What: STEM Field trip to the UCSB Materials Research Lab.  This workshop is especially for you if you are studying chemistry.  Personally, we are studying biology this year, and we are going to do this workshop after learning about the carbon cycle.

Cost: Free

Who: K-12 and parents, but please read all the information provided to be sure this is a good fit for your student.  I was told by the education director that this workshop is best for upper elementary and middle school.  The younger elementary students (K-2nd) might have a hard time building the model and will need help from a parent or older student.  She also suggested that it may be too simple for the High Schoolers, but as long as everyone is willing to to participate and help younger ones as needed without getting frustrated, all K-12 students are welcome.  Please do not bring children younger than kindergarten.  If you need to bring babies or preschoolers, you may take them for a walk around the campus while the older kids are in the workshop.

When: The workshop starts at 10am.  I would like for you to be there at 9:50 to check in with me.  Please give yourself enough time to park, walk, and locate the room where our workshop is taking place.

Where: Materials Research Laboratory at UC Santa Barbara room 2048.  Click here for an interactive map http://mapdev.geog.ucsb.edu/#  

The lab is near the east gate at UCSB.  The closest parking is in Lot 10–there are coastal access parking spots on the first level of the structure that you can purchase hourly permits for (the permit dispenser is near the stairs). There are also visitor spots available in several other lots on campus.  Parking permit info: http://www.tps.ucsb.edu/parking-permits/short-term-parking-rates

What is a Buckyball?

Since 2004, the Education Programs staff at the Materials Research Laboratory (MRL) has presented a “Build your own Buckyball” activity to school groups visiting the UCSB campus. The activity is based on a molecular model kit of the Carbon-60 molecule first developed by Sir Harry Kroto, who shared the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery of the Buckminsterfullerene (Buckyball), to provide K-12 students with a hands-on way to share in the discovery of the structure of this unique molecule.

Students, ranging from elementary to early high school, are given a brief PowerPoint introduction focused on Materials science and the scale of the nanometer, different forms of carbon and the relationship between molecular structure and material properties.
As part of the workshop, students build their own six-inch Buckyball models with instruction by UCSB graduate student volunteers. The workshop takes approximately one hour to complete.  https://www.mrl.ucsb.edu/education/build-buckyball-workshop

Sign Up by January 16th, after that you can ask to be added to the wait list.