Memphis Area
High School Chemistry
Resource Center

The High School Chemistry Resource Center is intended to be for the benefit of high school chemistry programs in the Memphis area. It is a lending service for providing materials for teaching chemical concepts in the classroom as well as laboratory.

The wonderful materials from the Institute for Chemical Education are very useful for teaching chemistry at the high school level, especially in Honor and Advanced Placement (AP) classes. However, they are too expensive for most urban public school systems with very limited budgets. The cost is an especially important consideration when the materials have use for only a week or two each year. However, several schools through a resource center could share the materials.

The Memphis Area High School Chemistry Resource Center is sponsored by the Department of Chemistry at Christian Brothers University and the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

Exploring the Nanoworld Kit

developed by
George C. Lisensky, Karen J. Nordel, S. Michael Condren,
Diana Malone, and Arthur B. Ellis
Institute for Chemical Education(ICE) Publication 97-005.

The Exploring the Nanoworld Kit is based on a 32-page color activity booklet that places the nanoscale in context and includes a dozen experiments for you to try.

Take-Out Talk

The Take-Out Talk is intended to be a presentation of exciting materials science developments, given with color transparencies and props, that you can make to technical or non-technical audiences. We have written a sample script and created color transparency masters to accompany the presentation.

The presentation should be held in a darkenable room that contains an overhead projector and projection screen. A hot-air blower (hair dryer) or a container with very hot water is needed for one of the demonstrations. The props box contains: one large refrigerator magnet for the speaker, small refrigerator magnets for the audience, optical transform slides for the audience, a laser pointer for the speaker, a mini-maglite for the speaker, LED reference strip, blue LED circuit, tri-color LED board, 9-volt batteries, memory metal strips, candle, and matches. All of the items above are provided except the overhead projector, projection screen, and the hot-air blower (hair dryer). The speaker is encouraged to give away the refrigerator magnets. All other items should be collected so they can be reused.

Solid-State Model Kit

developed by Ludwig A. Mayer and George C. Lisensky.
Institute for Chemical Education(ICE) publication 92-004.

Available for borrowing are several solid state models based on the Solid State Model Kit shown above. Those models include the following:

Optical Transform Kit

developed by
George C. Lisensky, Arthur B. Ellis, and Donald R. Neu
Institute for Chemical Education(ICE) Publication 90-002

X-ray diffraction can be modeled using visible laser light and two-dimensional patterns. The Optical Transform Kit includes directions, patterns on slides, and overhead transparency masters. A source of visible laser light (such as a laser pointer or HeNe laser) is not included.

DNA Optical Transform Kit

developed by
Amand Lucas, Art Ellis, Karen Nordell, George Lisensky,
Mike Condren; Russ Tobe, and Anne-Marie Jackelen
Institute for Chemical Education (ICE) Publication 99-001

The booklet of the DNA Optical Transform Kit contains:

Build a Better CD Player:
How Can You Get Blue Light From a Solid?

Module written by
George C. Lisensky, Arthur B. Ellis, Herbert Beall,
Dean J. Campbell, and Joanne Stewart.
Quicktime Movies by
G. C. Lisensky and J. M. Blackwell

The Blue Light Module challanges you to think about a materials design question, how to get light from a solid, during two or three week of your chemistry course. You will see that light emitting solids are essential for many high-technology materials and products, including compact disk (CD) players. You will make use of the periodic table to propose color-specific emitting solids based on your knowledgeof periodic properties, bonding, electronic transitions, solid structures and the properties of light. A CD with numerous Quicktime movies accompanies the booklet for this module.

LED Color Strip Kit

developed by
Jonathan Breitzer, S. Michael Condren, George C.Lisensky, Karen J. Nordell,
Cynthia G. Widstrand, and Arthur B. Ellis
Institute for Chemical Education(ICE) Publication 02-001

The LED Color Strip Kit is based on a strip of six different color LEDs and a 65-page activity booklet that illustrates the properties of LEDs and semiconductor materials with a series of hands-on, minds-on activities. Because semiconducting materials found in LEDs are grown virtually an atomic layer at a time, light-emitting diodes represent an exciting application of nanotechnology.

Memory Metal

developed by
Anthony T. Jacob
Institute for Chemical Education(ICE) Publication 91-011

This Memory Metal Kit provides a six page description of the chemistry responsible for shape memory retention in certain metal alloys such as Nitinol. Topics include applications, the chemistry behind the shape changes, setting the shape, cooling the alloy, bending the wire, reheating deformed metal, and training memory metals. This booklet also includes a reference list, diagrams ready for overhead projection, and a sample of memory metal wire.

Baush & Lomb Spec 21 Spectrometer

This spectrometer operates in the range of 320-1000nm and uses special test tubes as cuvets.

Orion Digital pH Meter

This digital pH meter is normally calibrated using the 2-point technique.

To reserve any of these materials for use in your classes, contact Dr. Mike Condren at Christian Brothers University (901) 321-3435. Materials must be picked up and returned by the borrower.