Science experiment for African high school?

I am visiting a central African country over the summer and have been requested to do a fun instructional activity in a high school associated with my visit. Presumably science related. I work in a biotech company (originally trained as a chemist) which is why there is interest. I am also sensitive to the politics involved so I would like to do/teach about something involving their local community and environment, rather than a biotech lecture.

But a couple of additional constraints, 1. I am traveling to multiple countries so am severely limited as to what materials I can transport (particularly liquids) and 2. I don’t and may not have any knowledge of science literacy ahead of time. 3. Kids are educated in english but speak it as a 2nd language mostly. 4. a laptop is possible but other electricty or internet accessibility is unlikely.

So do you have any ideas for wide ranging concepts that may be tested? I am thinking ideally that I could adjust to the science knowledge in real time if the activity or idea is central enough.

Some ideas I came up with:

  1. digital USB microscope - I have one that does fun pictures of insects, skin+hair, eye irises, etc. I could go either with water samples from nearby water or even a basic introduction to optics.
  2. Strawberry DNA isolation - a classic around middle school classrooms. Using fruits/vegetables from the locality, and should be able to get rubbing alcohol from a local pharmacy. Could be either intro to DNA and genetics all the way up to hybridization as a method for modern fruit production- and even cultivars.
  3. baking soda and vinegar production of CO2. It looks like I could get the materials but they may have seen it already. Elephant toothpaste is cool, but may be hard to guarantee all chemicals nearby. Electrolysis of H2O could be possible but electricity is definitely not guaranteed!
  4. Agar plates. I think I could pack in media powder and a case of plastic plates. Microwave water + the media and pour plates relatively sterilized. And let the group grow their own microbes. One disadvantage would be that results would come in for a day or three so microscope utility is not high. (I am not opposed to leaving the microscope there or buying another to leave.)
  5. Balsa wood gliders/rubber band planes. Fun and I think I could get them there in one piece, but the education component is not high or relevant.

Soda bottle rockets, sugar rockets, are out for requiring too much equipment and/or non-flying chemicals

But I would love to hear thoughts on such an open-ended experiment ideas of mine or anyone else. Thanks!

The classic water rocket is still available and has only 3 parts.

For a quick experiment to grab attention how about making a chemical solution that change colour as the valence changes? There’s one element that’s particularly good at this but I forget which one - a gander at Periodic Videos will help.

On the biology front, how about demonstrating the difference between clean water and dirty water? Just get the children to see what your microscope sees.

You could use chem lab style filter paper and Vis-a-vis brand overhead markers and do a neat paper chromatography activity. The black ones give a good spectrum of colors, using just water as the solvent. Other colors are neat, too. I have heard Crayola brand washable markers work, but I haven’t tried them.

Haven’t they told you which one yet?

This

Use your microscope to show the microbes in a drop of water coupled with some simple methods for sterilization. Interesting and potentially useful.
Good luck and good for you for doing this bit of education.

I would also suggest something along the lines of basic water purification. I don’t know if this is possible but I would try to help the students construct a simple rig that will allow them to purify water on demand and then encourage them to take them home and (if possible) teach others how to do the same.

Obviously the benefits of this will be dependent upon which country you visit and the age of the students involved.

Or “stick metal into flame”, which also produces some really cool colors.

Microscope would be cool - something they likely would not have seen before.

Magnets and iron filings are cool - get a block of themfor a few bucks and each kid gets to keep a few.

I have new “guidance”: “these kids have never seen nor heard of a test tube” in response to questions about their science literacy.

The country is Malawi.

The magnets are a great idea- maybe something I can just send them all home with.

I also like the chromatography idea with the filter paper. I wonder if there were be enough colorful flowers/fruits available to separate natural colorants?

Just FYI, Malawi is more “Southern Africa” than “Central Africa”.

Some ideas in this thread about [thread=578218]grade-school (US) science projects[/thread]. I’ve always liked the model of the solar system to scale - the “Thousand Yard Model”.