Activity 8: Exploration of Chemistry
For activity 8, students have a choice to explore other topics of chemistry presented in the PhET simulations. 
Tasks to be completed:

1.     Choose any Teaching Idea from any of the Chemistry Simulations (http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/category/chemistry ) and post your results/data and/or answers on your blog

The topic that I choose to do was balancing chemical equations. The simulation link is: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/balancing-chemical-equations Here are my results from doing the homework for this simulation:

Balancing Chemical Equations

1.  Use the simulation to adjust the coefficients and balance the following equation.  Select the balance scales and bar charts to help.  Fill in the proper coefficients when you are successful (yellow smiley face).

_1_N₂ +_3_ H₂ à _2_ NH₃

 2.  Draw or take a screen shot of the particle view of the balanced equation as shown in the simulation.

3.  Describe the purpose of the balance scales and bar charts in the simulation.

                The purpose of the balance scales and bar chart in this simulation was to not only have the students do the activity, but once they have found the balance between the chemicals, they can see how much Hydrogen, oxygen or some on that going into the chemical they just created.  This was a great way to show me how having one more element than another of something can make a totally different chemical than you wanted to make in the first place.

4.  In order for a chemical equation to be properly balanced, what must be true?

For all chemical equations to be properly balanced, it has to have to same amount of involved in the reaction. There has to be an equal number on each side of the scale.

5.  Balance the other two examples.

               

Separate of water

               

_2_ H₂O à _2_ H₂ + _1_ O₂

Combust of methane

_1_ CH₄ + _2_ O₂ à _1_ CO₂ + _2_ H₂O

6.  The number placed in front of a formula is called a coefficient.  The small number within a chemical formula is called a subscript.  Why do we adjust coefficients when balancing chemical equations and not subscripts?

You cannot change the number of atoms, only the number of molecules. If you change atoms you change the whole chemical structure and then ultimately the chemical.

GAME

Record your score for each of the levels in the balancing game:

                                Score

Level 1                                  10/ 10

Level 2                                  9/10

Level 3                                  10/ 10

Balancing mask lesson:

For my lesson, I wanted to stay using the balance lesson with my own ideas. My lesson will be amid towards grades first to fourth grade. The goal objectives are:

My science objectives for the science education standards that this lesson will meet are:

1.              G.4.5 Ask questions to find answers about how devices and machines were invented and produced

The way this standard will be used in the lesson is by the children asking questions about how some devices were invented and are being used in the work field today to make sure that before products go out in the stores, they are balanced and safe to use.

2.              C.4.4 Use simple science equipment safely and effectively, including rulers, balances, graduated cylinders, hand lenses, thermometers, and computers, to collect data relevant to questions and investigations

This standard will be used by the students learning all of these new forms of equipment, if they ever have a question about why something is the way that it is in science, they now know what these tools are and how to use them, so they are starting to be more independent and being about to answer the investigations questions along.

3.              H.4.1 Describe* how science and technology have helped, and in some cases hindered, progress in providing better food, more rapid information, quicker and safer transportation, and more effective health car

This standard could be used in my lesson by seeing some of the classmates masks fail because they did not put an even amount of elements on each side of the mask. They will be able to help each other out by telling them what makes it not even, so that they will not make this mistake again. Science and technology will help the children to develop new ways of thinking and realizing that science can be used in any form.

The literacy objectives standards that this lesson will meet are:

1.      Actively engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding.

This standard will be meet by the children hearing what it is that we are doing in this lesson and understanding the purpose so that they are not just making masks for the fun of it. They are comprehending the goals and trying to complete them as best as they can.

2.      With prompting and support, read prose and poetry [informational texts] of appropriate complexity

This last standard will be meet by the support of other students ad teachers around them, the students will be able to ask questions and complete this mask making activity balanced.

The materials that I will need to use for this lessons are:

-colored paper

-white masks

-buttons

-markers

-glue

What the lesson will be:
             Each student will get their own mask to director. The mask will be plane whit with only one black line going right down the center of it. The goals are for the students to make a mask that is evenly balanced between the two sides. The children will have many objects sitting at the center of their tables to pick from and glue onto their masks. Before the children will be creating this mask, we will have talked about what balance is, and how if something is off balance then one side will be heaver then the other. This is where the literacy standards will come into play. Children will have to be able to understand what the definition of balance is to make sure that when making there masks, each side has the same amount of weight and elements. Children will need to also understand the appropriate complexity of the directions to complete the mask with an equal balance. How this lesson will meet the science related standards are by the children now understanding what balance is, and how the littlest object can set it off, they will be able to complete a mask will equal sides of weight. The children can always ask questions about what being balanced really means, and how we will use balance in our everyday life. How some machines like a scale or a balancer are made to help people make sure that something is balanced evenly. I believe that this lesson will be a great way to engage the young students into learning something new, but still being able to have hands on experiment to learn by. Working and coming up with lessons for the younger grades can be difficult at times, but I think that this is a good lessons to teach them by.