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Phew, that title is just about as difficult as saying Avocado's, I mean, Avogadro's number. But seriously, why waste time celebrating Mole Day? If your idea of Mole Day celebration involves a tedious stuffed mole project and a free class period, I completely agree. There is little value in that kind of celebration, other than building classroom community. BUT, what if I told you a Mole Day celebration could be valuable instruction, in disguise?
Interested now? Great. Let's talk about how to get your students excited about the mole, conversions, and chemistry in general:
It all starts with a Mole Day Competition. Grab a random beaker, fill it with an unknown amount of compound (I typically use copper (II) sulfate), and put it on display with a voting box. Ask students to predict the number of atoms contained in the beaker, and offer a meager prize. Even a small sticker was enough to entice most of my high school students! And why limit it to just your students? Take a picture and post it across the school. Start them young! The 9th graders may have guesses that are nowhere near accurate, but you've at least peaked their interest.
Prep time: 5-10 mins, depending on whether you spread propaganda throughout your school (I'd just assign this job to a willing volunteer).
Have you heard of the Molympics? This is a yearly competition amongst high schools around the world. All you have to do is sign up, and the Molympics committee has all of the event instructions and printouts ready for you. You may have a little bit of prep (one year, I had to fill 6 bottles with a specific volume of water for a water bottle flipping relay... it took more time to find matching bottles than it did to actually fill them), BUT, it's worth the effort! Even the burnt-out AP students/upperclassmen will get excited about participating.
Did we ever win? No. Did I ever manage to send in our results? Also no. Did it matter though? Not at all. Click here to register for 2023!
Prep time: 20-25 mins, but it gets easier each year you participate.
Who doesn't enjoy a good puzzle? I always have coloring sheets, puzzles, and scavenger hunts ready. Head to my Teachers Pay Teachers site for a free Mole Conversions Tarsia Puzzle!
While you're there, enjoy 20% off of everything in my store! (Sale runs through October 23, 2023).
Prep time: depends on how long the line for the copier is... typically a nightmare on Monday mornings, so plan ahead!
Okay, I know I hated on cookies at the beginning of this post... but, there's something magical about sharing food on Mole Day! Guac-a-mole, chocolate chip cookies, whatever your students are willing to bring in... anything goes. Worried about eating in your lab space? Bring the students outside, and while you're at it, do a fun demonstration. This is the perfect time for Elephant's Toothpaste or another messy experiment.
Prep time: 0. Leave the menu and tableware up to your students. If you feel so inclined, create a Google sign-up sheet, but this is not a requirement.
Hope you now have a few easy ideas for celebrating every chemists' favorite day of the year. Still thinking this would be a waste of time? Wait until June 2nd then. I may make fun of you on Tiktok though... you've been warned.
Thanks for reading, and happy Mole Day!
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