Household Chemistry Lab

 The kids did the Household Acid and Base lab from Apologia Chemistry.  Below are pix two kids just sent.

ABO/Rh Blood Testing

Next fall I’m scheduled to teach Biology.  I have loads of equipment.  However each year I need blood testing supplies.  I like to use both simulated blood kits, such as Innovating Science Blood kits and Eldon cards, which have individual lancets for each child.  I always start with simulated blood.  The kids need to practice identifying a reaction between the fake antiserum with the fake blood.  Here is a copy of the instructions from the Neo/Sci blood kit.  Here is the fake blood test lab worksheet from Flinn.  You can make fake blood with hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, silver nitrate, and barium nitrate.  I find it easier to buy a fake blood kit because silver nitrate is so expensive and HCl and H2SO4 are often sold in concentrated solutions.  So, I have to make the dilutions and give extensive safety warnings.  See?  I’ll just buy a kit.

EScience Biology Kit

 Good Will has an EScience Biology Kit available.  The shipping is fairly priced. The kit has a variety of basic equipment: a graduated cylinder, Petrie dishes, pipettes, a thermometer, test tubes, etc.  Take a look at the listing.

One last unit for Chemistry: Gas Laws

 Tomorrow I’m making one last push: Gas Laws.  Here is an overview slideshow. Below is a series of instructional videos I made last year for Gas Laws.  Hope these materials help.

Chemistry of Paint

 Did you know there is chemistry in paint?  Here is a round-up of several articles.  First is Paintball.  Next are Paint Chemistry from Benjamin Moore.  National Chemistry Week (NCW) has activities for Chemistry and Art.  Flinn has this lab to make Prussian Blue Paint.  I have paint on my mind because Paul is making family gifts.  He loves spray paint.  I’ll post pix after he spray paints several glass vases.

Periodic Table of Cereal

Chemistry is grinding to a halt.  I’m tutoring several kids several extra hours.  Projects are trickling in and we are expecting family.  Did I mention planning VBS?  I do have a short post.  One student just submitted a poster for the Periodic Table of Cereals. Take a look.

Coming Soon….

 I’m finishing Chemistry, working on Finals with Paul, ten, and deep cleaning; my dad is coming for a visit.  Let me catch my breath.  I’ll post more soon.

Periodic Table Project

 Here is another sample.  This one is great!

M&M Balancing Equations

I’m tucking this idea away for future Chemistry classes, M&M Balancing Lab.  A teacher on social media posted an additional tip to use M&M minis to stretch your budget.  Brilliant.

Stoichiometry Boats

 One of the groups on social media posted a project, Carbon Dioxide Powered Boat Race Project or Stoichiometry Boats.  Kiwi has instructions, too.  The materials include baking soda, vinegar, balloons, or bottles.  Fun, right?

Model Periodic Trends

 The kids are doing a series of activities to understand periodic trends, including Flinn’s Plotting Trends.  Below is one student example and my sample model I made for the kids.  I put straws, a transparency sheet, clay, and a periodic table in the Chem kits.

Coffee

 Our little household is making Mother’s Day gifts. Paul, ten, made up several batches of vanilla extract.  Next up is homemade coffee extract. I have no idea how long to soak the coffee in vodka.  One week?  One month?  Experiment.  I want to see if a little coffee extract boosts the chocolate flavor in brownies.   Like vanilla, coffee is a popular chemistry topic.  Here and here are Chemmatters articles about coffee as a brain booster.  Yes, coffee is science.

Graph Periodic Trends

 My kids are graphing different periodic trends using tow resources located here and here.  The graphs are trickling in, per usual.  Below are pix of my sample graph and two student graphs.  N.B. One student graphed atomic number vs. density with Jamboard in order to submit her graph electronically easily.  Smart.  She uploaded an image of graph paper.  Take a look

 

3D Printer and Filament

 Good Will has several listings for 3D printers, a 3D pen, and filament.  I have used 3D printers at the local library.  They are not hard to set up, thread filament, or load plans from Thingaverse.  Last Christmas, Amazon held several sales on 3D printers.  The prices for used 3D printers are better at Good Will.  You must be comfortable taking a risk buying a used electronic device.  Below are images from 3D printer, pen, and filament listing available now at Good Will.

Radioactive Decay or Half-life

 My husband, Rob, is teaching Algebra II this year and ran across half-life with natural logs.  Once in awhile, I get to teach a unit on Nuclear Energy, usually when the class is especially attentive, diligent about their work, and we aren’t bogged down during Stoichiometry.  So, rarely, unless it’s a college class.  Start here with Radioactive Pennies.  The kids will need 100 pennies to toss in a shoe box.  Nuclear Connect has Half-Life with paper, M&Ms, pennies, or puzzle pieces.  Make sure the kids understand what half-life is.  NOAA has this explanation of half-life.  Here is an excellent overview about carbon dating and Otzi, the Iceman, discovered in the Otzal Alps.  Otzi is a fascinating topic and often sparks loads of interest in the science surrounding him.  I usually include this radioactive decay activity for U-238.  (Key)  These topics circle around to the age of Earth.  I believe God created the heavens and the Earth.  God spoke, “Bang!”, it happened.  The rest is all details.