Chemistry Science Investigation: Dognapping Workshop, An Outreach Program Designed To Introduce Students to Science through a Hands-On Mystery

Journal Article · Wed Aug 23 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Journal of Chemical Education

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.7b00114· OSTI ID:1871977

Boyle, Timothy J. ^[1]; Sears, Jeremiah M. ^[1]; Hernandez-Sanchez, Bernadette A. ^[1]; Casillas, Maddison R. ^[1]; Nguyen, Thao H. ^[1]

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1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

The Chemistry Science Investigation: Dognapping Workshop was designed to (i) target and inspire fourth grade students to view themselves as Junior Scientists before their career decisions are solidified; (ii) enable hands-on experience in fundamental scientific concepts; (iii) increase public interaction with science, technology, engineering, and mathematical personnel by providing face-to-face opportunities; (iv) give teachers a pathway forward for scientific resources; (v) meet the New Mexico K–5 Science Benchmark Performance Standards; (vi) most importantly, ensure everyone has fun! For this workshop, the students are told they will be going to see a Chemistry Magic Show, but the performance is stopped when the Chemistry Dog is reportedly stolen. The students first clear their names using a series of interactive stations and then apply a number of science experiments to solve the mystery. This report describes the workshop in detail, which is suitable for large (~100 students per day) audiences but has flexibility to be modified for much smaller groups. An identical survey was given three times (before, immediately after, and 2 months after the workshop) to determine the impact on the students’ perception of science and scientists as well as determine the effectiveness in relaying scientific concepts through retention time. As a result, survey responses indicate that scientific information pertaining to the workshop is retained for up to 2 months.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
• Grant/Contract Number: NA0003525
• OSTI ID: 1871977
• Report Number(s): SAND2022-5359J; 705511
• Journal Information: Journal of Chemical Education, Journal Name: Journal of Chemical Education Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 94; ISSN 0021-9584
• Publisher: American Chemical Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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