For the teacher’s introductory presentation:

• laptop/tablet, internet access, word processing access, presentation access (e.g., Google Slides, PowerPoint, Prezi)

Note: The following is for a class of 30 working in groups of three students each.

Each group needs:

• 3 pairs of gloves
• 3 Rubbermaid or Sterilite ice cube bins, such as at Target
• 3-4 paint sticks, such as a 10-pack at Home Depot (or for free from most stores that sell paint if you say it is for a school project)
• 1 small bucket (3 gallons or less) from hardware store or Amazon 
• 3 dust masks, such as packs of 50 from Amazon
• Making Concrete Blocks Lab sheet

For the entire class to share:

For making concrete blocks

• recycled, reused or discarded items; have students bring from home (ideally, collect materials that fall under one of three categories: metals, ceramics, polymers, or composites)
• 10-12 pairs of scissors
• 1-2 hammers
• lab scale or lab balance
• (optional but highly recommended) plastic wrap and masking or painter's tape to protect the balances
• (optional but highly recommended) large tarps and painter's tape to protect the lab area; 6 x 8-foot blue, multipurpose, waterproof Grizzly Tarps work well, from Amazon.
• 2 bags of Sakrete: 94-lb Portland Cement Type I/II Commercial Grade Quickrete, available at hardware stores like Lowe's or Home Depot
• buckets for cement mixing
• cups for scooping out and weighing cement; such as 8 oz. Styrofoam cups
• 6-8 gallons of water (tap water is okay)
• (optional) 1 premade sample to serve as example

For chemical testing

• 3 pairs of goggles
• 1-12 medium test tubes, large test tubes, small beakers or small cups
• Materials for labeling test tubes and beakers
• up to 12 pipettes
• up to 12 small samples of the chosen substrate
• Chemical Testing Lab sheet, 1 per group
• up to 12 beakers/cups for putting classroom samples into
• 10 ml of the following samples:

• bleach
• vinegar
• oil
• dirty/polluted water
• dirty/polluted salt water
• dish soap
• laundry soap
• hydrochloric acid (HCl)
• sodium hydroxide (lye) (NaOH)
• acetone (CH₃)₂CO (paint thinner or nail polish remover)
• household drain cleaner

For physical testing

• small crane scale, available at Amazon
• gallon heavy-duty Ziploc bags for drop test
• block crushing machine (see image below); have students make this simple machine possibly with the assistance of an industrial arts or wood shop class; see build instructions on the Block Crusher Design Instructions 
• (optional) a few extra bolts for the block crusher; for sizing, refer to the Block Crusher Design Instructions extra individual assignments for students to work on while testing is occurring; see the Extra Individual Assignments 
• (optional) a premade sample concrete block to use as a control; follow the Making Concrete Blocks Lab to build the block

Reuse most of the items from the Making Concrete Blocks Lab, but may need additional items such as:

• additional recycled, reused or discarded items that students bring from home (ideally, have the materials fall under one of three categories: metals, ceramics, polymers, or composites)
• 1 pair of gloves per person
• 1 bag Sakrete: 94-lb Portland Cement Type I/II Commercial Grade Quickrete, available at hardware stores like Lowe's or Home Depot
• 3 gallons of water