Week 15 Blog


 

This week in lab, we explored the conservation of mass after chemical reactions. We had to develop an activity to use in our future classroom, which involved baking soda and vinegar. My partner and I initially tried this activity by measuring the mass of a balloon, vinegar, and baking soda, and then combining the two and adding a balloon on top to capture the gas. We then measured the mass again and found that the mass had gone down. We discovered that this is due to a buoyant reaction that occurred; the gas rose to fill the balloon, creating a bigger object with a different mass. We then tried our activity again, but using a bottle cap instead of the balloon, to prevent a buoyant reaction. By doing so, the mass stayed the same. 

This is an activity I would definitely use in my future classroom. I would begin with the flame activity, where we use the carbon dioxide created by baking soda and vinegar to put out a flame, to capture students' attention. I found this very interesting, and I think my students would also enjoy this demonstration as well. I would then have students engage in the activity where they measure the mass of vinegar in the bottle and baking soda, combine the substances with the cap, and then record the mass after the reaction. By doing so, my students would discover that the mass did not change after the reaction, giving them evidence to answer the question: Does the total amount of matter change after the reaction between baking soda and vinegar? I think this would be an interesting activity for students, and they would enjoy seeing the chemical reaction while deepening their understanding. 

I was able to relate much of what we learned today to my prior knowledge from chemistry courses. I knew that the total amount of matter does not change after reactions. However, I learned more today about why this happens because the substances often change forms. I also recalled learning about buoyancy, but today strenghtened my understanding that buoyancy is an upward force that a fluid exerts on an object submerged in it. Overall, I appreciaited reviewing these concepts to strengthen my undersatnding and ability to teach my future students. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 5 Blog

Image
  This week, we had lab on Zoom. We started lab by discussing the 5e model of science instruction. This reinforced my understanding that this model of instruction is composed of 5 phases: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. We worked in groups to discuss what each phase means and determined the students' and teachers' roles in each phase. I learned that the teacher often acts as the facilitator to guide conversation and student learning. We then also learned about biomes, ecosystems, habitats, and food chains. I learned that biomes are large areas that have similar climate conditions and dominant types of plants and animals. Ecosystems are a community of living and nonliving things that interact with each other in a specific environment. A habitat is a specific place where a particular community of species lives. Lastly, a food chain describes who eats whom.  I was able to relate much of this information to my prior knowledge. I appreciated reviewing the 5e mode...
Read more

Week 2 Blog

Image
  This week, we reviewed NGSS standards and learned about the characteristics of living things and seed germination. I learned that there are eight characteristics of living things, and those include cellular composition, genetics & heredity, maintaining homeostasis, growth & change, movement, response to stimuli, metabolism, and reproduction. We used these characteristics to determine what things are considered living and what is considered non-living. I found it especially interesting to learn about viruses and the argument if that is considered living or nonliving. We ended the class by learning about seed germination and planting our seeds. I learned that seed germination requires nutrients, water, warmth, and oxygen.  I can apply this knowledge in my future teaching when designing lesson plans that help students understand the characteristics of living things. Similar to today, I would create a chart that shows the characteristics of living things and then discuss...
Read more

Week 6 Blog

Image
  This week, we began by learning about the six different biomes, their climates, and the food chains within the biomes. My group focused on the rainforest biome. We discovered there is lots of rainfall and trees. The temperature is warm or cool depending on the season. Our food chain consisted of a tree, eaten by a deer, eaten by a wolf, that is then eaten by a bear. We then learned what would happen if trees were cut down in the forest. Next, we learned how to pollinate our flowers using bees. Lastly, we learned about turtles and their life cycle through a book and fun class activity. It was interesting to learn about the many ways they are impacted by human and environmental factors, both positively and negatively.  Much of what we learned today I found clear. I think it is clear to understand the six different biomes and the different climates and species among these biomes. I also found it clear learning about a turtle’s life cycle and the different ways they can be harme...
Read more