So – who’s ready for Mole Day? Rather than competing with the commercial hoopla around Halloween, perhaps we science teachers could get a head start on October 23 (10/23) from 6:02 a.m. to 6:02 p.m. The timing of this event celebrates Avogadro’s number — 6.02 * 10^23
This day is used to celebrate the science of chemistry and its applications. The National Mole Day Foundation’s website has background information, themes, and some suggested activities. The American Chemical Society has embedded Mole Day in its National Chemistry Week activities. The ACS site has many resources for students and teachers of all grade levels. Even if your students are too young to understand Avogadro’s number, they can still enjoy learning about chemistry and the role it plays in their lives. The Royal Society of Chemistry in the UK also has information about Avogadro and the mole. (The Society’s student journal is called The Mole.)
See SciLinks for more information on Avogadro: you’ll get a list of websites related to moles and to the work of this scientist.
I’ve also heard of teachers who reverse the numbers and celebrate their mole day on June 2 (6/02) at 10:23 a.m. This could be a neat end of the year wrap-up! (And who says we can’t celebrate twice?)