A model for crystallography engagement with children in early elementary school with activities and book development.

A crystallography educational outreach activity was developed and implemented in the US kindergarten level (K) (5-6 years old), which included writing and illustrating a new children's book about crystallography titled, X-ray Crystallography Adventures! Cat & Elephant's Sugar Crystal Mystery. The outreach activity included four rotating centers that encompassed hands-on crystallization experiments, observing crystals under microscopes, learning about the crystallography process through coloring, and connecting crystallography to life through reading. Detailed descriptions of the centers and overall activity should enable the ready adoption of this model by others for encouraging young children to engage with and learn about crystallography. >.