ATOMS TO ASTERIODS
Keri SantosRET II Project
Inspiration from RET I
RET 1 inspired my lessons for RET 2 through the following experiences:
Ability to work in the Materials Research Lab Synthesizing a high temperature superconductor Creating a magnetic track in which the
superconductor can levitate and move with stability
Developing a vehicle (styrofoam car!) that housed the superconductor allowing it to travel along the track
Being able to share the final project with my class!
Real Science!!
Lessons Learned
It was this Real Science Experience from RET I that inspired the creation of these lessons
I created lessons that will hopefully let my students feel like they are part of a Real Science Experience along with adding activities that were fun!
Project Goal My Ret II project focuses on chemistry for 8th
grade students.
I plan to start with the smallest particle and build until we are focusing on some of the largest known bodies in the universe. (Atoms to Asteroids)
These lessons are aligned with the California State Standards and are to be used along with my current curriculum.
Lesson Goals
Divide interactive lessons evenly between computer and classroom activities
Include at least one lab, game, and hands-on activity for each chapter.
Incorporate lessons and games into my curriculum that will excite even the most unmotivated student.
Applications
Labs•Stimulates higher level thinking•Students practice the scientific method•They feel like they are doing “real” science
Hands-on Activities
•ELL Students•Kinesthetic Learners•Tactile Students
Games•Competition leads to motivated students•Stimulates learning•Fun!!
Assessment of Project
This project will cover approximately the first half of the school year
Assess the project by using: Student performance on each individual
lesson (worksheets, models they developed, game scores, project grades, etc)
Comparing student test scores from previous years
Student’s excitement about the new activities Feedback from students
Overview of Lessons
Each lesson has a Teacher Guide which includes:
CA State Standards Content that students should know before lesson (vocab, concepts, etc.)
Approximate time for the lesson Materials needed Answers to student worksheet Possible extensions, troubleshooting help I will be adding more to the TG as I try them in my class this
year Larger lessons (projects) include a rubric RET II Overview of Lessons
Demos/labs/hands-on Activities in Classroom
Atomic Theory Timeline :students research and create a timeline for the development of the atomic theory
What’s your state?: students model the motion of atoms in different states of matter with balloons
Mystery Bag: students try to guess the mystery objects in a bag based on their physical characteristics
Penny Activity: students separate copper from zinc using physical and chemical means
Solid + Liquid =Gas: demonstration involving the combination of a solid and liquid to produce a gas
Adopt –an-Element: students choose an element to research and then build a model out of various materials
Messing with Mixtures: students work with edible materials to learn about solutions, colloids, and calculating percentages of mixtures
Demos/labs/Hands-on Activities cont.
Covalent Marshmallows: students build models of covalent molecules using marshmallows and toothpicks
Reaction in Action: students take the mass of materials before and after a reaction and apply it the Law of Conservation of Mass
Fireworks Lab: students research elements involved in fireworks, they then hypothesize which elements are present in samples that you burn in class
Fireworks Lab TG Firework Lab Salt vs. Sugar: students try to deduce which contains ionic
and covalent bonds by observing and heating the materials Scale Model of our Solar System: students choose
appropriate sized objects to represent our sun, moon and the different planets, then distance them from the sun on an open field using a scale reference
Demos, labs, and Activities in the Computer Lab
Atomic Structure Webquest: students visit a few sites and find answers to
questions
Matterville Webquest: students visit websites to find answers to questions
about the different states of matter
Adopt –an- Element: (research of adopted element)
Fireworks Lab: (research of elements for classroom act)
Solar System Webquest: students search for answers about our solar system
Material Science Smackdown: students learn about the different properties of elements, what they can be transformed into, and uses
-Strange Matter
Games in Computer Lab
Alien Juice Bar-students learn the pH’s of certain materials while opening their own juice bar for aliens
Chemical Mix-up-students have to separate elements, compounds, and mixtures into their correct categories
To Bond or not to Bond-students must make a “chem” connection with elements that are capable of bonding with each other
Periodic Puzzler-students are contestants on a game show trying to guess
Games in the Classroom
Matter Card Game: similar to go fish, students turn over cards to find matches to their state of matter
Connect 4: students have different game sheets, they will turn-over clues and try to connect 4 on their sheet
Element Bingo: students fill out bingo sheets with element symbols, teacher gives clues about element
Space Rocks Game: students answer questions about space rocks in order to advance on a game sheet in hopes of becoming a discovered meteorite
Thank You!
Martina Michenfelder Frank Kinnaman NSF UCSB and all of the MRL staff