I know... a lot of days spent getting ready for testing and testing :(
I made a game for students using sample questions from the textbook and previous tests.
We did get to do an Ice Cream (Mixtures and Solutions) Lab with all of the 8th grade Science classes which was very fun!
Our recipe (for each lab group of 4 students):
2 cups whole milk
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 quart freezer zipper bag
1 gallon freezer zipper bag
1/2 cup ice cream (course) salt
ice Procedure
1. mix the 1st 3 ingredients in the quart bag and seal
2. put the quart bag in the gallon bag
3. add salt and ice and seal
4. shake bag back and forth for about 10 minutes or until the mixture has turned from liquid to solid
5. discard the gallon bag of ice and salt Discussion
1. Define & Identify the solutes and solvent
2. Is the ice cream a solution, suspension or colloid? Explain each of these terms and describe the particle size in each.
1. I write the formulas for these products on the board and ask students to count and label the elements, then make observations about their bags (color, amount etc.).
CaCl2 andNaHCO3
A - 3 tsp NaHCO3 and1tsp CaCl2 (Endothermic) B - 3tsp CaCl2 and1tsp NaHCO3(Exothermic)
2. Add 20 mL of water and seal with out any air, shake to combine. *Optional - add 3 drops of phenol red to show a color change acid/base)
3. Make observations. Students should describe how they know a change has taken place and what kind (endo/exo) using evidence.
4. Compare Bag A to Bag B
5. Write a conclusion using the following "Sentence Starter"
Baggie Lab Conclusion
Our group had Bag___.
The procedures of the lab were____________________.
We had different results from the groups who had Bag__ because____.
A________change occurred. We know this because we observed the following evidence_____. It was a ______________ reaction because energy was _____________.
Great demos for evidence of a change
(color change, precipitate, formation of a gas, change in temperature)
1. Making a gold penny(color change)
plain penny, penny soaked in zinc and NaOH, brass penny
Put 20 mL of NaOH (Sodium Hydroxide) and a couple zinc pieces in a 250 mL beaker on a hotplate, simmer - don't boil
Add pennies, heat until they turn a "silver color" *I start these in the morning and pull a couple out each period, I have left them in over night - no problem
Take penny out and rinse with water
Heat over a flame source (alcohol, Bunsen or butane lab burner) about 3 seconds each side until it turns "gold" *careful - pennies melt!
Students will think this is magic, explain it is a mixture of 2 metals (alloy) copper and zinc which makes brass
2. Burning Magnesium(light and heat produced)
Magnesium Ribbon
3. Flame test (color change)
Use a wood splint (popsicle stick) soaked in water to burn metallic compounds Sodium chloride (NaCl) Calcium chloride (CaCl2) Potassium chloride (KCl) Copper chloride (CuCl2) Strontium chloride (SrCl2)
4. Mixing Vinegar & Baking Soda(formation of a gas, change in temperature)
5. Mixing Epsom salt & Sodium carbonate Solutionsvideo, procedure(precipitate)
Students took Cornell Notes from their textbook using a template.
We did a dissolving lab using water, vinegar and vegetable oil as solvents and powdered laundry detergent, salt, sugar and chalk as solutes. *Very Messy!!!
For advanced students - we reviewed a solubility curve from the textbook, for all students we reviewed the factors that affect solubility - pressure, temperature, type of solvent.
Introduction: Untamed Science - What's the Solution? Update: Unfortunately this video uses flash which no longer works. If you're lucky you may have the disk from the publisher... if not here is another option:
Students did a lab mixing water and salt and water and pepper and describing the difference between the two. (salt water/solution, pepper and water/heterogeneous mixture)
I tried something new in class today - Plickers!
It's like the CPS "clickers" except you don't have to pass out clickers, just paper cards that have a code that students twist to choose multiple choice answers.
It's easy to install and I used it for a formative assessment and had the data in seconds. The students thought it was fun too.
I used it with my Kindle Fire HD, but most teachers I talk to use their phones. The display is bigger on the Kindle so it reads faster.
Try it - it's new, different and not that much set-up.
Students completed the Mixture Separation Challenge from Educational Innovations. They have to separate beads from water using different methods. Here is a video of how it works and what the lab tray looks like. I put the lab sheet in a page protector and students write their answers with a dry erase marker. I walk around and they explain their answers and "check out" with me.
We started our topic of bonding with a video - Untamed Science: Elements of Hockey. *This is my favorite way to introduce the lesson. If you've never watched Untamed Science - beware. It's a little loud and goofy but the message is good and students like it. Unfortunately, this link uses flash which no longer works. I use a disk from our school got when we adopted the Pearson Science textbook
I found this video which gives good information.
We used our textbooks and information from the video to fill in a sematic chart:
For advanced students we finished by completing Lewis dot diagrams. There is a great foldable from www.middleschoolscience.com Unfortunately this website hasn't been working. Here is a picture of what it looks like:
For other students I use "bonding with a classmate" from www.sciencespot.net
Students had a study guide and flash cards, I like the flashcards and pocket in the template pack from Mad Science Lessons (Chris Kesler).
To practice for the quiz, I used the flashcards at the begining of class as students arrive. I stand outside my classroom and show each student a symbol or name. They have to tell me the opposite as their "entrance ticket." If they get it wrong, they go to the back of the line. It gets really competitive - students want to be in the "one and done" club. If a student has gotten a few wrong, I give hints...
If students had time after the test we made Atomic Superheroes using the properties of an element as "super powers."
