The Polymer Ambassador Program has been active since 1992.  Our team of twenty active Polymer Ambassadors are visible at area and national NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) conferences, local school in-service meetings for teachers, local area schools for students, national ACS (American Chemical Society) conventions, and summer conferences like BCCE and ChemEd.  Our sessions have attendance numbers that range from a few to over a hundred.  If one teacher, who implements one idea from our presentations impacts one hundred students in a year, we assume that every year we are helping 200,000 students become more chemically knowledgeable about polymers.  Having an impact on over 1.5 million students in the last few years is impressive!
 

 Publications since 1998:

• "A Classroom of Polymer Factories", Mary Harris and Sandra Van Natta, Science & Children, NSTA, February, 1998.

• "Athletic Shoes: Studies in Compounding Polymers" kit and module, Sandra Van Natta, Mary Harris, and Suzanne Hall, Carolina Biological Supply Company, 1999.

• "Investigating the Cuprammonium Rayon Process in a High School Laboratory", with Lauren J. Pickard (student) and Mary Harris, Journal of Chemical Education, November, 1999.

• "Meeting the Needs of New Science Teachers", Sue Hall, Science Scope, NSTA, March, 2000.

• "Lavosier Measures With Polymers", Wayne Goates, Science Scope, NSTA, September, 2000.

• "Food Packaging: A Learning Cycle of Activities" Mary Harris, Wayne Goates, Lynn Higgins, and Sandra Van Natta, NMLSTA, January, 2001.

• "Elastomers: the polymers with memory", Mary Harris, Wayne Goates, and Sue Hall, Polymer Ambassador Program, February 2001

• "Slurper Balls", Mary Harris, Science Scope, NSTA, January, 2002.

• "Shrinking Science", Wayne Goates, Science Scope, NSTA, February, 2002.

• "Packing Peanut Properties", Sue Hall and Dori Hall, Science & Children, February 2002.

• "Designer Sneakers", Mary Harris, Sue Hall and Sandra Van Natta on the Akron Global Polymer Academy Web Site - uploaded fall of 2003

• "How Toys Are Made", Sue Hall, Becky Knipp, Mary Harris and Sandra Van Natta on the Akron Global Polymer Academy Web Site - uploaded fall of 2003

• "Pondering Packing Peanut Polymers", Sue Hall and Jill Donahue, J. of Chemical Education, November 2003.  Take this link to the Journal Table of Contents for November 2003.

• "Extended Science Learning", Sue Hall and Perry Cook, ENC Journal, June, 2005

• "The Fizz Keeper: A Useful Science Tool", John Williams, Sandra Van Natta, and Rebecca Knipp, J. of Chemical Education, Oct. 2005

• "Polymer Ambassadors On the WWW", Mary Harris, J. of Chemical Education, June 2006.

• "Using a Glucometer in Advanced High School Biology or Chemistry Class", Marie Sherman, Chem 13 News, October 2005

• "Chemical Bonding Makes a Difference!", Mary Harris, J. of Chemical Education, October 2006.This link will take you to the Table of Contents for October 2006.  This has an online PowerPoint presentation that subscribers have access to for use in their classrooms.

• "How Does a Glucometer Work?", Marie Sherman, Chem 13 News, December 2006.

• "Sorting Recycled Trash: An Activity for Earth Day 2007", Mary and Hal Harris, J. of Chemical Education, February 2007. This has an online slide show of Smurfit Recycling Plant in St. Louis, MO.

• "Polymers in the Field and Track", Mary Harris, J. of Chemical Education, October 2008. Supporting JCE Online materials.

• "Impact of Polymers in Impact Sports", Sandy VanNatta and John R. Williams, J. of Chemical Education, October 2008.  Supporting JCE Online materials. 

• "POLYMER AMBASSADORS: A Novel Program to Promote Pre-college Learning about Polymeric Materials", Sandra VanNatta and Lynn Higgins, Journal of Macromolecular Science, Part C: Polymer Reviews, October 2008

•      "A Novel, Simplified Scheme for Plastics Identification", Mary Harris and Barbara Walker,
       J. of Chemical Education, February 2010, Vol. 87. No. 2. pages 147-149. Supporting JCE
       Online materials.
  

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