Chemistry in action — UK team inspires young scientists with hands-on demonstrations

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 18, 2024) — As part of its ongoing mission to inspire the next generation of scientists and scholars, faculty and students from the University of Kentucky Department of Chemistry visit local schools to engage students with hands-on demonstrations and spark curiosity in the world around them.

This past spring, a team of four doctoral students, led by Professor Anne-Frances Miller, Ph.D., visited an eighth-grade class at Lexington Christian Academy (LCA). Armed with an assortment of everyday materials, like cabbage and hand sanitizer, the team of students — Shuvo Deb Nath, Aly Ackerman, Jessica Bone and Nolan Lok — captivated the young scientists with lessons ranging from atmospheric phenomena to the chemistry of everyday household items.

With a focus on inquiry-based learning, the LCA students were encouraged to explore scientific concepts hands-on rather than simply hearing about them.

“Young people now spend a great deal of time online and on devices. Our in-person factual demonstrations reawaken students’ immediate excitement in the real world,” Miller said. “It is vitally important for their lives to retain that connection, because the real world is where our decisions as individuals and a society play out. Our knowledgeable and enthusiastic demonstrators show that the real world is every bit as exciting as YouTube, and much more empowering.”

The lesson kicked off with an exploration of the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights. Miller explained to the class how the colors seen in the sky are the result of various gases in the atmosphere. Lok demonstrated this with pure gases trapped in luminous tubes, showing how elements like oxygen and nitrogen emit distinct colors when excited. Students, donning prism glasses, marveled at the unique emission spectrum of each gas — a visual reminder that every element has its own “fingerprint.”

From atmospheric phenomena, the lesson shifted to chemical reactions on a molecular level. Using chopped red cabbage as a pH indicator, the team explored the properties of acids and bases. Doctoral student Deb Nath brewed up a cabbage solution that turned a vibrant indigo, before fellow student Ackerman used the liquid to test common substances. As the young students observed the cabbage juice change colors — pink for acids and green for bases — they hypothesized whether substances like lemon juice, milk, baking soda and Sprite were acidic or basic.

The interactive lesson came even more to life when students were asked to exhale into cups of cabbage juice. As the carbon dioxide from their breath turned the liquid magenta, Miller highlighted how CO2 increases acidity — a concept tied to real-world environmental issues like ocean acidification.

“Hands-on demonstrations and experiments help students reinforce knowledge in a dynamic and memorable way,” said LCA teacher Jocelyn Smith. “Dr. Miller and her graduate students did an incredible job designing an engaging lesson and making connections to real-life scenarios for our students. It’s also helpful for our eighth-grade students to be exposed to college and career tracks where they can ask questions about what exciting paths exist beyond middle and high school as far as their studies and interests. We were grateful to welcome the chemistry team to LCA!” 

“It was a pleasure to support an excellent teacher who is making science both fun and empowering for her class,” said Miller. “The teachers in our schools do an incredibly difficult job. I am always delighted to support them. Learning opens so many doors and greatly enriches entire lives.”

The impact of the visit was clear, with students engaging deeply in the lesson.

“Having professionals in our classroom helps to tie together what we learned this year in a really fun way!” one student said.

By the end of the session, the team’s demonstrations left a lasting impression — not only reinforcing the students’ classroom knowledge but also inspiring many to explore the possibilities of a career in science.

“My love for chemistry began in middle school, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to share this passion with up-and-coming scientists,” said Ackerman. “I hope in 10 years some of these students are on the other side of the demo table having just as much fun as we did.”