Shrinky Dink Science Lesson with Worksheets

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In this activity, we will enjoy a Shrinky Dink science lesson and cover atoms, molecules, monomers, polymers, and copolymers.

We’ll use a polymer called polystyrene to make our Shrinky Dinks. To help our kids understand the science behind Shrinky Dinks, we need to answer the question, “What is a polymer?” and explain a few chemistry terms like atoms, molecules, and monomers.

This Shrinky Dinks science lesson has been created to cover a range of grades. There are worksheets in the free printable that are appropriate for elementary students, and other activities and pages work well for grades 6-10.

NOTE: We have created a free printable Shrinky Dink science lessson that explains what a polymer is, different types of polymers, plastics, the numbers assigned to plastics, and much more. There are 5 activities, including the Shrinky Dink instructions. We also have a vocabulary list, along with vocabulary cards and activities. See the request box further down in this post.

To understand the science behind how Shrinky Dinks work, we need to talk about atoms, molecules, monomers, and polymers.

Shrinky Dink Science – Monomer and Polymer Basics

• Atoms are all around us. We cannot see atoms. Look around where you are now. What’s around you? Chairs, tables, light bulbs, pencils, windows, door handles, everything is made of atoms.
• A molecule is a tiny group of atoms that are stuck together. You may have heard someone refer to water by its chemical name, H2O. That is because a water molecule is made up of two hydrogen atoms (H2) and one oxygen atom (O). Can you find the two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom in the molecule model here?
• A monomer is a small molecule that can bond (or stick) to other similar molecules to form a larger molecule called a polymer. Mono- is Greek for the word one and -mer in Greek means part or segment. Monomer means single part. Monomers are the building blocks of polymers.
• A polymer is a chain made up of many small parts called monomers. Poly- in Greek means many. Remember, -mer in Greek means part of segment. So, polymer means many segments or parts.

Providing a concrete representation will help kids understand what a polymer is and how it is formed by multiple monomers. Grab a few colored paper clips and do this quick demonstration. Select several paper clips of one color and lay them out next to each other. These represent individual monomers.

Next, select multiple paper clips and connect them together by linking them. Each time you add a paper clip, you are building a polymer. Create different lengths of chains. Remember, each paper clip represents a monomer. The chain of paper clips represents a polymer.

Polymers can naturally occur, or they can be synthetic or man-made. Synthetic things are created in factories or labs using machines and chemicals.

Natural polymers are polymers found in plants, animals, and humans. These include:

How to Make Shrinky Dinks

Gather the following materials

• Shrinky Dink sheets like these on Amazon (aff link)
• Sharpies or colored pencils. If you purchase the opaque sheets, you can use colored pencils. Clear sheets work best with permanent marker.
• Scissors
• Hole punch
• Baking sheet
• An oven – an adult should be responsible for using the oven, watching the Shrinky Dinks while in the over, and removing them from the oven.

Shrinky Dink Directions:

Shrinky Dink Science – What Happened?

Chemical Change or Physical Change?

The change we see in the sheets of polystyrene is a physical change NOT a chemical change. The chemical makeup of the polystyrene remains the same, but the arrangement of the molecules has changed.

Explanation for younger students:

As the Shrinky dinks heat up in the oven, the heat gives energy to the molecules, making them move faster and faster.

The same thing happens to water molecules when we heat water in a pan. The heat makes the molecules move faster, and eventually, the water boils.

As the molecules in the Shrinky Dink sheets get more energy, they start to pull away from each other and spread out. This is why the Shrinky Dinks begin to curl and bend.

As the Polystyrene chains cool, the chains reattach in a smaller, more compact form, resulting in the shrinking effect.

Explanation for Older Students

When Shrinky Dinks are placed in the oven, the heat causes the polystyrene chains to absorb energy. This energy makes the molecules move faster and more, allowing them to move more freely. As a result, the material stays flexible and can be shaped.

As the temperature rises, the polystyrene reaches its glass transition temperature (about 220°F or 104°C). The glass transition is the temperature range where the polystyrene changes from being hard and brittle (like glass) to soft and flexible (like rubber). The polystyrene molecules move more, allowing the chains to move closer together.

As the softening occurs, the material begins to shrink. The dimensions of the Shrinky Dinks can be reduced to about one-third of their original width and height, while the thickness may increase slightly.

Once the Shrinky Dinks have fully shrunk and flattened out, they are removed from the oven and allowed to cool. As they cool, the polymer chains lose energy and settle into a more stable configuration. The new, smaller shape is “fixed” in place as the chains become less able to move.

Learn More About Polymers

Make Glue Putty from Carnegie-Mellon University

Polymer information for advanced high school students from The Essential Chemical Industry

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