When hes not writing about educational tech, he likes to chill out with his family and dog at home. The Smarter Learning Guide is reader-supported. They then had to hook the petri dish up to a battery pack with a couple of wires and leads that they clipped to either side of the dish. The complementary app serves as a virtual 3D microscope enabling your child to better visualize what happens in each experiment at the molecular level. The kits were all marked with warning labels and safety instructions which pleased the boys immensely. Additionally everything about Mel Chemistry sets, from the Pyrex materials to the actual experiment materials to the look and feel of the instructional apps and software, are very high quality and well designed and made. Mel Chemistry kits are designed for two people and are really for parents and students to set up experiments and learn together, with instructions and topics of discussions written for and directed at parents and students to use together. To understand the concepts of science, shrink down to the molecular and atomic level, immerse yourself in different types of matter and see how atoms and molecules interact from a whole new perspective. Compared to other STEM boxes, such as Groovy Lab in a Box, Mel Science kits tend to be a little more expensive. You will also need to buy the starter kit. They also offer a lot more physical goods than other STEM boxes and the price also includes access to a digital app and VR lessons, which adds to the available content significantly. They are not designed for kids to use on their own as they often use chemicals and produce reactions that require adherence to safety precautions. The experiment itself was pretty easy and not that demanding in terms of precision. In terms of scope, some chemistry topics we found that were touched upon include: With a subscription to Mel Chemistry, students and parents can access a suite of Virtual Reality chemistry lessons for free. They make sure that you understand the underlying science. Instead of shipping out a full powered microscope as part of its chemistry starter kit, Mel Science sends kids a macro lens attachment for smartphones instead. Learn that an atom consists of a tiny atomic nucleus surrounded by an electron cloud. Founded in 2014, Mel Science is a STEM subscription box service for kids ages 8+ in physics and chemistry. From an educational standpoint, we actually have mixed opinions about this. Short 5-minute VR lessons, interactive labs, and simulations are an excellent way to understand complex chemical and physical concepts through engaging visualizations. Although not the cheapest option out there, with its interesting and exciting experiments, rich instructional material, helpful digital apps and innovative VR learning environment, Mel Chemistry sets can go a long way in teaching chemistry in an effective and captivating way. Blackpool FY4 5QN, Email:info@redboxvr.co.uk Average lesson time is between 3-7 minutes long and is easily combined with classic lesson time. These are designed to bring the sometimes abstract ideas of chemistry to life by letting students interact with molecules on their screen, turn them, rotate them, build them and even fly through them. As a result tin ions in the solution accept the electrons from the current and form tin metal, which snakes along towards the other clip. If the experiment doesnt work as planned, there is an immediate link to an FAQ, which handily covers some common mistakes people make and more often than not can really help get things back on track. Recognizing that not every household has beakers and test tubes lying around, the first Mel Chemistry shipment comes with a starter kit that contains the essential lab gear needed to support the coming experiments. It is difficult to retain the attention of children with formulas and boring textbooks. On top of receiving real life lab gear and a VR set, each month students receive a box with 2-3 really cool and engaging experiments to conduct, as well as ideas for further learning, access to a digital app and the possibility of VR classes that can take learning into a much more high tech and interactive space. Upgraded Reviews scanned the web to find out what real users are saying about MEL Science. Every month thereafter subscribers then receive a new box that contains 2-3 experiments that they can conduct, covering different areas and topics in chemistry. It was mainly a matter of pouring the contents of one bottle into another, shaking it, filling a container around halfway before inserting a zinc pellet and waiting. These cookies do not store any personal information. Its not enough to memorize formulas from a textbook. With very rare exception, MEL Science kits come with everything your child needs, including safety wear. Once again, our testers had to create a tin chloride solution, which they used to fill a petri dish. Using a macro lens also reduces the cost of Mel Chemistry quite a bit and prevents them from having to send out a cheap, badly made microscope as so many other kits do. The experiments are well organized, easy to set up and complete. It comes well packaged to store the equipment when not in use. By using Smarterlearninguide.com you agree to our Cookie Policy, Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. They provided everything we needed except for some water and matches. Your first shipment will include a free starter kit (valued at $50) in addition to your first set of experiments. With a macro lens, images are displayed on screen, letting kids zoom in or out with the usual pinching motion. When you click on links to buy products we might earn money to support our work. And, while it is a subscription plan and will auto renew at the end of your subscription, unlike most other subscription boxes Mel Science wont simply rebill you for the whole period if you forget to cancel. It covers a wider scope of chemistry subjects and goes a lot deeper in its science explanations, offering various points of discussion and ideas for further exploration of concepts. If a parent has a child who has a precocious interest in science this can help them introduce more complex topics potentially a lot earlier than they would otherwise be able to, which makes it a great enrichment tool. Zoom inside a helium balloon and see that helium gas consists of atoms that are flying. The MEL Science VR app works with your phone and allows kids to take interactive lessons and see exactly what is happening during the reactions in their experiments. The ingredients are neatly packaged in plastic bottles. This is invaluable, dont you think? A MEL Chemistry subscription delivers massive value, with real experiments that are great fun and high on educational value. That said, older students looking for chemistry enrichment, such as a talented and advanced grade 10 or 11 student looking to explore AP chemistry or even early college level chemistry topics, may need to look elsewhere. Is there anything dangerous about Mel Chemistry? Mel Chemistry kits present chemistry material in a very interesting and hands on way with sometimes very exciting results that can capitate kids imaginations. These are available as a separate app and can be used with the VR goggles included in the Mel Starter Pack or pretty much any other mobile-friendly VR headset. And if parents really do want to introduce microscopy into their lesson plans, they can be easily purchased on Amazon and added to the learning plan. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. They use the proper terminology and chemical formula to explain concepts fully, which is something we appreciate when it comes to STEM learning for kids, and have a variety of diagrams and images alongside the text. MEL VR Science Simulations is a growing series of science simulations, lessons, and labs covering chemistry and physics. Assemble your own oxygen atom with the given number of protons, neutrons and electrons. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. The combination of lab experimentation and the highly interactive VR component of Mel Chemistry can combine to make a very clear and engaging way of explaining and demonstrating complex topics in chemistry to kids in a way that lets them take their time and explore otherwise abstract concepts in a multisensory and interactive way. Alchemy, Detective work, and more, Isnt particularly cheap compared to other STEM boxes, Experiments are classics, but not too cutting edge, Not a set and forget independent learning activity requires parental supervision, Learning Language Arts Through Literature, Hooked on Phonics Learn & Read vs ABCmouse. RedboxVR Ltd If you are buying from Canada and would prefer your kit with French instructions, that option is available. MEL Science include all the supplies needed to conduct these Chemistry experiments. Lancashire UK So many kids just dont pay any attention to the sciences these days and would rather just veg out and play mindless games on the iPad. Right before our testers eyes, tin was pulled out of the solution and settled on top of the pellet of zinc, forming a delicate spiky crystal structure over it that resembled something like a metal hedgehog (hence the name). This gives Mel Chemistry a much more professional, educational feel compared to other kits out there, which can often feel more like entertainment or even a toy set. These lessons are interactive 3D explorations of various topics in chemistry that supplement the hands-on lab learning with more structured, interactive lessons and virtual activities based largely around molecular chemistry (atoms, electronics, various bonds, the elements and their isotopes, gasses and such). After all, what kid doesnt like things that burn, glow, change colors or even become invisible? MEL VR Science Simulations is a growing series of science simulations, lessons, and labs covering chemistry and physics. It provides various educational material and helps guide students and parents through setting up and conducting the experiments at home. They are safe enough to do at home but clear and detailed enough so that elementary and middle school kids can get a lot of learning out of it, which is nice. We were really impressed with the quality of the equipment. Download the app today to explore the full range of interactive VR lessons! They are interspersed with little interactive questions to keep kids engaged and paying attention and they also include interactive, chemistry related activities that students can do, such as construct atoms, molecules and elements using on screen tools. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Beyond the assistant, the Mel Science app also includes a section called Scientific Descriptions. This starter kit and first set of experiments from MEL Chemistry were so impressive, Everything felt very official and scientific and the apps to support our learning are pretty amazing. You can subscribe to the box for $34.90 each month. This is an attachment that clips to your phone or tablet, with a magnifying lens that sits over the devices camera. They are just as much fun for adults as the kids-Mr. S had a blast! Pyrex is pretty much standard in most labs and stands up to heat and cracking far better than cheaper, soda lime glass. Made to fit right into the school curriculum, virtual reality turns studying into an interactive and immersive experience, making learning entertaining. There is no option to buy individual kits. To cover all the main topics, at present the application contains a growing library of over 70 VR lessons, labs, and simulations. In this case our student and tester worked mainly with the physical cards using the app as more a supplement and enrichment tool. Made to fit right into the school curriculum, virtual reality turns studying into an interactive and immersive experience, making learning entertaining. All the experiments are designed for home use. See how the electron configuration diagram works whilst adding electrons to the nucleus, one by one. The Mel Chemistry starter pack also includes a Virtual Reality headset. Although not the cheapest option out there, with its interesting and exciting experiments, rich instructional material, helpful digital apps and innovative VR learning environment, Mel Chemistry sets can go a long way to teach chemistry in a way thats both effective and captivating. All of this, we feel, makes Mel Chemistry an excellent STEM enrichment tool for younger kids and a great hands-on lab resource for older kids learning chemistry at home. With a click kids are immersed in short, 3-7 minute videos that consist of 3D models. Inside the VR app is a virtual chemistry lab where kids can explore a variety of K-12 topics in molecular chemistry, such as atoms in solids & gases, electron orbitals, isotopes, the periodic table, molecules, gas laws and more. The Smarter Learning Guide and their writers, business partners and/or associates do not provide any financial, legal or health related advice as a substitute for professional consultation. Read more. MEL Science comes with a free mobile app. Opening the experiment assistant yielded much of the same information but in more detail, animating the steps and offering more in-depth guidance and troubleshooting. At the end of the day, Mel Chemistry is not the cheapest STEM kit out there by any means. Mel Chemistrys beakers and flasks are made of Borosilicate (aka Pyrex) glass. This means that when you receive your kit, you can simply charge up and use. Instead it shifts back to a month to month basis, which is somewhat more considerate from a customer service point of view. If you are more interested in letting your kids explore the world of chemistry on their own, or if you prefer not to use this kind of stuff in your house, we would recommend you consider an online chemistry lab, like Labster.com, or one of the many chemistry simulation apps out there. Language options available. I get to use a lot of products and subscription programs and this program is one of the best I have used. Enquire now for information and pricing on RedboxVR products and solutions. Despite being clear, the explanations offered are in-depth and arent dumbed down. Further, these are real chemistry sets. There are more than enough supplies to repeat these experiments. This involved creating a tin salt solution out of Sodium hydrogen sulfate and tin chloride, then adding a small amount of Zinc in the form of a pellet. With its in-depth learning and cool hands-on experiments it can be great and enriching way to introduce younger kids to broader science learning and, for teens, an excellent hands-on addition to their chemistry learning. See our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy for more information. Mel Chemistry is designed for ages 10-16+. I am really impressed by MEL Science after using their first box. After all these arent designed to stock a real lab. The little stand is adjustable so you can use either your phone or a tablet and have access to their apps as you conduct your experiments. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of all the cookies. MEL Science have a comprehensive online guide for each experiment including instructions, videos and scientific descriptions. Instead, these are variations on various chemistry classics you might find at a high school or even early college level chem class. Here the apps instant FAQ troubleshooting was quite helpful as the experiment wont work if the set ups polarity isnt correct. This changes all of that, and I couldnt be happier. The Smarter Learning Guide is reader-supported. In addition to an experiment box, in their first month subscribers also receive a Starter pack, which contains the necessary lab and safety gear and ultimately forms the core of the students Mel Chemistry lab. Included in the subscription is access to the Mel Chemistry app, which subscribers can download on Android or iOS mobile devices. Each set contains the chemicals and additional equipment to complete the experiment. Experience a new level of understanding in VR with MEL Science. Each monthly kit contains 2-3 science experiments with enough materials to try it twice. Many topics in Chemistry, particularly molecular chemistry, are typically often only superficially discussed with younger kids. The lab equipment that Mel Chemistry sends helpfully comes in their own separate, protective box. The Mel Chemistry set is officially recommended for kids ages 10-16. This is one of the most exciting and ambitious home-chemistry educational projects Ive seen, and I suspect it will be a better, more enduring investment than anything youre likely to find in a brightly coloured box on the shop shelves. And yet, with its included educational materials and discussions, Mel Science ensures that kids receive the science background to make it all educational as well as fun. Essentially a classic redox reaction, zinc is a more reactive metal and in tin chloride it begins to donate its electrons, which frees the tin metal which then collects on the zinc pellet in the form of little spikes. Or, more plainly speaking, roughly between 11% and 25% off, which is nice. The MEL Science App is bright with clear, detailed images, instructional videos, timers, everything you could possibly need to make your experiment a success. MEL Science has an absolutely fantastic app that accompanies the experiments. If I were to make a suggestion it would be allow customers the opportunity to purchase the kits individually. Develop a deeper understanding of chemistry by actually observing molecules from the inside. Yes, like all Mel Science kits, Mel Chemistry is a secular educational resource and can be easily integrated into secular homeschooling. They lend a greater sense of professionalism and can give kids and teens the feeling that they are doing actual science and not just playing with a toy or being condescended to, and they can be easily reused with other chemistry lesson plans and experiment ideas that parents might find or come up with later on. We were also able to do further reading and research on the app which was an unexpected bonus. The personal experiment assistant also gives parents instructions on how to set up and conduct the experiment in question, which is helpful if your chemistry lab skills are a little rusty, and actually gives little animated gif-type diagrams that show you how to do things and in what order, rather than just relying on written instructions. That said, when buying a longer term subscription, there is some savings to be had with Mel Chemistry. Phone:+44 (0) 1253 804802 Once again, the scientific explanation was pretty clear and in-depth. All content is also available to view in 2D. Unlike some other chemistry sets, which can be a little dry and formulaic, Mel Chemistry presents experiments and concepts in ways kids will find exciting. The Smarter Learning Guide is dedicated to researching, reviewing and finding the best educational products and services and presenting them to you in an easy-to-understand way. The first lesson shows that all matter consists of atoms. Mel Chemistry sets include pretty much everything a homeschool needs to get started doing lab experiments at home, including relevant materials, experiment instructions and an educational component and discussion. The app did a pretty good job explaining the science behind this. The software comes preinstalled on all devices in our classroom VR/AR kits. Whitehills Business Park The Best Monthly Childrens Book Subscription Boxes 2020, Elements, their properties and atomic structures, A 100ml (3.3 oz) Erlenmeyer flask for mixing chemicals, A variety of disposable plastic cups for holding liquids, Two plastic wraparound lab goggles to protect your eyes (helpful for parent/student learning), Cork trivets (to prevent heat damage to your table when you set a hot flask down), And interpreting quantitative lab results. Mel Chemistry can be an excellent solution for parents interested in giving their elementary and middle school aged kids a bit of exposure to chemistry. In particular, they were instructed to make sure that the batteries were properly inserted, the clamps properly connected to the wire, that they were touching the solution and so on. Experiments are fun, but not terribly complicated. Find that different carbon atoms always contain 6 protons but can contain a different number of neutrons in the nucleus. The box contained nice, glossy cardboard instruction cards that did a pretty good job detailing everything we needed to do step by step in text as well as in a series of IKEA-like graphic instructions and made everything quite clear. Spark their inner Bill Nye with new chemistry experiments every month. Although not particularly cheap, Mel Chemistry does offer a lot of content and lab equipment, as well as access to apps like its innovative interactive VR chemistry lessons. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Some parents want to encourage their children to explore certain subjects on their own, with minimal supervision or parental involvement. When you buy through links on our site we may earn an affiliate commission. Even if the experiments are selected to be safe enough for home use, they can and do include real chemicals, acids, combustibles and glass objects. The VR headset included is made of covered cardboard and its design is, in fact, very much like Google Cardboard. Every subscription comes with 2-6 experiments a month, a supply kit that contains everything you need, detailed safety information, virtual reality goggles, and an app that offers instruction and VR videos. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Its a great way to introduce science and scientific principles to kids in the comforts of your home. The overall idea is to intrigue kids and get them interested in chemistry with new kits delivered each month that contain things that ignite, produce interesting colors, grow, glow or even replicate something in real life that kids think is cool, spycraft or detective work. Terms & Conditions, How to use the RedboxVR Classroom Viewers. Mel Chemistry is a great chemistry set for most kids ages 10-16. That said, the learning tends to be a lot more in depth. The MEL Science website explains the science behind the experiments, including further interesting facts and context. With the understanding that the starter pack provides the basic hardware of a chemistry lab, such as beakers and burners, the experiment sets contain the exact chemicals and materials that their particular experiments require. Further, by attaching to a mobile device, kids and parents can use it at the same time and also take videos or pictures to either keep for themselves or to use in future lesson plans. Assemble your own carbon 14 isotope with the given number of protons and the given atomic mass. The results, however, were pretty impressive. We really liked the inclusion of a Google Cardboard type VR goggle in the kit. Overall, however, this is an innovative and interesting solution that works pretty well and can make parent-student interaction with the material a lot easier, since they can both look at and discuss an objects properties together through a tablet or phone. Each activity also comes with its own instruction and information sheet. Mel Chemistry is the companys subscription box for chemistry and provides kids with exciting, hands-on lab experiments that they can conduct at home, as well as a variety of in-depth learning material to help better integrate it into their learning. I love it! The app opens up in a lab where we have the opportunity to learn about different molecules and atoms and explore them closely. The assistant helps take parents and students through each experiment in a step by step manner, telling them what they need from the starter kit and from the monthly set and if they need to do something in particular ahead of time, which is very helpful. MEL Science helps families explore science whilst saving time and effort in preparing the resources themselves. But if youre looking for a hands on and engaging way to teach your elementary or middle school student some pretty in depth chemistry, it can be very much worth the price. For one thing, Mel Chemistry delivers a lot of content for your money. The company has also recently expanded into the world of virtual reality, providing over 70 interactive VR lessons in physics and chemistry. Whether it is due to the abstractness of concepts, or the uncertainty many parents have of their own skills in the subject, chemistry isnt always the easiest subject to explore at home. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. One of the sets our tester received that we decided to include in this review was simply called Tin.. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. See electrons being added to an atom one by one and learn the names of the orbitals. Control the whole class in just a few clicks on your tablet or phone with special teachers mode. I found myself wanting to show the lessons to my class immediately., A glimpse into the future of chemistry education.. The MEL app shows all the relevant molecules in various graphical representations, viewable using the VR goggles provided. Each box contains all the material necessary to run those experiments (using the lab equipment included in the starter pack), including any extra safety gear, various chemicals and compounds and so on. The experiments are well organized, easy to set up and complete. Seeing and manipulating representations of abstract concepts can help make them a lot more concrete, and we feel it can be really beneficial for younger kids as it lets parents introduce more advanced things like molecular chemistry into their lesson plans with a lot less confusion. The last thing you want, after all, is to prepare a lesson plan for the day and then have to delay it by a couple hours for prep time.
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