Outreach
Student Lab Days – Hands-on Polymer Chemistry
On March 19 and 20, two inclusive classes from the Karoline-Kaspar-Schule in Freiburg — including a fourth-grade class and a family class — visited the student lab at the Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry. Under the expert guidance of Professor Dr. Laura Hartmann’s research group, the elementary school students immersed themselves in the fascinating world of chemistry, conducting their own experiments, making discoveries, and gaining understanding. The collaboration was coordinated by the FMF as part of the educational initiative “Lifelong Learning”.
The program featured fascinating experiments:
- Hydrogels – Why do sponges absorb water?
- Gummy bear test – How do they change in vinegar, salt, or oil?
- pH experiments with red cabbage juice
- Layering experiments with different liquids
- Making your own lava lamps
There was great excitement – and who knows? Perhaps these two days sparked an interest in a future scientific career…
“We even did a ‘lava experiment’! We mixed water, oil, and food coloring, and then added a fizzy tablet. We were all amazed when it started bubbling in the glass and the colored water looked just like a lava lamp.”
