I posted How to balance equations videos last month. Tuesday, we’re launching. I’m using bottle caps for some of the class, especially students who benefit from hands-on manipulatives. Below are examples. One student has really found the ions useful. We may combine the two. I’ll add more photos after class in an update.
There are going to be fewer posts. Why? Things are ramping up! My husband and I volunteer and prepare taxes; Rob’s in charge of our tax site. Training for new and returning volunteers begins this month. I lead training, which is on-going throughout the tax season. Rob and I meet with other sites and help get everything set up. There are weekly (or more) tax meetings. Once we start training for tax season, there are a steady stream of volunteers at our house who need help with the resource sites, passwords, scenarios, Chromebook (Aaaaaaaarrrrrgggghhhh!) etc. We have a large tax site with tons of volunteers and are starting a new program, FSA, or do it yourself taxes. Tax training and teaching Co-op are plenty. We also sub (almost weekly) for religious education. I just got a request to do a series of grant workshops. (In another life, I wrote grants and gave workshops teaching how to write grants.). It’s one of my favorite things to do. All of these activities are going to crimp the number of posts I can produce. I’ll do my best! I appreciate your forbearance.
Paper Chromatography is a standard chemistry lab. As a college adjunct, I led a chromatography lab. Thee we used filter paper, acetone or isopropyl alcohol, and a drawer full of pens. Send your kiddos on another scavenger hunt in the house for pens and markers. Get as many different brands as possible. Washable markers and gel pens work with water. Many ink pens will work with isopropyl or rubbing alcohol. (Some work better with ethanol or acetone.). Here is a lab with detailed instructions for the strips with Rf calculations. This lab version has details explaining how to set up the chromatography strips; additionally it includes a link for Leaf Pigment Chromatography. Here is a paper chromatography lab with food dyes. HST has Candy Chromatography. Sort some Skittles or M&Ms from the Halloween haul. Make this an open-ended lab. Fill a bin with candy, leaves, markers and pens. Have water, isopropyl and ethanol available. Start testing!
I have some toys, one of which is a set of PASCO Spark Learning Systems. Is this old tech? Yes. I have PASCO AirLink which uses SPARKvue experiments and connects to an iPad by Bluetooth. (The experiments are the same.) I have had issues with the Airlink. Every time there is a software update I had to reload the experiments—usually right when I wanted to do a lab or was in the process of a demonstration. I went back and bought a set of old Sparks. Here’s the thing. There are always kiddos who are miles ahead of the others. I want extra materials; they can play with these toys and do fun experiments. The rest of the class is usually more motivated to complete their work when they see the fun experiments they are missing.
If you buy a used set be sure it has the adaptor, electrodes, and thermometer. The thermometer looks like a white wire. Ask the seller if the experiments are preloaded. Be aware the device takes a minute to load. Literally. The best way to become familiar with the Spark is to play with it. But, if you turn it on and plug in a probe or sensor, the device immediately identifies the sensor and begins to collect data. I bought a bunch of thermometers to turn the devices into digital thermometers.
What does the conductivity lab look like in reality? I assembled all of the lab materials, chemicals, and devices—with their textbook. The lab is in their textbooks. Dr. Wile explains how to build a homemade conductivity meter. Surprise! I adapted the lab and added a bunch of chemicals to test and devices to use. For this lab, the teens are completing a data table. My goal is two-fold: understand conductivity and learn how to use several devices.
Along with learning how to balance equations, students need to understand different types of chemical reactions. The Types of Chemical Reactions lab was originally from a colleague, who in turn got it from another teacher. This lab is similar and has more instructions. Here are the slides I prepared with the equations for each reaction. After the kiddos finish the lab, they write the reactants and predict the products—all while learning how to identify the different types of reactions. This blog post has a series of videos I made for the different reactions. (The first one is below.) The optional MicroChem lab has a Double Replacement lab. The Ionic Formula lab and Solubility Lab are based on double replacement reactions; here is a double replacement lab. Students are actually doing some reaction prediction. Check out Khan Academy, which includes an explanation about precipitates.
Let’s explore conductivity! First HST has a homemade conductivity meter to test metals. The Exploratorium has detailed instructions to make a conductivity meter with Christmas tree lights, a 9V battery, and a popsicle stick.
Not that I would go over the top. I do have a bunch of devices. Why? I always fear my home-school students will miss out on exposure to tools used in private or public schools. I bought a bunch of different devices I used when I taught professionally. I have several digital meters. Since we have the toys we might as well play with them.
Additionally, I have PASCO Spark devices.
Additionally,I have adapters for Vernier conductivity probes to use with TI 84 calculators.
The MicroChem kit and the RadMaste kits I bought also have conductivity meters.
Kiddos love toys. The Chem class can try all of the devices. I have several solutions: salt water, rubbing alcohol, sugar, vinegar, and copper sulfate. The teens may test the solutions with every device. I do the same thing with microscopes. I have cell phone, USB, and traditional microscopes; the class learns how to use all of them. The PASCO Spark devices and TI 84 graphing calculators both interface with sensors. The Vernier Easylink is an adaptor which connects with other Vernier probes.
Most of the time we use the TI84 calculators with a sensor, such as the temperature sensor. But, I have a bunch of the PASCO Spark devices, conductivity sensors, and temperature probes. Who doesn’t like to play with a new toy?
Do you use Google Classroom in your Co-op class? I sure do! In addition to assignments, I post how-to videos, articles, and helpful resources. This year, I’ve been posting more announcements. (A few screenshots are below.) I can see a difference! I still get texts and emails; the announcements help families stay on top of assignments. For example, several kiddos missed the lab report deadline. After I posted the announcement, more flew in. (Not all. Yes, I’m missing two. Surprise! All of the reports I did receive have errors and need editing.) Job one is getting the assignments more or less on time. I need any tool which helps. Announcements are working.
Happy Halloween! Steve Spangler has a host of experiments in this Halloween Science Archives. (I feel obligated to include at least one link!) One of my students gave me a porch goose—with clothes! Max was pretty thrilled to see him ready for Halloween. Is a porch goose my style? Not exactly. However, he looks jaunty with a bandana. Have a wonderful Halloween! I hope your family has a blast!
Our Co-op classes often have one or two teens with learning differences. My philosophy is that the teen can still learn. We punt. Sometimes the quiz or concept is just too hard. But why not try? One issue that arises with teens who have learning differences is lab reports. One trick I use is to have the kiddos write his or her lab report in a slide deck: How to Write a Lab Report, DNA Lab, Lab Report Guide, and Stoichiometry. I show teens these slide decks, which they can use as templates. For some students, writing an essay is hard. For whatever reason, slides are easier, especially if the sections are labeled in order. See if this helps. It does for my class!
Are you planning to type blood? There are several options. First, look at this Infograph about blood types; it’s one of the clearest images explaining different blood types. Now for blood type labs. First, many families buy Eldoncard blood test kits and call it a day. I have.
But, the Eldoncard tests are expensive. I want the class to understand blood typing tests before we break out the expensive kit. The answer is to first use simulated or fake blood test labs or kits. Here is a simple blood test lab; it requires milk, food coloring, and vinegar. Here are the teacher’s notes for the lab. I like this brand of simulated blood typing kits. The kit’s instructions are similar to Flinn’s Blood Testing instructions. You add drops of anti-sera to fake blood.
Do you teach chemistry? You may have some of these precipitates on hand to make this lab version of simulated blood. Fancy.
This is one of those activities you can do with both middle schoolers and high schoolers. Periodic Table Coloring Activity or this version here introduces the families or groups. You can go over any other details, too. The images I have remind me I need to try to either color code it myself or see if one of the teens do a better job. However, the activity is what counts.
The high schoolers memorize around 50 elements. Their elements’ cards give them a head start. First, color-coded or annotate a periodic table.
Yes! We finished the Naming and Forming Ionic Formulas Lab and used the MicroChem kits I bought used over the summer. The class used the chemicals from the double replacement lab in the manual. I added lead nitrate and cobalt chloride to use to react with the ions in the kit. We even used the microscopes to observe a precipitation reaction. They finished in one class period! Whooooop! Take a look.
The Young Explorers Chemistry and Physics class is lively. They are extremely enthusiastic about every activity. I still managed to take a few pix. Barely. We made Elephant’s Toothpaste (in their textbooks) and Reaction in a Bag. We started Putting Ions in Their Hands and recorded the projects and the reactants in their notebooks. Take a look.
You home-school! Aren’t you already doing a lot of cooking? It should be part of your science lessons! First Start with a Book has Food and Cooking. Stop by the library and pick up an armful of books. National Geographic has a great introduction, STEM Cooking Tips. Go to Treehouse Kitchen Skills. What a great list! The Homeschool Scientist has a post, Using Cooking to Teach Math and Science. Functional Foods has Measuring for Cooking with 35 links. Here is the test on measuring. Here and here are two of the worksheets. Now you have a complete unit! Save these resources for the days you are indisposed or confined to the bathroom. Once a week, add a cooking lesson to your schedule. I recommend Friday Funday! Build skills so the kiddos can make their own lunch those days you don’t have the band-width to cook.
Today we’re doing Forming and Naming Ionic Compounds Lab. Kiddos combine cations and anions. The compounds are double replacement reactions which form precipitates. We’re going to observe reactions under the microscope, too.
I’m pretty excited. We’re using the used Micro Chem kits along with ion solutions I’ve already prepared. The lab is is pretty open ended. Kiddos can try different ion combinations. They do need to name these compounds. I think this lab will take about two classes. My hip is that seeing the reactions will help make naming the compounds more visual. Hands-on activities usually help!
When I wrote about Composites, I had no idea that NASA has an entire Museum in a Box Series. Museum in a Box is designed for groups. First Flyers and Rockets Away! are representative. The kit has a list of materials. Click on each lesson set and there is some history, a scripted lesson, a series of activities, templates, and images. Any of these would make a good unit study—essentially, an instant lesson! You may not have a giant Foam Wing; however several of the activities require simple materials, such as a straw and a quarter. The history and images alone are worthwhile. Take a look!
This year I’m teaching both high school and middle school chemistry classes. The upcoming posts will have a great deal of chemistry—mainly because it’s on my brain. I’ll try to think up more original posts whenever I have the bandwidth. Meanwhile I’ll post pix of the classes—gritty photos from my basement and all. I’m sorry to have so few of the middle school class. They are both enthusiastic and lively! I barely remembered to take a photo of their moles. I’ll try to get more pix. Next week I promised labs. Stick around! I’ll do my best to think up interesting posts. Just beware! They’ll probably have some chemistry.
I want to get more use out of my microscopes. I saw a post in the Chemistry Facebook group about observing reactions under the microscope. Below are some comments.
The main suggestion is to observe precipitation reactions under the microscope. This web page has videos. Don’t risk an expensive microscope trying to observe precipitates. Instead use a clip-on microscope, cheap kiddo microscope, or a USB microscope.
Isn’t the idea of seeing reactions cool? Now let’s see if my kiddos can capture some images. I even want to try this activity with my Middke-schoolers. Fun, right?
Initially, I invest a great deal of time on foundational skills instead of chemical concepts—more how to than why. Right after my kiddos learn how to name compounds, they learn how to balance them. Here is the slide deck I use as an introduction. Mr.Kent has great resources and videos. This worksheet has an answer key. Any resources I have I plan to share. Below are video lectures with my own tricks to teach how to balance equations. Here’s hoping these resources are useful.
I posted How to balance equations videos last month. Tuesday, we’re launching. I’m using bottle caps for some of the class, especially ...
