Kids' Chemical Solutions

After teaching Chemistry in higher education for 30 years Colleen Kelley was perplexed and taken aback by her college level Chemistry students' lack of true understanding of Chemistry. In trying to answer the question as to why students think Chemistry is so difficult, Dr. Kelley researched this very question. She discovered that Chemistry is much like music in that they both depend on symbols and their understanding. According to research the optimal time to begin studying music is when a child is around 6-10 years old. So when is the optimal time to start learning Chemistry? The most suitable time is 6-10 years. Interestingly, I found that at birth a baby has billions of neurons waiting to make connections (neural synapses). Connections that are not hard wired need to be developed. Around the age of 5 about 90% of brain development is complete. In childhood there are critical windows where synapses in various parts of the brain have optimal plasticity. When that period ends that plasticity weakens. This is why introducing the basic fundamentals of chemistry early on is key to helping a student be more successful in high school Chemistry, college level Chemistry courses, and those students wishing to pursue careers that require high level Chemistry courses. 

Let's talk about "The M.C. Detective Agency: Chemical Solutions" comic books. First, these comic books are not the normal flimsy comic books that you are familiar with. These comic books are workbook quality. They teach chemistry to learners ages 8 to 108! This multi-episodic series envelops a cleverly concealed chemistry curriculum with stories of twins, Poppi and Ray, who solve mysteries using chemistry. The twins travel back in time where they have to learn chemistry in order to solve mysteries or rescue something. Each comic book explores a different scientific discovery, introduces famous men and women in science, recounts events in scientific history, and teaches A LOT of chemistry. What is so wonderful about these comic books is that they are FUN! Dr. Kelley is a great storyteller. The storylines are engaging, interesting, funny, easy to follow, and chock full of CHEMISTRY! Dare I say they actually make chemistry easy? The companion activity packet entitled The M.C. Detective Agency Activity Packet for File 1: The Case of the Deadly Dials and File 2: The Case of the Missing (Atomic) Model gives the comic books more of a curriculum feel. Leaving out the The M.C. Detective Agency Activity Packet is like working through a science book and not doing the experiments. The Activity Book contains a lot of Chemistry for students to learn. For homeschoolers there are so many directions to enrich this curriculum. Lapbooks are great for younger students. I absolutely LOVE lapbooks. You could have your younger students work on their handwriting or cursive. For an art project you could have your child draw one of the comic scenes or draw one of the characters. For older students you could have them research Marie Curie, the Radium Girls, Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, and so many other topics found in the comics and then write a research paper. "The Radium Girls" written by Kate Moore is a wonderful book suitable for junior high students and above. For the middle or high school level student you could have your students enter a lively debate between the Bohr Model and Quantum Mechanical Model. Maybe your students could reenact the story of the Radium Girls. These are just some of the possibilities.  

I have studied many Periodic Table of Elements over the years but I have never used one that is as large as a shower curtain. Actually, it is a shower curtain, lol. The curtain is made of 100% polyester fabric. 

File 1: The Case of the Deadly Dials

The M.C. Detective Agency File 1: The Case of the Deadly Dials introduces us to M.C., Granny Eve, Poppi, and Ray. While up in the attic getting a fondue pot for Granny, Poppi discovers some interesting pictures. On the back of the pictures the writer talks about Po and Ra. Poppi asks Granny about the picture. M.C. talks to Granny through an old radio. Granny tells them about a special job they must do. They have to travel back in time to 1921 to warn the Radium Girls about toxic radiation poisoning. Along the way they meet Thomas Edison. He explains the elements to them using a banana split. Twins Poppi and Ray are then on their way to warn the Radium Girls about the dangers of Radium. 

My 14 year old daughter recently began working through M.C. Detective Agency File 1: The Case of the Deadly Dials. She just finished her Biology course for the year. I was really excited about having her read these comic books since High School Chemistry is next. Her Middle School Physical Science curriculum covered Chemistry topics including Properties and States of Matter, Atomic Structure and the Periodic Table, Chemical Bonds, Reactions and Energy, Carbon Chemistry, and Biochemistry. Chemistry was also included in my daughter's biology curriculum. My daughter said that some of the material in The M.C. Detective Agency: Chemical Solutions was a review. My daughter really liked the way the material was presented in each case file. The Radium Girls story was completely unfamiliar to her. My daughter said that the material in File 2 was like chapter two. Every day my daughter worked through these comic books and activities without being told. Let me say, this is HUGE. My daughter said that both File 1: The Case of the Deadly Dials and File 2: The Case of the Missing (Atomic) Model  were interesting and an ingenious way to learn beginning Chemistry! She said she would definitely like to work through more case files. 

While in the attic Poppi finds a picture with this letter on the back.

Poppi wonders who M.C. is? Po and Ra: what are they? And who is P.C? 

Granny Eve has a secret to share with Poppi and Ray.

Granny talks to M.C. aka Marie Curie who is Granny's 

mother through the radio back in time. 

Once Poppi and Ray travel back to 1910 they meet Thomas Edison.

Mr. Edison teaches the twins about the elements using a banana split. 

In the middle of the comic book are activities. Students learn the reasons why some elements are represented by one letter. In contrast, others have an upper and lower case letter, and in some cases why there are two upper case letters. It can get quite confusing. There is an activity that has students looking for elements on the periodic table that have elemental symbols that do not match their names. Another activity students are asked to find elements and their symbols and to research who or where they were named after. Activities explain the breakdown of the periodic table into three basic categories, then groups and periods.

In the second half of File 1: The Case of the Deadly Dials Thomas Edison begins to explain the period table and how it is broken down. Twins Poppi and Ray are then on their way to warn the Radium Girls about the dangers of Radium. They encounter a couple of the Radium Girls chatting and warn them. They try to enter the factory and get caught. The twins are able to gather proof of the dangers of Radium and get it to Thomas Edison! 

Thomas Edison uses a HUGE periodic table to 

explain how the elements are organized, what 

the numbers mean, why there are capital and 

lower case letters, why some elements have letters 

that do not have anything to do with the element name, 

and so much more.

With all of the knowledge they now have it was time to take action 

and warn the RADIUM GIRLS of RADIUM DANGER! 

Poppi realizes that she has to use all of the 

knowledge that Mr. Edison taught her to save the girls. 

She sees how Ca (Calcium)

can counteract the effects of Ra (Radium).

The conclusion to this comic is suspenseful and wonderful. The comic ends by explaining that the chapter is based on 

the TRUE STORY of the Radium Girls. For homeschoolers 

looking for additional resources on the Radium Girls I 

would highly recommend "The Radium Girls" written 

by Kate Moore. The author also has a young readers edition.

File 2: The Case of the Missing 

(Atomic) Model 

The M.C. Detective Agency File 2: The Case of the Missing (Atomic) Model Poppi and Ray travel back to 1927 to The 5th Solvay Conference on Electrons and Photons. A man named Niels Bohr was pushing for his faulty Bohr Model to be recognized as the true model. Albert Einstein knew that his Quantum Mechanical Model of an Atom was the right theory and that Bohr's Model was incorrect. Poppi and Ray must rescue the Quantum Mechanical Model to save the world! But first, Poppi and Ray need to learn all about the Atom. Albert uses Ray's cotton candy and a Mass-O-Meter to help explain electrons, protons, and the nucleus. Albert, Poppi, and Ray look at the Periodic Table and Albert explains what the numbers above and below the Atomic Symbol mean. With this knowledge in hand, Poppi and Ray can proceed to retrieve the Quantum Mechanical Model. 

Granny Eve is a scientist but her grandchildren

Poppi and Ray have no idea. 

Another tragedy is happening. Granny must

get Poppi and Ray ready to leave again. 

Poppi and Ray know they must find a man

named Albert and tell him Granny sent them. 

Their task is to rescue the 

Quantum Mechanical Model. 

Albert tells the children about Niels Bohr and

his Bohr Model and how it is WRONG! He explains

why his Quantum Mechanical Model is correct. 

Dr. Kelley's use of cotton candy for Albert Einstein

to explain the electron cloud and later electrons,

the atom, nucleus, atomic number,

atomic symbol, atomic mass, protons, neutrons...

helped to make the concepts not so scary. 

Poppi will not be confused after listening

to Albert explain Atomic Number and Atomic Mass

using Ray's cotton candy. 

Poppi now understands! 

Time to rescue the 

Quantum Mechanical Model. 

 The end of the comic chapter is quite comical. 

Activity Packet 

The M.C. Detective Agency Activity Packet for File 1: The Case of the Deadly Dials and File 2: The Case of the Missing (Atomic) Model is divided into two sections, one for each case file. A Teacher's Guide with step-by-step instructions broken down into parts is included. There are activities to complete before reading the comic book. One activity is the Periodic Table Twister! After each part Dr. Kelley explains the reasoning behind completing the activities. For example, in File 1: The Case of the Deadly Dials Teacher's Guide Part 2, The idea of Part 2 is to get comfy with the Periodic Table and Elements BEFORE you begin reading the comic books. Estimated times are given for each part. In order to understand the real scientific stuff in each case Colleen Kelley has come up with one page write-ups entitled Tell Me More! A cute one-eyed purple character named Tell-Me-More-Tennessine or Tenny for short is ready to explain to you all about what you will learn in each case. In File 1: The Case of the Deadly Dials Poppi and Ray warn the Radium Girls about the dangers of Radium. There are three one-page Tell Me More!  write-ups for File 1. The first one introduces Marie Curie and her discovery of Radium along with fun facts. The second one is about Thomas Edison and his inventions along with some fun facts. The third one is about The Radium Girls. In between reading the comic book there are activity pages to complete. Solutions are provided in a separate section. 

 The Activity Packet comes with a cut-out Periodic Table. 

Completing the pre-read activities. 

These TELL ME MORE! pages are very informative and 

make for an excellent lead into the comic book. 

 

Using the Periodic Table students are able to write out their names. Using period and group they can find each letter in their name. If one of the letters in their name happens to be a transition metal the name of the element is simply written below the line. 

Wonderful diagrams like the one below can be found 

throughout the material for both comics. 

In Summary

Dr. Kelley is a wonderful storyteller. She does a remarkable job weaving fiction, non-fiction, and chemistry together. The amount of chemistry she PACKS into one comic book is incredible. Her ability to explain chemistry in a way that MAKES SENSE and at the same time make it enjoyable to learn is impressive. Each case file builds upon the previous one. In File 1 the learner becomes familiar with the basics of the Periodic Table, symbols, groupings, families and how as you go down a group the properties get stronger. Then in File 2 students will learn about the atomic number and mass, protons, electrons. In addition, each element on the Periodic Table represents all parts of an atom. Isn't that COOL? Bill Bryson in A Short History of Nearly Everything said, "Protons give an atom its identity, electrons its personality." I would highly recommend these comics and the activity book to anyone that is struggling to understand the basics of chemistry. This includes parents with young children who desire to give their children a head start in chemistry. It also includes anyone wanting to learn chemistry. I cannot wait for my daughter to read and learn more about chemistry in the other M.C. Detective Agency File comics.

Disclaimer - I received this material in exchange for my honest opinion.