WSST Conference 2020 Canceled! The COVID-19 has created an unusual and life-threatening situation. The Executive Committee of the WSST Board unanimously decided to cancel our 2020 WSST conference because of the myriad cancellations and policies implemented for individuals regarding travel restrictions. All these restrictions are based upon sound recommendations from the Governor’s office, the CDC, and the WHO. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services Secretary Andrea Palm recommended Thursday (March 12, 2020) to cancel any events of more than 250 people to help contain the spread of the virus. We will commence with refunding registration and associated conference fees in a short while. This will take time as I have never done something of this magnitude before. Please be patient. Thank you for understanding.
Plastics are used in almost every product we use. This session will introduce middle and high school science teachers to fundamental properties of plastics that make them good, or poor, candidates for different products. Starting from the basic building blocks, teachers will learn about plastics materials science, and how an understanding of thermal transitions in plastics is essential for product longevity and successful use. If you ever wondered why you can’t put your disposable plastic bottles in the dishwasher or why an ice cube tray cracked after being in the freezer when it is flexible at room temperature, this session will provide the answers. This session will help teachers to address the Next Generation Science Standards, which requires students to be able to “communicate scientific and technical information about why the molecular-level structure is important in the functioning of designed materials” (HS-PS2-6).
