This card integrates EML principles into the General Chemistry classroom through “Fun Fridays”, a series of engaging, real-life problem-solving activities. These activities are designed to help students connect chemistry concepts to societal challenges, foster curiosity, and instill confidence in their ability to tackle complex, interdisciplinary problems. By framing problems within real-life contexts, students are encouraged to think beyond the classroom and explore the relevance of chemistry in their future careers and the broader world.

The “Fun Fridays” activities were developed to align with the three Cs of EML: curiosity, connections, and creating value. Each activity involved solving a chemistry-related problem grounded in a real-life scenario, such as environmental issues, health care, or plain fun applications of chemistry. The problems were intentionally written to encourage students to explore the broader societal implications of their work. Activities were designed to foster collaboration, critical thinking, and communication skills, key components of an entrepreneurial mindset. Each problem aligns with topics covered in class while embedding fun real-world and pop-culture applications to spark curiosity and engagement.

Some calculations are simplified to account for students’ limited knowledge of complex processes, while others adhere closely to real-world procedures. The goal is to strike a balance between realism and feasibility, creating problems that are approachable yet stimulating.

A summary of the activities attached:

• James Bond (Stoichiometry and Gas Laws) – Students analyze a chemistry-related scenario inspired by James Bond, applying stoichiometry and gas laws to solve problems related to an action-movie-style prison-break challenge.

• Up (Gas Laws and Buoyancy) – Inspired by the animated movie Up, this activity involves calculating how many balloons would be needed to lift a house, reinforcing concepts of gas laws and buoyancy.

• Hair Remediation (Unit Conversions) – Students explore how human hair can be used to clean up oil spills by applying unit conversions and chemistry principles related to environmental science.

• Saline Solution (Solution Chemistry) – This activity involves calculating concentrations of saline solutions, helping students understand molarity, dilution, and their real-world medical applications.

• Affogato Dream (Thermochemistry) – Using the concept of an affogato (ice-cream with hot espresso), students explore thermochemistry principles, applying them to phase changes and energy calculations.