Free elements sets for schools

[Anna Z]

Hi all, just thought thought I'd stick this on here https://elementsets.net/. they are so cool and free.

[Merilyn1]

My coordinator got hold of these whilst I was on leave. Very neat.
Now trying to work out the best way to display/store them. Have you had any thoughts, Anna?

[Anna Z]

We have them set up in the display cabinet (all glass) similar to above with the teachers notes standing next to them, they are in the classroom so accessible for students and teachers. I do find them out during Yr 10 science. Make sure you glue the lids on..... and DONT use Super Glue it makes the plastic go all cloudy

[gotolady]

Wow , thanks for letting us know that this offer is available. It certainly will add to the resources that make teaching more fun.

[Merilyn1]

We have them set up in the display cabinet (all glass) similar to above with the teachers notes standing next to them, they are in the classroom so accessible for students and teachers. I do find them out during Yr 10 science. Make sure you glue the lids on..... and DONT use Super Glue it makes the plastic go all cloudy

B*%%#r - they did get glued on and I suspect it was with superglue. I do have more of those containers so can swap them out later if needed. (I bought some of these containers from Ebay - they're used for crafty things.)

[RosalieL]

These look great!! Thank you for sharing! I hope I got my request in soon enough…

[Anna Z]

We have them set up in the display cabinet (all glass) similar to above with the teachers notes standing next to them, they are in the classroom so accessible for students and teachers. I do find them out during Yr 10 science. Make sure you glue the lids on..... and DONT use Super Glue it makes the plastic go all cloudy

B*%%#r - they did get glued on and I suspect it was with superglue. I do have more of those containers so can swap them out later if needed. (I bought some of these containers from Ebay - they're used for crafty things.)

Yes we had a work experience student do ours with superglue...they were so bad... they had to be smashed open to retrieve the samples then into new containers and different glue.

[Merilyn1]

I did have a thought afterwards. We put some mercury switches into these containers - tiny amount of mercury (so tiny, I couldn't really see the point). I decided to glue the lids shut and I had the casual use a really small dot of superglue to do so. That was twelve months ago and they are still fine.
So maybe it is the quantity, or maybe I am ahead of myself and next year I'll be complaining about having to replace the containers!

[Anna Z]

I did have a thought afterwards. We put some mercury switches into these containers - tiny amount of mercury (so tiny, I couldn't really see the point). I decided to glue the lids shut and I had the casual use a really small dot of superglue to do so. That was twelve months ago and they are still fine.
So maybe it is the quantity, or maybe I am ahead of myself and next year I'll be complaining about having to replace the containers!

I think you'll be fine, our work experience student managed to get it absolutely everywhere. If it has not gone cloudy now I think your good to go.

[Merilyn1]

Of course, I'm not sure how they glued the elements set!
Watch this space...

[StuartBatten]

Since these element sets are my babies, let me put up a few quick answers to some of the queries here.

1. Firstly, PLEASE look at the website (elementsets.net), and in particular, the Teachers' Notes available there (updated recently; these are different to the booklet contained in the set). These answer most of the queries here.

2. Displays. There is a great suggestion for a display case on the website, and a couple listed in the Teachers' Notes.

3. Glue. Best, safest suggestion is in the latest version of the Teachers' Notes. Basically most glues can frost the plastic, particularly if they're not left to dry in the open (fumes from the drying glue recirculating in a closed container is the likely culprit). If your containers have dried for 24-48 hours and your containers haven't frosted, then congratulations, you've gotten away with it. But the safest bet is to use Clear Liquid Nails, which won't frost the plastic like Araldite or Super Glue can. Again, see Teachers' Notes for the full details.

[Anna Z]

Since these element sets are my babies, let me put up a few quick answers to some of the queries here.

1. Firstly, PLEASE look at the website (elementsets.net), and in particular, the Teachers' Notes available there (updated recently; these are different to the booklet contained in the set). These answer most of the queries here.

2. Displays. There is a great suggestion for a display case on the website, and a couple listed in the Teachers' Notes.

3. Glue. Best, safest suggestion is in the latest version of the Teachers' Notes. Basically most glues can frost the plastic, particularly if they're not left to dry in the open (fumes from the drying glue recirculating in a closed container is the likely culprit). If your containers have dried for 24-48 hours and your containers haven't frosted, then congratulations, you've gotten away with it. But the safest bet is to use Clear Liquid Nails, which won't frost the plastic like Araldite or Super Glue can. Again, see Teachers' Notes for the full details.

Thanks so much Stuart and welcome to the forum.

[Merilyn1]

Thank you Stuart. They are really clever and already popular. I was on leave when they arrived. Haven't had much time to look at them and was certainly unaware of the website! So, thank you for the extra information.

Love your work

[RosalieL]

Thank you, Stuart. The booklets look amazing! I love the teaching ideas as well. I can't wait to receive them. They will be so well loved by our students and teachers!

[macca]

Thank you Stuart, Can't wait till they arrive. Teachers are already excited, the booklet I have printed out for each of them.

[RosalieL]

Hi all, just thought thought I'd stick this on here https://elementsets.net/. they are so cool and free.

Thanks Anna for sharing the info, too!

[StuartBatten]

Thanks everyone - I hope you get a lot of use out of your sets. I've just had a big influx of orders, many indicating they've seen it on Facebook. Anyone know which page?

Just to clarify a few things to make my life easier in processing these orders (I'm a one-man-band, so the less I have to google school websites or email people to clarify something the better).

1. Only one set per school. PLEASE check with colleagues if you've got a set already (they are donated to the school, not the individual).

2. There are two different order forms - please fill in the correct one. The logistics of all this runs entirely off the spreadsheets behind these. I will NOT send a set if the order comes in through the wrong spreadsheet. One form is only for those schools who got a set in the 2019 round - it's an 'expansion pack' that adds some extra elements to convert is to the 2023 version (which has more samples). The other form is for those schools who didn't get a set in 2019 and need the complete set. You do not need to fill in both. The two forms are clearly indicated which-is-which on the website, and yet still... Sigh.

3. Please fill in the postal address correctly. Do not put 'as above' - the street and postal addresses populate the spreadsheet differently. Shockingly, I need a postcode to put it in the mail. I also need a suburb/town!! The postal service is rather funny about this. I beg you not to force me to google school websites. Similarly, the postal address is not necessarily the same as the street address - some schools have post boxes, etc. Please check.

4. I've reached the limit of the sets I have ready to go - in fact I've rushed through another 80 more than I planned to send out this year. But the weather is turning warm now, so that will bring it to a halt now once I have the remaining ones in my office put in the mail. This is protect the gallium samples (Ga melts at 29 C). I still have the samples for another 360-odd sets (out of 1000 total) to finish labelling over the summer; these sets will go out next year once the cooler weather returns. So I'm happy to still take orders, but be aware that these won't go out until next year now (March-ish? - depends on the weather). I will probably be in contact earlier than that just to confirm you're still at the same school before sending.

Apologies is I sound slightly cranky, but after loading and labelling ca. 60K samples, and assembling 1600 sets across two rounds of sets (including the last bit I need to do over summer), most of it personally, it does start to annoy me when I have to wade through more than 1000 orders currently on my spreadsheets and fix addresses. One order even gave the postal address as just 'Myrtleford'. Good Grief!

[Labbie]

There is a facebook page called Labbies, just for labbies that work in Science.

[StuartBatten]

Thanks - much appreciated. I've just applied to join; hopefully I can post something soon that help reduce my workload processing the applications!

[Merilyn1]

Apologies is I sound slightly cranky, but after loading and labelling ca. 60K samples, and assembling 1600 sets across two rounds of sets (including the last bit I need to do over summer), most of it personally, it does start to annoy me when I have to wade through more than 1000 orders currently on my spreadsheets and fix addresses. One order even gave the postal address as just 'Myrtleford'. Good Grief!

Hey Stuart, you sound just like a typical, cranky labbie! You will fit right in because we have all had our ranting moments

Thank you for all your hard work putting these together. Our kit looks amazing and I have had a look at your storage/display suggestions.
Can I ask - what was the motivation behind all the work and who funded it? Was it some sort of educational project? Just curious.