Conflicts in Chemistry: The Case of Plastics, a Role-Playing Game for High School Chemistry Students

Conflicts in Chemistry: The Case of Plastics, an innovative role-playing activity for high school students, was developed by the Chemical Heritage Foundation to promote increased public understanding of chemistry. The pilot program included three high school teachers and their students at three different schools and documented implementation and participants' experiences using a third-party evaluator. The activity allows students to engage in debate regarding current science policy issues linked to competing values and interests. Developers crafted the activity so that students could learn about the chemistry of plastics, formulate arguments regarding issues affecting their daily lives and learn to relate those arguments to public policy, think critically about how the history of science and technology provides perspectives on contemporary life, and cultivate their ability to question simple narratives and consider multiple viewpoints. Analysis of students' written products and survey responses suggest that participation increased science interest and knowledge about the chemistry of plastics. Moreover, students recommended the activity to others, found the project phases well structured, and were able to offer specific arguments for and against the use of plastics. These results strongly endorse this activity as a promising model of engaging students in thinking and discussion of contemporary scientific issues.