At Thurgood Marshall, a group of cute, plush, and sewn critters has called a chemistry classroom home for years. Suengmee Seo’s students look forward to the Mole Project as a landmark event, a chance to have fun with their creativity while also tackling an advanced chemistry concept. A mole is a standard unit in chemistry for measuring really big numbers of very small particles like atoms. It’s a key concept in chemistry for students to learn in order to properly understand and do the chemical conversions that make up the bulk of the curriculum, but it can be tricky to master. To give her students a fun way to remember moles, Seo created the Mole Project. The Mole Project started as a small arts-and-crafts activity that used the shared name between the scientific unit and the furry animal to introduce the concept. After over a decade of refinement by Seo, it has grown into the campus known project it is today.
When students begin the unit on moles, they also start working on their plush moles. They learn about the molar mass of compounds and how to properly balance equations. As that information sinks in over time, they work on their plushes as a break. Although every student receives the same mole sewing pattern students are tasked with personalising their moles. They can use different colors of fabric, add hair, or even make mini accessories. To add another layer of excitement, Seo offers extra credit for the most creative mole of the year. This really fires up students to think outside the box with how they design and dress their moles. From pop culture references to chemistry-related puns, the students become incredibly invested in making their moles stand out. By the end of the unit on moles and the Mole Project itself, Seo’s classroom is filled with lovingly crafted stuffed friends. The moles become physical mnemonics reminding students about moles in a way that’s unique to both Seo’s class and the students who make them.
Over the years, the Mole Project has become a staple not just in Seo’s classroom, but in the student culture at Thurgood Marshall. Younger students not yet in Seo’s class see their older peers working on their moles during lunch or around campus, and they start to get excited for their turn to make a mole. Like prom or high school field trips, the moles are a milestone event that the Marshall students can look forward to even before they take Seo’s class. Current students have a good time creating their own moles and get to leave their mark on Seo’s classroom. Their moles decorate the room for the rest of the year, with some crowd favorites staying for good.
Seo’s project is an ongoing example of the creativity that makes PUSD teachers amazing. PEF is proud to support and provide resources to teachers like Seo in developing projects that enrich the lives and education of students. As a new group of chemistry students gets ready to make their moles, PEF looks forward to seeing what the next generation of critters will bring.
