Enose is Enose is Enose...

Materials:
1 film canister for each smell or smell mixture
Smelly things: lemon juice, grape jello mix, alcohol, soap, flavors in DT closet, crayon shavings, glue, Kool Aid mix, bleach, chocolate syrup

Advance Preparation:
Place smelly substances in film canisters & label by number according to the key.
Make mixtures as well and label according to the key.
Copy log sheet.
For liquid cover with foil and use a pencil point to poke a hole in the foil. Secure with tape and replace lid.

Procedure:
Divide campers into groups so that there is one group for every 3 smelly substances.

1. Have each group list words to describe the aroma of each smelly substance. These words should not identify the substance. You may want to give campers a list of words to choose from. Some are listed below in the tips section.
2. Each group should guess what their smelly substance is and record their guess.
3. As a group (all campers present) create categories for the smells. Categories may be strength vs. weakness, repugnance vs.pleasantness, outdoor vs. indoor, etc.
4. Each group should then evaluate their smell based on these categories.
5. Tell the campers what each smelly substance is. They should record whether their prediction was correct or not.
6. Each group will now act as a smell sensor. Instruct them to respond to the presence of a particular smell. They should hold up 5 fingers when it smells strongly , no fingers if they can't smell it at all, and 2-3 fingers if the intensity of the smell is somewhere in between.
7. Create a Nose Array: Introduce smelly mixtures. Sensors should respond to the presence of their particular smell. Each group of sensors will generate a pattern (ie. Record the number of fingers held up by each of the sensors: this is the pattern. Mostly 2 fingers will indicate a small contribution of the smelly substance to the overall aroma generated). This should allow everyone to guess what is in the mixture. Discuss what enose technology is and how it can be useful on earth for dangerous jobs and in drug abuse prevention.
   sharp, burning, sweet, bitter, floral, spicy, strong, pleasant, unpleasant, disgusting, stinky, woodsy, musky, dusty, fishy, metallic, mossy, fruity, pungent, acrid, smoky, rotten.

   Think of a space exploration mission that uses Enose technology and write the story of the smells the mission discovers in a way that we feel that we were right there in vivid smell-o-rama!

OLDER CAMPERS: Make mixtures for other groups to create a nose array for.
12-13 yr olds: Make mixtures using fifths of each substance (recording the measurements in fractions of each substance used) and challenge other groups to determine by smelling how much of their substance is in the mixture (ie. 1 finger = 1/5 total contents)