| Description |
Recent attention has been brought to light in the United States regarding the lack of students pursuing STEM disciplines and degree programs. There is a considerable amount of research on the importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Education at an early onset age. With this is mind, in order to have a comprehensive approach to STEM education, science must be taken past the front doors of educational facilities and towards the homes of young students. The objective of the following compilation of experiments is to demonstrate the tangible nature of science, meaning that the first laboratory a child steps into can be their own kitchen. The University of Utah (otherwise known as the "U") participates in a science series known as the Faraday Lectures, this is a public set of lectures given during the holiday season in order to "educate and entertain audiences of all ages." With the attention the Faraday Lectures has captivated, it is possible to expand Faraday from the University level into that of a program titled, "Faraday@Home" where members of the audience, most notably children or parents thereof, can go home and conduct their own interesting and dynamic experiments. With multiple examples of "at home" experimentation for children, the differentiation of these experiments is their reliance on a noteworthy research institution as their access point. This collection consists of ten experiments, which range from Agricultural and Food Chemistry to Inorganic Chemistry to Geochemistry. They were determined by professionals in the educational field, both collegiate and secondary, to outline important topics in chemistry that can often be misconstrued from an early age all while providing interactive and sometimes taste-worthy measurements capable of being done in the kitchen in order to truly bring Faraday from the "U" to the youth |
