MicrEcol is a neologism describing a new experimental access to chemistry even for children:
The materials as well as the quantities of matter needed are unusually small (micro) like drops from syringes or dropper bottles which are transferred to a plastic surface or into a small infusion vial. Tiny quantities mean less raw materials, less waste, less money, less space, less time, less energy and more safety. So MicrEcol does not only have didactic and economic advantages but also ecological ones.
"MicrEcol in Photos -Microscale Science Experimentation with microlitre quantities-"  also helps pupils and students to learn and to teach chemistry  using substances and materials with volumes between 5 µL and 5 mL (Marsafy 1995, Marsafy and Schwarz 1996, http://www.micrecol.de, Schwarz 2000).

Not only the quantities of substances and the materials used for MicrEcol are small.
Even small children can learn about their environment by doing experiments with the water they are drinking and the air they are breathing (Lück, 1997).
Chemical education on the primary level is part of integrated science ("Sachunterricht").

"The experiments have to be designed so that they
• are as safe as possible for the teacher, the pupils and students
• are time-saving (preparation, performing, clearing away)
• are non-polluting to the environment (reduction of waste)
• are cost-saving (material, chemicals)
• can be referred to the every day life (no chemistry of chemicals)
• can be used to illustrate chemical theory." (Oberdrauf, 2000)

• Empty DIN injection vials with stoppers, blister packings, dropper bottles, (sterile!) syringes could be found

even in small hospitals in rural areas of Africa.
• If necessary a two-pan scale can be made from a used postcard (http://www.microchem.de/sssE7a.html).

Sodium pieces in the size of rice corns can be obtaines and transported without danger.
• Cost-free access to the know-how needed to do and to evaluate the experiments is given by the Internet.

Life developed in sea water, the bigger part of the Earth it covered by it, the first nine months of human life takes place in a liquid which resembles sea water. Seawater is the source of salt for kitchen and industry. More and more freshwater is made by desalination of sea water.
So MicrEcol deals with sea water first. Experiments with sugar cane and with lemon will follow.

Materials and Chemicals

1: 1-ml syringe,
2: blunt needle,
3:Blister packing with four cavities,
4: Beads and wire to model a NaCl crystal lattice,
5: 9-Volt battery, 6: Pencil stub as anode,
7,8: Insulated wire with crocodile clips,
9: Light emitting diode (LED),
10: 5-ml DIN Injection vial (Liquemin Roche) with stopper and 200-mg aluminium caps, 11: knife
Na: Sodium (Na) pieces smaller than a rice corn, KMnO₄, HCl (conc. technical), Methylated spirit.
 

Experiments:
1. Sea water made of different salt samples
..................2. Why kitchen salt made of sea water needs a separation additive
.... 3. Freezing of freshwater and sea water
   .... 4. Crystal cubes from sea water and from solutions of kitchen salt: Sodium chloride (NaCl)
........ 5. Sea water a conductor for electricity while sodium chloride is transferred into the gas chlorine (Cl)
......... 6.  Beads and cubes made of beads as models for salt particles and for a salt crystal lattice
............. 7. The metal sodium (Na) made of molten salt made of sea water
.8. How sodium chloride (NaCl) is made from the metal sodium (Na) and the gas chlorine
 

Literature:
Lück, G.: Jungforscher(innen) im Kindergarten. Mit Feuereifer bei der Sache. In: CHEMIE HEUTE (Frankfurt am Main) 1997/98, S. 108 - 111
El Marsafy, M.K. et al: The Microscale chemistry laboratory technology its implications on the future Education. In: Book of abstracts of the symposium on sciences and engineering education in the 21st century (Cairo) 1995, S. 17 - 19
El Marsafy, M.K., Schwarz, P.: Microscale Chemistry Experimentation. 119 pages english and arabic (Cairo) 1996
Obendrauf, V.: Low cost gas generation for small scale hands on experiments. In: Book of abstracts of the 16. International Conference on Chemical Education (Budapest) 2000, S. 8 - 15
Schwarz, P.: Chemische Unterrichtsexperimente im Internet. In: CHEMKON/8 (1) 2001, S. 47