Apologia Chemistry: Name Ionic Compounds

Flinn has an ion kit called Putting the Ions in Their Hands and sells these kits, Ionic Formula Writing Kits.  I bought the kit years ago from Flinn.  So I print the cations on to red card stock, the anions on to blue card stock, and the ion formulas, on to yellow card stock—like the original kit.  Kids as young as ten can use this kit to learn how to name ionic compounds.  Generally, kids in eighth grade Physical Science are ready to learn how to name ionic compounds.  Chemistry kids of all abilities can learn to name ionic compounds with this kit.  I give the kids one example and then float around answering questions, locating ions, and showing kids how to interpret the ionic compounds.  Below are pix and an explanatory video.  Take a look.

 

Apologia Biology: Lab Safety, Equipment, and Microscope

Start the Biology class with some basics: Lab Safety, Equipment Names, and Microscope parts. Let’s  start with this Lab Safety Lesson.  Next are Safety Agreements or Safety Contract.  Want a safety activity?  Make Lab Safety Bumper Stickers or search Pinterest for Lab Safety memes to post in your home-school space.  

Next is Lab Equipment.   Lastly is a lesson on the microscope.  Module 1 has a step by step Microscope Experiment.  The Biology Corner has a Microscope Introductory Lab with the University of Delaware’s Virtual Microscope.  I do have several light microscopes.  Actually we use digital microscopes with a laptop.  The microscopes usually work with Thinkpads or Chromebooks—but, not always.  Kids need to learn the names of the parts of a light microscope.  My classes use the digital microscope, focuses the slides, takes a screen shot, and then sketches the slide.  Be sure to Quiz your kids on the names of the parts of the microscope.

K’nex Roller Coaster

K’nex are NOT Camp—at least in our household.  But, it’s cool in the basement where we have the roller coaster project.  With summer under quarantine our little household is doing School and projects.  Below is a pic of progress.  No, there isn’t much in the way of progress.  My husband, Rob, likes K’nex—Paul, less so.

How to memorize the elements on the Periodic Table

My Chemistry class makes Elements Cards;  they memorize about 50 elements from the Periodic Table.  Once kids make some type of Element Trading Cards, they are more familiar with a number of elements.  The next step is to start memorizing the elements.  Start with five or ten elements.  Use a Periodic Table with symbols only and a copy with the names of the elements.  The first step is to write the names of each ten elements several times.  Quiz on the first ten. After the quiz, correct all of the spelling errors.  When the kid knows the first ten, increase the number to fifteen elements.  Quiz on all fifteen and afterwards correct spelling errors.  Continue adding five elements at a time until the child knows about 50 of the most common elements.  Some kids want to learn them all at once.  Fine.  Quiz orally and practice writing the names.  Annotate Periodic Tables.  The more the kids manipulate the elements, the easier it is to memorize the names.

BTW I just have kids read the symbol and write the name of the element.  I do not see any purpose in memorizing the atomic number or atomic mass.  My kids learn the elements in order.  I don’t do quizzes with random elements.  The purpose of memorizing the elements is to be able to locate the elements quickly for nomenclature.  I want the kids to locate the elements on the Periodic Table to determine atomic numbers for electron configurations and atomic masses for Stoichiometry.  Below is the Elements Song.  Warning!  It’s an ear worm!

       Here is a stack of practice for the Periodic Table.  Say, write, and read the elements.  Repeat.

Mad Science Camp: Organization

Bear with the grainy pix below.  While I am certain I should have discussed Camp organization months ago, I happened upon old pix and decided to explain my system.  I held Mad Science Camp at our church for around 40 kids every summer after VBS.  First, we had a bunch of teens who helped with the kids—sometimes 10-12.  There were three or four adults who volunteered, too.  The adults circulated and the teen led teams of campers.   Camp met in the church social hall.  I lined the walls with tables.  Each day’s supplies were lined up under the tables in marked boxes.  Additionally, I kept giant bags of bottles in a closet, just off from the social hall.  The table tops held supplies: scissors, cups, markers, glue, craft sticks, paper towels, piles of newspaper, etc.  Look below to see the teams and tables stacked with supplies.  

Apologia Chemistry: Lesson 1

This Fall, the Chemistry Co-op class will meet twice a week, one hour per session by video.  The first lesson is all about the Periodic Table, the basics.  Why?  The Summer Assignment is to make element cards.  The kids need to learn the names for fifty elements.  I like them to color code and annotate blank periodic tables with the names of each group or family.  Here is a good slideshow, if you ignore the video store analogy.  (Do kids know what Blockbuster was?). Here are instructions for the Periodic Table Coloring Activity.  Below is a screenshot of the Classroom post for Lesson 1.  The first lesson will just be checking to see everyone has finished the elements cards, understands which elements to memorize, and annotates blank periodic tables.  BTW, my kids learn about Pnictogens and Chalcogens.  

Young Explorers Chemistry and Physics: Paper Chromatography Try This

Paper Chromatography is in Lesson 5, page 93.  We went overboard and tested Skittles, M&Ms, food dye, sharpies, and markers.  Paul, 10, wrote up the lab in his science notebook.  Here is the post with links for the two chromatography labs and more photos.

Paper Chromatography: Skittles, M&Ms, Food Dye, Markers, and Sharpies.

Anything worth doing is worth overdoing.  Paul, ten, is learning about chromatography.  Are you doing Camp?  Sell it as a CSI activity.  First up is Candy Chromatography.  The we used these instructions with food color, markers, and sharpies.  I wanted to compare coffee filters with filter paper.  I also wanted to compare salt water, tap water, and rubbing alcohol as solvents.  Here is an article explaining chromatography.  The ACS Chromatography lab has a simple explanation.  You are separating the pigments in the dyes.  Include a black Crayola marker and a black sharpie (in alcohol).   Take a look.

Graphing Calculators

Yes, again!  It’s time to buy a graphing calculator!  My favorite is the TI 84, such as this one listed on Good Will online.  Why?  You can attach an Easy Temp probe as a digital thermometer.  Easylink is an adaptor to use with Easydata and compatible sensors.  Generally, I use the temp sensor or probe.  Here  is a Texas Instrument Chemistry lab. This booklet is my source for graphing exercises for chemistry.  My husband is teaching Algebra 2 with a 2005:edition.  The older textbooks have instructions for both TI 83/84 calculators, which operate similarly.    I think kids should learn how to graph with the calculators so they do not feel intimidated in college.  Many public and private schools use graphing calculators for math and science.  Here is a basic guide.  Below is a sample Algebra 1 Graphing Calculator Investigation.  You can do graph!

Hydraulics

Our little household lives near the Quantico Marine Base.  The Marine Corps Museum hosts a STEM oUnreachable program.  Here are some of the education videos.  The Museum has a Home School Science when they are open.  Hydraulics is one of those physical science topics which seldom is taught.   Oriental Trading has a hydraulic kit.  The kit has syringes and tubing; you buy it for the guide.  We bought and assembled this hydraulic kit.  My husband uses these models for Physics.  This set (pricey) most closely resembles the hydraulics materials we used at the Marine Corps Museum.  The National Fluid Power Association has detailed lessons and guides for these kits.  I took a photo of one of the hydraulics kits we used at the Marine Corps Museum.  

Mad Science Camp: Wildlife Rehabilitators

When I do a Nature Camp, I invite a local forester and Water specialist.  I try to include a Wildlife Rehabilitation group, too.  These organizations cost around $250 for a presentation.  The group usually bring animal ambassadors.  It’s a big expense—but always a huge hit!  I found an old image on my Facebook page.  Take a look.

Lab Reports

Do you struggle with lab reports?  When I taught in private and public schools, the science department often collaborated to set guidelines for a good report.  Here is a guide, The Whys and Hows of Writing a Lab Report from Carolina Biological.  Here is a another guide explaining the parts of a standard lab report.

Consider the lab.  I vary reporting requirements.  It is fine to use a template. Here is a lab report template for Flinn Scientific’s Beverage Density Lab.  Sometimes I have kids complete a data chart for lab or a summary.  I do assign several formal lab reports and use a scoring rubric, such as this one for Flinn’s Can You Make 2 Grams Lab?  I have kids edit their reports until I am satisfied and accept it for full credit.  

Apologia Biology: Carolina Biological

Biology teachers love Carolina Biological.  They offer a wide variety of premium biological products.  Carolina Biological is making accommodations for Biology at home.  They are selling Products and kits to families.  Previously, major scientific companies would NOT ship to homes, only schools—sometimes to a church.  Here are activities from Carolina to do at home.  Here is a sample, Homeostasis.  Not bad.  Carolina has a free Lab Safety Agreement.  Look here for even more content, such as Algae Beads.  One last item—The Whys and How’s of Writing a Lab Report.

Apologia Chemistry: Flinn Science New Resources

I taught in both private and public schools for many years before I began working with Co-ops.  One noted resource for Chemistry teachers is Flinn Scientific.  They have a number of free samples: 360 Science Sample Lesson, Professional Learning Webinars, POGIL, Labs, Flinn Science at Home, and Student Safety Constracts.  Take a look!

Bingo!

I teach, host Camp, and lead VBS.  One popular activity common to all three is Bingo!  (VBS includes a Saints Bingo.  The kids are quieter during Bingo than at Mass.). Bingo lends itself well to Camp.  Let me share a few ideas.  I sometimes use Bingo Boards at Nature Camp as a scavenger hunt.  I like Bingo pages with pictures for younger children.  Take a look at Body Bingo for Anatomy Academy.  Kids cut out pictures and glue them to their own bingo page.  Remind kids not to copy the other bingo boards.  Otherwise everyone shouts Bingo! at the same time.  Ask me how I know.  Here is a Periodic Table Bingo.    Here is a science equipment board.  Scroll down here for NASA bingo boards.  One more resource—Weather Bingo for younger children.  Okay—just one last board, Topo Bingo Or Topography Bingo!  

Apologia Chemistry: Module 4 Candy Chromatography and Paper Chromatography

Paper Chromatography is one of the optional labs in the MicroChem Kit. Plan to do a Chromatography Lab.  It’s a fairly inexpensive lab.  Chromatography is a forensic technique to identify unknowns.  Home Science Tools has instructions for Candy Chromatography and sells a kit.  Let’s test several items.  Locate a black sharpie, black water-based marker, and several black pens.  Use both rubbing alcohol and water as solvents.  Follow the instructions in the Chromatography lab for food coloring and use the same techniques for all of the pens and markers.  Here is more information about calculating Rf for M&Ms and dyes.  I use coffee filters for paper chromatography.  It works well enough as a substitute.  Next week I’ll post Candy Chromatography, too.  

Mad Science Camp: Anatomy Academy

I love the theme, Anatomy Academy.  Here is my Pinterest board.  I have hosted Anatomy camps and taught Young Explorers Human Anatomy.  Here are some of my favorites: Brain Hat, Mr. Skeleton, Blood, Lungs, Pasta Skeletons,  and Mini First Aid kits.  We invite EMTs with an ambulance and  nurses to teach how to measure blood pressure, or listen with a stethoscope.  I love Anatomy Academy!

We do a take on Make Your Own Human.  Print human organs.  Trace out kids on butcher paper and let them place the organs in their bodies.  This Anatomy Apron is too expensive for Camp.  You can tape organs on to plastic or handmade aprons.  

Anatomy in Clay inspired these clay models with Sculpey Clay.  Any clay would work.  Kids like the baked polymer models because they are sturdy.  One last idea is Chalk Anatomy.  Make your own chalk. Be prepared!  The kids will tell their parents they were outside chalking dead bodies. Ask me how I know.

Mad Science Camp: Smart Sticks

I’m always looking for new ideas.  I like the looks of Smart Sticks.  Dick Blick has this Kinetic Art project for Smart Sticks, also called notched sticks or skill sticks.  Use the Kinetic Art instructions to make a Robotic Arm.  Most of the project ideas are bird houses or simple building ideas.  The notches make it easier to wrap rubber bands to make catapults or like this basic catapult.  The sticks would work for a STEAM challenge or Engineering Challenges.  Fun and cheap!  

Oriental Trading STEM kits

Oriental Trading has STEM kits.  I have purchased materials from Oriental Trading for VBS, especially for small groups.  Their prices are fair if you want a specific kit.  Browse some of the listings; it will give you ideas for your own science activities.

Tinker Crate at Good Will online

Yes, I am enticed by kits, too—especially at a discount.  Good Will has a listing for Tinkercrate.  Tinkercrate sells STEM kits.  If you are curious about the contents of kits, shop Good Will.  I have seen MEL kits, LittleBits, all kinds of kits, like this STEM kit.  Many of these listings are like new.  Check the retail prices before you bid.  Be sure to determine the shipping!  My target price is always around $20 total.  

E-science Kit at Good Will online

I like E-science kits and have bought a few to cannibalize for lab equipment.  E-science kits are customized for online science classes—usually at the college level.  I am on the fence as to whether this kit is a good deal.  The shipping and minimum bid already cost about $30.  I do not think the plastic lab ware, safety glasses, and miscellaneous materials are valued at $30.  But, this is a good reference for shopping eBay for kits.  When I buy the kits, I discount the chemicals.  How old are they?  Will I likely do the same labs?  Focus on the lab equipment instead.  Just note, the contents of these kits vary because college instructors customize the kits for their online classes.

Mad Science Camp: Joy of Toys

BTW, the pix below are a few I saved to my Pinterest board, Mad Science.  Take a look.

We are all staring down at least another month of summer before we resume school.  Okay, our little household does School all summer; we need the structure!  One camp idea is Joy of Toys!  This theme is one of my favorites.  Yes!  We made toys!  One toy was Pool Noodle Balance Board.  Ours were made with a board and pvc pipe.  Another favorite is Stomp Catapult.  Plan to use several hammers to pound the block on to the length of wood.  Kids can decorate the boards and catapults with paint, markers, or duct tape.  (These are pricy projects for a big camp.  I had a family who managed a construction company donate the supplies.). Another popular toy is the pvc marshmallow gun—especially if you can source the pvc for a reasonable price.  I buy bags of connectors at Lowe’s.  Joy of Toys means lots of toys: CD Spinners, Floppy Disk Boxes, Tornado Tube Bottles, Cartesian Divers, Sidewalk Chalk (Mix it in plastic three ounce cups.), Slime, Kinetic Sand, Ghost Crystals, I Spy Bottles, Magnetic Bottles, Pringle’s Pinhole Cameras, Lava Lamps, Paper Building blocks, Building Discs, and more!  Some of these toys are more craft than science.  I’m not strict.  Kids learn to associate science with fun.  Bring on the toys!  I found a few photos from Camp at our church.  Did I mention Ice Cream?

How does your garden grow?

We have had to improvise during the Quarantine.  Our little household has remained under quarantine for over four months.  No trips to Walmart for anything!  So, we have been improvising everything.  We’re using shopping bags as grow bags.  Now the tomato plants need support; we are out of tomato cages, paint sticks, and stray metal rods.  Guess what we did have?  Signs.  You know the temporary signs realtors and lawn services display?  House sell so rapidly, often realtors do not remove their signs.  We had a collection.  My husband, Rob, removed the sign and used the metal support for our tomato plants.. look closely at the pic.

Take Home Chemistry

I am digging through my resources.  I came across my copy of Take Home Chemistry.  Here is the list of all 50 labs.  The labs are short and sweet—with an emphasis on safety.  I plan to use a few of these labs with my kids this year.  Google play has a digital version for $10 and this free sample.  Is it worth it?  Are you teaching Chemistry for the first time?  Yes!  Buy this book and use it with the labs from the Apologia Chemistry textbook.  Are you a long-tenured teacher?  Maybe this would be helpful.  I’m taking a close look at the chemical reaction labs and the gas law labs in Take Home Chemistry.  I’m particularly concerned about safety and expense for these labs.  Many of the labs are like the three examples posted below.  These labs are probably in your files.

Apologia Chemistry: Homemade Kits so far....

Update:  I added a mixed bag of candy to each of the kits for Candy Chromatography: Skittles, Nerds, and M&Ms.

I’m planning the Fall Chemistry Co-op class.  The Covid quarantine just complicates everything.  We are starting remotely.  Yes, we’ll have video conferences, YouTube instruction, and loads of ancillary materials, hand-outs, and labs in Google Classroom.  I’m a huge advocate for labs.  Sure, the kids will do many labs from the Apologia Chemistry textbook.  I want the kids to complete over 40 labs this year.  The solution?  Kits.  I would love to use the MicroChem kit.  It’s just too expensive.  Here are photos of the kits so far—to give you ideas for your class.  The kits have basic equipment, chemicals for labs, and hand-outs.  I have folders of labs, periodic tables, safety contracts, and worksheets I’m including with the lab kits.  Here you go!

Apologia Chemistry: Module 3 Atoms and Molecules

I’m doing a round-up of previous posts.  These may help you with Fall planning.  Part of Module 3 refers to Atoms.  Here is the blog post about Beanium and The Nuclear Atom post.  My kids do an Atomic Theory Timeline and complete this Atomic Theory Worksheet.  Here is a list of the key scientists.  Yes, thank you for asking.  There is a great deal of griping over these assignments.

Apologia Chemistry: Module 2 Energy, Heat, and Temperature.

This year my Chemistry Co-op class is following the Modules in the textbook.  I have several videos and blog posts for Module 2: Calorimetry, Heating Curves, and Specific Heat.  

Apologia Chemistry: Module 1 Measures

Once my Chemistry Co-op class completes Lab Safety, Lab Equipment and Lab Techniques, it’s on to Module 1, Measures.  By all means do Experiments 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4.  I hammer home density with It’s All About Density.  I use as many objects as possible, blocks, marbles, lead sinkers, dice, steel washers, etc.  The idea is to compare density calculations, both by direct measurement and by displacement.  Another good density lab is The Density Cube Lab with a set of cubes.  I include Floating Bowling Ball.  Now is the time to tackle measures.  I like What do I do now? and this Accuracy and Precision Lab.  Here is last year’s post showing the sponge drop lab.

BTW I’m in the middle of pulling materials for the kits I’m making up for the kids this fall.  Below is a pic.

Mad Science Camp: Tie Dye

Update:  I was browsing my Pinterest Board, Mad Science and saw a pic with my young friend, Liam, in his home-made tie dye t-shirt.  Take a look below.  Note how vibrant the Dharma dyes are.

Update: My husband, Rob, generally bans all tie dye.  If you are in his camp, you might consider Tie Dye with Sharpies or Bleeding Tissue Tie Dye outside instead.  

Tie Dye is a camp staple.  I usually start Camp with tie dye.  Kids are very enthusiastic.  The only time my husband helped at Camp, he was appalled over the tie dye mess—and we did tie dye outside!  Here’s what I do for tie dye.  First, I order dyes from Dharma Trading Co not Ritz dyes.  You need a mordant, rubber bands, dye bottles, dye, and 100% cotton t-shirts.  I usually buy oversized packages of white t-shirts from Walmart.  The mordant sold with Dharma kits is soda ash, sodium carbonate, washing soda.  I use about one cup of washing soda in a bucket of water.  Print and make copies of different folding or tying patterns.  I order primary dye colors and extra mixing bottles.    Have loads of plastic shopping bags on hand.

Step one is to fold, wrap, spiral, and rubber band  the t-shirt designs.  Next put the t-shirt, rubber bands and all, into the bucket of mordant water for 20 minutes.  Kids never wait that long.  Try for ten minutes.  Take out soaking t-shirt in its rubber bands, and squirt the dyes on to the wet t-shirts.  Here is the most important step.  Put the dyed, sopping wet, rubber banded t-shirt into a plastic grocery bag.  Double or triple bag the t-shirt.  At the end of Camp, the bagged t-shirts go home.  The longer the t-shirt stays in the bag, the better, even for days.  Lastly, rinse the t-shirt in cold water and air-dry it.  Never wash this t-shirt with anything else.  Ever.  I used to take all of the Camp t-shirts home, wash, and air-dry them for the kids.  Then I realized the parents could wash their own kids shirts.  One more tip.  If you are working with a large group, have teens make extra tie dye shirts.  Someone always loses their shirt, takes home the wrong one, or refuses to believe the disastrous t-shirt in brown was their own creation.  Just make more tie dye shirts.  

Apologia Chemistry: Take Home Chemistry Round-up

Okay.  I’m in full planning mode for Fall Chemistry.  What kinds of experiments can you do at home?  I am not taking about slime or Mentos and Diet Coke.  Please.  I mean meaningful experiments which are affordable.  First is Take Home Chemistry.  Here is the list of experiments from the book.  Here is another list of experiments from Terrific Science.  Here is an example, Fabric Chromatography.  I like Alka-Seltzer Labs.  Are you familiar with Baggie Reactions?  My favorite is Chemistry in a Ziploc Bag.  It’s the same lab as Flinn’s Reaction in a Bag with more details—you won’t get nervous doing the lab.  MEL Chemistry is fabulous.  However, the cost for these terrific demos is high—$35 a kit.  Ahh, no.  Instead try these labs from ACS.  Are you terrified at the idea of chemistry experiments at home?  Flinn has Video Labs with questions.  

Apologia Chemistry: Fall Prep Ionic Formula Lab

I’m assembling kits for my Co-op Chemistry class.  When I teach ionic compounds my kids do do Forming and Naming Ionic Compounds Lab.  The issue is cost of materials.  I usually have two sets of chemicals the kids share for lab.  I found this lab which uses only six chemicals based on this small scale lab.  (Scroll down to Analysis of Cations and Anions.). Home Science Tools sells these chemicals.  You can search the website using the formula.  NaOH is sodium hydroxide and caustic.  You must crush the pellets and and dissolve them into water.  You may want to substitute ammonium hydroxide or sudsy ammonia for sodium hydroxide, NaOH.  Below are the formulas and their names to help you search for the best prices.  

AgNO3 is silver nitrate

FeCl3 is iron III chloride

Pb(NO3)2 is lead II nitrate

NaOH is sodium hydroxide

Na3PO4 is sodium phosphate

Don’t confuse Na2CO3, sodium carbonate, washing soda, with NaHCO3, sodium bicarbonate, baking soda.

Apologia Chemistry: Prep for Fall Organic Nomenclature

This past spring, I posted blogs about Organic Nomenclature.  Here is the first worksheet and answer key. Shop now for a molecular model kit.  (You can make molecules.  Here is a guide to the color of atoms in molecule sets.  Yes, play doh and toothpicks are fine.). Yes, Good Will online  frequently has molecular kits similar to this one.  This model type confuses kids.  Don’t plan to teach organic and inorganic nomenclature at the same time.  The kids remain confused all year.  Ask me how I know.  

Apologia Chemistry: Prep for Fall Nomenclature

I am assembling kits for Fall Chemistry.  We are starting Co-op remotely.  In my kits are materials for Inorganic Nomenclature.  I printed materials for the kits from Putting the Ions in Their Hands.  The original kit has the ions printed on to colorful card stock.  I printed the cation (red) and anions (blue) from a home printer, one piece of card stock at a time.  This is the best tool I have for teaching inorganic nomenclature.  I found an old YouTube video I made explaining how to use this kit.  You’re welcome.  

Apologia Chemistry: Lab Techniques

I’m putting together a series of lesson for Fall to teach Chemistry remotely.  I’m preparing lab kits with digital scales, graduated cylinders, and basic lab equipment.  The kids need to learn how to measure chemicals.  Ordinarily I do this as a lab.  TEKS has a lesson on chemical equipment and how to measure with a graduated cylinder and triple beam scale.  Here are instructions for weighing solids with a digital scale.  Here are instructions for filtering,  decanting, and pouring liquids.  Make lab techniques a graded lab.  Ask the kids to either provide photos or a video demonstrating proficiency.  Below is a YouTube video assessment from my archives.  I often have kids demonstrate a lab technique as their lab grade.

Apologia Chemistry: Lab Equipment

Update: Here is a slideshow with equipment and names.  

After I teach Lab Safety, we review the names of chemical equipment.  Start with these two TEKS Exercises.  Here, here, and here are hand-outs.  I print out a lab equipment hand-out and examples for each piece of equipment.  I’m going to do the same exercise via Zoom or Meet with my class.  Here is a good quiz covering basic chemistry equipment.  Remind the kids of the names of equipment, such as Erlenmeyer flask, scoop, and reaction plate, not thingy.

Apologia Chemistry: Lab Safety

Let’s organize Lab Safety for Fall classes.  Begin by having kids and their families read and sign Flinn’s Lab Safety Contract.  My plan is to have the kids send me a photo with the signatures to keep with my records.  Next is this TEKS Safety Lesson.  Here is Flinn’s Safety Quiz.  Here are my math 

pre-assessment and safety quiz.  The bottom line is to use common sense during lab.  Happily, I have had few incidents during lab. But, when I taught in private and public schools, over the course of my career with hundreds of students, there were three or four students who posed a danger to their peers in class.  Those students were permitted to observe and record labs; they were no longer permitted to handle any chemicals or lab equipment.  They earned lab credit through reports.  My Co-op kids hear the same message.  No horseplay.  Period.  If I catch anyone without their safety classes during lab, they clean up the entire lab for everyone.  I’m including safety glasses in the lab kits I’m creating for home use.   Make safety the first lesson.

Apologia Chemistry: Remote Resources

Like you, I’m planning class for Fall.  I’m tracking down resources.  One is from Virtual Virginia.  Here is a sample Chemistry activity called Easy Water Chemistry Lab/Demos.  Many of the materials are shared through Creative Commons, SERC, and Teach Engineering.  When I browse a new web site, I search a specific topic, such as the Periodic Table, under the subject Chemistry.  Another good source of activities is Texas Gateway.  I like PhET for science simulations.  I will keep an eye out for good materials and post them here.

Gummy Bear Lab: Is it Mad Science Camp?

Today we had Paul design and implement a lab, Gummy Bear Lab.  I started with a question.  What happens to gummy bears in different liquids?  Then I asked which liquids he might test.    We had a brief discussion about controlled variables.  For our little household, Gummy Bear lab is School.  Could you make it Camp?  Sure!  Ask the kid to test gummy bears and let them roll.  When I issue challenges at Camp, the resulting experiments are not rigidly controlled.  However, the testing is generally enthusiastic. If the kids do this in Camp, leave the bears in solution overnight.

I like kids to design experiments and specify controlled variables.  My husband, Rob, is a stickler for constructing data tables.  The science process is Osmosis.  We let the bears sit in solution for two hours.  Take a look.

Apologia Chemistry: Working Remotely

This past spring my Co-op Chemistry class worked remotely from March to June.  This Fall, we plan to begin teaching Chemistry and Algebra 2 remotely.  We’ll follow the textbook in order, post assignments to Google Classroom, and host twice weekly video meetings.  My husband and I are prepping our classes.  Here’s the rub; I am committed to hands-on learning.  This past Spring I made videos and posted weekly assignments.  Our plan is to make videos, post assignments to Classroom, and then use video classes to trouble-shoot, answer questions, problem solve, and host discussions.  We will use many Google apps to make class happen.   Take a look at screen shots from Spring.  

One More Aquifer Model

Paul and my husband,  Rob, built an aquifer model this afternoon.  They used a copy of the Scholastic Model, part of How Water Works, and The Awesome Aquifer Slideshow to make the model.  The project took roughly an hour; I had made up a kit with the gravel, sand, straws, pump, charcoal, rubber bands, etc. before they started.  Paul was more enthusiastic about the edible aquifer than this model.  I should have promised the edible aquifer after he built the model aquifer.  Still, I think he has the concept.  I posted the photos to Classroom and deleted them after.  They didn’t load!  Aaarrrrrrggghhhh!  Paul just told me he isn’t doing the model again.  

Aquifer Model

Yesterday, we made an Edible Aquifer as an introduction to groundwater science.  We are using materials from Awesome Aquifers.  (Here is Soda Bottle Hydrology with lessons on Porosity, Permeability, Aquifers, Recharge, etc.  We are confining our lesson to an aquifer.). This Aquifer Model has enough detail to build the model without being overwhelmed.  Soil and Water Conservation District agencies may have access to a  Groundwater Demonstration Model.  Once things go back to normal, contact the Conservation District to see if an educator could bring an Enviroscape Watershed Model and a groundwater demonstration model for a presentation to Co-op.  Ask the educator to discuss issues and steer away from any harangue.  Ask for examples of ways to mitigate issues such as construction silt or excess run-off—specific ‘best management practices’.  It helps reduce propaganda and focus on the underlying science.  Here is one type of groundwater model.  Cool, right?

Young Explorers Chemistry and Physics: Edible Aquifer

Lesson 2 has an experiment, Earth’s Water Cycle, a terrarium.  Paul, 10, had studied the Water Cycle and made a terrarium for a Cub Scout badge.  Surprise!  I made a substitution: The Edible Aquifer.  We’ll make a model with carbon, gravel, and sand later.  Paul followed the directions step by step.  He was enthusiastic crushing the ice.  Why an aquifer?  It’s one of those topics seldom taught in science.  I just think a lesson in groundwater is useful.  We try not to politicize lessons.  My husband, Rob, explained what happens if you dump motor oil or gasoline into the ground. He used the food coloring as motor oil and how it can seep underground.   Take a look.