Cheap and Easy Chemistry: Metal Reactivity Labs

 Are you familiar with the Metal Reactivity Series?  Here is a lesson and Activity of Metals Lab we do in class.  However, AACT has this Virtual lesson, Metals in. Aqueous Solutions, with lessons, and Teacher Notes for this lab simulation.  You and your teens can do the simulation and decide whether the expense of the lab materials are worth an investment.  Lab simulations stretch your budget and allow more extension activities for your kids.  Treat the simulation like a lab and add it to your digital portfolio.

Biomolecules Introduction: Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins, and Nucleic Acids

 Biomolecules are really one aspect of Biochemistry.  This is a tough unit.  Here is how I approach this material.  I do a crash course in Organic Chemistry with this packet (10.4 Answer Key and 10.7 Answer Key).  Here is a note summary about naming organic molecules.

Now that you are overwhelmed, let’s start again.  We start with this slideshow introduction and follow with this Biomolecules activity.  I ordered the two kits below from Amazon to review.  The kids will start Thursday building the molecules with the Labaids Molecules of Life kit.  I want to test the inexpensive kits to compare their quality with Labaids and more expensive molecular modeling kits.  I’ll update with results.

The kits were $6.95 and $11.68.

Orbeez Bead Lab Update

 The Bio class  soaked for two days in three solutions.

Cheap and Easy Biology: Cell Transport Labs

 Today, the Bio class did three labs about cell movement or transport.  The first is this Diffusion Lab. The questions are good for explaining the selective permeability of cell embraces.  Use the pix from Biology Place’s Diffusion Lab if you like step by step instructions.  You need iodine, cornstarch and baggies.  The cheapest baggies work best.  (Traditionally, dialysis tubing is used for this lab.  My colleague, Wendy, told me to use cheap baggies instead.)  Next we soaked growing spheres in three solutions to do the lab, Simulating Osmosis with Orbeez Water Beads.  Lastly the kids made Gel Beads, using these instructions and these to test yeast balls in hydrogen peroxide.  This last lab is more expensive and uses sodium alginate and calcium lactate.  It is also more of a pain to set up and conduct.  

Sodium Alginate and Calcium Lactate Gel Beads Lab

Diffusion lab

Water Beads

Make lab videos!

We make videos.  I make ‘how to’ videos, like those below, often.  My kids make videos, too.  It’s a good way to check to see if the kids understand a lab or a scientific concept.  If they can teach or explain, they understand.  You can add the video to your teen’s digital portfolio, while simultaneously assessing.  

Cheap and Easy Chemistry: Colorful Flames

Do you use colorful flame packets with your fire pit or fireplace?  The packets have a mix of chemical granules.  Here is a list of chemicals and the colors they produce in flames.  The link has common, household chemicals and their respective flame colors: Epsom salts, borax, etc.  The list suggest adding sugar, coffee creamer, flour, and iron filings for different effects—new ideas for me.  Your kids might mix up colorful flames into paper bags to decorate as presents.  Combine gift making into a science lesson!

Cell Membrane Bubble Lab

 The Co-op class did the Cell Membrane Bubble Lab in class today.  I did this lab for the first time with the Bio class I taught the year before last.  Kids like this lab!  It brings home properties of the cell membrane.  Be sure to follow the instructions carefully.  We tried thin cotton thread and polyester yarn for the activities.  We found you could connect the straws directly into a frame without stringing yarn through the straws.  Here are some pix.  BTW, I explained soap micelles and their properties after the lab.  

Safety

How can you conduct labs safely? If you use the Apologia science textbooks, most of the labs described are safe if you follow directions as written.  Teens should wear safety glasses during all labs.  I think about safety all the time. For years I taught in both private and public schools.  Some of my public school classes had 40 students, making labs potentially dangerous if a student violates lab safety rules.

Let me share several good safety resources.  The NSTA has a safety blog; there are articles about Safety Data Sheets (SDS), setting up lab spaces, even Halloween safety.  Here is the ACS’s publication, Safety in the Elementary Science Classroom. Did you know there are child-sized safety glasses?  I use these for out-reach events with young children.  Here is the ACS publication, ACS Guidelines and Recommendations for Teaching Middle School and High School Chemistry.  Here is the ACS website with more information and a free safety poster, R.A.M.P.  Flinn has four pages of free safety articles, like this Five-Minute Safety Inspection.  Here is a complete Middle School level safety lesson with links.

I haven’t had any real safety challenges teaching science with the local Co-op.  The teens follow all the lab instructions.  The Co-op lab space has safety equipment next to the utility sink: fire extinguisher, first-aid kit, and  eye wash bottle.  Additionally, we have a sharps container for any broken glass, thermometers, etc.  The kids use safety glasses and aprons during labs.  I do not tolerate any safety infractions.  Students who take off their safety glasses during lab have ‘volunteered’ to clean all of the lab stations for the entire class.  I keep my best threat in reserve—-spending the day reorganizing science equipment, kits, models, and possibly all of my Christmas decorations.  I have very supportive parents.

Cheap and Easy VSEPR

 VSEPR is a theory about the shapes of molecules in Chemistry.  There are any number of posts about creating models with balloons.  However, Tom Hoeffel has YouTube videos of VSEPR models using water bottles and balls.  Genius!  If you like the video, he published several about Molecular Geometry.

Personalized Stirring Rods

Personalized Stirring Rods is NOT an activity which is cheap, easy, or done at home.  However, this is an ideal activity to do with a local college.  Yes, setting up the event is a pain.  However, it’s a great way for a local college to show off its science department.  Ask for a tour.  Show the Admissions director this article.  Explain that you have a high school Co-op group interested in a tour and would like to make these stir sticks.  Encourage the Admissions director to talk it over with the Chemistry Chair.  I’ve scored and heat-sealed glass tubing with kids.  It requires careful supervision.  The kids love this activity. Most Chemistry departments will have the equipment on hand.  Give it a shot!  

Biology: Introduction to Cells

 My Co-op Biology class is starting Cells.  I have loads and loads of resources because this is a foundational topic for Biology.  Guess what?  My undergrad, elective classes were all about cells; Cytology, Microbiology, Histology, etc. I think the topic of Cells is essential to Biology.  Start here for an exceptional overview to Cells and Cell Transport from Simmons Science.  I’m using this slide deck, this coloring page, and this POGIL activity, Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic cells.  My kids are making cell models, experimenting with membranes, and learning about a host of cell processes.  Below is an image for the next lab, Cell Membrane Bubble Lab we’ll do next week.  Let’s get started!