Apologia Chemistry: Module 2 Energy, Heat, and Temperature

We do Module 2 right before Module 12, Gas Laws.  I have taught this early in the school year; but it works well before gases, too.  Experiment 2.1, Calibrating Your Thermometer, can be performed earlier in the year.  (Sometimes, I have a kid calibrate all of my thermometers with the ice water method.).  We do Experiment 2.2, Measuring the Specific Heat of a Metal.  I modify Flinn’s Lab. (I’ve used the Soda Can lab.).  The specific heat lab we do is more like this one.  I’ve found using two styrofoam cups in a glass beaker work wells.  BTW we’ll use the metal cubes from the density lab.  The kids will do a Spark Lab using Pasco equipment that is similar to this Heat Curve lab.