A dramatic mini-mushroom cloud rose during the demonstration what happens when hot wax meets cold water. The "wows" were audible from outside the gymnasium and cafeteria recently at the Stewart and Stratford Schools as students from Mr. Michael Stano's high school chemistry class conducted experiments demonstrating the properties of various solids, liquids, and gases for fourth grade students. Plastic water bottles were transformed into rockets, hot wax combusted into mini-mushroom clouds, and hydrogen peroxide fountains slowly erupted into squishy ropes of café au lait-colored foam during the demonstrations by the gloved and goggled conceptual chemistry students.

For the hands-on portion of the chemistry presentation, the elementary students were able to handle tubs of cornstarch, which, depending on the force applied, reacted as either a liquid (slow interaction) or a solid (punching the surface). The students also observed the transformation of a small piece of dry ice held in a pipette in water which "popped" in a dramatic reaction as the dry ice liquefied.

Conceptual Chemistry teacher Mr. Michael Stano hands an unharmed twenty-dollar bill back to a student after a fiery demonstration of the combustibility (and non-combustibility) of the alternately water-soaked, alcohol-soaked bill. Thank you to Mr. Stano and his high school chemistry class for encouraging the elementary students' interest in the world of science!

Fourth graders at the Stewart School volunteered to assist with a bottle rocket experiment. These students tested the shifting liquid/solid properties of tubs of cornstarch. Fourth graders at Stewart were fascinated by the "pop" as dry ice liquefied inside their pipettes and reacted to the chemical change.