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A Glue From Slug Slime?

The Science Teacher—April/May 2009

“Yuuuck!” “Gross!” “Cool!” The response to slugs is never indifference. These slimy creatures are perfect for captivating students’ imagination and curiosity, and they are ideal subjects to introduce investigative science. This article describes a classroom activity in which students design a research investigation to answer the question: “Is slug slime a good glue?” Through a series of guided steps, students work in small groups to decide how to measure the success of an adhesive. Each research team invents a unique tool, the “Sticky-O-Meter,” to quantify glue stickiness. Students compare results for slug slime with those from a commercial adhesive.
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