Lending Library for STEM Teachers
Brought to you by the UD College of Engineering
The STEM Lending Library is located in the basement of the College of Engineering’s Administrative Annex at 📍 125 E Delaware Ave, Newark, DE 19711. The entrance is located in the back of the house via metal ramp.
COE’s STEM Lending Library is a resource for teachers to bolster STEM education in our local K-12 classrooms via hands-on instructional materials. These easy-to-use kits provide materials and instructions on a variety of STEM topics related to Next Generation Science Standards.
Target Grade Level
Ⓔ Elementary Level ⬩ Ⓜ Middle School Level ⬩ Ⓗ High School Level
STEM-Related Subject
🧪 Chemistry ⬩ 🧬 Biology ⬩ ⚛️ Materials Science ⬩ 💡 Physics ⬩ 📐 Math
Bath Bombs ⬩ 🧪 Ⓜ
Audience: Grades 5 – 8
Subject/topics covered: chemistry, acid/base reactions
NGSS standard(s): MS-PS1-2
Bath bombs have become popular in recent history among both kids and adults! But what is it about bath bombs that make them do the cool things they do? In this activity, students will get a chance to create their own bath bombs while learning why they bubble and how acids and bases react with each other.
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- PDF handout for students
- PDF handout for teacher
- Editable handout for teacher
Location: Basement Shelf 1
DIY Boba Balls ⬩ ⚛️ 🧪 Ⓗ
Audience: Grades 6 – 12
Subject/topics covered: materials science, chemistry, polymers
NGSS standard(s): MS-PS1-1, MS-PS1-2, MS-PS1-6, HS-PS2-6
Boba is a flavor-filled, edible sphere that contains a juice liquid inside of a soft, clear shell. Discover how chemical reactions can change the shape of ingredients and just how boba shops can get liquid inside of edible beads! For safety, we encourage students to not eat their resulting boba balls from this activity.
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- PDF handout
Location: Basement Shelf 1
Diaper Diap-ymers ⬩ ⚛️ Ⓜ
Audience: Grades 3 – 8
Subject/topics covered: materials science, chemical engineering
NGSS standard(s): 5-PS1-3, MS-PS1-1
How do diapers hold so much liquid? Discover the materials that goes into the making of diapers in this activity and why different materials have different abilities to soak up and store liquids.
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- Editable Word document handout
- PDF concepts handout
Location: Basement Shelf 2
Elephant Toothpaste ⬩ 🧪 Ⓜ Ⓗ
Audience: Grades 4 – 10
Subject/topics covered: chemistry, catalysts, heat
NGSS standard(s): 5-PS1-4, MS-PS1-2
In this activity, students will focus on a specific chemical reaction between hydrogen peroxide and a catalyst. This flashy reaction is perfect to use in order to discuss exothermic reactions, decomposition reactions, and reactions requiring catalysts.
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- PDF instructions and background
Location: TBD
Photons & Energy ⬩ 💡 Ⓗ
Audience: Grades 9 – 12
Subject/topics covered: physics, energy, solar energy
NGSS standard(s): HS-PS4-1, HS-PS3-1, HS-PS3-3
How do chemical and nuclear reactions produce light? And how can this information be applied to solar panels? This unit teaches students about light spectra, how electrons and photons behave, and how solar cells convert solar energy into electricity. In the lab, students will use solar cells, multimeters, and different light sources to gather their own data for analysis.
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- Full PDF of teacher and student documents
- PDF of student handouts
Location: Basement Shelf 1
Stinky Bat Balloons ⬩ ⚛️ Ⓔ Ⓜ
Audience: Grades 5 – 8
Subject/topics covered: materials science
NGSS standard(s): 5-PS1-3, MS-PS1-1
Polymers are materials that are widely used across all areas of life. They even make up our birthday balloons and protective rubber gloves! In this activity, students discover the versitile nature of polymers and why we’re able to smell liquids in balloons without any leaks.
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- PDF handout
Location: Basement Shelf 3
Chocolate Composites ⬩ ⚛️ Ⓔ Ⓜ
Audience: Grades 2 – 8
Subject/topics covered: materials science
NGSS standard(s): 2-PS1-1 & 2, 2-PS1-4, K-2-ETS1-1 to 3, 5-PS1-1 to 3, 3-4-ETS1-1 to 3, MS-PS1-1 to 4, MS-ETS1-1 to 4
Learn about how differently structured materials break apart in this deliciously educational experiment. Eat your way through a lesson about brittle and ductile fractures, designed by UD K-12 Engineering and Composite Materials students.
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- Master PDF with content and handouts
Location: Basement Stack 1
Friction, Fluids, & Flow ⬩ ⚛️ 💡 Ⓜ Ⓗ
Audience: Grades 7 – 10
Subject/topics covered: materials science, physics, chemistry
NGSS standard(s): MS-PS1-2, MS-PS3-1
Water, honey, and toothpaste are all liquids/fluids, however, they all move and behave differently. In this activity, students will discuss the ideas of viscosity, friction, and fluid behavior.
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- Friction, Fluids, Flow handout
- Viscosity lesson plan
- Viscosity worksheet
Location: Basement Landing Shelf 2
Milk Plastic ⬩ ⚛️ Ⓜ Ⓗ
Audience: Grades 6 – 10
Subject/topics covered: materials science, polymers
NGSS standard(s): MS-PS1-2, MS-PS1-6, HS-PS2-6
The title says it all! Did you know that milk used to be used to make plastic for items such as jewelry, pens, and home decorations? Discover how to extract casein from milk in this activity where students knead-out their own plastic materials.
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- PDF handout geared towards younger audience
- PDF instructions and background
Location: TBD
** More activity kits will be added to this page as we catalogue the existing lending library, including new kit additions. **