Community Outreach Teaching Modules

Our department maintains a strong outreach program. We offer many teaching modules for in-class demonstrations and hands-on learning experiences. Contact us to have one of our outreach teams visit your classroom.

IMPORTANT!!! Some of the equipment and procedures needed to implement these modules may pose a serious risk to health and safety. Under no circumstances should an unsupervised minor perform the procedures described herein. All teaching modules should be supervised by an adult who is completely familiar with and takes full responsibility for the possible hazards.

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Turbine Electric Generator The 2nd Title Image

Turbine Electric Generator The 2nd

A wide variety of energy sources are needed to power our society, but most of them involve one common device, an electric turbine. As a turbine is made to spin, be it from...

Danger
Hands-On
Tabling
Demonstration
Setup: 15 min
Conduct: 15 min
Thermoelectric Human Power Title Image

Thermoelectric Human Power

To generate usable energy, all we need is a temperature difference. In this module the temperature difference between human hands and cold water or ice is used to create...

Danger
Hands-On
Tabling
Demonstration
Setup: 10 min
Conduct: 5 min
Spouting Water Bowl Title Image

Spouting Water Bowl

This bowl, filled with water, shows the properties of resonance by using friction to create vibration throughout the rim of the bowl. IMPORTANT!!! Under no circumstances...

Danger
Hands-On
Tabling
Demonstration
Setup: 2 min
Conduct: 3 min
Spectrophotometer Title Image

Spectrophotometer

Spectrophotometers are commonly used in laboratories and in industry in order to determine the amount of light absorbed by a solution. A spectrophotometer consists of a light...

Danger
Hands-On
Tabling
Demonstration
Setup: 60 min
Conduct: 60 min
Lego Air Quality Sensor Title Image

Lego Air Quality Sensor

Poor air quality is a problem that affects the health of many communities, and measuring air quality can be extraordinarily important to people with health problems. In this...

Danger
Hands-On
Tabling
Demonstration
Setup: 60 min
Conduct: 45 min
Flame Tornado Title Image

Flame Tornado

Using a trick of fluid dynamics, a small flame can be grown into a pillar of fire. Lighter fluid is used to make a flame in the middle of a spinning platform and nothing much...

Danger
Hands-On
Tabling
Demonstration
Setup: 20 min
Conduct: 5 min
Cornstarch Monster Title Image

Cornstarch Monster

Non-Newtonian fluids may behave in unexpected ways. In this demonstration a solution of cornstarch and water creates a "shear thickening" liquid. When placed on a speaker...

Danger
Hands-On
Tabling
Demonstration
Setup: 10 min
Conduct: 10 min
Carbon Capture In Water Title Image

Carbon Capture In Water

In this module we demonstrate the absorption of carbon dioxide into water using pH indicators. This illustrates basic concepts of adsorption, kinetics, and acid/base behavior...

Danger
Hands-On
Tabling
Demonstration
Setup: 5 min
Conduct: 10 min
Carbon Captured Chalk Title Image

Carbon Captured Chalk

This module demonstrates several important chemical engineering concepts. Two solutions of soluble salts (Na2CO3and CaCl2) are mixed and undergo a double substitution...

Danger
Hands-On
Tabling
Demonstration
Setup: 20 min
Conduct: 40 min
Artificial Inversion Title Image

Artificial Inversion

Poor air quality is an important health and economic problem that affects many communities, including the Salt Lake Valley. In fact, Salt Lake City occasionally has the worst...

Danger
Hands-On
Tabling
Demonstration
Setup: 10 min
Conduct: 5 min
Arduino Air Quality Sensor Title Image

Arduino Air Quality Sensor

Poor air quality is a problem that affects the health of many communities, and measuring air quality can be extraordinarily important to people with health problems. In this...

Danger
Hands-On
Tabling
Demonstration
Setup: 20 min
Conduct: 50 min
Alginate Bead, Drug Delivery Title Image

Alginate Bead, Drug Delivery

Alginate beads are a hydrogel bead with a liquid center. They can be used as a drug delivery model, by loading them with a dye that diffuses out over time. This module focuses...

Danger
Hands-On
Tabling
Demonstration
Setup: 30 min
Conduct: 50 min
Algae Photobioreactor Title Image

Algae Photobioreactor

A photobioreactor is a vessel in which photosynthetic organisms are grown, using light and various nutrients. Commercially, algae and cyanobacteria may be grown in a...

Danger
Hands-On
Tabling
Demonstration
Setup: 30 min
Conduct: 5760 min
Air Swimmers Title Image

Air Swimmers

The air swimmers are remote controlled balloons, which demonstrate the concept of buoyancy. The balloons are filled with helium and float due to the difference in density...

Danger
Hands-On
Tabling
Demonstration
Setup: 5 min
Conduct: 10 min