Anyone can teach…. Right???
Movie Maker
Center # 2
Developed by: Suzanne Guillory
Barbe High School
Next Generation Science Standards:
HS.PS-CR Chemical Reactions
Students who demonstrate understanding can:
e. Construct and communicate explanations using the structure of atoms, trends in the periodic table and knowledge of
the patterns of chemical properties to predict the outcome of simple chemical reactions.
Introduction:
In the 1770s, Lavoisier was a French chemist who first came up with the idea that nothing is created or destroyed, but is
conserved. He weighed a solid mercury II oxide in a sealed container. He then heated the compound and weighed the
final product. The weights were the same! The principle that he came up with is known as the Law of Conservation of
Mass. This means that the starting mass of the reactants equals the final mass of the products. This principle is the basis
for modern chemistry. It made it possible for chemists to see clearly what happens in chemical reactions. And
therefore, use the concept when forming chemical equations.
Guiding Questions:
What does a balanced equation mean?
And how can you prove the Law?
Task:
Students,
You are in a freshman Physical Science class. You have been taught how to balance equations in your middle school.
Your teacher is in her first year, and is not doing the best job in explaining the Law of Conservation of Mass, and the
reason for balancing chemical equations. She is really starting to panic, and has picked your group to help her teach the
rest of her classes before they will be taking the State test.
Your objective will be to produce a movie using Moviemaker to explain the Law of Conservation of Mass, show the
students how to balance the equations, and perform the lab to show that nothing has been created or destroyed.
Process:
Give step by step directions to the students… To accomplish this task, you and your team will complete the following
step-by-step instructions):
1. Your team will create a 2-3 minute movie intending to educate the ninth graders on the Law and how to balance
equations just like you are teachers.
2. The team will practice balancing equation problems, and perform an experiment to be recorded to show that
nothing is created or destroyed using the lab instructions.
3. Individual team members will gather resources and/ or investigate your area of expertise to complete your
individual portion of this task …
 Member 1-Math tutor: Your role is to prepare slides of practice problems on balancing equations, and
show how to balance them. You can also choose to be videoed working the problems.
 Member 2-Science tutor: Your role is to research and analyze how the Law of Conservation of mass was
created, and what it means and put into PowerPoint slides.
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Member 3- Cinematographer: Your role is to video the experiment using the flipcam.
Member 4-Experimenter: Your role is to perform the experiment in the lab.
4. Now that you've become an expert in your field of teaching science, the time has come to rejoin your group for
the next phase of your project.
5. The team should compile each team member’s assigned information to create a movie using Moviemaker. You
may use the MovieMaker Quick Tips to help you make your documentary. I have attached a video planning
worksheet that may help to organize your movie.
 You have access to a flip camera which you can use to video your portion.
 Be creative! Moviemaker will allow you to insert video or pictures. You can also create PowerPoint slides
and save them as .JPGs, which you then can put into your moviemaker presentation.
 Each team member will narrate and present their portion of the job.
 Follow you rubric closely for the best possible video.
 The cinematographer will make sure that a title frame and a credits frame naming the members of your
team are included.
6. As a team, review final project for accuracy. Be sure all team members are acknowledged for their work.
7. Save your project using one team member’s first.lastname plus the hour (ex. jane.doe_3rd).
8. Save the final project to your PS folder on the desktop.
Evaluation:
See Rubric.
Reflective Question or Constructive Response:
Upon completion of this learning center, you should have learned how the Law of Conservation of Mass was created,
how we can prove the law using chemical equations, and how to balance chemical equations.
First, the teacher would like to know how easy or difficult is it to teach a concept? Were you able to prove the Law of
Conservation of Mass? What does a balanced equation mean?
Write a short paragraph answering the reflective questions and turn into basket.
Adapted from resources found at the following website
http://webquest.sdsu.edu/templates/lesson-template1.htm
Based on a template from The WebQuest Page