Virginia Tech KTU Feb. 22nd hands-on activities!

Antarctica Today:  Geography, Penguins and More!- hosted by Hokies Abroad Antarctica

Students from the Virginia Tech Hokies Abroad Antarctica program will present photos and information on their recent study abroad experience in Antarctica.  Students will present characteristics of the Antarctic continent and use maps of the world to help you locate and compare your home country to Antarctica.  The exhibit will include a hands-on activity to demonstrate the importance of insulation to wildlife survival in the cold Antarctic climate, as well as the opportunity to take a photo in special clothing designed for use in the Antarctic.  The Hokies Abroad students will also present photos and video of their experience in Antarctica, including their interactions with penguins and the blood-chilling polar plunge!

The Hokies Abroad Antarctica program is a Virginia Tech faculty-led course in which students take an online course during the fall semester, followed by a 2 week expedition to the coldest, windiest, driest, highest, quietest, most remote, and least understood continent on Earth.  In the Hokies Abroad Antarctica program, students study contemporary issues in Antarctica such as Antarctica's history, exploration and exploitation of natural resources, the continent's geology, climate, and marine and terrestrial biology, legal, psychological, and anthropological aspects of human activity in the region, conservation of fragile polar ecosystems, and the impact of cruise ship tourism to Antarctica on the surrounding region.  For more details, visit:  www.hokiesabroad.org

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Ink Chromatography-- hosted by Virginia Tech Service Learning


Chromatography is a method for analyzing mixtures by separating them into the chemicals from which they are made. It can be used to separate mixtures like ink, blood, gasoline, and lipstick. In ink chromatography, you are separating the colored pigments that make up the color of the pen. Even though a pen will only write in one color, the ink is actually made from a mixture of different colored pigments.

Forensic scientists are able to use ink chromatography to solve crimes by matching documents or stains found at a crime scene to the marker or pen that belongs to a suspect. Forensic scientists analyze the unknown ink and compare it to writing utensils collected from possible suspects.

Museum of Science and Industry Activity

The undergraduate students presenting the activity are Virginia Tech Service Learning Students. As part of their classes, students participate in service projects where they donate a portion of their time and write a final report on their experience. Kids' Tech University is excited to work with these students!