Teaching
and Learning for the 21st Century
Energy
Lessons for High School
Dennis
W. Sunal
Cynthia
Sunal
Coralee
S. Smith
William
Dwyer
Holly
Loftin Holloway
Editors
Alabama
Science Teaching and Learning Center
The
University of Alabama
Box
870231
Tuscaloosa,
AL. 35487-0231
On the
web at http://www.bamaed.ua.edu/sciteach/energy
CONTRIBUTORS
Lisa Clark
Thelma Davis
Carol Johnson Dawson
Johnnie Delaine
Jeanelle Bland Hodges
Mary Means
Melissa Nichols
Kim Ouderkirk
Coralee Smith
Cynthia Sunal
Dennis Sunal
Cheryl Sundberg
Partially funded by Alabama DOE/EPSCoR, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Professional Development program administered by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, and the University of Alabama.
HIGH SCHOOL LESSON PLANS
Biology
Comparing the Body Fluids of an
Alcoholic to a Nonalcoholic (10-12)
Plant Growth and the Scientific
Method (9-10)
Segmented Worms; Technology
(9-12)
Physical Science
Endothermic Reactions
(7-12)
Endothermic and Exothermic Reactions
(9-12)
Gases, Pressure, Volume, and
Temperature (9-12)
Conductors, Insulators, and
Semiconductors (6-12)
Semiconductors: A 21st Century Social Studies
Topic (9-12)
How Low Can It Go?
(9-12)
Nuclear Reactions: Studying Peaceful Applications (9-12)
Earth Science
Global Warming and The Greenhouse
Effect (7-12)
Interpretation of the Appleton
Oil Field in Alabama (9-12)
INTRODUCTION
Project Energy is a consortium of university professors, leading scientists and classroom teachers committed to reform in science education. The project began in 1993 with a group of educators interested in increasing the energy literacy of teachers and students throughout the state of Alabama. Project Energy is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the EPSCoR Universities of Alabama.
The goals of Project Energy include (a) developing exemplary instructional strategies for teaching energy literacy, (b) enhancing and extending partnerships among students, teachers, energy researchers, and personnel in education, business, and industry, (c) encouraging teachers' professional growth through the development of energy literacy instructional activities and effective energy instructional resource materials which are supportive of the state science curriculum, (d) disseminating information relating to energy literacy, (e) collegial mentoring to expand the exemplary energy classroom model to other Alabama teachers and students, (f) increasing access and skillful use of technology which facilitate and strengthen communication among teachers and students and (g) monitoring and evaluating energy literacy performance through the use of summative evaluations and portfolio projects.
Since 1993, Project Energy teachers have participated in technology and energy related workshops in Tuscaloosa and Auburn, Alabama and Oak Ridge Tennessee. The workshops provided participants opportunities to increase their energy knowledge base and acquire skills in teaching energy topics using technology. In addition, the participants have presented energy literacy workshops at the Annual Alabama Science Teachers Association Conference in Birmingham, Alabama and the Annual National Science Teachers Association Conferences.
The science teachers constructed Learning Cycles focusing on energy related topics. A Learning Cycle has three phases: exploration, concept invention, and expansion. In the exploration phase, students participate with hands-on/minds-on activities that draw on their prior knowledge. During the concept invention phase, students find existing patterns and develop conceptual knowledge. The expansion phase allows the student to apply newly acquired knowledge or skills to other situations.
It is anticipated that the learning cycles developed in this text by Project Energy participants will enhance students' energy that the learning cycles developed in this text by Project Energy participants will enhance students' energy literacy for the 21st century.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We would like to acknowledge Project Energy teachers and their students, the participating school sites, and graduate students for their input and time. We also would like to acknowledge the Department of Energy and the Alabama EPSCoR Universities for providing the necessary funding, along with the Dwight D. Eisenhower Professional Development program administered by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education.
Comparing
the Body Fluids of an Alcoholic to a Nonalcoholic
Sample
Lesson for Grades 10 –12
Melissa
Nichols, West End High School
Thelma Davis, Parker High School
Background:
A person who consumes excessive quantities of alcohol per day will cause considerable damage to the liver. When the liver becomes damaged it is unable to carry out its normal function of detoxifying the blood and urine. Because the liver is unable to carry out its normal function, the condition known as acidosis may result, causing a decrease in the pH of the blood and urine.
Objectives:
To compare pH results by using pH strips and the
data analyzer.
To compare the pH of normal blood and urine to that of an excessive drinker.
To encourage positive social behavior.
Materials:
Note to the
Instructor: Teacher should have all simulated materials prepared prior to
class.
1. Cherry red kool aid (simulated blood)
2. Black cherry red kool aid with one teaspoon of vinegar added.
(alcoholic blood)
3. Lemon water with powdered tea added (alcoholic urine)
4. Plain water with a drop of yellow food coloring added. (simulated urine)
5. pH strips and pH color chart
6. EA 100 Data Analyzer and pH system probe
7. Four test tubes and test tube rack
8. Gloves, goggles and face mask
Exploration:
Procedure:
A. Divide the students into cooperative learning groups and assign roles: materials manager, recorder, and reporter.
B. Tell the students: "You have all been assigned to the forensic lab of a large city hospital. Describe the characteristics of blood and urine one would find in a person to provide evidence that the person is an alcoholic
C. Discuss this question and have the spokesperson report to the class.
Invention:
This lab will explore one of the conditions caused by impaired functioning of the liver.
Procedure:
Before beginning this lab all safety precautions must be followed.
Wear gloves, safety goggles, and face mask. Be careful when handling body fluids.
1. Label test tubes as follows.
Test tube A…. simulated blood
Test tube B…. alcoholic blood
Test tube C…..simulated urine
Test tube D…..alcoholic urine
2. Obtain body fluid samples from your instructor.
Handle with care. Place the proper fluid in the proper test tube.
3. Determine the pH of each sample with individual pH strips. Compare the color change of the strip to the pH chart and record your reading on the data chart. Include also other observations such as odor and color of samples.
4. Using your EA 100 data analyzer and pH probe,
determine the pH of each sample again. Record the
pH reading in the data chart.
B. Data Table:
|
pH RESULTS |
||
| Body Fluids | pH (indicator strips) | pH (pH probe) |
| Simulated Blood | ||
| Alcoholic Blood | ||
| Simulated Urine | ||
| Alcoholic Urine | ||
C. Observations:
1. Compare the pH data between test tubes A and C.
Compare the pH data between test tubes B and D.
Did you observe a significant color change between the test tubes?
2. Did you observe any odors in any of the test tubes?
3. Based on your pH readings were any of the fluids more acidic or more alkaline?
4. The urine and the blood of an alcoholic is usually very acidic. Which of these following terms indicates total hepatic shut down? cirrhosis, atrophy, acidosis, detoxify. Defend your answer.
Closure: Describe the chemical characteristics of alcoholics.
Expansion:
A. Since urine is formed in the kidneys, research the damaging effects of alcoholism on the physiology of the kidneys.
B. Have the students do group reports.
C. Summarize the lesson.
Performance
Evaluation:
Evaluation will be done based on independent completion of the assignment, work done in cooperative groups, and laboratory safety procedures followed.
Plant
Growth and the Scientific Method
Sample Lesson for Grades 9-10
Lisa Clark
Bibb County High School
Centreville, Alabama
Background: Students
should have a basic understanding of what the components of the scientific
method mean and basic calculator operation knowledge.
Objectives: Students will create their own
experiment using the scientific method and technological manipulation and
equipment to investigate chemical and biological aspects of plant growth.
Materials: ready-to-grow seeds, soil, water, materials for manipulating soil biochemistry, graphing calculator, data collector, probes.
Exploration
Procedure:
A. Teacher will review format of the scientific method, making sure students know what they can call their independent and dependent variables, control, hypotheses, etc.
B. Teacher will inform students that they will be caring for five plants while they grow, manipulating their growing conditions by using differing water temperatures for watering, more/less acidic soil, light intensity, etc.
C. Students will be instructed to prepare a formal plan in the scientific method format including their variables, predictions, procedures, etc.
Invention:
Procedure:
A. Student groups will perform assigned roles such as materials collector, recorder, leader, and spokesperson.
B. Students will carry out experiment over a period of five weeks.
C. Each time a measurement needs to be made, student groups will make measurements at the end of class.
D. Students will make before and after measurements of their manipulations with the scientific probes (light intensity, temperature, pH, voltage, etc.).
E. The data will be collected with the EA-100.
F. Student group recorders will also be instructed to manually keep up with their data.
G. Collected data will be transferred to the graphing calculator in order to perform statistics and graphs at a later date. Students may also connect their data to a PC for larger view and print.
Data Table: Students should construct a data table that includes the timing involved in their experiment (when the experiment started, what day it is that they’re implementing variables, making measurements, etc.), the variables that they are manipulating, the amount or level of those variables applied, the results of variable manipulation, plant growth, etc.
Observations:
A. Student groups should also record the physical observations of their plants, soil moisture and texture, cloudy days, time of day, etc.
B. Observations should be part of the scientific data table.
C. Observations should also be in the form of a field notebook so the student groups can expand on the details of their observations.
Processing the Data:
A. Student groups should retrieve their data from the written records of the recorder as well as from the stored Casio data. Students should conduct statistics and form graphs on the data.
B. Students will prepare to compare their results with their predictions.
Expansion:
Students should compare their results with their written predictions.
A. Student groups will write a summary of their procedures and how they compare with the results.
B. Students will include an analysis of why the results turned out the way that they did. Form a theory.
C. Students will include recommendations and suggestions
for future research.
D. Students should create a presentation to teach to the class
about their experiment.
E. Teacher will provide necessary materials for students to
create their presentation.
Performance
Evaluation:
Student groups will be evaluated on performing assigned roles, class preparedness, quality of written scientific method plan, data table records, written summary of procedures and comparison, and presentation. These assessments should be based on pre-determined rubric criteria and recorded on individual student record sheets.
Use the scientific method to examine the problem’s features.
1. Write your problem.
2. What are your hypotheses?
3. Plan your experiment.
a) what are the independent (what you manipulate) and dependent (what you measure) variables?
b) how will you test these?
c) what is the control?
4. Execute your experiment.
a) keep detailed record of your procedures so that they could be replicated exactly the way you did them.
b) each group member should keep a field notebook or journal of general (narrative) observations. c) record your data in a type of table or graph. Be sure to have the average (X), minimum (min ), and maximum (max) of each data set.
5. Draw conclusions from your experiment.
a. compare results to hypotheses.
b. form a theory on why the experiment turned out the way it did.
c. include recommendations/suggestions for future or additional research.
***You will need to prepare a presentation for the rest of the class. Presentations need to be done on a poster. They should look professional. They should include all components of the scientific method. Your data tables/graphs should be included on the posters. Conclusions should be summarized on the posters in an organized format.
To test for temperature, collect data, and perform calculations/graphs by using the data collector, calculator, and temperature probe-- follow these directions:
Turn on the Casio 9850 calculator.
Turn on the Casio EA-100 data collector.
Connect the two with the interface cable.
Plug the temperature probe into the EA-100's channel 1 port (located at the top of the EA-100).
Place the temperature probe where you wish to collect temperature.
If the main menu is not showing, go to the main menu by pressing <menu> on the 9850.
Go to <Program> in the lower left corner of the menu screen by using the cursor keys.
Press <EXE> to execute.
Scroll down to the program <REALTEMP> with the cursor keys.
Press <EXE> to execute.
Immediately press <Trigger> on the EA-100--lower right corner of keypad.
Wait until the 9850 shows a blank graph setup.
Press <MENU>
Go to the <STAT> icon by using the cursor keys.
Press <EXE> to execute
List 1 and List 2 will show data.
List 1 data are the times that the data collector collected data.
List 2 data are the temperature readings in degrees Celsius.
—Calculations can be done with this data!--
Move the cursor to list 2 with the cursor keys.
Press <F2> for calculations.
Press <F6> to set. Make sure the 1var X List is set to List 2.
Press <EXIT>
Press <F1> for 1 variable --we are only evaluating one variable-temperature.
Look for the mean and other statistics by scrolling down with the cursor keys.
Press <EXIT> Press <EXIT> (Yes, twice)
Press <F1> for graph.
Push <F6> set.
Scroll down to graph type with the cursor keys.
Select the type of graph you want. F1= scatter plot; F2 = XY line
Make sure the X List is set to List 1; Make sure the Y List is set to List 2.
Press <EXIT>Press <F1> to graph.
To test for light intensity, collect data, and perform calculations/graphs by using the data collector, calculator, and light intensity probe-- follow these directions:
*Note: Do not point light intensity probe directly into the flashlight beam (if used)--the measurements will be too high to read. Simply angle the probe away from the direct beam
Turn on the Casio 9850 calculator.
Turn on the Casio EA-100 data collector.
Connect the two with the interface cable.
Plug the light intensity probe into the EA-100's channel 1 port (located at the top of the EA-100).
Place the light intensity probe where you wish to measure light intensity.
If the main menu is not showing, go to the main menu by pressing <menu> on the 9850.
Go to <Program> in the lower left corner of the menu screen by using the cursor keys.
Press <EXE> to execute.
Scroll down to the program <REALLITE> with the cursor keys.
Press <EXE> to execute.
Immediately press <Trigger> on the EA-100--lower right corner of keypad.
Wait until the 9850 shows a blank graph setup.
Press <MENU>
Go to the <STAT> icon by using the cursor keys.
Press <EXE> to execute
List 1 and List 2 will show data.
List 1 data are the times that the data collector collected data.
List 2 data are the light intensity readings.
—Calculations can by done with this data!
Move the cursor to list 2 by using the cursor keys.
Press <F2> for calculations.
Press <F6> to set. Make sure the 1var X List is set to List 2.
Press <EXIT>
Press <F1> for 1 variable --we are only evaluating one variable-light intensity.
Look for the mean and other statistics by scrolling down with the cursor keys.
Press <EXIT> Press <EXIT> (Yes, twice).
Press <F1> for graph.
Push <F6> set.
Scroll down to graph type with the cursor keys.
Select the type of graph you want. F1= scatter plot; F2 = XY line.
Make sure the X List is set to List 1; Make sure the Y List is set to List 2.
Press <EXIT>
Press <F1> to graph.
Sample Lesson for Grades 9-12
Lisa Clark
Bibb County High School
Centreville, Alabama
Prerequisites: General information concerning animals, minimal experience with the scientific method and technology.
Safety Accommodations: Students should treat animals in a humane manner; take care of equipment, wear gloves, wash hands
Exploration:
Objective: Students will plan an experiment using the scientific method to acquaint them with the annelid phylum (Segmented).
Materials: General List: lab sheets, EA-100s, temp and light probes, ice cubes, soil, warm water, Casio 9850, control pans gloves, black construction paper, sand paper, petri dishes, scientific method data sheets.
Procedure:
A. Materials collector will retrieve a pan with a worm and dirt in it.
B. Students will read over the lab sheet of what is expected from them. They will read on sheet and teacher will point out the humanity component of the lab.
C. Students will begin the lab by
observing the worm for two minutes and recording their observations.
D. Students will decide on what materials to use to test for the problems they must investigate.
1. Materials collector will retrieve materials.
2. Students will make hypotheses about what they think will happen.
3. Students will
write all of their hypotheses down and formally plan
their experiments.
Evaluation: Students will be evaluated on general group criteria. They will also turn in a copy of their plans at the end of the period for a performance assessment.
Invention:
Objective: Students will carry out their experiments as planned in order to test the preferred environment of the earthworm.
Materials: Refer to general list.
Procedure:
A. Students will test their experiments one-at-a-time.
1. Group recorder will write down the specific procedure.
2. Every student will keep a detailed field notebook or journal.
B. Students will compare their results with their hypotheses.
1.
Students will make possible conclusions about why the experiments
turned out the way that
they did.
Evaluation: Students will be evaluated on general group criteria. Students will be evaluated by performance assessment on their written reports.
Expansion:
Objective: Students will present findings to convey their learning to others.
Materials: overhead, transparencies, poster boards, display boards, etc.
Procedure:
A. Each group will present experimental results.
Evaluation: Groups will be evaluated on general group criteria and performance assessment for their presentations.
Student Lab Sheet
Observe worm in normal
environment for 2 minutes. Take notes about physical observations that can be
made.
**You will investigate this problem:
I. What type of environment does the earthworm (Phylum: Annelid) prefer.
**You will examine the following features:
A) moisture of soil
B) temperature
C) light
intensity
Possible materials: control worm pan; experimental worm pan; lab sheet (this page); EA-100 data collector; Casio 9850 calculator, temperature probe, light intensity probe, gloves, black construction paper, ice water, hot water, flashlight.
GRADING CRITERIA:
Purpose/Problem;Hypotheses: 15 points
Materials/Procedure: 15 points
Data Table: 20 points
Graph: 20 points
Conclusion: 30 points
100 points
Humanity component:
Worms will be treated in a humane manner. No worm will be harmed. You are smart enough to know what I mean by this. If a worm is harmed, the student will receive a 0 for the 100 point project as well as a discipline form.
A. Examine one feature at a time.
1. Remember to use the control pan.
B. Use the scientific method to examine the problem’s features.
1. Write your problem.
2. What are your hypotheses?
3. Plan your experiment.
a) what are the independent (what you manipulate) and dependent (what you measure) variables?
b) how will you test these?
c) what is the control?
4. Execute your experiment.
a) keep detailed record of your procedures so that they could be replicated exactly the way you did them.
b) each group member should keep a field notebook or journal of general (narrative) observations.
c) record your data in a type of table or graph. Be sure to have the average (X), minimum (min ), and maximum (max) of each data set.
5. Draw conclusions from your experiment.
a. compare results to hypotheses.
b. form a theory on why the experiment turned out the way it did.
c. include recommendations/suggestions for future or additional research.
***You will need to prepare a presentation for the rest of the class. Presentations need to be done on a poster. They should look professional. They should include all components of the scientific method. Your data tables/graphs should be included on the posters. Conclusions should be summarized on the posters in an organized format.
To test for temperature, collect data, and perform calculations/graphs by using the data collector, calculator, and temperature probe-- follow these directions:
Turn on the Casio 9850 calculator.
Turn on the Casio EA-100 data collector.
Connect the two with the interface cable.
Plug the temperature probe into the EA-100's channel 1 port (located at the top of the EA-100).
Place the temperature probe where you wish to collect temperature.
If the main menu is not showing, go to the main menu by pressing <menu> on the 9850.
Go to <Program> in the lower left corner of the menu screen by using the cursor keys.
Press <EXE> to execute.
Scroll down to the program <REALTEMP> with the cursor keys.
Press <EXE> to execute.
Immediately press <Trigger> on the EA-100--lower right corner of keypad.
Wait until the 9850 shows a blank graph setup.
Press <MENU>
Go to the <STAT> icon by using the cursor keys.
Press <EXE> to execute
List 1 and List 2 will show data.
List 1 data are the times that the data collector collected data.
List 2 data are the temperature readings in degrees Celsius.
—Calculations can be done with this data!--
Move the cursor to list 2 with the cursor keys.
Press <F2> for calculations.
Press <F6> to set. Make sure the 1var X List is set to List 2.
Press <EXIT>
Press <F1> for 1 variable --we are only evaluating one variable-temperature.
Look for the mean and other statistics by scrolling down with the cursor keys.
Press <EXIT> Press <EXIT> (Yes, twice)
Press <F1> for graph.
Push <F6> set.
Scroll down to graph type with the cursor keys.
Select the type of graph you want. F1= scatter plot; F2 = XY line
Make sure the X List is set to List 1; Make sure the Y List is set to List 2.
Press <EXIT>Press <F1> to graph.
To test for light intensity, collect data, and perform calculations/graphs by using the data collector, calculator, and light intensity probe-- follow these directions:
*Note: Do not point light intensity probe directly into the flashlight beam (if used)--the measurements will be too high to read. Simply angle the probe away from the direct beam
Turn on the Casio 9850 calculator.
Turn on the Casio EA-100 data collector.
Connect the two with the interface cable.
Plug the light intensity probe into the EA-100's channel 1 port (located at the top of the EA-100).
Place the light intensity probe where you wish to measure light intensity.
If the main menu is not showing, go to the main menu by pressing <menu> on the 9850.
Go to <Program> in the lower left corner of the menu screen by using the cursor keys.
Press <EXE> to execute.
Scroll down to the program <REALLITE> with the cursor keys.
Press <EXE> to execute.
Immediately press <Trigger> on the EA-100--lower right corner of keypad.
Wait until the 9850 shows a blank graph setup.
Press <MENU>
Go to the <STAT> icon by using the cursor keys.
Press <EXE> to execute
List 1 and List 2 will show data.
List 1 data are the times that the data collector collected data.
List 2 data are the light intensity readings.
—Calculations can by done with this data!
Move the cursor to list 2 by using the cursor keys.
Press <F2> for calculations.
Press <F6> to set. Make sure the 1var X List is set to List 2.
Press <EXIT>
Press <F1> for 1 variable --we are only evaluating one variable-light intensity.
Look for the mean and other statistics by scrolling down with the cursor keys.
Press <EXIT> Press <EXIT> (Yes, twice).
Press <F1> for graph.
Push <F6> set.
Scroll down to graph type with the cursor keys.
Select the type of graph you want. F1= scatter plot; F2 = XY line.
Make sure the X List is set to List 1; Make sure the Y List is set to List 2.
Press <EXIT>
Press <F1> to graph.
Sample Lesson for Grades 7-12
Carol Johnson Dawson
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Student Misconception Addressed by the Lesson Plan: All chemical reactions produce heat and the solutions become warmer.
Lesson Goal: Students will investigate and observe the properties and effects of endothermic reactions.
Exploration:
Objective: The students will investigate the properties of an endothermic reaction.
Materials: Three 150 mL beakers and a thermometer
100 mL of water
15 g ammonium nitrate
25 mL of alcohol
10 g salt
Procedure:
A. Place students in cooperative learning groups of four and assign roles: materials manager, experimenter, observe and recorder.
B. Tell the students they are going to observe the effects of an endothermic reaction.
C. Tell the students to place 100 mL of water in each of the 100 mL beakers and use the thermometer to observe the temperature of the water. The temperature of the water should be recorded as the initial temperature.
D. Ask the students to predict or hypothesize what will happen to the temperature when they place each of the substances in the water. Have each group's recorder write the predictions on the board or overhead.
Beaker 1-15 g ammonium nitrate in 100 mL water
Beaker 2-25 mL alcohol in 100 mL water
Beaker 3-10 g salt in 100 mL water
Ask the students: Will the temperatures of the mixtures increase, decrease or remain the same?
E. Tell the students to add the substances to the water in each beaker, one at a time, and record the highest temperature of each mixture.
F. The students should determine the change in temperature by subtracting the initial temperature from the final temperature of the water.
Closure: Ask the students to report to the class what they have observed after they have discussed their predictions and results with their cooperative learning group members.
Evaluation: Each student will record the results of the reaction and determine which of the reactions are endothermic.
Invention:
Objective: The students will observe the effects of an
endothermic
reaction.
Materials: Thermometer
Plastic ziplock bags
Ammonium nitrate
Water
Procedure:
A. Place the students in cooperative learning groups of four and assign roles: materials manager, experimenter, observer and recorder.
B. Tell the students they are going to: (a) observe the effects of an endothermic reaction, (b) write and balance chemical equations which describe the chemical reaction between ammonium nitrate and water and (c) explain the absorption of heat during an endothermic reaction. The students should be able to identify the type of reaction that occurred between the ammonium nitrate and the water.
C. Tell the students to fill the ziplock bags about half-full with ammonium nitrate and place a thermometer into the ziplock bag to record the initial temperature of the ammonium nitrate.
D. Have a student pour a small amount of water into the ziplock bag and observe the temperature as it quickly begins to decrease. The temperature of the ammonium nitrate-water mixture should be recorded as the final temperature.
E. Ask the students to feel the outside of the ziplock bag. The bag should be very cold.
F. Have the students determine the change in temperature by subtracting the initial temperature of the ammonium nitrate from the final temperature of the ammonium nitrate-water mixture.
Closure: Provide a whole group discussion on why the temperature of the mixture decreased. It should be noted the heat of solutions of ammonium nitrate is an endothermic reaction and theoretically, 600-900 calories of heat are absorbed per 100 mL of water in the reaction.
Evaluation: Ask the students in their cooperative groups to discuss and answer the following questions. The recorder should place the group's answers on the board or overhead for further large group discussion. Why does the temperature of the mixture decrease? Would the temperature of the mixture drop more if twice as much solid is added? Try it! Can your group think of any practical use for such a reaction? (One example is an emergency cold pack.)
Expansion:
Objective: The students will investigate first-aid cold packs as spontaneous endothermic reactions.
Materials: 1 Kwik Kold Instant Pack per group. Instant cold packs can be obtained from medical supply outlets.
Procedure:
A. Place the students in cooperative learning groups of four and assign roles: materials manager, observers and recorder
B. Provide each group with a Kwik Kold Instant Ice Pack.
C. Tell the students that each ice pack consists of an outer pouch containing solid ammonium nitrate and an inner pouch containing water and a blue dye.
D. Ask the students to carefully squeeze the pouch to release the water and mix it with the ammonium nitrate. Since the mixture is well sealed in the outer pouch, the pack can be passed around in the group.
E. Ask the students to discuss how their observations about the decrease in temperature of the cold pack relate to the properties of an endothermic reaction.
Closure: Provide a summary for the activity by telling the students that when the inner pouch containing the water is broken, the ammonium nitrate dissolves. The process absorbs heat from the materials present and causes the temperature of the system to drop significantly.
Evaluation: The student should research additional information to determine the advantages of using a chemical cold pack and the precautions which should be taken into consideration when a cold pack is applied to the body.
Sample Lesson for Grades 9-12
Cheryl Sundberg
Jefferson County International Baccalaureate
Leeds, Alabama
Student Misconception Addressed by the Lesson Plan: Students often confuse the terms exothermic and endothermic. A common misconception is an exothermic reaction will produce a colder solution.
Lesson Goal: Students will learn to safely design an experiment, control variables and properly dispose materials. Students will investigate exothermic and endothermic reactions. Students will utilize the latest technology to conduct the experiment.
Exploration:
Objective: The students will design an experiment investigating the properties of exothermic and endothermic.
Assess Prior Knowledge: Ask students questions similar to the following:
How do cold packs work?
How do hot packs work?
What is the meaning of the term "exothermic?"
What is the meaning of the term "endothermic?"
Materials: Hot pack
Cold Pack
Procedure:
Place students in cooperative groups. Give each group a hot pack and a cold pack. Ask the groups to read the labels on the packs. Ask the group to write a hypothesis on how the hot and cold packs work. The recorder should write the results on the overhead or board for the entire class to see.
Evaluation: Groups will compare hypotheses and discuss various answers. Ask the students to write in their journals the results of the discussion.
Invention:
Objective: To allow students to investigate the terms "exothermic" and "endothermic".
(Hint: For less confusion in gathering materials, the materials could be placed in plastic specimen cups, film canisters, etc. and assembled in trays ahead of time. Place materials at each station to reduce movement and provide greater safety in the lab.)
Materials: Beakers or clear plastic cups
Test materials
Salt
Washing soda (sodium carbonate)
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
Citric acid
Tide
Other approved solids
Stirring rods
Spoons
Safety goggles
Laboratory aprons
Procedure:
Place the students in cooperative groups. Allow students to choose roles: materials manager, reporter, reader, clean-up supervisor.
Distribute instructions. Describe the procedure and equipment.
The students should hypothesize what will happen during the experiment and the recorder will place the group hypotheses on the board or overhead. All group members will record the group hypotheses in their lab notebooks.
Student Instructions: When solids dissolve in water, the solution will become warmer or cooler. Using your textbook, define exothermic and endothermic. Which solution (exothermic or endothermic) becomes warmer? Which solutions (exothermic and endothermic) become cooler? The recorder will record the group hypotheses on the board or overhead.
Design a procedure to determine which solids are exothermic and which are endothermic. Your plan should include safety precautions and disposal instructions. (Consult the MSDS sheets on your table.) Use the personal lab interfacing equipment.
Submit the plan to your teacher for approval.
Design a table to record your results.
Evaluation: Compare your plan to other groups. What changes could you make in your procedure for improvement? Did you receive the same temperature changes? Why or why not? What changes could you make to standardize the procedure for another class?
Expansion:
Objective: The students will make a marketing plan for their new cold or hot pack.
Procedure:
You are the new marketing expert for your company's cold or hot pack production division. Plan a marketing strategy to sell your product. Consider safety of materials, color, disposal methods, and production costs.
Evaluation: Students will design a multimedia presentation to launch their marketing campaign. Designs will be graded on creativity, safety, disposal of wastes, utilization of recycled materials if possible and execution of presentation.
References
Heath chemistry: Laboratory experiments. (1996). Lexington, Massachusetts: D.C. Heath. pp. 91-99.
Herron, J.; Frank, D.; Sarquis, J.; Sarquis, M.; Schrader, C. & Kukla, D. (1996). Heath chemistry teacher's edition. Lexington, Massachusetts: D.C. Heath. pp. 196, 206 & 215.
Holmquist, D.; Randall, J. & Volz, D. (1995). Chemistry with CBL: Chemistry experiments using Vernier probes and sensors with CBL system and TI-82 graphing calculator. Portland, OR: Vernier Software.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Gases, Pressure, Volume, and Temperature
Sample Lesson for Grades 11-12
Cheryl Sundberg
Jefferson County International Baccalaureate
Leeds, Alabama
Misconception Addressed by the Lesson Plan: Students believe there is no relationship among temperature, pressure, and volume. There is no temperature change during a chemical reaction. Chemical reactions always involve an increase in temperature. All gases are capable of supporting combustion.
Lesson Goal: To allow students to: 1) investigate the production of oxygen and carbon dioxide, 2) investigate properties of gases under different conditions of pressure, volume, and temperature, 3) investigate the temperature changes associated with chemical reactions, 4) distinguish between exothermic and endothermic reactions and 5) experimentally confirm the Kelvin temperature scale.
Exploration:
Objective: Students will observe the force of air pressure. Assess prior knowledge by engaging exploratory questions.
Materials: Soft drink can
small amount of water (1-2 tbsp)
Hot plate or bunsen burner beaker tongs
1000 ml beaker
500 ml tap water (room temp.)
Procedure:
Place students in cooperative groups. Ask one student from each group to be a group recorder. Other students should take notes for their lab notebooks.
Tell the students to observe the can as the demonstration proceeds and record all of their observations.
Place the tap water in the 1000 ml beaker and place it on the lab table.
Heat the can with a small amount of water inside over a hot plate or bunsen burner.
When steam begins to rise, quickly invert the can (open side down) into the room temperature water in the 1000 ml beaker.
Closure: Each group will discuss their thoughts and submit a hypothesis stating the reason the can crushes. These should be written on the board or overhead for all students to see.
Evaluation: Have students discuss the difference between explosion and implosion. Ask students which process (implosion or explosion) took place during this demonstration. Have students outline empirical evidence that led to their decision.
Invention:
Objective: To allow students to 1) investigate the production and properties of two gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide), 2) investigate energy changes (exothermic and endothermic) that are associated with chemical reactions.
Materials: For each group:
2-250 ml Erlenmeyer flasks
50 ml - 3% peroxide
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon yeast
50 ml vinegar
wooden splints
matches
(Hint: To avoid confusion in gathering materials, the yeast and baking soda can be placed in plastic specimen cups ahead of time. The vinegar can be placed in small plastic soda bottles. Place materials at the lab stations to reduce movement and increase lab safety.)
Procedure:
Place the students in cooperative groups. Allow students to choose from the following roles: materials manager, reporter, reader, clean-up supervisor.
Distribute the instructions and discuss safety tips in handling the equipment.
After students have read the instructions, each group should form a hypothesis stating what they think will happen when yeast is added to peroxide and what will happen when baking soda is added to vinegar. The hypothesis should be recorded in their lab notebooks.
Part A.: Place 50 ml of 3% peroxide in a 250 ml Erlenmeyer flask. Add 1 teaspoon of yeast. What happens?
Quickly light a wooden splint. Blow out the flame carefully so that the splint still glows. Place the glowing splint in the top of the flask. Describe what happens.
What causes the splint to glow brightly?
Feel the outside of the flask. Is the reaction endothermic or exothermic?
Part B: Place 50 ml of vinegar in a 250 ml Erlenmeyer flask. Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda. What happens?
Quickly light a wooden splint. Blow out the flame carefully so the splint still glows. Place the glowing splint in the top of the flask. Describe what happens.
What cause the glowing splint to go out?
Feel the outside of the flask. Is the reaction endothermic or exothermic?
Closure/Evaluation: Monitor students' knowledge of gases that
support combustion and the ability of students to differentiate between
endothermic and exothermic reactions.
Expansion:
Objective: To investigate the relationship between pressure and volume, and pressure and temperature. To experimentally confirm the Kelvin temperature scale.
Materials: 20cc syringe
Computer or graphing calculator interfacing equipment
Pressure gauge
Thermometer
Hot plate
125 ml Erlenmeyer flask or 60 ml syringe shut at a particular volume
Ice
Glove
4 - 1000 ml beakers
Procedure:
Follow directions on proper operation of the computer or graphing calculator interfacing equipment.
Complete the labs on Boyle's law and Charles law that accompany the interfacing equipment.
Using the data from Boyle's law, print out the graph using a link to a computer or produce the graph by hand. Graph volume verses p-1 and find the slope. Write an equation for the line.
Using the data from Charles law, print out a graph using a link to a computer or produce the graph by hand. Continue the line connecting the points beyond the y- axis to where the line will intersect the x- axis. What is the temperature at which the line intersects the x- axis? Why?
Closure/Evaluation: Have the students answer questions similar to the following:
1. State Boyle's law and Charles law in your own words.
2. Using a picture, describe Boyle's law using a bicycle pump.
3. What type of relationship exists between volume and pressure?
Between pressure and temperature?
(directly proportional or inversely proportional)
4. If a helium balloon is released at the Earth's surface, what happens to the size of the balloon as it rises in the atmosphere?
5. Why would you want to drive your car with your tires slightly deflated? When would this be an advantage?
SPECIAL NOTE: The lab instructions using the syringes are
found in Heath
(1996).
[Back to Table of Contents]
Conductors, Insulators, and Semiconductors
Sample Lesson for Grades 6-12
Dennis W. Sunal
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Student
Alternative Conceptions (Misconceptions) Addressed by the Lesson:
1. A conductive material always conducts electricity.
2. Conductors cannot change their
conductivity.
2. Lights can only by turned off and on with a switch.
3. Only incandescent bulbs produce light in an electrical circuit.
Lesson Goal:
Students will investigate the differences in conductivity of materials,
design a variety of complete circuits, and observe the differences between the
manner in which light is produced in an incandescent
light bulb, and an LED.
Prerequisites: Students are familiar with the concepts of an electric circuit, metal and nonmetal, charged particle, and solution. Students should be able to light a bulb using a battery, and a wire.
Content Accommodations: State Standards: Grade 6:
#26-28,46-49, 51, 52; Grade 7: #38-41, 56-60, 62, Grade 9: #43-45, 61-64, HS
Physics: #25-34, 55-58 (from Alabama
Course of Study- Science). No additional areas need to be added.
Safety Accommodations: Students should be warned about touching wires that are
warm (short circuit) and not to taste any substance.
Exploration :
Objectives:
Students will make predictions and then test them regarding conductivity in solids and liquids.
Students will make conductivity predictions of the various materials (solid or liquid), design a conductivity test, and record observations of the results.
Students will
describe differences in properties between conductors and
semiconductors.
Materials: For each group:
one 9-volt battery
one 12-volt light bulb with pig tails
one 14-volt LED with leads
samples of conductors
samples of insulators
samples of semiconductors from kit (optional)
separate beakers containing:
distilled water
distilled water + salt
distilled water + sugar
paper towels
beaker of distilled water for rinsing connectors
paper for recording results
Procedure:
A. Place the students in groups of four and assign roles: materials manager, observers (two), and a data recorder.
B. 1. Describe the materials and instructions needed for the groups to carry out the activity of testing the conductivity of various materials in C and D below.
2. Distribute batteries, bulbs, and wires to the groups.
3. Have the students light the bulb in a simple circuit.
C. 1. State the key questions: “What solids allow the bulb to light?” “Can liquids allow the bulb to light?” Can you find a way to guess, or predict, why some of the materials allowed the bulb to light, and some did not?” Use the same questions concerning an LED.
2. Decide predictions and write them down. Then, begin the group activity
D. Ask the groups to do the following activity and write down what they find. The data could be recorded in a data table.
1. Begin by asking the question: “Can you construct a circuit so that the bulb can be lit and use this circuit to test which materials are conductors, and which are insulators?”
2. Test a variety of materials by placing them in the circuit (make sure that the rest of the circuit remains intact). You might begin with a penny, and then replace the penny with a variety of materials. Rate the conductivity as good, poor, or none.
3. Next, using the beakers of liquid, test to see which solutions allow the bulb to light.
In each test, the probes in the solution should be kept the same
distance apart. After
each test, be sure to rinse the
probe wires in the plain non-testing distilled water and dry them. Remember, the solutions are to be placed in the same position as
the solid materials were in the circuit. Once again, record the conductivity as good,
poor, or none.
E. Continue with the following activity in the groups: Ask them to;
1. Construct a simple circuit with the battery, LED, and connectors. Make sure the LED lights.
2. Reverse the poles connecting to the LED.
3. Record the results.
4. End with the question: “Why did the conductor (LED) only light when the leads were connected in one way?”
F. Ask each group to
discuss the results of Activity D and E, and the questions
from
Activity C.1. and E.2.
above.
Evaluation: Each group of students will have completed all predictions for the Exploration activities. Their predictions should be evaluated for their prior knowledge and you should monitor their participation in the group by observing if the groups stay together while working, and each person performed their assigned role in the activity.
Invention :
Objective: The students will use their concept of semiconductive materials to demonstrate how diodes work in a simple circuit and in testing conductivity.
Materials: To be given to each member of the class:
Diagram of a diode
Handout
covering semiconductive materials and diode
construction
For each group:
one 9-volt battery
one 14-volt LED with leads
samples of conductors
samples of insulators
samples of semiconductors from kit (optional)
separate beakers containing:
distilled water
distilled water + salt
distilled water + sugar
paper towels
beaker of distilled water for rinsing connectors
paper for recording results
Procedure:
A. Place the students in groups of four as was done in the exploration
B.
Have the groups present their answers to the questions posed in the
Exploration.
C. Discuss the various answers as a whole class, writing the responses on the board, if so desired. Ask students for their ideas as to why the diodes worked only part of the time.
D. Discuss operational definitions of conductors and non-conductors; include the direction of electron flow in a DC circuit.
E.
Hand out the diode diagrams and the semiconductor fact sheet. Discuss these
with the whole class. Describe the properties of semiconductors
with the class.
Allow the groups to work on the questions located on the diode
diagrams.
F. Ask the class the following thought questions: “Why did the distilled water not work as a conductor, but the distilled water + salt worked well?” “Which lead of a LED represents the n region, and which one represents the p region?”
G. Repeat this
activity: Describe for the students the materials and
instructions needed for student groups to carry-out
the activity of
connecting the power source to a light bulb and an
LED.
1. State the key question: “Are the properties of a light bulb and an LED the same in terms of circuit requirements?”
2. Here is the problem: If you connect the battery to the light bulb, does it matter which poles of the battery are used? What about the LED? Make a prediction of the outcome.
3. Ask the students to follow these directions. Try out your guess using the 9-volt battery, the 12-volt bulb with pigtails, and the 14-volt LED with leads. If your guess didn’t work, try to decide why based on your knowledge of conductors, insulators, and semiconductors. Record all work.
4. End with the question: “Why did the LED only light when the leads were connected in one way?” Have the groups discuss their answers. Refer to the hand outs.
H. Repeat the
procedures from Activities C and D in the Exploration using the
LED instead of the bulb.(note:
reversing the lead of a diode will cause the
LED not to light,
even with a conductor in the
circuit). Ask the groups to
do the
following activity and write down what they find. The data could be
recorded in a data table.
1. Begin by asking the question: “Can you construct a circuit so that the LED can be lit and use this circuit to test which materials are conductors, and which are insulators?”
2. Test a variety of materials by placing them in the circuit (make sure that the rest of the circuit remains intact). You might begin with a penny, and then replace the penny with a variety of materials. Rate the conductivity as good, poor, or none.
3. Next, using the beakers of liquid, test to see which solutions allow
the LED to light.
In each test, the probes in the solution should be kept the same distance apart. After each test, be sure to rinse the probe wires in the plain non-testing distilled water and dry them. Remember, the solutions are to be placed in the same position as the solid materials were in the circuit. Once again, record the conductivity as good, poor, or none. Have the groups discuss their answers.
Closure: See student handouts 1 and 2.
Expansion :
Objective: The students will apply their knowledge of conductors, insulators and semiconductors to construct circuits using an LED and a light bulb and describe how these ideas are used in everyday life.
Material: For each group:
one 9-volt battery
one 12-volt bulb with pigtails
one 14-volt LED with connecting leads
Procedure:
A. Place the students in groups of four and assign roles: materials manager, observers (two students), and a recorder.
B. Describe for the students the
materials and instructions needed for student groups to carry-out the activity of
connecting the power source to the light bulbs and LED’s. Ask the students to
construct one series and one parallel circuit using both the bulb, and the
LED. Ask them to construct a series/parallel circuit of their own
design. They should diagram and explain how
each circuit performed.
C. Student groups should also discuss and describe how semiconductors can be used in everyday electronic devices.
D. Discuss the results of the
groups with the whole class. The
teacher
can
summarize the results on
the board.
E. Summarize the results by stating that at the beginning of the activities, the students may not have known the real difference between a conductor, insulator, and a semiconductor. By making circuits with different materials, they should be able to apply these terms to everyday objects. They should also be able to able to describe how semiconductors can be used in everyday electronic devices.
Evaluation: Have the students work in their groups to come up with an answer to the following question: “How can semiconductors be used as switches in a computer?” Have the groups write down their answers to turn in.
Student Handout #1
Semiconductor
Fact Sheet
Semiconductors
A semiconductor is composed of
substances such as silicon or germanium that have electrical conductivity
capabilities in between that of an insulator
and a conductor. They can either resist or easily pass the
flow of electric current. One area of a
piece of silicon can be chemically treated with phosphorus, arsenic, or
antimony to make a region which has extra electrons, called n type.
However, if we treat silicon with boron, indium, or aluminum, it has a lack
of electrons, and is called p type.
The
Semiconductor Diode
The semiconductor diode is a two
terminal device. In one direction,
through the device from the p to the n region, the diode conducts readily,
presenting low resistance to current flow.
In the opposite direction the semiconductor diode presents a high
resistance to current flow.
A pn diode consists of a single block of semiconductive material to
which two leads are connected. One of
the leads is connected to the n
material, in which there are numerous electrons which carry current. The second lead is connected to the p material easily by the motion of
electrons through it.
The plane separating the p material from the n material inside the diode is called the pn junction. When voltage is
added to the system, there is a flow of current into and out of the junction.
Student Handout #2
THE SEMICONDUCTIVE DIODE
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
N |
|
|
|
|
|
|
pn junction
1. Where is there an excess of electrons?
2. Where is there a lack of electrons?
3. Label the direction of the current flow in the diode (on the diagram).
4. Why does the
current flow in that direction?
Semiconductors:
A 21st Century Social Studies Topic
Sample Lesson
for Grades 9-12
Cynthia
Szymanski Sunal
Dennis W.
Sunal
Carol Pugh
Dawson
The University
of Alabama
Tuscaloosa,
Alabama
Lesson 1:
History of Semiconductors
Goal: Students will describe the advancement of
semiconductor technology since its beginnings in 1947.
Exploration:
Objective: Students will make inferences about the operating systems
existing within samples of modern technology.
Materials per
group: several items
containing microchips (e.g. radio, wristwatch, calculator, birthday card with a
sung greeting, hair dryer, lamp timer, a thermometer that beeps when it has
read your temperature, a programmable thermostat, a child’s game)
Procedure: Place students in groups of three: materials
manager, recorder, reporter. Have each student examine one of three items. Ask:
What do you think each item looks like inside? What system is used to make it
do what it is supposed to do? Ask students to draw their idea of what the item
looks like inside. Share and discuss
drawings and ideas in their groups. Report ideas to whole class and discuss.
Evaluation: Examine
students drawings to determine whether they are focusing on older, mechanical
technology or suggesting semiconductor technology.
Invention:
Objective: Students will describe technological change as a
complex
process.
Materials per
group :
A
picture of a vacuum tube, a selection of pictures similar to the following --
television sets from the 1950’s and 1990’s, 1930’s and 1990’s radios, an adding
machine and a calculator, modern toys using microchips such as computer games.
One or more items with the interior exposed and/or pictures of the insides of
technical devices. Note: check http://intel.com/intel/educate for sources such as the third edition of The
journey inside: the computer, a free curriculum about microprocessor
technology available from Intel Corporation.
Procedure:
A. Have groups sort pictures and place them in
order along a time line. Ask students to list the characteristics they used to
place each item on the time line. Share ideas in class, creating a class list
of time-technology characteristics.
Refer to
students earlier drawings of the internal system of a piece of technology. Examine insides of the various technical products.
Note characteristics and differences between old and new products such as size
of the internal operating system, referring to class list of time-technology
characteristics.
B. Give students
a handout on the history of transistors and semiconductors derived from the
section above in this article, or describe this history. Discuss the historical information relating
it to the student time lines. Focus on:
1) problems that had to be solved that were significant for product change, 2)
continuing problems today that need a solution, 3) Examine the number of years
between solutions of various problems, 4) note contributions of specific
individuals to the effort, and 5) identify technical limitations in the past
and today.
Closure: Work with students to formulate the conclusion that modern
semiconductor technology resulted from the efforts of many people who gradually
solved several problems in order to create a technology that was radically
different from technology available in earlier times.
Evaluation: Ask students to
complete the following with a paragraph, “Change in technology is complicated
because . . .” Evaluate responses to determine which of the characteristics
focused on in the procedure above are described.
Expansion:
Objective: Students will
examine an instance of technological change in the past, comparing its
characteristics with those of the change to semiconductor technology.
Materials per
group: Photographs of one or more of the following
or similar examples of changes in technology prior to the development of
semiconductor technology -- a steam locomotive from the 1920’s and a current
locomotive; a carriage and a car; a mill, grindstone, or metate and a blender;
a clipper ship and a modern ship, wooden beam construction in old office buildings
and steel beam construction.
Procedure: Give each group a photograph set to examine.
Tell groups these represent a change in technology. Ask each group to research the technological change, prepare, and
give a presentation regarding this change to the class. They should investigate and report on four
aspects: 1) problems that had to be solved, 2) gradual solution of various
problems, 3) contributions of several individuals to the effort, and 4)
technical limitations of the newer technology. Emphasize the limitations they
will face in finding appropriate evidence.
Ask them to identify the limitations of the available evidence in
addressing each of the four aspects. Have them use pictures and objects as possible
to make their report as concrete as possible.
Lesson
Summary: Briefly describe the lesson’s activities,
creation of drawings of the interior of a modern technical device and
consideration of how it works, development of a time line of technical devices,
discussion of the history of transistors and semiconductors, identification of
characteristics associated with technological development, and application of
those characteristics to earlier technological development. Summarize change in
technology as a complicated process.
Evaluation: Determine
whether students have addressed each aspect and the extent of their
understanding of the limitations of the evidence.
Lesson 2:
Perceived Impacts of Semiconductor Technology
Goal: Students will
investigate the range of perceived impacts of semiconductor technology.
Exploration:
Objective: Students will
describe people’s perceptions of new
technology.
Materials per
group:
A selection of technological items and pictures from Lesson 1 above.
Procedure: Assign
students to groups of four: materials manger, recorder, reporter, and
discussion leader. Discuss key questions: What do people think about new
technology? How do they react to it?
Ask students to use the technological items and pictures to support their ideas
with examples. Have them create a listing of ideas and examples upon which the
group agrees. Share group ideas with class. Decide whether there are any
patterns in the ideas and examples being presented. If so, record these on the
board.
Evaluation: Determine whether students addressed the questions and
utilized relevant examples.
Invention:
Objective: Students will
develop and test hypotheses about perceptions of the effects of semiconductor
technology on life at home and at work.
Materials: chart paper, markers, Internet access if
possible.
Procedure:
A. Assign groups of students to carry out one
of the following activities as an out of class assignment. Each group member
should do the assigned activity individually and share the results with the
group. Activity one: interview an adult about items of semiconductor technology
that have made life easier. Activity
two: interview an adult or a fellow student about new things to do created by
semiconductor technology. Activity
three: interview an adult about new jobs created by semiconductor technology.
Activity four: interview an adult about new responsibilities created by
semiconductor technology. Activity
five: interview an adult or a fellow student about problems created by
semiconductor technology at home.
Activity six: Interview an adult about problems created by semiconductor
technology at work. Have each group share its findings with the class.
B. Ask each group to consider the topic of the
activity they were assigned and to generate some hypotheses in relation to it.
Then, ask them how they might go about determining whether there is evidence
for their hypotheses. The interviews they have carried out give them some
evidence with which to test their hypotheses.
However, their evidence has been collected from a limited group of
people. How could they collect
additional evidence? Should they repeat
the activity with more people? Is there
another source from which they might obtain evidence? Encourage them to collect evidence through surveys, interviews,
and job statistics as appropriate to their topic.
Note that http://stats.bls.gov/ces8mlr.htm contains national current employment
statistics with a special issue on computers and employment. The home page on
Internet for the US. Bureau of Labor Statistics is at http://stats.bls.gov/datahome.htm.
Another useful resource is an outlining of changes in the U.S. labor market
indicating that technology generates jobs that require skills. This resource is
found at
http://www.usis-israel.org.il/publish/econews/1996/ecosept/eco_903a.htm.
C. Help each group devise a data gathering plan
in which each group member has a specified and equal role. Then, assist them in deciding how they might
best organize their evidence so that it will best help them test their
hypotheses and communicate their efforts to the whole class. For example, charts and graphs may be
useful.
D. After students have completed their
investigations and organized their evidence have them share it with the
class. As a class, decide whether a
clear pattern is emerging from the evidence.
Discuss whether the evidence supports the hypotheses.
Closure: As a class, develop a statement in answer to
the problem with which each group worked.
Write the problem and the summary statement on separate sheets of chart
paper or transparencies. State the idea: semiconductor technology has had an
effect on all of us that is sometimes good and sometimes questionable.
Evaluation: Consider whether each students fulfilled his
or her role in the group’s work. Ask each student to complete the following
sentences. Semiconductor technology has these three big effects on me:
________________. Semiconductor
technology probably has these three big effects on the school principal:
____________________.
Expansion:
Objective: Students will
develop a case study of the effects of
modern technology on the work of an
individual.
Procedure: Assign pairs
of students an interview task. They are
to interview an individual and construct a case study describing how
semiconductor technology has influenced and changed his or her work. Among those who might be interviewed are:
school principal, school secretary, school librarian, school nurse, cafeteria
worker, school custodian, school coach, teacher, school bus driver, hair
stylist, discount store manager, cashier, fast food worker, travel agent,
construction worker, engineer, or bank teller.
If possible, have the interviewee assign years to changes in the
work. Have students ask the question
“How has modern technology changed your job since you started working at
it?” After you tell me about a change,
can you tell me about what year it happened?
How did this change make your job easier? How did it make your job harder? Have the pairs of students devise a time
line illustrating the chronology of technology effects on this individual’s
work.
Alternative: Invite an
industrial engineer or the managers of a business to the classroom to describe
how modern technology has effected two workplaces: the factory and another
industry (fast food, hospitals, city government offices, etc.) Have students,
in groups, prepare questions beforehand to be asked of the speakers. Afterwards
create a web for each workplace described showing the effects of modern
technology.
Lesson
Summary: Discuss results of individual interviews.
Ask students to make concluding statements that resemble the key idea: people
perceive modern technology as having a range of effects on their lives.
Evaluation: Ask students
to write a summary statement about the effects of technology on the work of the
individual interviewed. Examine the
statement to determine whether students perceive and report technology as
having a range of effects.
Lesson 3:
Issues Today and in the Future
Goal: Students will
investigate issues raised by the use and growth of semiconductor technology in
society.
Note: The previous
lesson may identify issues that students wish to investigate further. The
lesson below suggests some issues that may be investigated, but others can
replace these or be added to them.
Exploration:
Objective: Students will
construct a list of problems that might occur if semiconductor technology
stopped advancing.
Materials
per group:
chart paper and markers or computer
access
Procedure: Form small groups: materials manager, group manager,
reporter, and recorder. Review lesson two with students and summarize the
findings that semiconductor technology has had an effect on peoples lives both
at work and at home. Review some of the
problems and limitations faced by semiconductor technology. Tell students this may mean that the
technology could stop its advance by 2020.
Ask the key question: Do they
think there will be any What might be some problems that would result if
semiconductor technology stopped advancing?
Have each group construct a list of its ideas in response to the
question and support each idea with at least one piece of evidence. Share lists
and record a class list on chart paper or on a computer.
Evaluation: Evaluate
group predictions for prior knowledge and monitor whether each person shares in
the activity.
Invention:
Objective: The students
will find and present evidence related to five issues raised by the growth of
semiconductor technology.
Materials: copies of each of the five scenarios below to be placed in a
work station. (If computers are available for each work station, the scenario
can be presented to students on the computer’s screen.)
Procedure: Remind
students that we have been talking about what would happen if semiconductor
technology stopped advancing. That’s a
tough question to think about because it is hard to figure out what would
happen. Ask each group to visit
stations illustrating different scenarios. Each scenario deals with a real
world problem that comes from the life of a student in a middle school. The scenarios deal with the effects of
semiconductor technology on people today.
After your group reads the scenario, talk about your response to it,
then have the recorder record your response on paper (or, if available, on the
computer at the station.)
Scenario one. My family
that can’t afford a computer. I can’t do my homework on the computer. I have to
write out my papers. They don’t look as
neat as other people’s papers and I can’t spell check them. I can’t play
computer games at home. So, I am just not as good with the computer as are the
other students in my class. I seem to
be getting farther behind everyone else because I don’t have so much chance to
work on a computer since I don’t have one at home. What can be done to help me
keep up with the other students?
Scenario two. My Mom lost her job in a factory because the
company put in new machines that can do the stuff she used to do. She decorated cookies and cakes for a
factory that sells them to supermarkets.
So, she lost her job because of the technology. She is going to night school now to finish
high school and get her GED. But, she thinks she isn’t learning stuff about
technology that might help her get a job.
She is just learning basic math, English, and so on. So, modern technology is putting people out
of jobs and maybe they won’t be able to get a job anymore unless they can get a
lot of technology training. What can be
done about giving people like my Mom training?
What if someone doesn’t have much basic education? Can you train them to
work at technological jobs?
Scenario three: Computers
can store all kinds of information about people. Other people and businesses, like magazine companies, can get
information about you. It helps them
decide whether to send you a letter to get you to use their product, or buy
their magazine. If you join a club or
rent mystery movies at a video store, this information about you can be kept
and given to someone who wants to know who likes mystery movies or belongs to a
certain type of club. Then, they might send you advertising to get you to join
a mystery club or buy mystery books.
Why do some people believe computer stored information is a bad idea?
What groups of people would be for and against such laws? What kind of laws
could be passed so that information about you isn’t saved by everybody and to
make sure nobody can get information about you unless you want them to? If such
laws were passed what problems might they create? What is the chance of such
laws being passed?
Scenario four. Some people
in rural areas and small towns don’t personally see as much modern technology
in use as do people around large cities. In some rural areas you don’t have
cable television and you have to pay a huge amount of money to get Internet
connected to your house. So, where you
live can make a difference. If these
people don’t have as much new technology, there are some things they can’t do
and some things that take longer to do than if you had the new technology. They just may not know how modern technology
is used for some things because they don’t see it where they live. What things
might be done to provide rural people with more experiences with modern
technology? Note: teachers in rural areas may wish to rewrite this scenario
with a focus on an urban area and the opportunities to interact with new
technologies that are found in that setting.
Scenario five. In my family
we have a computer, lots of software and an Internet connection. My sister and I always are using the
computer. We fight a lot over it. We don’t read books or magazines much. I would rather play on the computer than
read a comic book. My Dad says “you
have a problem.” My sister and I don’t think we have a problem. Dad just doesn’t understand that you don’t
need to do other stuff. There’s so much
stuff on the computer and Internet so, why bother with other stuff? Dad is threatening to limit how much we use
the Internet. How do you think the disagreement between us and our Dad should
or could be solved?
After they
have completed the stations, ask students to share their ideas. Which scenarios were the most difficult for
them? What additional information would
help them respond to the scenario questions?
Point out that these are all issues that have been created by modern technology.
Assign one
group to each scenario. This scenario
represents an issue they will investigate.
Each scenario has information in it which may or may not be well
supported by evidence. Each group
should try to find ways to obtain more evidence relating to the problem posed
by the scenario.
In scenario
one a student worries because the lack of a home computer is reducing his
opportunities for experience with the computer and may affect his ability to
carry out school-related tasks.
Students might conduct a survey to determine whether all students have a
computer at home. They might survey the
types of activities for which a home computer is used. They might use Internet to find statistics
on ownership of home computers by families in various income brackets. With this evidence they should be better
able to decide how serious an issue this may be. This information probably will not help them come up with a much
improved answer to the issue, but it will bring the issue into clearer focus
and should highlight the difficulty of resolving such issues. As each group shares its work with the
class, the impact of semiconductor technology on society should become more
evident to students.
The following
suggestions are presented to guide student evidence gathering for the other
scenarios. Students and teachers may wish to pursue other means of gathering
evidence. In scenario two, the issue raised is that of job loss from modern
technology and the limitations of a worker’s low level of education. Students
might examine U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics job statistics
and reports of trends of job loss among unskilled workers and job availability
for workers with skills in new technologies.
The Bureau can be accessed at http://stats.bls.gov. Students might talk
with a counselor working with the local GED program or a representative from a
community college that has worker retraining programs.
To gather
evidence relating to scenario three which focuses on computer storage of
information about people students might ask to view their families record at a
video rental store they use. Or, they
might note what sort of “junk mail” the family receives and consider where the
sender might have gotten the names of the persons to whom the mail is addressed. Students can interview the manager of a
supermarket about check cashing. Does
the store have a service that uses an individual’s credit background to
determine the level of risk in accepting a check? Such services maintain a
record that enables them to determine risk factors.
Scenario four
describes limitations rural citizens may have in interacting with
technology. Students might talk with a
telephone company representative to determine how expensive it would be to get
an Internet connection to a rural town in their state, and to someone living a
distance away from a rural town. If possible, a pen pal effort between a rural
school and an urban or suburban school can be used to collect information about
the newer technologies with which students interact on a frequent basis.
In scenario
five, family members’ disagreement over how much the Internet is used is the
focus. Students could survey family
members to determine amount of usage.
They could record the amount of time they use various newer technologies. They could ask family members how the
disagreement in the scenario might be resolved.
Closure: Semiconductor
technology has created issues that are not easy to solve. It affects us in many ways. It affects our incomes, our laws, and our
education. There are lots of decisions
that have to be made by individuals, businesses, and governments.
Evaluation: Determine the types
of additional evidence each group obtained relative to the scenario they
examined. Ask each student to make a
web or outline of one of the issues another group worked with and the evidence
indicating it was an issue needing to be addressed.
Expansion:
Objective: The students
will predict how the issues identified as resulting from the growth of
semiconductor technology would be affected by the successful development of
organic semiconductor technology.
Procedure: Review information on work scientists are
doing to create semiconductors of new materials that will be faster, smaller,
and contain more information. Might
such a development be likely to make the issues in the scenarios even more
worrisome? Which of these issues, if
any, might be solved if new materials make technology cheaper? Discuss these questions in groups and share
with the class.
Alternative: Investigate the issues that were behind the concerns of the
Luddites who rioted against the introduction of textile machines around 1811 in
England. Or, investigate the beliefs
behind some religious groups’ preferences for the “old ways” where modern
machinery is not used. An example is
the Amish.
Lesson
Summary: Technology has an effect on people and their
lives. It raises issues that the
society must address. There are many
such issues. An issue should be
investigated and evidence collected of its effects if it is to be solved.
Evaluation: Ask each student to list or web the steps he
or she found to be important in helping to make an issue clearer and more
understandable.
Additional
Lessons
There are many other lessons that
could be done. A set of lessons could
accompany the first lesson examining student conceptions of technology. Students, for example, may associate
semiconductor technology only with computers, not realizing that it is found in
many other items. The reasons for the
location of semiconductor manufacture in states such as New Mexico (Intel
Corporation has a large presence in the state, see
http://www.intel.com/intel/community/newmexic.htm#Applying) could be
investigated. Engineers could come into
the classroom and talk about semiconductors and their role in a wide range of
items. There are many possibilities.
This technology has had an enormous impact on societies around the
world. That impact, and the issues
raised by it, can be expected to continue.
References
Friend,
Robert. 1994. Light-emitting devices from
organic semiconductors.
http://www.phy.cam.ac.uk/www/research/ledfos/ledfos.html.
Kim, Harold.
1994. Bell labs organic semiconductors
can transmit data photonically. http://Rita.T.Ullrich@att.com.
National
Council for the Social Studies. Expectations
of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Washington, D.C.:
The Council, 1994.
Sunal, Dennis,
Sunal, Cynthia, Smith, Coralee, Dawson, Carol and LeBlanc, Louis. Energy Literacy: Teaching and Learning for
the 21st Century. Tuscaloosa,
Ala.:The University of Alabama, 1996.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Sample Lesson for Grades 10-12
Kim Ouderkirk
Tuscaloosa Academy
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Background: Adding a solute to a solvent will change both the freezing point and boiling point of the solution compared to those of the pure solvent. The amount of change is directly proportional to the number of solute particles regardless of their nature. Properties that depend on the number of dissolved particles are known as colligative properties. The concentrations of these solutions are measured in units of molality (m) which is defined as moles of solute particles per kilogram of solvent. When water is the solvent, the freezing point decreases by 1.86˚C for each 1 m of solute concentration. Electrolytes, substances that conduct electricity in solution, have a greater effect on freezing and boiling points of solutions because they break down into ions as they dissolve.
Objective: Students will see the effect that adding a solute has on the conductivity and freezing point of a solution. They will also gain experience making solutions of an assigned concentration.
Materials: Distilled water
Tap water
Household ammonia solution
Household vinegar solution
1 m salt solution
1 m sugar solution
salt
sugar
ice
balance
Styrofoam cups
beakers
Casio Graphing Calculator
EA 100 Data Analyzer
Exploration:
A. Form cooperative groups and assign roles: materials manager, recorder, reporter.
B. Ask students to discuss which solutions will conduct electricity.
C. What effect does adding salt or sugar have on the temperature of a beaker with ice and water?
Closure: Explain to the students that the temperature where two phases can exist together is the freezing point and dissolving other materials in the ice and water depresses the freezing point.
Invention:
Procedure:
A. Plug the conductivity probe into channel 1 of the EA 100 data analyzer. Turn it on.
B. Pour a bit of distilled water into a clean beaker. Put the two ends of the probe into the water about 1 cm apart to establish a base level voltage reading. Press <mode> key to start taking readings. Record this reading in your data.
C. Test and record the conductivity of the other solutions (tap water, ammonia, vinegar, salt and sugar) in the same manner. Rinse the probe and double check base level voltage reading between each test.
D. Calculate the number of grams in 0.1 moles of sugar (C12H22O11). Record your calculations in data. Weigh out this amount of sugar.
E. Repeat step 3 with salt (NaCl) instead of sugar.
F. Find the mass of a thick walled Styrofoam container. (Two regular cups, one inside the other) may be substituted. Add approximately 50 g of ice to the cup. Add water to the cup until the ice/water mixture weighs exactly 100g. (A dropper may help)
G. Plug the temperature probe into channel 1 of the EA 100. Connect the EA 100 to the Casio Graphing calculator.
H. Use the temperature probe allowing it to stabilize to find the temperature of the ice/water mixture. Record this as your base freezing point.
I. Select “PRGM” from the main menu on the
calculator. Then select
“REALTEMP”. The press the <EXE>
key.
J. Slowly add the sugar to the ice/water mixture. Stir gently with the temperature probe.
K. Make a rough sketch of the temperature graph produced.
L. Return to the main menu on the calculator. Select “STAT” to view raw data. Scroll down and record lowest temperature reading.
M. Repeat steps 6-12 with the salt instead of the sugar.
Data Table: should include all measurements with correct units, a rough sketch of the sugar/ice/water solution and the salt/ice water solution, and an observations
Processing Data:
1. Explain the results of the conductivity tests in terms of bonding types.
2. Calculate the molality of the sugar solution you created. You may assume that the mass of the ice and water together is the solvent mass.
3. Calculate the molality of the salt solution.
4. Find the apparent molality of the sugar solution. Use the maximum temperature change between the plain ice water and the sugar/ ice water mixture and the freezing point depression (1.86˚C/ 1m). Explain any discrepancies between this answer and your molality calculated in question 2.
5. Repeat this calculation for your salt solution
Expansion:
A. Assign cooperative groups as before.
B. Discuss the following:
1. Why is salt instead of sugar put on icy roads?
2. Why salt is put in the ice water in an ice cream maker?
3. Predict the effect that sugar and salt would have on boiling points.
4. Since pure water is not a conductor, why do we worry about electrical appliances in
the bathtub?
C. Report to the class/closure.
Performance Evaluation:
1. Accurate and detailed data records
2. Answers to questions and extensions
3. Conclusion showing general concepts explored in the lab with supporting evidence from the data.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Nuclear Reactions:
Studying Peaceful Applications in the Middle and Secondary School
Sample Lessons for Grades 9-12
Cynthia Szymanski Sunal
The University of Alabama
and
Dennis W. Sunal
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Lesson 1:
History of People’s Efforts to Control and Use Nuclear Reactions
Goal: Students will describe the advancement of
nuclear reaction technology during the twentieth century.
Exploration:
Objective: Students will make inferences about pictures of nuclear
technology.
Materials per
group:
Several
pictures such as a nuclear reactor core, nuclear power plant, the control room
of a nuclear power plant, nuclear waste storage technology, nuclear bomb,
electrical power lines, power plant turbine. Note: Useful Internet sources with
links to many other sites with pictures and information on nuclear reactions
and related social issues are:
http://www.seattletimes.com/trinity/index.html
and
http://www.nuc.umr.edu/~ans/.
Procedure:
A. Place students
in groups of three: materials manager, recorder, reporter.
B. Have each
student examine one of the pictures. Ask: What is your picture about? What details in the picture are you using to
support your idea? In 2-3 sentences, describe the use to which the technology
in the picture can be put.
C. Share and
discuss ideas in the groups. Report and discuss ideas as a whole class.
Evaluation: Examine
students’ written descriptions to determine their awareness of the purposes of nuclear technology.
Invention:
Objective: Students will describe change in nuclear technology as a
complex process.
Materials per
group :
Pictures
from the Exploration above, picture of older power generation technology (see My
home in the 1740s. . . .your home, today at http://www.energy.ca.gov/education/ben/ben-html/ben2.html and Energy sources
then and now at http://www.energy.ca.gov/education/ben/ben-html/ben3.html)
Procedure:
A. Have groups sort pictures and place them in
sequence by function. For example, a turbine precedes the power lines because
it generates the electricity that moves through the power lines. Encourage students to make drawings for any
additions needed (for example, a house, school, or light bulb as the end user
of the power generated). Ask students to list the characteristics they used to
place each item in the sequence. Share ideas in class.
B. Give each group a picture representing an
older technology generating power such as a candle, a water mill, a fireplace
with a cooking pot hanging in it, or coal being shoveled into a furnace. Ask
the groups to create a sequence of drawings showing how power is generated by
this technology and its end use. Create a list of characteristics used to place
items or events in sequence. Share ideas.
Note characteristics and differences between older technologies and
newer nuclear technology.
C. Present information, as needed, on nuclear
reactions and technology given at the beginning of this article. Have students
read and discuss the handout on nuclear technology in their groups. Discuss the information relating it to the
student time-technology sequences created above. Focus on: 1) problems that had to be solved, 2) continuing
problems that need a solution, 3) technical limitations in the past and today.
Closure: Work with students to formulate the conclusion that modern
nuclear technology resulted from the efforts of many people who gradually
solved several problems in order to create a technology that was radically
different from earlier technologies.
Evaluation: Ask students to
complete the following, “A problem to be solved in nuclear technology is . . .”
“A problem resulting from the earlier technology of _____ was _____.” Evaluate
responses, determining whether the students have identified an existing
problem.
Expansion:
Objective: Students will
describe technological problems represented by the generation of electricity
using coal and natural gas, nuclear fission and nuclear fusion.
Procedure:
A. Ask each group
to construct a three column chart. In
the first column they will identify problems with the use of coal and natural
gas to generate electricity. In the
second column they will identify solutions offered by nuclear fission power
plants. In the third column they will
identify solutions possible should a commercial nuclear fusion power plant be
developed.
B. Have each
student summarize, in writing, the technological problems represented by each
source of power generation.
Lesson
Summary: Briefly describe the lesson’s activities: creation
of drawings of the sequence of technology development, discussion of
information on nuclear fission and fusion technology and comparisons of power
generation technology. Summarize change in technology as a complex process
involving many people and having no simple solutions.
Evaluation: Determine
whether students have addressed technological problems for each power
generation source.
Lesson 2:
Perceived Impacts of Nuclear Reactions
Goal: Students will
investigate the range of perceived impacts of nuclear reactions.
Exploration:
Objective: Students will
describe people’s perceptions of nuclear reactions when used for power
generation.
Materials
per group:
A selection of pictures from Lesson 1
above.
Procedure:
A. Assign
students to groups of four: materials manger, recorder, reporter, and
discussion leader.
B. Discuss key
questions in groups: What do people think about nuclear reactions? How do they react to them?
C. Ask students
to use the technological pictures to decide whether they contain elements that
support their ideas. Have them create a listing of ideas and examples upon
which the group agrees.
D. Share group
ideas with class. Decide whether there are any patterns in the ideas and
examples being presented. If so, record these on the board.
Evaluation: Determine whether students addressed the questions and
utilized relevant examples.
Invention:
Objective: Students will
develop and test hypotheses about perceptions of the effects of nuclear
reactions technology.
Materials: Chart paper, markers, Internet access if
available.
Procedure:
A. Assign groups of students to carry out one
of the following activities as an out- of-class assignment. Each group member
should do the assigned activity individually and share results with the group. Activity
one: interview an adult about his or her knowledge of whether and where
nuclear power plants exist within the state and within the region of the
country. Activity two: interview an adult or a fellow student about the
causes of events at Three Mile Island and at Chernobyl. Activity three: interview an adult
about the benefits of nuclear and coal-based power plants. Activity four:
interview an adult about decisions citizens must make in relation to nuclear
and coal technologies. Activity five:
interview an adult or a fellow student about problems created by nuclear and
coal power plant technologies. Activity
six: interview an adult about his or her knowledge of nuclear fusion as a
potential source of electrical power. Have each group share its findings.
B. Ask each group to generate one or more
hypotheses in relation to the topic of
the activity they were assigned. Then, ask them how they might go about
determining whether there is evidence for their hypotheses. The interviews they
have carried out give them some evidence with which to test their
hypotheses. However, their evidence has
been collected from a limited group of people.
How could they collect additional evidence? Should they repeat the activity with more people? Is there another source from which they
might obtain evidence? Encourage them
to collect evidence through surveys, interviews, and reports of statistics as
appropriate to their topic. Note that http://www.er.doe.gov is the U.S.
Department of Energy’s web site. It
contains national statistics and links to other sites including
federally-supported energy research laboratories. This site and the energy
laboratory sites have many pages for students.
C. Help groups devise a data gathering plan in
which each group member has a specified and equal role. Then, assist them in deciding how they might
best organize their evidence so that it will help them test their hypotheses
and communicate their efforts to the whole class. For example, charts and graphs may be useful.
D. After students have completed their
investigations and organized their evidence have them share it with the
class. As a class, decide whether a
clear pattern is emerging from the evidence.
Discuss whether the evidence supports each hypothesis.
Closure: As a class, develop a statement in answer to
the problem with which each group worked.
Write the problem and the summary statement on separate sheets of chart
paper or transparencies. State the idea: nuclear reactions technology is used
to generate electricity and has had an effect on all of us that is sometimes
good and sometimes questionable.
Evaluation: Consider whether each student fulfilled his
or her role in the group’s work. Ask each student to complete the following
sentence. Nuclear technology has these two effects on me:
________________.
Expansion:
Objective: Students will
develop and report on an interview about perceptions regarding the effects of
nuclear power plant technology on an individual.
Procedure:
A. Assign pairs
of students an interview task.
B. They are to
interview an individual and construct a report describing his or her
perceptions of nuclear power plant technology and its positive and negative
influences on society. Among those who
might be interviewed are school employees such as the: principal, secretary,
media specialist, nurse, cafeteria worker, custodian, coach, teacher, or school
bus driver and other individual’s in the student’s neighborhood or family.
C. Have students
ask the question, What positive and negative effects has nuclear power plant
technology had on people? After you
tell me about an effect, can you tell me about where you get your
information? Can you tell me what you
think happens in a nuclear reaction?
D. Have the pairs
of students devise a chart identifying positive effects of nuclear power plant
technology, negative effects and information sources. Ask them to write a summary statement describing their
interviewee’s understanding of nuclear reactions and their evidence.
Alternative: Invite a power
company representative to the classroom for an interview by the class on the
role, use and problems of nuclear power generation. Have students, in groups,
prepare and share questions beforehand to be asked of the speaker. Afterwards,
create a web showing the major themes and evidence discussed.
Lesson
Summary:
Encourage students to make concluding statements that resemble the key idea:
people perceive nuclear power plant technology as having a range of effects on
their lives.
Evaluation: Examine
students lesson summary statement to determine whether students perceive and
report technology as having a range of effects.
Lesson 3:
Issues Today and in the Future
Goal: Students will investigate issues raised by
the use of nuclear power plant technology in society.
Note: The previous lesson may identify issues
that students wish to investigate further. The lesson below suggests some
issues that may be investigated, but others can replace these or be added to
them.
Exploration:
Objective: Students will
construct a list of problems that might occur if more nuclear fission power
plants are built.
Materials
per group:
Chart paper and markers or computer
access
Procedure:
A. Form small
groups: materials manager, group manager, reporter, and recorder.
B. Review lesson
two with students and summarize the findings that nuclear power plant
technology has had a range of effects on people’s lives. Ask the key question: What problems and positive effects might
result if more nuclear fission power plants were built? Have each group construct a list of its
ideas in response to the question and support each idea with at least one piece
of evidence.
C. Share lists
and record a class list on chart paper or on a computer.
Evaluation: Evaluate group predictions for prior
knowledge and monitor whether each person shares in the activity.
Invention:
Objective: The students
will find and present evidence related to five issues raised by the growth of
nuclear fission and nuclear fusion power plant technology.
Materials: Copies of each of the five scenarios below to be placed in a
work station. (If computers are available for each work station, the scenario
can be presented to students on the computer’s screen.)
Procedure:
A. Remind
students that they have been talking about the effects of nuclear power plant
technology.
B. Ask each group
to visit stations illustrating different problem situations. Tell them each
situation deals with a real problem.
After the group reads the problem situation, talk about your response to
it, then have the recorder record your response on paper (or, if available, on
the computer at the station.)
Scenario one. Nuclear
fission power plants produce about one-fifth of the electricity used in this
country. Congress has passed a law
saying that all the plants must stop operating by December of this year. The
law was passed because of safety concerns and because the power plants are not
producing electricity that is a lot cheaper than the electricity produced by
other fuels. Congressional representatives have pointed out that the public is
concerned over possible accidents at power plants and with how those might hurt
people.
Howard tells
his classmates that his mother says this new law means that prices for
electricity will go up because, for a while, there won’t be enough electricity
produced. She says that when the
electric companies find a way to make enough electricity they won’t drop the
price because people will be used to paying more for it. She also thinks the
air will be dirtier because the electric companies will use the cheapest coal
they can get even if it is dirtier.
They will use the excuse that we need to use the cheapest coal so prices
won’t go up too much. The coal that doesn’t
make the air so dirty is more expensive. Since there is a power shortage, they
will get away with it.
Howard’s
mother also thinks power companies will pass on to consumers the cost of
building another power plant to replace a nuclear plant, so prices will go up
and stay up. Was Congress’s passage of
this new law a wise decision? Support
your opinion with evidence.
Scenario two. My Dad lost his job in a coal mine because
the electric companies don’t want to use the coal he was mining. Now, they are using nuclear power. Lots of people have lost their jobs. I hear about how nuclear power plants are
hard to keep working right. So, why use
them instead of coal? Coal might be bad
for you because its’ smoke can pollute the air. But, a bad problem at a nuclear power plant can hurt people even
far, far away. It seems that making
nuclear power has worse effects on people than power from coal. So, how come my Dad is out of a job? How would you answer this student’s
question? What evidence would you use
to support your answer?
Scenario three: Ushela and
Tom have found out the following information.
Nuclear fission power plants make materials that are radioactive for a
long time, 10,000 years. There is a
problem with what to do with it. But,
there are some choices. First, you can leave it where it is, at the power
plant, until people find something useful to do with it. Second, you can rework it by reprocessing
and end up with less waste material, some new fuel to use to make more nuclear
power and some plutonium which is radioactive.
Third, you can bury it underground for 10,000 years. Fourth, you could launch it by a rocket into
space or the Sun. Fifth, you could drop it in the ocean. Ushela and Tom think
none of these is a really good choice of what to do with the nuclear fission
waste materials. They think each choice
has good and bad points. What are the
good and bad points of each choice? Write down your ideas and give evidence
that supports them.
Scenario four. Juanita and
Amy knew that nuclear fission was used in bombs and in making electricity. They decided to find out how else nuclear
materials are used. They found out that
the radiation from nuclear materials is used to kill cancer cells. They also found out that nuclear power is
used in spacecraft. Another use is in
trying to find out how old something is, through archeological dating. Each of
these uses has some of the same problems, such as radioactivity, that are found
with nuclear power plants. But, each
has a lot of good points, too. Describe
any other uses of nuclear materials you know about. Where would you look for
information on other uses of nuclear materials?
Scenario five. Michael and
Wilson knew that nuclear fusion could produce energy. They had read that the Sun had nuclear fusion going on in
it. So, they started looking for
information on nuclear fusion. After
studying it, they decided that nuclear fusion power plants might be built in
their lifetime. They decided to do a survey to find out if people knew much
about nuclear fusion. They found out that almost everybody surveyed knew very
little about it. Just a few people had heard about it. These people thought it
was supposed to be a cheap power source that would solve all of the world’s
energy problems. They did not know why nobody had built a nuclear fusion power
plant. How would you answer the
following questions that Michael and Wilson asked? 1) What is nuclear fusion?
2) How is nuclear fusion different from nuclear fission? 3) What is a problem we have to solve to
build a nuclear fusion power plant? 4)
If a lot of nuclear fusion power plants were built, what problems might result?
What information did you use to decide how to answer the four questions?
After they
have completed the stations, ask students to share their ideas. Which scenarios were the most difficult for
them? What additional information would
help them respond to the scenario questions?
Point out that these are all issues that have been created by modern
nuclear technology.
Assign one
group to each scenario. This scenario
represents an issue they will investigate.
Each scenario has information in it which may or may not be well
supported by evidence. Each group
should try to find ways to obtain more evidence relating to the problem posed
by the scenario.
In scenario
one, a student worries about what will happen if a law makes all nuclear power
plants shut down. Students might find
out how many nuclear power plants are operating and at what capacity. They could contact the office of their
Congressional representative to ask whether he or she would support such legislation
and the reason for their stance. They could use the Internet to access
materials from the pro-nuclear fission power American Nuclear Society (an
example site is http://www.nuc.umr.edu?~ans/) and the less positive Leo Sziland
HomePage (http://www.peak.org/~danneng/szilard.html). This information probably
will not help them come up with a much improved answer to the issue, but it
will bring the issue into clearer focus and should highlight the difficulty of
resolving such issues. As each group
shares its work with the class, the impact of nuclear technology on society
should become more evident to students.
The following
suggestions are presented to guide student evidence gathering for the other
scenarios. Students and teachers may wish to pursue alternative means of
gathering evidence. In scenario two, the issue raised is that of job loss from
the replacement of coal fueled power plants with nuclear fueled power plants. A
second issue is the impact on people of coal and nuclear processing to produce
power. Students might examine U.S. Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor
Statistics job statistics and reports of trends of job loss and job
availability for workers with skills in nuclear technologies. The Bureau can be accessed at http://stats.bls.gov. Students might talk with a representative of an
environmental organization to discuss the pros and cons of each power
generation source.
To gather
evidence relating to scenario three which focuses on storage of nuclear fission
waste products, students might interview adults about their views regarding
each option. They also might examine
reports of research being carried out at Los Alamos, a Department of Energy
laboratory, to determine how best to handle nuclear waste. Such inquiries may
help them determine risk factors for the currently available options.
Scenario four
describes uses for nuclear materials other than bombs and power production.
Students might talk with a medical professional who uses nuclear materials The Seattle Times Internet site identified
above discusses a bright side to the uses of nuclear technology.
In scenario
five, knowledge about nuclear fusion is explored. Students could survey family
members to determine the amount of their knowledge. They could examine the
Department of Energy’s Office of Fusion Energy Home page for nuclear fusion
information and use its links to other sites (http://www.ofe.er.doe.gov/).
Closure: Nuclear power
production technology has created issues that are not easy to solve. It effects
our incomes, laws and health. There are
lots of decisions that have to be made by individuals, businesses and
governments because of nuclear technologies.
Evaluation: Ask each student to
make a web or outline of one of the issues another group worked with and the
evidence indicating it was an issue needing to be addressed.
Expansion:
Objective: The students
will predict how the issues identified as resulting from nuclear technology
would be affected by the further development of nuclear fission and fusion
reactors.
Procedure:
A. Review
information on work scientists and engineers are doing to create nuclear fusion
reactors and more efficient and safer nuclear fission reactors. How might such developments make the issues
in the scenarios less worrisome? Which
of these issues, if any, might be solved if nuclear fusion power plants make
electricity cheaper?
B. Discuss these
questions in groups and share with the class.
Lesson
Summary: Technology has an effect on people and their
lives. It raises issues that the
society must address. There are many
such issues. An issue should be
investigated and evidence of its effects collected if it is to be solved.
Evaluation: Ask each student to list or web the steps
found to be important in helping to make an issue clearer and more
understandable.
Additional
Lessons
There are many other possible
lessons. These lessons focus most strongly on the use of nuclear reactions to
create electrical power and other non-military usage. Lessons also could address the military use of nuclear fission.
The use of nuclear bombs in World War II could be discussed as could the more
recent nuclear tests occurring in India and Pakistan. Public policy and national and international control of weapons
technology and of standards for nuclear power plants can be investigated.
Nuclear technology has had an enormous impact on societies around the
world. That impact, and the issues
raised by it, can be expected to continue.
References
Hoffman, J. V.
(November, 1996a). Pictures on some
aspects of fusion. Part 1: Energy.
(http://www.ipp.mpg.de/w7as/jvh_html/fusion/fusion1.html.
Hoffman, J. V.
(November, 1996b). Pictures on some
aspects of fusion. Part 3: Magnetic confinement.
(http://www.ipp.mpg.de/w7as/jvh_html/fusion/fusion3.html.
Kaw, P. K.
(1992). Fusion power, who needs it?! Artsimovich Memorial Lecture, 14th IAE
Conference on Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, Wurzburg, Germany.
Office of
Fusion Energy, Department of Energy. (1998). About fusion energy. http://wwwofe.er.doe.gov/
Sunal, D., C.
Sunal, C. Smith, C. Dawson,
and L. LeBlanc. (1996). Energy
literacy: teaching and learning for the 21st century. Tuscaloosa, AL: The
University of Alabama.
____________________________________________________________________________
Nuclear Technology Notes Handout
_____________________________________________________________________________
In
1954, U. S. Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Lewis Strauss noted that about
two pounds of plutonium give off energy equal to 30 million pounds of TNT. So, it seemed that atomic energy made by
nuclear fission could produce lots of energy and electrical power. Today, there
are 109 U.S. nuclear fission power plants. This is more than any other country.
They produce 22% of electricity. No new nuclear fission power plants have been
ordered since 1978. Twenty older nuclear fission power plants have shut down.
These have been replaced by power plants using coal and natural gas.
Two
U.S. power plants have raised important concerns about safety and cost that
influenced decisions about whether to expand the use of nuclear fission power
plants. The Three Mile Island,
Pennsylvania plant had a major accident in 1979. It was caused by equipment
failure and workers who had not been trained to understand that a problem was
happening. So, about half of the fuel in the reactor melted. About 700,000 gallons of radioactive water
used to cool the reactor spilled on the floor of the reactor and other
buildings. A small amount of radioactive material was released into the outside
air. Safety is considered when a nuclear fission power plant is designed and
built. A thick steel and concrete building is constructed and the amount of
nuclear material is kept low. Workers, today, are trained often on safety
measures.
The
Hanford, Washington plant has one generator that can be used and has found it
hard to make electricity as cheaply as it can be made using coal or natural
gas. It has raised issues about whether
a nuclear fission power plant can make electricity more cheaply than plants fueled
by coal or natural gas. As it has turned out, nuclear fission power plants are
complicated to build and hard to keep running.
The Hanford, Washington plant has 1,300 employees plus others used for
jobs such as maintaining the reactor when it is shut down. Some plants have 90
miles of piping and over 1,000 miles of electrical cable. Making repairs and
refueling the power plants means they are not running some of the time. Many
power plants have reported running between 54% and 75% of the time.
In
1986 in Chernobyl in the former Soviet Union an accident resulted from a flawed
power plant reactor design and many people suffered injuries. Radioactive materials were carried a long
distance into other countries. The power plant design used in Chernobyl has
never been allowed in the U.S.A. Since
nuclear fission power plants raise worries about safety, they will not be used
widely unless they are a cheaper way to produce electricity.
The
nuclear age began on December 2, 1942 with the first controlled chain reaction
started by Enrico Fermi. In 1945 a
nuclear fission chain reaction was used in bombs to destroy much of Hiroshima
and then Nagasaki, Japan. In 1951,
enough electricity was generated in an experimental nuclear fission reactor to
light four light bulbs. By 1954, the first commercial nuclear power plant was
begun in Shippingport, Pennsylvania.
This plant was operating in 1957.
Through the early 1960’s new nuclear plants were designed. By 1963, Jersey Power and Light Company
decided to build a nuclear power plant that it thought would provide cheaper
electricity than coal-powered plants. By 1967, 13 nuclear reactors were
operating and by 1973, there were 40 plants generating 4% of the U.S.A.’s
electricity. New designs have been
approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. These promise to be much safer
and to be more easily maintained than today’s nuclear fission power plants.
Nuclear
fusion is still in an experimental stage.
There is not yet a successful design for a fusion power plant. A major
problem is how to produce the high temperature needed for nuclear fusion and
keep it safely contained. There are two
major ideas on doing this: one is to contain the material used in a magnetic
field and the other is to use a fuel pellet and bombard it with a laser or
electron beam. If the technology can be designed and built to produce large
amounts of electricity, nuclear fusion power plants will be used. Their fuel would not be as dangerous as is
the uranium used in nuclear fission power plants. Also, the fusion plant would produce little radioactive material
while the fission plant produces plutonium whose radioactivity lasts for many
centuries.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Global Warming and the
Greenhouse Effect
Sample Lesson for Grades 7-12
Johnnie H. Delaine
Sumter County High School
York, Alabama
and
Mary Means
North Sumter County Junior High
Panola, Alabama
Misconception Addressed by the Lesson Plan: Students believe global warming and the greenhouse effect are the same.
Lesson Goal: To increase students' awareness and understanding of global warming through experimental investigations.
Prerequisites: Students should have some experience with conducting simple controlled experiments, graphing, forming and testing hypothesis, concept mapping, electromagnetic radiation, energy transfer, and layers of the earth and its atmosphere. Prior knowledge can be assessed by using the questions on the following page.
Exploration:
Objective: The students will carry out simple activities to help them distinguish between reflection and absorption.
Materials: For each group of four students:
Flashlight, Mirror, Construction paper
(black, white, green,
brown)
Translucent plastic samples of different colors
Procedure:
Day 1 - 40 minutes
A. Place students in groups of four and assign the roles of materials manager, observers, and recorder.
B. Provide each group with the necessary materials. (At this point you should ask questions to assess their prior knowledge.) Have students investigate the effects of shining the light on the various surfaces. Each group should write what they observe. It is important that the recorder writes down all of the group observations.
C. Have the students identify the materials that reflected, absorbed, transmitted, or emitted light.
D. Promote additional group discussions by asking exploration questions number 5 and 6. Have each group discuss similarities between their observations and what happens to light as it passes through the earth's atmosphere, and when it strikes the surface. (It is important that the student understand that all gases in the atmosphere are separate molecules and not a solid layer or boundary.)
Day 2 - 40 minutes
E. Begin day two by asking students exploratory questions 7, 8, 9, and 10.
F. Expand on this discussion by defining the greenhouse effect and discussing how certain gases in the atmosphere are both similar and different from the glass of a greenhouse or a car. Explain to students the interior of a car with the windows slightly down is like a model of our atmosphere. The car's interior typically remains warmer than the outside temperature, but some infra-red wavelengths do "escape."
Closure: Have students break up into think/share pairs and have them conceptualize how the same phenomenon might affect different surfaces on the earth, i.e. snow, soil, asphalt, water. Use the transparency provided to summarize the discussion of the sun's radiant energy, EMS, reflection, absorption, transmission, and emission as they relate to developing the concept of the greenhouse effect which will follow in the next phase of the lesson.
Invention
Objective: To illustrate the mechanism by which the greenhouse effect warms the earth's atmosphere.
Materials: For each group of four students:
2-2 liter clear plastic pop bottles
2 thermometers
1 strip of thin cardboard 1/2" x 3"
2 pieces of cardboard 2" x 2"
1 piece of clear plastic wrap approximately 6" x 6"
2 marker pens (blue and green)
1 roll masking tape/duct tape
1 100 watt light bulb
1 extension cord
2 graphing data sheets
1 rubber band
2 full 12oz cups of potting soil
1 clip-on lamp
Procedure:
A. Ensure that students remain in their same cooperative groups.
B. Have each group report the results of their exploration activities.
C. Emphasize that the Earth is a planet in balance, which provides conditions for life as we know it. This balance may be upset on a local or global scale by human activities. The model the students will construct will demonstrate the importance of the Earth's atmosphere in maintaining a temperature balance.
D. Have students set up the model according to the student handout. Check the models to ensure that the thermometers can be read and they are not covered with soil. Tell students the open bottle is the "control" and the covered bottle is the "experimental". Explain to them that time is the independent variable and temperature is the dependent variable. Make sure the initial temperature readings are the same for each model. If it is not mathematical adjustments must be made throughout the experiment.
E. Have students conduct the experiment, record, and graph the data.
F. Pass two sheets of graph paper to each group. Have students write down on the back of the graph paper what they think will happen to the temperature in each bottle. This is their hypothesis.
G. Have 2 students monitor each temperature. One student should read and one should plot the temperature on the graph paper every minute for 15-20 minutes.
H. After the experiment, have students swap data within their group. The students should connect the data points first in pencil, and then in pen. (Blue for the control and green for the experimental.)
Closure: Have each group of students to answer the questions on Worksheet A.
Evaluation: Observe the groups' participation during the experiment, and grade the worksheet and graph.
Expansion:
Objective: The students will observe, make inferences, and define global warming and the greenhouse effect.
Materials: A set of large index cards or appropriate substitute.
Chart paper or butcher paper and markers
Procedure:
Day 1
A. Place the students in groups of four and assign the same roles to different students.
B. Have students write the following terms on the index cards. Shortwave solar energy, sun, earth, atmosphere, equilibrium, temperature, trace gases, transmitting, reflecting, absorbing, constructing models, collecting and analyzing data, longwave earth energy, longwave atmospheric energy.
C. Tell the students to construct a concept map on the large sheet of paper.
D. Each group should identify up to 10 concepts in their concept map. After the concepts have been identified, have each group member write a statement illustrating a relationship between two of the concepts. Each group should be prepared to defend the validity of the connections in their map. A reduced size handwritten version of the concept map will be submitted to the teacher for corrections and photocopying.
Day 2
A. Pass out the corrected concept maps from the previous day.
B. Have each group to construct one composite map from the corrected photocopies. (Butcher paper and markers should be used.)
C. The completed maps may be displayed in the school for others to view.
Closure: Students should discuss their findings and a one page position statement should be written from the group members' responses. The reporter in each group is responsible for presenting the position statement to the class
Interpretation of the Appleton Oil Field in
Alabama
Sample Lesson for Grades 9-12
Jeanelle Bland Hodges
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Student Misconceptions Addressed by the Lesson Plan: Oil flows underground like a river which makes recovery an easy process.
Lesson Goal: To allow students to investigate and develop inferences about traps and drilling techniques.
Exploration:
Objective: Students will develop inferences about the best methods for finding oil reserves.
Materials: For each group:
Plastic box with holes drilled in the top at one inch intervals
PlayDoh balled up and randomly placed on the bottom of the box
Clear or semi-clear drinking straws
Shoe box top with holes punched in the top at one inch intervals
Procedure:
A. Place students in groups of four and assign roles: materials manager, reader, observer, and recorder
B. Describe materials and instructions needed to carry out the activity. Note:
Students should NOT look in the box until instructed to do so!
C. State instructions. "You will be given 10 straws which will represent an oil well. Place one straw into any hole you wish. Be sure to push the straw all the way to the bottom of the box. When you remove it, place it upside down in the hole of the shoe box top that matches the plastic box hole. The PlayDoh in the straw represents oil. Repeat with the remaining straws."
D. In each group, have students look at the straws and discuss which wells were in the most productive. They should discuss the following questions:
1) How many wells did you choose that produced no oil?
2) If you were given three extra straws, where would you place them?
Why?"
E. After being given sufficient time to discuss the results from C and D above, instruct students to take the box top off. Have students discuss the different ways to reach "oil" without having to drill extra wells.
Evaluation: Each group of
students should have completed the Exploration activity. Evaluation of their
rational for the placement of the three extra straws and ways to reach oil
should be based on the student's prior knowledge. The groups should be
evaluated for participation and all members of the group should have a chance
to share their ideas.