Molecular Structures and Chemical Forces in Textiles
Rebekah Bentle Laudermilch
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Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School is a public magnet school for performing arts in New Haven, CT. We serve a diverse population of 700 students from both the city of New Haven (65% of student body) and its surrounding suburbs (35%) with a make-up of 50% African American, 25% Hispanic, 23% Caucasian, and 2% Asian. Over sixty percent of our students are considered free or reduced lunch. “Co-op” is located in the heart of downtown New Haven with access and close partnerships to the Shubert Theatre and Yale University. As all of our students have a focus on a particular art, connecting chemistry to art is an essential access point in the classroom. This unit on molecular geometry and textiles lends itself to using hands-on modeling techniques and gives students an opportunity to use their own creativity in making representative models. The unit is intended for high school chemistry students with knowledge of biology, atomic structure, basic bonding, Lewis dot structures, and the periodic table.