Paper Chromatography

 Paper Chromatography is a standard chemistry lab.  As a college adjunct, I led a chromatography lab.  Thee we used filter paper,  acetone or isopropyl alcohol, and a drawer full of pens.  Send your kiddos on another scavenger hunt in the house for pens and markers.  Get as many different brands as possible.  Washable markers and gel pens work with water.  Many ink pens will work with isopropyl or rubbing alcohol.  (Some work better with ethanol or acetone.).  Here is a lab with detailed instructions for the strips with Rf calculations.  This lab version has details explaining how to set up the chromatography strips; additionally it includes a link for Leaf Pigment Chromatography.  Here is a paper chromatography lab with food dyes. HST has Candy Chromatography.  Sort some Skittles or M&Ms  from the Halloween haul.  Make this an open-ended lab.  Fill a bin with candy, leaves, markers and pens.  Have water, isopropyl and ethanol available. Start testing!  

PASCO Spark

 I have some toys, one of which is a set of PASCO Spark Learning Systems.  Is this old tech?  Yes.  I have PASCO AirLink which uses SPARKvue experiments and connects to an iPad by Bluetooth.  (The experiments  are the same.)  I have had issues with the Airlink.  Every time there is a software update I had to reload the experiments—usually right when I wanted to do a lab or was in the process of a demonstration.   I went back and bought a set of old Sparks.  Here’s the thing.  There are always kiddos who are miles ahead of the others.  I want extra materials; they can play with these toys and do fun experiments. The rest of the class is usually more motivated to complete their work when they see the fun experiments they are missing.

If you buy a used set be sure it has the adaptor, electrodes, and thermometer.  The thermometer looks like a white wire.  Ask the seller if the experiments are preloaded.  Be aware the device takes a minute to load.  Literally.  The best way to become familiar with the Spark is to play with it.  But, if you turn it on and plug in a probe or sensor, the device immediately identifies the sensor and begins to collect data.  I bought a bunch of thermometers to turn the devices into digital thermometers.

Conductivity Lab IRL

 What does the conductivity lab look like in reality?  I assembled all of the lab materials, chemicals, and devices—with their textbook.   The lab is in their textbooks.  Dr. Wile explains how to build a homemade conductivity meter.  Surprise!  I adapted the lab and added a bunch of chemicals to test and devices to use.  For this lab, the teens are completing a data table.  My goal is two-fold: understand conductivity and learn how to use several devices.  

You are seeing reality: gritty photos, messy lab, and improvised classroom in the basement.  I doubt I could get a better image to capture the reality of home-school Co-ops.

Types of Chemical Reactions Lab

Along with learning how to balance equations, students need to understand different types of chemical reactions.  The Types of Chemical Reactions lab was originally from a colleague, who in turn got it from another teacher.  This lab is similar and has more instructions.  Here are the slides I prepared with the equations for each reaction.  After the kiddos finish the lab, they write the reactants and predict the products—all while learning how to identify the different types of reactions.  This blog post has a series of videos I made for the different reactions. (The first one is below.)  The optional MicroChem lab has a Double Replacement lab.  The Ionic Formula lab and Solubility Lab  are based on double replacement reactions; here is a double replacement lab.  Students are actually doing some reaction prediction.  Check out Khan Academy, which includes an explanation about precipitates.

Conductivity

 Let’s explore conductivity!  First HST has a homemade conductivity meter to test metals.  The Exploratorium has detailed instructions to make a conductivity meter with Christmas tree lights, a 9V battery, and a popsicle stick.

Not that I would go over the top. I do have a bunch of devices.  Why?  I always fear my home-school students will miss out on exposure to tools used in private or public schools. I bought a bunch of different devices I used when I taught professionally.   I have several digital meters.  Since we have the toys we might as well play with them.

Additionally, I have PASCO Spark devices.

Additionally,I have adapters for Vernier conductivity probes to use with TI 84 calculators.

The MicroChem kit and the RadMaste kits I bought also have conductivity meters.  

Kiddos love toys.  The Chem class can try all of the devices.  I have several solutions: salt water, rubbing alcohol, sugar, vinegar, and copper sulfate.  The teens may test the solutions with every device.  I do the same thing with microscopes. I have cell phone, USB, and traditional microscopes; the class learns how to use all of them.  The PASCO Spark devices and TI 84 graphing calculators both interface with sensors.  The Vernier Easylink is an adaptor which connects with other Vernier probes.

Most of the time we use the TI84 calculators with a sensor, such as the temperature sensor.  But, I have a bunch of the PASCO Spark devices, conductivity sensors, and temperature probes.  Who doesn’t like to play with a new toy?

Co-op Tips: Use Announcements!

 Do you use Google Classroom in your Co-op class?  I sure do!  In addition to assignments, I post how-to videos, articles, and helpful resources.  This year, I’ve been posting more announcements.  (A few screenshots are below.)  I can see a difference!  I still get texts and emails; the announcements help families stay on top of assignments.  For example, several kiddos missed the lab report deadline.  After I posted the announcement, more flew in.  (Not all.  Yes, I’m missing two.  Surprise!   All of the reports I did receive have errors and need editing.)  Job one is getting the assignments more or less on time.  I need any tool which helps.  Announcements are working.

Happy Halloween!

 Happy Halloween!  Steve Spangler has a host of experiments in this Halloween Science Archives.  (I feel obligated to include at least one link!)  One of my students gave me a porch goose—with clothes!  Max was pretty thrilled to see him ready for Halloween.  Is a porch goose my style?  Not exactly.  However, he looks jaunty with a bandana.  Have a wonderful Halloween!  I hope your family has a blast!

Lab Reports—a bit more…

Our Co-op classes often have one or two teens with learning differences.  My philosophy is that the teen can still learn.  We punt.  Sometimes the quiz or concept is just too hard.  But why not try?  One issue that arises with teens who have learning differences is lab reports.  One trick I use is to have the kiddos write his or her lab report in a slide deck: How to Write a Lab Report, DNA Lab, Lab Report Guide, and Stoichiometry.  I show teens these slide decks, which they can use as templates.  For some students, writing an essay is hard.  For whatever reason, slides are easier, especially if the sections are labeled in order.  See if this helps.  It does for my class!

Happy Halloween! Apologia Biology Blood Typing Labs

 Are you planning to type blood?  There are several options.  First, look at this Infograph about blood types; it’s one of the clearest images explaining different blood types.  Now for blood type labs.  First, many families buy Eldoncard blood test kits and call it a day. I have.

But, the Eldoncard tests are expensive.  I want the class to understand blood typing tests before we break out the expensive kit.  The answer is to first use simulated or fake blood test labs or kits.  Here  is a simple blood test lab; it requires milk, food coloring, and vinegar.  Here are the teacher’s notes for the lab.  I like this brand of simulated blood typing kits.  The kit’s instructions are similar to Flinn’s Blood Testing instructions.  You add drops of anti-sera to fake blood.  

Do you teach chemistry?  You may have some of these precipitates on hand to make this lab version of simulated blood.  Fancy.

Periodic Table Coloring Activity

 This is one of those activities you can do with both middle schoolers and high schoolers.  Periodic Table Coloring Activity or this version here introduces the families or groups.  You can go over any other details, too.  The images I have remind me I need to try to either color code it myself or see if one of the teens do a better job.  However, the activity is what counts.  

The high schoolers memorize around 50 elements.  Their elements’ cards give them a head start.  First, color-coded or annotate a periodic table.

Do you really do the lab?

 Yes! We finished the Naming and Forming Ionic Formulas Lab and used the MicroChem kits I bought used over the summer.  The class used the chemicals from the double replacement lab in the manual.  I added lead nitrate and cobalt chloride to use to react with the ions in the kit.   We even used the microscopes to observe a precipitation reaction.  They finished in one class period!  Whooooop!  Take a look.