Lyondell Equistar Chemicals and Minooka School District 201's Third Grade Students - Partners in Education

Minooka Elementary School and Walnut Trails Elementary School's third grade students experienced the world of chemistry first-hand as Lyondell Equistar Chemicals brought science and the impact of chemicals in today's environment alive with an Explore Science interactive presentation. Kathy Caamano, instructor for gifted and talented students in Minooka School District 201 coordinated the Explore Science sessions involving the third grade classes and a core of science representatives from the Lyondell Equistar Chemicals, LP Morris Complex.

Over 300 third grade students, with each third grade class individually spending time with Lyondell's Explore Science team of experts, were dazzled with the opening science demonstration of "Elephant Toothpaste Foam Production - A Catalytic Decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide." The science demonstration was presented by the Lyondell Equistar team of Darrell Dolmage, Tom Nunheimer, Ben Corbin, and Frances Dolmage. Following the demonstration of the chemistry experiment, students had an opportunity to understand how the potassium iodide was oxidized to iodine. This iodine acted as a catalyst to decompose the peroxide to oxygen. The small oxygen bubbles generated made stiff foam with the detergent. "What a fantastic experiment!" in the words of one-third grade student. "I want to be a scientist and work at Lyondell Chemicals when I grow up!" was a comment from another third grade budding scientist.

As part of the Explore Science experience, students became quickly involved in a hands-on SLIME project. Students used polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), sodium metaborate (Borax), and a neon food coloring for the Slime science experiment. The science project challenged the third grade budding scientists to use their process skills - observing, measuring, experimenting, inferring, manipulating materials, and formulating models.

Jessica Nicholson, principal at Minooka Elementary School and Kathleen Cheshareck, Principal at Walnut Trails Elementary School, summarized the success of the science education partnership with Lyondell Equistar Chemicals by remarking that the Explore Science program is an excellent example of a very effective link in the field of education. Encouraging a better understanding of science at all grade levels and having the expertise and excellent support of a chemical company such as Lyondell Equistar Chemicals is truly a very successful combination.

Minooka District 201 would like to thank Lyondell Equistar Chemicals LP, and Darrell Dolmage, Tom Nunheimer, Ben Corbin, and Frances Dolmage for the excellent Explore Science presentation provided for our third grade classes. The science experience was an extension of a unit of study on States of Matter.