A little cooking oil allowed Gaffney High ninth graders Tevin Shears and Josh Mata to push this skewer through a balloon in one of many experiments involving plastic Tuesday. The physical science labs are part of PlastiVan, a national science education program to help students learn more about the plastics industry. A T-shirt made from melted soft drink bottles hung over the edge of a physical science lab Tuesday at Gaffney High while students took a trip into the world of a PlastiVan.

Gaffney High and Blacksburg High ninth graders are spending this week doing science experiments to learn more about plastics and the different career opportunities available in the plastics industry. The program is funded through a grant from the Upstate Workforce Investment Board.

The plastic center has three PlastiVans equipped with various plastic products that travel annually to schools nationwide . Education programs are presented in an effort to spark students' scientific curiosity about plastics.

This week's visitor at Gaffney High is Alan Jackson from the National Plastics Center.

"We are not immune to plastics. It's all around us," Jackson said. "Plastic is in our eyes, teeth, shoes, clothes and even some of the food we eat."

High school students sit on plastic chairs in classrooms. There is a good chance clothes purchased from popular brand name stores are made from polymer plastic fibers. Plastic is worn on the eyes in the form of contact lens and prescription glasses.

Plastic retainers and spacers are used by orthodontists to straighten teeth. It's even used by dairy companies as one of the nondairy products used in making ice cream.

"Plastic is in food that a lot of people love. For example, ice cream like milkshakes and a Frosty contain a thickener made from plastic products," Jackson said. "This isn't exactly appetizing to think about, but the FDA has approved the use of plastics in food for a number of years."

Jackson led students through various experiments in their physical science classes to show how easily plastic can be changed. In one experiment, students used a small amount of cooking oil to help place a skewer inside a balloon without it popping.

Gaffney High science teacher Donna Howell said this week's program on plastics has been a great activity to help students understand the practical use of science in their lives.

"We are so pleased to be able to offer this national program to our ninth graders," Howell said. "It is a program that teaches the students about realworld science, and hopefully will stimulate interest in science."