Molecules to the Max!

Gr 4–6—Created by scientists from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, this program strives to present children with a fun, computer-animated product that will teach them key concepts about the molecular world. The songs and animation will appeal to the lower end of the recommended audience. However, a pretty thorough mastery of the concepts discussed is necessary to understand the abundant humor and to keep up with the rapid pace, making it more appropriate for a gifted or middle school audience. A cheerful oxygen molecule, Oxy, and twin hydrogen molecules, Hydra and Hydro, float in space along with Mel, a bow tie-wearing computer, when they receive a communication from headquarters tasking them with finding life on the water planet, Earth. The team boards a spaceship and heads to the planet, investigating the atmosphere and clouds, snowflakes, and raindrops. An explosion transports the characters into deep space where they meet a gang of carbon molecules, who help them return to Earth and further explore polymers, a penny, chewing gum, cells, and DNA. Along their journey, the team encounters a number of molecules, all of whom have different dialects, including a Spanish accent that is so thick it makes the character's speech almost unintelligible at times. The songs are barely more than a phrase or two with tunes too basic to be catchy, but the most striking part of the program is the visual depictions of the molecular world.