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Super-absorbent polymer crystals can be added to soil to help store water around a plant's roots.

Welcome to You Be The Chemist!

The Chemical Educational Foundation's You Be The Chemist® (YBTC) programs are designed to enhance K-8 science education by introducing the science of chemistry as it relates to our everyday lives and to the study of other sciences. 

Learn more about CEF's You Be The Chemist® programs and how they can benefit YOU!

YBTC Activity Guides

The YBTC Activity Guides: Lesson Plans for Making Chemistry Fun offer a variety of exciting science lesson plans, enabling educators to bring hands-on learning to students, inside and outside of the classroom. The Activity Guides are divided according to grade level, one for grades K-4 and the other for grades 5-8.

Each Activity Guide booklet contains approximately 30 educator-reviewed lesson plans, activity sheets, and a resource guide filled with safety information, tips for non-chemistry teachers, and much more.
 

YBTC Challenge

The YBTC Challenge is a fun and innovative academic competition that engages 5-8 grade students in learning about important chemistry concepts, discoveries, and chemical safety. Challenge competitions are exciting events that take place across the country, encouraging the collaboration of community organizations, schools, and the chemical industry, as together, they educate students about the benefits and value of chemistry.