Sarah Nehring
EDTEP 587
3/14/03
Gas Laws:
Gases as particles in motion
High School Chemistry
10th and 11th grade
Subject Area Description:
This unit is designed for a high school Chemistry course, where the students are
mainly 10th and 11th graders. It is designed for a school on a block schedule: classes meet
every day for 90 minutes, and classes that normally would last one year last only one
semester. The entire Chemistry class extends over two 9-week grading periods
(quarters). Six units are covered in the second quarter, each lasting 1-2 weeks. The
topics will be covered in this order: 1) chemical reactions, 2) calculations involving
equations, 3) states of matter/ thermochemistry, 4) gases, 5) reaction rates and
equilibrium, and 6) acids & bases. The students will have already addressed these topics
during the first quarter: composition of the atom, electrons in atoms, the periodic table,
bonding, and the mole. The unit I will be focusing on is “gases”. This unit will last 8-10
days, and will build upon the concepts addressed in the preceding “states of matter” unit.
The major ideas addressed in this unit will be: the gas laws (PV=nRT, etc.), partial
pressures, phenomena caused by the motion of gas molecules, and the kinetic molecular
theory of gases.
The students in my classes appear to be from middle-class suburban families. I
have heard this school described as “the most diverse in the Bellevue school district”, but
from what I’ve seen the Chemistry classes are not that diverse. The students in my
classes are about 80% white and 20% Asian or Indian. There do not appear to be any
ESL students in my classes, and there are a few students with IEPs in each class. Most of
the IEPs are students with learning disabilities in a specific area such as writing. Almost
all of the students have taken at least one year of science at the high school before taking
Chemistry, with the exception of two freshmen. Most students have taken Biology, some
have taken Integrated Science as well as Biology, some of them have just taken
Integrated Science.
Essential Questions:
My first essential question is: “how does the motion of gas particles explain the
behavior of gases?” This question really gets at the meat of the whole unit. In order for
students to explain the properties of a gas, such as pressure or temperature, on a
molecular level, they have to explain it in terms of motion of gas particles. Answering
this E.Q. will require understanding of the kinetic molecular theory of gases. Thoroughly
answering this question will also require understanding the relationship between the
properties, and why this is due to the motion of gas particles.
My second essential question is “Where do we find gas?” To answer this
question, students will need to understand that just because something is invisible does
not mean its not there. Students will understand that there is gas all around us, that we
can feel gas all the time, and that it is vital for life in many ways. Students will need to
know about gases in the body, in the atmosphere, in the water.
Learning Goals and Objectives:
1. Student will develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry (EALR 2.1)
1.1. Student will generate questions that can be answered through scientific inquiry
1.2. Student will analyze questions that guide scientific investigations
1.3. student will be able to design and conduct a scientific investigation
1.4. student will formulate scientific explanations and models based upon logic and
evidence
1.5. student will revise his/her model based upon appropriate data and evidence
1.6. student will be able to correlate models of the behavior of objects to the behavior
of actual things (ex: gas behavior with the kinetic molecular theory)
2. Student will effectively communicate scientific findings (EALR 2.1)
2.1. Students will be able to present findings in a written lab report format, including
a description of the guiding question, procedures, and conclusions
2.2. Students will be able to present findings using graphical means, such as a graph,
a chart, a flow chart, diagram, or a concept map.
2.3. Student will be able to clearly explain orally his/her experiment, findings, and
conclusion
2.4. Student will be able to answer pertinent questions and defend his/her findings
using evidence, logic, and background research.
3. Students will understand the evolution of scientific ideas (EALR 3.1)
3.1. student will be able to explain how we arrived at the ideal gas laws, in terms of
historical scientists and experiments
3.2. Student will understand that science involves testing, revising, and discarding
theories based on available evidence
3.3. Students will be able to explain how scientific investigations lead to theories, but
not absolute truth
4. Student will understand the properties of gases and the ideal gas law
4.1. student will be able to explain how volume, temperature, pressure, and amount of
a gas are related (gas laws)
4.2. Student will be able to explain the kinetic molecular theory of gas
4.3. Student will be able to explain these phenomena in terms of motion of gas
particles and kinetic energy: temperature, pressure, diffusion, size effects
4.4. student will understand that the total pressure of a mixed gas is equal to the sum
of the partial pressures of its component gases
5. Student will value chemistry as relevant and as applicable to real-life problems.
5.1. Students will be able to give examples of how the gas laws affect their everyday
lives
5.2. Students will appreciate the impact some gases can have on the atmosphere
DAY 1
1. What will students do?
Demo: heat pop can with small amount of
water, turn upside down into cold water.
What does this have to do with gas?
Part I: Students will brainstorm ideas
about gases, as a whole class.
Part II: In small groups, develop an initial
model for the behavior of gases (give them
some questions: what do gas particles look
like? How do they compare to solids and
liquids? What would happen if you
squeezed a gas?). Students will be placed
into “inquiry teams” for this unit, they will
do inquiry experiments together and
develop a model together. (Inquiry phase
1: start with students prior knowledge,
develop a preliminary model, brainstorm)
2. Learning objectives for the class?
3. (a) Why introduce the idea at this time?
(b) Why use this instructional strategy?
4. What evidence of student
Part III: Students will brainstorm questions
they have about gases, compile a class list,
hang it in classroom for duration of unit.
Analyze the questions, label which ones are
scientifically testable. Small groups
discuss how to turn some of the questions
in testable ones (Inquiry Phase 2- crafting
questions)
1.1 & 1.2: students will develop and
analyze inquiry questions
5.1: Students will be able to connect gases
to their everyday lives and experiences
It is great to get all of their ideas and
preconceptions out in the open before
beginning a unit on a new topic
Eliciting student ideas is appropriate to do
at the beginning of a unit, so that I can
discover what prior knowledge they have
and what concrete examples would be
useful to build on. I also think it is good to
do one or two demos at the beginning of a
unit because chemistry students like to see
things blow up and it will spark their
interest!
Small groups will make a poster of their
learning/understanding will I collect?
5. Required Resources?
DAY 2
1. What will students do?
2. Learning objectives for the class?
3. (a) Why introduce the idea at this time?
initial model. I will be able to see the
brainstorm list of ideas and questions
Giant posterboard papers for groups/ the
post-it kind so they can stick their models
up on the wall. Pens.
Part I:
What elements are gases? 10 groups of 3,
get to pick a gas to make a poster listing its
properties, using Merck index. This will be
a short activity, hang these posters up on
the wall
Part II:
Lecture: introduce kinetic molecular
theory. What are the main tenets of this
theory?
Part III: (2 days)
Guided Inquiry: determine the
mathematical relationship between pressure
and volume of a gas? Develop a good
hypothesis with your group before
beginning lab (inquiry phase 2:
hypotheses). Students are given materials
and given a question, and they need to
design and conduct their own experiment.
(inquiry phase 3)
After conducting the experiment, students
will need to analyze their data, and turn it
into a mathematical model for the
relationship between pressure and volume.
(inquiry phase 4: analyzing data and using
it as evidence)
Students will be required to turn in a
formal lab report from this experiment.
Students will have a sense of where we
find gases (Essential Question)
Students will develop skills necessary to do
scientific inquiry
Students will discover the relationship
between pressure and volume
Students will be able to explain the kinetic
molecular theory of gas
I’d like to let the kids dive right into an
experiment before I teach them very much
(b) Why use this instructional strategy?
4. What evidence of student
learning/understanding will I collect?
5. Required Resources?
in this unit. It will give them experiences
in which they can ground their learning for
the rest of the unit. (inquiry phases 3 & 4:
design the investigation, and analyze data
and representing it as evidence)
Doing inquiry rather than lecture will make
the concept concrete. Spending the time
trying to figure out the theory will cement
the idea into their head and will increase
retention. Students will value the theory
more and see its relevance if they
experience it hands-on
Gas posters: could they complete the
assignment accurately?
Gas posters: poster paper, pens
Inquiry lab: for each group: syringe, four
bricks, support block.
DAY 3
1. What will students do?
2. Learning objectives for the class?
3. (a) Why introduce the idea at this time?
(b) Why use this instructional strategy?
4. What evidence of student
learning/understanding will I collect?
5. Required Resources?
DAY 4
1. What will students do?
Part I: lab
Continue inquiry lab from yesterday
Part II: revise model
Modify their model of gas behavior, based
upon inquiry experiment. Present
modified model to class, informally
(inquiry phase 5)
Students will develop skills necessary to do
scientific inquiry
Students will discover the relationship
between pressure and volume
Students will revise models based upon
evidence
See yesterday
See yesterday
Formal lab report from inquiry lab.
Presentations of revised model of behavior
of gases.
See yesterday
Part I: Lecture. Recap yesterday’s inquiry
and label this relationship between P & V
as “Boyle’s Law”
Part II: Pressure.
Pressure = Force/Area. Brainstorm the
idea of “force”
Demonstration: molecular motion machine.
On overhead, a machine that pushes
marbles around to mimic random motion of
gas particles. Change size of box to see
why change in volume affects change in
pressure.
Demonstration: have students act as gas
particles. Stop them at certain places so
they can observe the force exerted on a
wall.
Part III Temperature:
Using same examples, talk about speed and
motion, temperature is the measure of the
average kinetic energy of the gas particles
Part IV: Volume and Temperature.
Have students hypothesize what they think
2. Learning objectives for the class?
3. (a) Why introduce the idea at this time?
(b) Why use this instructional strategy?
4. What evidence of student
learning/understanding will I collect?
5. Required Resources?
DAY 5
1. What will students do?
2. Learning objectives for the class?
3. (a) Why introduce the idea at this time?
(b) Why use this instructional strategy?
relationship will be, come up with a model
explaining this (go back to original model,
change and expand it). Present models to
the class
Demo: balloons, fill with same amount of
gas, put them at different temperatures,
notice the change in volume.
Students will discover the relationship
between pressure and volume
Student will be able to explain pressure and
temperature in terms of molecular motion
Now that they have observed pressure,
we’re going to explain what it is on a
molecular level.
Time constraints, I can’t have them do
everything by inquiry, I need to do some
direct instruction. I think that the
molecular motion machine will help
students visualize the motion of the
particles, making the concept less abstract
Present revised models to class.
Informal assessment: do they seem to be
following along with the lecture?
Balloons, freezer, hot bath or incubator
Part I: Guided Inquiry
Is there a mathematical relationship
between the pressure and volume of a gas?
Have students do lab write-up as
homework.
Part II: revise model. Give students a
chance at the end of class to revise their
model.
Students will explain the mathematical
relationship between pressure and volume
of a gas.
Students will develop skills necessary to do
scientific inquiry
Students will revise model based upon
evidence
I would like to introduce all of the two
variable relationships before learning about
the ideal/combined gas law
This is a great activity that helps the
students really visualize this relationship.
4. What evidence of student
learning/understanding will I collect?
5. Required Resources?
DAY 6
1. What will students do?
2. Learning objectives for the class?
3. (a) Why introduce the idea at this time?
(b) Why use this instructional strategy?
4. What evidence of student
learning/understanding will I collect?
5. Required Resources?
They will have to formulate the math using
their own data, which will help in retention
and comprehension
Lab write up
Presentation of Model
Lab: syringes, beakers, water, ice, hot
plates, thermometer
Part I: Recap yesterday’s experiment, talk
about the relationship between pressure and
volume.
Reading: “gas laws and scuba diving”
Part II: Lecture: Talk about the fourth
relationship: amount of gas related to
volume and pressure.
Put together all four variables into the ideal
gas law!
Students will do practice problems
applying the ideal gas law.
Students will explain the mathematical
relationship between pressure and volume
of a gas.
Student will be able to explain the
mathematical relationship between amount
of gas to the pressure and volume.
Student will be able to describe real life
application of the gas laws
Student will be able to describe the ideal
gas law and use it to solve problems.
I want to introduce the ideal/combined gas
law after discussing each of the variables
individually. At this point, each variable
should make sense to the student and this
“ideal gas law” will seem somewhat logical
Direct instruction seems effective because
of 1) time constraints, 2) I haven’t heard of
a good lab you can do to get students to
develop the ideal gas law on their own
Practice problems
Students answers to questions during
lecture (informal)
None
DAY 7
1. What will students do?
2. Learning objectives for the class?
3. (a) Why introduce the idea at this time?
(b) Why use this instructional strategy?
4. What evidence of student
learning/understanding will I collect?
5. Required Resources?
DAY 8
1. What will students do?
2. Learning objectives for the class?
3. (a) Why introduce the idea at this time?
(b) Why use this instructional strategy?
Part I: Day to catch up with other things
haven’t finished…
Part II: Historical Readings
Reading: “Toricelli on the Weight of the
Atmosphere.” Read in team groups. Make
a list of the questions the scientist had, and
the inquiry steps he took. Reflect in
journal about how his experiments and
thought processes are different from yours.
What evidence is available now that was
not available to him?
Students will understand the evolution of
scientific ideas.
Students will understand that science
involves testing, revising, and discarding
theories based upon available evidence
This seemed like a good break point, take a
break from doing labs and try something
different
I found a really good reading on this that I
think will be interesting to the students!
Journal entry
Reading: “Toricelli on the Weight of the
Atmosphere.”
Part I: Weather
Reading: Cooperative groups will jigsaw
readings on weather and weather balloons
Part II: mini-project
One day project: design a weather balloon
that will measure the weather at the top of
Mt Everest (29,000 ft high). Tell me what
gas you will use, how much (n), and what
size (V). Justify your choices while
mentioning pressure and temperature.
Jigsaw will encourage cooperative work. It
will also allow students to get at a large
body of information without having to do a
ton of individual reading
4. What evidence of student
learning/understanding will I collect?
5. Required Resources?
DAY 9
1. What will students do?
2. Learning objectives for the class?
3. (a) Why introduce the idea at this time?
The mini-project will allow them to apply
some of the knowledge they have learned,
allowing them to see the application of the
gas laws, and hopefully making them more
entertaining and fun.
Report on mini-project, weather balloon.
Listen to group work, see if people
understood the reading
Readings on weather and weather balloons:
“Five guiding principles of meteorology”,
some various readings from the web
entitles “weather balloons”
Lecture: 1 mole of any type of gas will
occupy the same space. Use demos with
students: pick big students and small
students. Give example with ping pong
balls vs soccer balls.
Partial Pressure: total pressure = sum of
individual pressures. Stick with same
analogy: ping pong and soccer balls. Give
simple sample problems with numbers to
crunch.
Real life example: amount of partial
pressure of oxygen needed to survive.
Climbers that need Oxygen tanks.
Project: calculate the partial pressure of
Oxygen in this room. Calculate how that
would be different if the room were on top
of Mt Rainier (14,410 ft high)
Student will understand that size of a gas
molecule does not effect volume (building
on kinetic molecular theory)
Students will understand that the total
pressure of a mixed gas is equal to the sum
of the partial pressures of its component
gases
Student will be able to explain why partial
pressure is useful to know about
The idea of partial pressure is a bit more
complex, and students need to really
understand pressure and molecular motion
before getting to this concept.
This concept was also out of sequence with
the gas laws, so I stuck it in the end rather
(b) Why use this instructional strategy?
4. What evidence of student
learning/understanding will I collect?
5. Required Resources?
DAY 10
1. What will students do?
2. Learning objectives for the class?
3. (a) Why introduce the idea at this time?
(b) Why use this instructional strategy?
4. What evidence of student
learning/understanding will I collect?
5. Required Resources?
than breaking up the earlier inquiry
progression.
Visual examples and analogies will make
the chemistry concept less abstract.
Applying the law we just learned will help
it “sink in”, and will let them see the
relevant applications of what they have
learned
Project calculating partial pressures.
Informal assessment during lecture: body
language
Ping pong balls and soccer balls
Take a comprehensive exam, go around to
different stations and observe phenomena
related to gases. Students will need to
explain why each phenomenon occurs on a
molecular level, and using the concepts we
have discussed over the past week.
Assess student learning
Give student an opportunity to display
understanding of all content objectives.
I want to do a wrap-up at the end of the
unit where students have a chance to apply
all of their knowledge. Hopefully this will
be a positive experience, a chance to see
how much they have learned about gases
I want to have a chance to determine
whether students understand concepts that
were not addressed in their project.
I will collect answers to essay questions
about the phenomena observed at each
station. I will look for detailed descriptions
of what is happening on a molecular level.
Lots of stuff!! liter bottle, eyedropper,
water, balloons, flasks, beakers, liter bottle
with three holes in it, straws, food coloring,
matches