#521: Complex Science, Simple Tools: A Pocketable, Low-Cost Lab for Sophisticated Experiments in Middle-School Science

Although advanced science tools are central to modern research, K–12 students rarely access them due to cost and complexity. Using microfluidic stickers as a design case, this paper explores how such technologies can be repurposed for constructionist “hands-on” science education. By simplifying fabrication, drawing on cultural forms, and enabling hands-on experiments with liquid flow and diffusion, the stickers illustrate pathways to make advanced science tools accessible through everyday making.