Right now Good Will online has several science kits. See the screen shots below. As always, check the shipping. Some of the stores gross up the weight, greatly inflating the shipping cost. These are great kits to cannibalize for science equipment, such as digital scales, reaction plates, etc.
My teens have two assignments to complete over the Easter Break. First is a Periodic Table Timeline with the scientists birth and death dates and their contributions to the development of the Periodic Table. One student completed the timeline in class.
Here is the link for the Periodic Table of Cereals. This slideshow, Periodic Trends, has several examples of different Periodic Tables. Here is a rubric for the project. I suggest using breakfast cereals or commercial cookies for the Periodic Tables. My kids may use anything from Pokémon characters to chicken breeds. One teen is obsessed with chickens. Fine. Movies are another good topic because there are so many genres of movies. My teens are creating digital projects so they don’t empty a tank of ink printing Pokémon characters and gluing them to a poster. The Google Jamboard app has ‘post-it’ sticky notes you can move around on the screen. The kids are using all sorts of apps, including a LEGO designer software program. I’ll post examples as they arrive.
Next week, the kids are working on Lewis Structures and VSEPR Theory. Here and here are the slideshow I’m using. The second slideshow has a VSEPR chart. I have two VSEPR Model Kits, which have a wing shape to represent a pair of unshared electrons. VSEPR is in Module 9 of Apologia Chemistry. There is a POGIL Molecular Geometry worksheet (key). The bonding terms might be more confusing than helpful. Next week, my kids are going to build several molecules to help them understand the bond angles.
One of my colleagues gave her students pop tests! I thought that was hysterical. Her students were less enthused. I issue pop tests to see if kids are retaining skills. For example, if I distribute an aluminum can and a scale, can the teen calculate the number of moles in the can? Today’s pop test was ionic blocks, formulas, and their names. Each teen rolled a pair of dice and wrote and named the compound. The only reason was to see who retains those skills.
We’re continuing our crash course in Organic Nomenclature. Once tax season is over I’ll add more robust posts. For now, I’m posting in bursts.
Here is the recent post with the worksheets the kids are using. Below are pix from class, including our sample review molecule. The kids are writing, naming and building organic molecules. Fun, right? May not.
It’s time to plan for Summer Science Camp! The kids attending Science Camp are returning campers. I need new ideas. One idea is to build furniture from cardboard and newspaper, both of which I have in supply. Here are detailed design instructions. These do not have plans; however, there is a good tutorial about types of corrugated cardboard. Let me share some ideas: stool, paper table, Speedy Shelter, and chair. Take a look at John Hopkins publication, Cardboard Constructions. I need to do a few test projects!
First, here are the introductory videos for Organic nomenclature. Here and here are the worksheet we use. Here and here are the answer keys. Today, I made another video. Usually the kids build the molecules after doing the worksheet. Try building the molecule and then naming and writing the molecule. Now is the time to make your own molecule kit. Take a look. Yes, it’s another high quality video.
Good Will has phlebotomy textbooks and an arm to practice. I am sorely tempted to buy the arm. Below is a screenshot of the listing. Phlebotomists are the technicians who draw blood.
First, here is the slideshow with my complete lesson for Periodic Trends, part of Module 8 in the Apologia Chemistry textbook. We are back on track to finish Chemistry by the end of May. Right now the kids are finishing electron configurations. I plan to introduce VSEPR Theory. Periodic Trends, and Organic Molecules. Yes, these lessons all coincide. Below is the video about Periodic Trends.
I just encountered a new version of slime, Butter Slime. I like to do a Slime lab with my teens in Chemistry when we study polymers. Here are ten slime recipes to consider for lab. We use borax. Some recipes require contact lens solution containing boric acid. Since you asked, here is a post explaining the difference between borax and boric acid. A few years ago, some families went off the deep end over borax. I was volunteering at a camp where a I’m asked me if I was using borax in slime, the borax that was killing children! I was taken aback; I hadn’t realized the level of hysteria associated with borax. FYI, one of my former students was taking Accutane for severe acne; he had an adverse reaction to borax during a slime lab. After a long talk with the Admin at school and research on my part, we determined that the Accutane can sensitize a person’s skin. Subsequently, the student observed all labs and enjoyed the attention and concern from his classmates. Apart from the one child, I haven’t had any adverse reactions to slime made with borax.
Update: I made a video showing how to use the model below to write electron configurations. You’ll be able to tell it’s original content from the quality of the video.
First, let me share this blog post with links and videos. Today, I lectured on the quantum mechanical model and introduced electron configurations. Here is the slideshow I made. Next week the kids are playing Hog Hilton and Electron Configuration Battleship. Today, I used the model shown below to teach how to assign electrons into configurations. I saw the model on social media. Here is a link using similar models to explain how the principles of Quantum Mechanics govern electron configurations. Instead of dominoes or pom poms, I used popsicle sticks with arrows for the electrons. I cannot emphasize how much this model helped the kids understand how to assign electrons into their configurations—even chromium and copper. It also helped to show how the energy levels on the Periodic Table coincide with the energy levels in the configurations.
My husband, Rob, teaches Physics. I locate labs for him based on specific topics. He’s doing Laser Jello or Jello Optics. He has red, green, and blue laser pointers; Rob made blue, red, green, and clear jello in plastic, petrie dishes. We use one cup of boiling water per 3oz package of gelatin and one 80 g packet of clear gelatin. I’ll try to remember to take pix on Tuesday when Rob does the lab. If I forget it’s because our local priest, Fr.Will, is visiting the Co-op and several kids are staying after class to make macarons.
I added another aspect to flame test. After the teens do the labs below, they are missing salts to produce different colors. Below are pix from lab, today. I like to document class exercises as evidence the class is lab-based for online schools.
First, here is the blog post from last December regarding flame tests. My teens do Energy Calculations in conjunction with flame tests. They also light Colorflame birthday candles as unknowns. While the rest of the class completed their timelines, four students started flame tests. I find allowing kids to work ahead motivates the other to work more efficiently. BTW the wood splints are wooden coffee stir sticks. The kids soak wood splints in tap water and dip the sticks into the chemicals. I have six metallic salts set aside just for flame tests. I don’t worry about cross contamination. I use a blue glass for potassium chloride. It’s hard to see the faint pink or violet flame. The blue glass helps. STERNO works better than tea candles. Below are a few pix.
I love the American Chemical Society, ACS. Have you visited Adventures in Chemistry? Take a look at the Secret Science of Stuff: Ice cream, Braces, Gum, Soda Pop, Flames, Glue, and more. The site is an excellent launching pad. Start with a topic, such as ice cream, read the slide shows, and Make Ice Cream in a Bag. Make Friday afternoons fun days with more science! Let’s make time for more science!
Teens in my Chemistry Co-op class are experimenting with MEL chemistry kits. The starter kit has a folding stove for tea candles. Here is a similar, folding stove, designed for camping. You can use either STERNO or tea candles as a heating source. I like that it has a stable base. Tea candles and STERNO heat solutions slowly. This is another tool to use with your home lab. Have your family time how long it takes to heat solutions.
Teens in my Co-op Chemistry class are testing several MEL Chemistry kits I bought used from Goodwill online. They’re making a video, too. I asked them to evaluate the kits, as home-schoolers. Are the instructions in the kits easy to understand? Are the experiments interesting? Would a home-school student be able to use the kit without outside help? I’ll post their video once they finish. However, the teens testing the kits remained engaged for hours. I had to kick them out yesterday; their mom was waiting for them with a van-load of their siblings.
I’ve been impressed with the kits. The burner from the Starter kit uses multiple tea candles as a heat source. My husband’s Physics class took Chemistry remotely during COVID. I’m ordering extra chemicals so the Physics kids can do all of the experiments in the MEL kits, too. The MEL experiments tend to be engaging: distilling apple juice, creating tin dendrites, etc. If you can find MEL kits for $10 each, they would make good supplements to any chemistry class. eBay has listings for MEL kits which average $10 per kit with shipping.
We keep a bucket with Pump Rockets and foam rockets in the basement for play emergencies. You can make Foam Rocket toys. ( Here is a si...
