A Better Week (and more Hands-On)

Well, the news of not physically going back to school has sunk in, and this week was better. The assignments this week also allowed the students to be a little more active in science class. Our current unit deals with matter, specifically the fact that matter is made up of particles that are too small to be seen. Up until now, we have been working on learning a lot of the conceptual knowledge that will help the students meet the standard. This week, however, it was time to put that knowledge to work.

We started with a bit of an inquiry-based activity. I created a demonstration for the students in which I poured two cups of water into a bottle. I marked the level of the water and then poured it out. After that, I poured in one cup of water and one cup of rubbing alcohol. In this case, the two liquids did not reach the two cup line marked off from the two cups of water. The students had to try to explain why based off of what they had learned about particles in liquids. I had some hints ready as feedback for them (mainly just key concepts of what they had learned) as they began to submit their answers, and by the end, most of them were able to give a solid argument. (The answer, if you are interested, is because the water particles are able to "sneak" between the rubbing alcohol particles. This causes the mixture to become denser--more particles in a certain area--therefore needing less space as a whole).

I followed that activity up with a challenge for the students to offer "proof" that particles are in the air even though we cannot see them. What happens, in all cases of particles (in solids, liquids, and gases), we are actually seeing the effects of particles. So, in the case of gases, we need to see what gases do to other objects. This was a fairly open-ended activity for the students to decide what they wanted to show, and I offered them a couple of ways that they could show it. They had the opportunity to either create a diagram that shows and explains the effects of gas particles, or they could make a video demonstration. Of the ones that have already been turned in, I've had a pretty equal mixture of diagrams and demonstrations! I've even gotten some feedback from the students that said they really enjoyed this assignment, so that was a definite plus! Even though they are stuck at home, hopefully I will be able to keep having them enjoy their science time!