Getting Started
Doing Neat Stuff With Polymers
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Just to help get you started, let me point out a couple of things:
- First, you will see lots of words you don't know, lots of new concepts
dealing with polymers that you don't understand. We have set up a
reference site where you you can find most of this information called The
Macrogalleria
- Second, some of the activities here require help from an adult if you're
not already close to being one youself. This means: "DON'T DO IT
UNLESS SOMEONE HELPS YOU!" There may be
chemicals that are somewhat unfriendly (and often poisonous, so don't spill them), sharp objects like knives or flames and if you're really not careful, broken glass. You must learn
this very important lesson: If you want to do science, you have to learn to be
careful
and when to ask for help. Everyone needs help sometimes, so there's nothing wrong with learning to ask for it now.
- Next, you have to learn to pace yourself. This means to work
slowly when needed, always with an eye on the whole
activity so you know how much time is needed to finish and how much time
you have right now. Plan for when you have to stop for a while:
save your data and materials where they are safe and you can find them again.
- Last, you have to keep a journal of some kind to write things in about what you do and what you learn. "Why?" you ask. Simple: anything you do worth doing didn't really happen unless it's recorded somewhere. We use our brains for recording most of what happens to us: this is our main storage device for everything we learn. Problem is, it's not always easy to remember where you stored something in those vast, cavernous hallways of your mind. If you write stuff down, it makes it easier to think about and find later. It also gets you in the habit< of writing things down, which is very good habit to have in life and in doing science. So, find a book of some kind, a bound book that will last a long time, and start making notes. There's an activity on how to keep good notes below: try it out.
PUT LINK TO "KEEPING GOOD NOTES" ACTIVITY HERE