Teaching notes:

• The slide only gives a rough outline of the lesson. No effort has been made to discuss concrete questions and exercises, types of instruction or multi-media.
• This "Discover Silicones Documentation" contains factual information, experiments, worksheets, videos and animations for this module.
• The module as described above is suitable for students in sixth form. If you confine yourself to the concepts of "hydrophilic" and "water repellent" and dispense with the detailed explanations at the particle level, the module may also be adapted for first lessons in lower forms.
• After block "4. Explanation of experimental results", there are various ways in which the subject matter can be extended, dealt with in more detail, and applied. For example, a) Further properties and applications of silicone fluids, e.g. as antifoam agents, b) Manufacture of silicone fluids or c) More detailed comparison of linear silicone macromolecules and polyolefin macromolecules. These may be covered during lessons, given as homework or set up as part of a project.
• This module may be used as a constructivist learning cycle based on the concept of didactic integration of subject systematics and realistic contexts. Details on didactic integration are to be found under http://www.chemiedidaktik.uni-wuppertal.de/ and in Ref. [8].