fantastic plastic, an addition to the Science Enhancement Programme's (SEP) Innovations in practical work series, is testimony to just how far polymer chemistry has come in the past century.  

This 58-page guide will enable teachers to bring their teaching of polymer chemistry up to date, and provide Key Stage 4 students with stimulating and relevant practical work. The booklet offers eight short lesson ideas and two extension activities, all intended for use at KS4. Apart from two demonstrations, most of the activities are designed as safe, hands-on experiences for students. Kit requirements are fairly minimal, though schools may need to buy in some supplies such as rubber latex solution, hydrogel and polyox. These are available from Middlesex University Teaching Resources (MUTR), which also offers kits to demonstrate the applications of various smart polymers.