This module is intended as a curriculum supplement for high school science teachers who would like to introduce their students to concepts in Materials Science and Technolology. Teachers are urged to use one, some, or all of the MAST modules. Some teachers may wish to implement this module in its entirety as a subject unit in a course. Others may wish to utilize only part of the module, perhaps a laboratory experiment. We encourage teachers to reproduce and use these materials in their classrooms, and to contact the workshop with any assessment, comments, or suggestions they may have.
This is one in a series of MAST modules developed and revised during the Materials Technology Workshop held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign during 1993-'95.
A combination of university professors, high school science teachers, and undergraduates worked together to create and revise this module over a three year period.
Financial support for the Materials Technology Workshop was primarily provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Education and Human Resource Directorate (Grant # ESI 92-53386). Other contributors include the NSF Center for Advanced Cement Based Materials, the Dow Chemical Foundation, the Materials Research Society, the Iron and Steel Society, and the Peoria Chapter of the American Society for Metals. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the College of Engineering Office of Extramural Education provided organizational support.