The middle-school students performed hands-on experiments of several classes of engineering materials, including semiconductors, superconductors, metals, ceramics, and polymers. The students polished, etched, and observed the microstructure of cast aluminum; measured the temperature-dependent properties of polymers, experimented with fiber optics and light emitting diodes, and used the magnetic levitation effect to measure the transition temperature of superconductors.

The high school students used ‘engineering’ materials to make jewelry. For example, titanium is a metal that is used in many ‘high-tech’ applications, ranging from aircraft to golf clubs. Titanium oxide is a ceramic material with applications such as antirelective coatings in solar cells. In this session, the students oxidized titanium to make different types of jewelry.