Graphing Calculator Activities for Chemistry

I like to add a few TI 83/84 graphing calculator (and spreadsheet) activities to my Co-op Chemistry class.   Okay, these labs are usually performed with wet labs.  However, the data sets are usually better than real data collected—especially when you want to introduce a concept.  Students are more apt to repeat a lab when their data varies greatly from sample data—another plus!  I’m always a little anxious about preparing my Co-op classes for college—especially STEM students.  Be brave!  Add a little graphing!

1. The first lesson is about how graph a set of data.  It helps to practice with several data sets.  Density can be graphed.  This exercise has sample, density data for galena.  Here are several data sets to graph.  Below is a quick overview about graphing, followed by two videos I made about how to graph a linear regression.  The TI 83 and TI 84 function similarly.  This Density Lab with glass marbles would be a great lab to graph.  I’m ordering 50 marbles so we can add this lab to my density series in Module 1 Lesson.

2. This Heating Curve Analysis has a good data set.  My classes learn how to enter data into the STAT function, create a scatter plot, and do a linear regression, a math model. You can graph the data from this lab and do the lab to compare data.  Kiddos are taking ice and boiling it; as they work, they collect the temperature and graph it.  (Yes, this is exactly like watching paint dry.)  Here is more sample data and a graph of the phase changes.

3. Boyle’s Law and Charles’ Law  (has sample data) Gas Law labs are also good graphing calculator exercises.  Teens can graph the data sets.  My class enters the data into STAT, creates a scatter plot, and finally does a regression (shown in video at top).  Here is another data set.  Now do both the Boyle’s Law Lab and the Charles’ Law lab.  Collect the data, graph it, and compare to the sample data.  At this point, the kiddos should be able to explain what the relationships are among Boyle’s and Charles’ laws.  

What is up with all these posts?

 I’m sure you’re wondering why there are so many posts.  I’m trying to schedule posts that are more valuable right before resuming home-school or Co-op at the beginning of fall classes.  Rob and I had a break from VBS, Science Camp, and Faith Camp.  Once I buffed my fall lessons and pulled out equipment for the first few weeks of Co-op, I listened to my own advice.  I started to write posts in batches. We made a trip to England and Wales to visit family.  There is quite a bit of time available in airports to write posts.  Rob and I had some down time on vacation; my brother and son work full-time. I had an hour here and there to write.  We met home-schooling families at Josh’s RAF base in England.  Travel, visits, fun conversations all gave me a fresh perspective.  Yeah!  New ideas!  As a result, I have more posts.  Here’s hoping they are useful!  Let’s have the best year yet!

Alternative Spaces for Class

 What are some alternative spaces to teach class, especially Co-op classes? I have taught or trained in classroom, churches, and libraries.  I’ve had trainings at hotels.  Where should you try to locate space?  What do you need, at minimum?  Basically, you need an open space with tables, chairs, and a whiteboard or chalkboard.  Wi-Fi is also nice.  Any equipment, such as an LCD projector or a sink, is an extra.  Where can you meet?

Start with your church.  A church basement is ideal.  (Our son once had a meeting space in the basement of the rectory with its own entrance.)  Who wants to worry about any wear and tear?  This is usually the easiest option.  Often religious education classrooms are available during the week. (Our church cannot.  There is a school during the week and over 600 kiddos for religious education Saturday morning, Sunday morning and evening, and Wednesday evening.)  Be sure to check on insurance.  Can the existing insurance cover another group?  Does everyone need to be a member of the church?  How many children may attend?  Many churches already host American Heritage or scout groups and can accommodate your Co-op.

What about the library?  Will they allow your group to schedule space weekly?  (The local library system used to accommodate home-schoolers; more recently, the library has imposed numerous restrictions making it difficult to use the space for classes.)  Again, if the library is a go, are there any restrictions?  Are you permitted to use the Maker Space?  Can they lend equipment, such as a 3D printer or microscope?  Do they have a portable whiteboard?  When you schedule the room, schedule the equipment, too.  

Do you have a senior center in your town?  (I once taught at a school which leased space from a nursing home and used an adjacent house and a double-wide for classes.) If the center is an option, assess the space.  Can you create a hot-spot if there is no Wi-Fi?  Is there a way to prop a portable whiteboard for notes?  Since I teach science, I want enough space for labs and any equipment I drag to class.  Is here a sink?  Will I need to bring water jugs and empty containers for waste?  

For the past few years, our Co-op has met in our house—mainly in the basement.  However, we use the dining room for small groups.  Rob does several physics experiments outside, such as Centripetal Forces or measuring the height of the house.  This fall we’ll use the deck and garage to keep the noise down for the finance class meeting at the same time.  Yes, someone is always hanging out on the couch before, during, and after class waiting for a student.  A few stay for lunch to get extra help after class.  The half-bath gets a workout.  (Have you heard of Charmin Forever?  I use industrial rolls of TP.)  We make it work.  Co-op fills in many gaps.  We are committed.  Here’s hoping you can find space for yours!

Science Journaling

 I’m open to new ideas.  My teens in the Chemistry class are going to maintain notebooks starting this fall.  I’m interested in science journaling.  No, we won’t be creating vision boards with glitter, stickers, and die cuts.  We’re using simple composition notebooks. Ours include notes, labs, and hand-outs. Want something more elaborate?  Science Journaling for Kids has many journal suggestions: format, pens and supplies, and activities. 

 My suggestion is to use a science journal to read science news articles and summarize them.  There are several science news sites: Science Journal for Kids, Science News Explores, and  DOGO News.  The Good News Network has a category, Animals Archives.  Get your kiddos reading the news every morning.  Add a sentence or two about any interesting article.  Look at a template to help kiddos write a brief review of the article.  Who, what, when, where, why?  Your teens can rate an article 0–5, based on interest.  News articles and journals increase the amount of reading and writing your child does.  Start with this article about the new, baby pigmy or the new monkey species in the Congo.   

Basement Classroom! (Possibly deck or garage.)

 We teach our Co-op classes in our basement.  It’s a large space—about 1000 sq.ft.  There are two classroom areas; Rob and I teach some classes at the same time.  This fall, the Chem and Physics class is pretty lively.  I may need to move a table to the deck or garage for labs to keep the noise down.  Thankfully, home-school kiddos are flexible.

I took some pix of our basement classroom.  We bought the folding tables and chairs from Walmart.  

We bought the whiteboards from Amazon.  The mobile whiteboard is no longer  available.  I these are similar.  Rob uses two boards because he teaches math, finance, and Physics classes; he likes a lot of room to write.  I’ve taught and trained in classrooms, libraries, and churches.  I just wanted a whiteboard I could use and then keep out of the way during lab.  

We set up a computer with a large screen for Rob.  I have an older laptop connected to an old TV.  Voila! It’s sufficient for slide decks or images.  I can connect an iPad or digital microscope whenever I like.

Below are pix from the basement classroom.  The shelves hold kits, equipment, chemicals, and books.

Lastly, here are pix of the basement getting ready for Maker Camp last June IRL.

Chemistry Lessons

 I pulled together my high school Chemistry lessons here.  BTW I make updates and additions as I work through the lessons.  Here is Module 1.  I am trying to combine labs, slide decks, and videos into one lesson.  I also post everything to Google Classroom for the teens and their families.  Since I’m teaching Chem I’ll have loads of posts with specific labs, tips, and suggestions.  For example, calculations for Floating Bowling Balls confuses the teens.  I made a video.  My goal is for all of use to have a great experience this year!

This year I’m pulling up all the stops to get things organized. How?

 This year is going to be different! Ha! Who hasn’t said that?  But, I’ve implemented some changes.  I put together a series of lessons which are elaborate ‘notes to self’.  Don’t forget you already have probably 15 density activities.  Here they are.  

1.  Update Google Classroom.  I assign a summer assignment to high school classes.  During the summer, I add the addresses and post the assignment.  Over the summer, I send out gentle reminders to do the summer assignment.  Lessons, videos, POGILS, labs, tests, etc are all in Classroom. Assignments should be posted to Classroom to grade.  That’s spotty.  However, I post all graded assignments.

2.  Pull hand-outs, kits, and lab.  Our library system has free copies.  We keep a library bag downstairs full of books to return and copies to make.  Initially, we need the safety contracts, lab equipment hand-out, math pretest, and first labs.

3.  I pulled out the examples of lab equipment for Day One.  Additionally, I set up the measures and density labs.  I found the yen which float and poly density bottle, too for Module #1, which has details and links.

4.  I made my first pass ordering chemicals. I always need indicator solution, HCl, and NaOH.  Whenever I finish a lab, I make it a habit to refill and order chemicals.  Because I’m neurotic, I still check dates and materials weeks before doing a lab.  

5.  I loan textbooks and checked inventory.  I still need to buy composition notebooks.  This year the teens are going to glue everything into a composition notebook, rather than jam stuff in book bags. Yes, I have a box of glue sticks.  This is a key step.  If you are enrolled in an online school, they send the syllabus, textbook, and notebook in a box.  Do you have the answer keys or solutions guide?  Buy a big binder for the syllabus.  Separate courses into separate bins.  Apologia has the list of materials in the index at the back of the textbook.  Now is the time to see if you need any special materials, such as a weigh scale, graduated cylinder, etc.  Put science equipment into a separate bin.

6.  Make a list of administrivia.  Do you have a consultant?  Do you have her contact information?  Have you set up a digital portfolio?  I think a portfolio slide deck is perfect.  Kolbe Academy has a Grade Reporting Guide.  When we home-schooled Paul and Lacie, we tools loads of pix and posted them into Google Slides.  I added notes and made submissions with the slide deck as an attachment.  Be sure you have the submission email, too.  Add due dates to your calendar!  Copy the contact information to your calendar, too.  

6a.  Do you make up your own curriculum from different sources?  Have you ordered the student and teacher textbooks?  Are any of these resources new to you?  Do you have a back-up plan if the math or science program isn’t a good fit?  How are you set up for supplies?  Are they handy?  Can your child find and return supplies?  Do you have a consequence if he or she doesn’t?  Make the consequence immediate!  For example, if the poppet leaves the textbook, notebook, markers, tape, and scissors lying on the desk, announce that he or she is cleaning up lunch again!

7.   Now, maintain a system!  Assign your kiddo a day, each week, and tell him or her to take pix of the work samples, including activities.  Show him or her how to upload these samples into the slide deck.  Be sure to annotate the pix, especially graded tests.  Make it a chore and have a consequence, such as cleaning the half bath if the kiddo forgets to post pix.  While you are at it, get the kiddo in the habit of maintaining school materials.  We used bins.  All of the textbooks, solutions guides, notebooks, whatever, went into separate bins.  It kept me sane.  Paul and Lacie graded class work and quizzes.  Rob and I graded tests.  It pays to have everything related in the same place.  Paper is cheap!  Buy a dozen composition notebooks and use a different colored notebook for each subject.  Determine a system you can maintain!

7a. Rob and I teach Co-op.  Often I grade class activities as they are completed. If I have five minutes during class I send missing work to a student home during the class.  (Yes, I copy everything to mom.) Ideally, teens post assignments.  In reality, I collect notebooks, grade work as I can, and post assignments to Classroom ASAP.  Missing work from absent students is an issue.  No, I don’t have a good solution. I threaten and nag. I hate to assign zeros.

What are my main tips?  Work ahead. Get an organizational system to maintain assignments.  We use Google Calendar and Classroom to organize and communicate; Classroom allows you to email all of the students as a group or individuals.  All assignments are posted to Classroom.  Stay on top of grading!  Grade as you go!  Let your kiddo correct daily work.  Sure, spot check.  Assign more math facts.  Make sure he or she posts the number correct over the total.  Write the date on each assignment.  Get the kiddo to pull his work, do it, and return the materials to the bin, shelf, or slot.  Post a set of consequences: unload the dishwasher, strips all the sheets, sort dry markers, clean up dog poop, whatever.  Consider the process training.  This year is going to be different!  This is the year you have a system which works!

Let’s talk about calculators!

We keep a caddy full of calculators for our math and science classes at Co-op.  All except one is used.  We keep a box of TI 30x calculators on a shelf, too.  They are work horses!  I buy them used at Good Will.  During the back to school sales, the TI 30x is $10–$15.

We lend out calculators to the students in class—generally used TI 83 graphing calculators, which I buy in lots.  I have had good luck buying used graphing calculators at Good Will.  However, I bid on calculators which power on and do not have any bruising on the screen.  The weird blotches or scrapes on the screen are often signs the calculator is going to die soon.  My target price is $15 per TI 83 calculator.

My favorite calculators are the TI 84 graphing calculators because they link to Vernier sensors  via EasyLink.  EasyTemp connects directly to a TI 84 graphing calculator.  The software, Easy data is preloaded on to the calculators.  We use the steel temperature sensors the most—especially for chemistry.  Yes, all of my sensors were used.  I do NOT pay more than $35 for a used TI 84 calculator.  

Watch for listings on eBay.  The EasyLink does NOT connect to every Vernier sensor; it does connect to the pH and temperature sensors.

Use Desmos, a free, on-line, graphing calculator.  Many schools now just use Desmos.  I’ve played with it; however I don’t think it’s any more intuitive than the TI 83/83 series.  I paid for a GraphNCalc83 app once and have downloaded it to every iPad I own.  The interface is a bit different from the TI 83 graphing calculator.  It does have color!  I can connect my iPad to the TV and show kiddos a graph.

There is nothing intuitive about using a graphing calculator.  Watch videos!  Check out the Math Tutor Videos.  My husband, Rob, absolutely loathes graphing calculators.  Nearly every teen loves them!  He uses them frequently in his math classes; I have to relearn the math operation, show his students the steps or make a video.  Kudos to you for persevering!  Your teen may need to use one in college!

Why do I teach science at Co-op?

The bottom line is that home-school friends asked me to teach Co-op initially.  First, these friends asked me to lead science camp.  Sure.  I had had loads and loads of experience leading camps.  You sing or chant.  Kiddos form teams and tie-dye shirts.  You plan a week of fun activities.  Camps were in my wheel house.  

Then one family asked me to evaluate their portfolio.  In many states, the districts require certified teachers to review the portfolio and submit a letter.  It can be expensive!  Families are wary.  Can you trust the teacher?  So, I began to review portfolios.  The first time I met a family, the review took hours—often the entire morning.  I explained that I wanted to understand how they home-schooled.  There are many ways to successfully home-school.  What was their method?  I still review portfolios.

I was teaching in a public high school close to our church.  Many of the home-school families lived nearby.  They asked if I could teach Co-op science classes.  Biology,Chemistry, and Physical Science can be daunting.  The school gave me permission to teach in my lab-classroom after school.  Rick, the teacher next door at school, lent equipment, such as microscopes and dissection trays.  The other teachers in the science department gave me tips.  For example, when I needed dialysis tubing for osmosis, Wendy said to use cheap baggies instead!  For several years, I taught after-school.  

My husband, Rob, and I still teach Co-op.  Why?  We love the community.  We both like to teach.  So many of our closest friends home-school.  We get attached to the teens.  The underlying reason has to do with vocations.  Our son is a priest.  Many of the vocations to the priesthood come from home-school families.  We want to enable families to continue to home-school through high school.  Rob teaches math, economics, and Physics classes. I teach science and some English classes. Yes, there are two young people from Co-op discerning to the priesthood.  

Home-schooling is really a vocation, in addition to raising your family.  It takes enormous sacrifice to teach well.  Rob and I are all in and want to help!

New here? Let me reintroduce myself!

 Are you new here?  Are you wondering about the number of ideas generated here?  Let me give you a bit of background.  For years, I first taught professionally at private schools.  I had as many as five different science classes and was in charge of science fair. (I had a small business which failed.  There was an outstanding loan.  I determined that, yes, I did have a calling to teach and form young minds.  Truthfully, it was five years of teaching before I realized I liked it!)  During those years, I taught Chemistry, AP Chemistry, Biology, AP Biology, Physical Science, Life Science, Human Anatomy, Earth Science and AP Environmental Science. (Add in a little French and English to this mix.)  Eventually, I taught three preps, with loads of Chemistry classes.  My undergrad is Biology with a concentration in Chemistry.  The private schools also encouraged me to lead summer, science camps.  I learned how to write grants to get money for my classes.  I attended conferences, did programs, got my Master’s, all while raising my family and teaching.  (My kiddos were at the school where I taught.  Yes, I taught them in class.  They complained I was too hard on them.  When my daughter took Chem in high school, she adopted a whip-smart eighth grader as her lab partner.  She kept telling me that her ‘bitty buddy’ would explain things.)

Friends asked me to host science camp at our church.  These children returned every year!  I needed new ideas!  Let me tell you!  Five days of science camp makes a person stretch!  By this time, I taught part-time at a small college and spent several years in a public high school.  The Chem classes worked with the Special Ed class to deliver hands-on, science experiments to the local kindergarten classes.  I continued to take part in programs, wrote grants, and delivered training sessions.  For the past several years, my husband and I have taught with the local Co-op, a passion project.  We’ve added Young Explorer classes and Apologia’s Advanced Biology; I still teach Bio, Chem, and Physical Science regularly.  Rob teaches Physics.  We still offer science camp in the summer and teach a variety of science classes for the Co-op.  As a result, I have gained quite a bit of experience and exposure to different crafts, experiments, hands-on activities, and labs!  BTW, I try to do 50 labs or activities in every science classes.  We do at least 20 activities during Science Camp.  The result is that I’ve tried my share of experiments and have a few ideas to share.  New here?  Here’s hoping my experience will help you have the courage to do more labs or try new experiments!  

Science Courses: Elementary Kiddos

 Which science courses should your elementary child take?  I like the Young Explorers Science series.  Often families begin with Zoology 1, 2, and 3 and go from there based on interests.  Astronomy, Human Anatomy, and Chemistry and Physics are more challenging. We use them for Middle School. However, all are designed for children 5-11.  I have taught Human Anatomy to a group ages 6–11.  It was a challenge!  The Young Explorers program has Notebooking Journals for both younger and older kiddos.  (We’re using both types of journals with Chem and Physics this fall.  Some of the students need an accommodation.) I do think the Notebooking Journals supply plenty of work.  I do loads and loads of activities.  We only review orally, rather than formally test.  When the kiddos do the crossword puzzles, I ask them to do as much as possible without the textbook before consulting the textbook.

When I home-schooled Paul, we enrolled him at Kolbe Academy, which uses Harcourt Science textbooks. Here is the description of the Grade 5 textbook.  This elementary series has sections with Life, Earth, and Physical Science.  Kolbe recommends using Grade 1 level for grades 1-2 and Grade 3 level for grades 3-4.  Grade 5 is used for grades 5-6.  Each textbook does have a great deal of material and are more academic than the Young Explorers series.  You can buy these books used at Thriftbooks, Amazon, or eBay, which has textbooks for all six grades.  

We did science twice a week; even at that pace it would have been difficult to finish the entire, Harcourt textbook in one year.  We didn’t.  At the elementary stage, it’s more important to focus on English, math, Faith, and History, especially since English means phonics, reading, handwriting, composition, vocabulary, and spelling.  I get it.  Make Fridays science days.

I’ve reviewed other textbooks and programs.  However, these two are my favorites.  In another life, at the private school where I taught, the upper school teachers set the curriculum for the lower school teachers’ science programs.  We assigned hands-on modules  with simple books and labs, similar to Home Science Tools’ Science Unlocked  program. Each grade had four  Life, Physical Science, and Earth Science modules. Yes, these units are expensive!  Which brings us back to a textbook.  See why I like Young Explorers?  If you want to challenge your kiddo try Harcourt!