Materials Engineer: Milk Plastic
Materials Engineer: Milk Plastic https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/milk-into-plastic Days: 1 Mode: Individual Take-home: Casein-plastic part
Teaching & key ideas
Key concepts: Polymer-like material formation; recipe, processing, drying.
Hook: Show milk separating into curds and whey after vinegar.
Test / evidence: Compare shape, thickness, and stiffness of dried samples.
Variables to change: Thickness; pressing pressure; texture; optional recipe ratio teacher-run.
Lesson flow
Lesson plan:
Day 1: Make casein plastic → shape → dry
Video:
Turn Milk Into Plastic!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF-aET54CGk
Safety / cleanup:
Food allergy awareness; no tasting; teacher handles heat.