My name is Alex Bishop. I am a sophomore from St. Paul, Minnesota majoring in global health and minoring in chemistry. From a young age, I had a sense of wonder about the natural world. I grew up catching insects (or attempting to) and documenting the species I found. This curiosity led to my interest in scientific innovation and discovery. The K-8 Chemistry Outreach course was an excellent opportunity to share my passion with young students.
I developed three different lessons with the common goal of creating hands-on opportunities for scientific exploration. The first lesson focuses on surface tension (Surface Tension Teacher Kit). The activities teach students about the structure and polarity of water, which allow for many of the unique properties of water. 
The next lesson developed teaches students about density and air pressure (Density and Air Pressure Teacher Kit). We are never without air pressure; therefore, it can be difficult to recognize its force. Through simple activities and demonstrations, this lesson indicates the strength of air pressure. In order to connect density to air pressure, I reviewed the layers of the atmosphere and explained that they separate based on density. The final experiment introduces stu
dents to the six types of simple machines: pulley, wedge, inclined plane, wheel and axle, lever, and screw (Simple Machines Teacher Kit). Students learn about mechanical advantage and the use of each type of simple machine. The activities can be altered according to the teacher kits to be taught to students from K-8th grade.