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The Nanotech Teacher Summer Institutes were funded by a NSF grant to the UMass Center for Hierarchical Manufacturing and operated by the STEM Education Institute. They were offered for nine years starting in 2007. While some of the educational materials were adapted from older ones found on the web, many were developed from scratch. A few files are in PDF format, most are in PowerPoint or Word. This makes it easier for teachers to modify the materials to suit their needs.
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Publication Ozone, UV, and Nanoparticles(2015-01-01) Sternheim, Morton; Welborn, Jennifer•Ultraviolet light causes skin damage and cancer •Ozone in the stratosphere blocks UV •Sunscreen blocks UV, partly •Nanoparticles in sunscreen improve blocking Sunscreen PowerPoint and activities based on NanoSense web site: http://nanosense.sri.com/activities/clearsunscreen/index.htmlPublication Sustainable and Safe Development of Nanotechnology(2015-01-01) Lau, BorisThe release of man-made nanoparticles into our natural environment has become a growing concern with the development of nanotechnology. Nanoparticles have unique properties that make them a viable tool for material science, drug delivery, and the preservation of food. Some of these properties that make nanoparticles a good tool could also present new challenges/implications to the environment. A PowerPoint overview and two activities.Publication Atomic Force Microscopes(2015-01-01) Snyder, Rob; Welborn, JenniferPowerPoint overview. A student activity that builds an atomic force microscope model.Publication The Science of Two Dimensional Materials (PowerPoint)(2015-01-01) Yan, JunGraphene is a single atomic sheet of graphite. Exercise: how much graphene do we need to cover the surface of the empire state building?Publication Gelatin Diffusion Experiment(2015-01-01) Welborn, JenniferIn this activity, nanotech participants will: - See how food dyes and gelatin are used to model the delivery of nanoscale medicines to cells in the human body - Measure diffusion distances of 3 different colors of food dye by: Eye, photo image on a computer, ADI software (Analyzing Digital Images) Some useful websites: http://www.echalk.co.uk/Science/biologyContent.htm Life Processes and Cells http://workbench.concord.org/database/activities/321.html Molecular Workbench Database. Diffusion, osmosis, ...Publication Powers of Ten: From Meters to Nanometers and Beyond(2015-01-01) Snyder, RobThe goal of this activity is to guide students toward an understanding of nanoscale dimensions by: Making a number of measurements using meter sticks, magnifiers, microscopes and spectrometers so students can make observations and generate their own data. Using scientific notation to compare the measurements they have made with the dimensions of very small structuresPublication Nanoscale Thin Films(2015-01-01) Snyder, RobAn activity that makes a nanoscale film of oleic acid on water. The student will Learn about Ben Franklin’s observations of a thin film that had a nanoscale dimension. Create a very thin film with a very dilute solution of oleic acid. Use data you collect to determine if you made a thin film with a nanoscale dimension that formed on the surface of water. Learn about the molecular interactions that resulted in the formation of the thin film. Be introduced to the Big Ideas of Nanoscale Self-AssemblyPublication Nanotechnology Overview PowerPoint(2015-01-01) Tuominen, MarkNanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at dimensions of roughly 1 to 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications. This PowerPoint gives an overview of the field and introduces the teacher summer institute.Publication Making Solar Cells(2013-01-01) Venkataraman, D.Overview of solar energy and photovoltaic cells. Making a cuprous oxide cell activity.Publication Synthesize a Nanoscale Ferrofluid(2007-01-01) Snyder, RobThe chemical synthesis of a ferrofluid is a nanoscale science activity that originally appears in the Journal of Chemical Education. Access to the following website requires a subscription to the journal. J. Chem. Educ., 76, 943-948 (1999). The article was authored by Jonathan Breitzer and George Lisensky.Publication Magnetic Memory: Data Storage and Nanomagnets(2015-01-01) Tuominem, MarkAn overview of magnetic data storage and a simple activity.Publication Nanomedicine(2015-01-01) Tuominen, MarkAn overview of nanomedicine. The end goal of nanomedicine is improved diagnostics, treatment and prevention of disease. Nanotechnology holds key to a number of recent and future breakthroughs in medicine.Publication Where to Buy Materials for the Activities(2015-01-01) Sternheim, MortonSources for some of the less common materials used in the activities.Publication More on Powers of Ten(2009-01-01) Sternheim, MortonA powers of ten personation and activity adapted from the Nanosense project: http://nanosense.sri.com/activities/sizematters/index.htmlPublication Nanofilters for Clean Water(2009-01-01) Sternheim, Morton•The problem: adequate clean water •Kinds of filters •Desalination of salt water •Cleaning polluted water •Hands on nanofiltration experiment Adapted from the Nanosense project: http://nanosense.sri.com/activities/finefilters/index.htmlPublication Self Assembly(2015-01-01) Tuominem, Mark; Welborn, Jennifer; Snyder, RobPublication Seeing at the Nanoscale: New Microscopies for the Life Sciences(2015-01-01) Ross, JenniferVisualizing single modules with fluorescence microscopyPublication Size Matters(2015-01-01) Sternheim, MortonSize matters in the way materials behave. An introductory PowerPoint and an activity write-up. Three activities illustrate how the surface to volume ratio changes as the size changes. In the first, a deck of playing cards is used to make square arrays of cards of increasing size. Next wooden cubes are used to make similar observations in 3 dimensions. Finally, comparing the rates at which an intact Alka Seltzer tablet and a crushed tablet react in water shows the effect of particle size on chemical reactions.