Libertyville school has a hands-on approach to chemistry

Fifth graders got a hands-on approach to chemistry by mixing chemicals and creating reactions in a program called Kids & Chemistry at Copeland Manor School.

Volunteer parents with science backgrounds helped 88 fifth graders from the Libertyville school learn about bases and acids using special chemistry kits provided by the American Chemical Society.

"We ask all the science loving parents to come here and do the science experiments with the kids," said science coordinator Aneesha Gupta of the Copeland Family Association. "They will learn a little about acid and base indicators. The students love all the experiments and they like making cool stuff and this is little thing they can learn that will be coming up in middle school."

The session was called "Chemistry's Colorful Clue" with four experiments involving basic concepts about acids, bases, and indicators and how the indicator changes colors when mixed with different chemicals causing the PH balance to change.

"We worked on a blue citric acid experiment where it changed colors," fifth grader Ryan Andrews said. "I thought it was really cool because I've never seen anything like it. I think it's really awesome that we have these nice parent volunteers."

During the school year, the students will participate in three interactive chemistry sessions with the next lesson, "CO2 to the Rescue," coming in February.