Marialuisa Favaro
EXEMPLAR LESSON PLANS
SECOND LAW OF THERMODYNAMICS & ENTROPY:
micro and macro points of view
(14 lessons, 50 minutes each)
LESSON 1: Kinetic gas theory
COMMON STRATEGIES: collaborative work amongst students, connections to the world
outside the classroom, participatory approach
MATERIALS: text book, blackboard, copies of printed exercises
TASK 1
State of structure of matter, of dimension of mole, atom and nucleus
Examples and exercises from textbook
TASK 2
Explanation and discussion of
- first ideas of molecular movements (Brownian movements, Einstein explanation)
- mechanical hypotheses of molecular ideal gas model
- dependence of pressure of a gas on velocity of a single atom
Homework: examples and exercises from class textbook (Refer to file Addition 9)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LESSON 2 : Microscopic interpretation of temperature
COMMON STRATEGIES: collaborative work amongst students, connections to the world
outside the classroom, participatory approach
MATERIALS: class text book, blackboard, copies of printed exercises
TASK 1
Explanation and discussion of
- statistical hypotheses of ideal gas model
- kinetic microscopic energy and macroscopic measure of temperature
- Maxwell distribution of molecular velocities
(Refer to file Addition 1)
TASK 2
Exercises and examples
(Refer to file Addition 1)
Homework:
Exercises and examples
(Refer to file Addition 1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LESSON 3 : Microscopic Interpretation of Internal Energy
COMMON STRATEGIES: collaborative work amongst students, connections to the world
outside the classroom, participatory approach
MATERIALS: class text book, blackboard, copies of printed exercises, internet
TASK 1
Introduction: few students are chosen to present their homework
TASK 2
Discussion about:
- equipartition of energy
- internal energy for ideal gas, liquid and solid models
TASK 3
Visit to web sites showing simulations of ideal gas model
(Refer to file Addition 2)
Homework: tests and exercises from class textbook
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LESSON 4 : Micro and macro evidences
COMMON STRATEGIES: experiential learning, connections to the world outside the
classroom, participatory approach, students develop own ideas
MATERIALS: DVD projector, Crookes radiometer, blackboard
TASK 1
Show students a movie about mechanical and thermal energy. (Refer to file Addition 3),
Discussion
TASK 3
Experiment: Crookes radiometer (Refer to file Action 1)
Discussion
Homework: Students write a brief report on movie contents and experimental evidence
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LESSON 5 : Assessment on Micro-Macro
COMMON STRATEGIES: connections to the world outside the classroom, students
develop own ideas
MATERIALS: blackboard
TASK 1
Oral assessment: questions on content related to previous lessons are proposed to some
students. Valuation must consider level of knowledge, appropriate use of words, competence
of application and synoptic ability.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LESSON 6 : Engines and thermal engines
COMMON STRATEGIES: connections to the world outside the classroom, participatory
approach
MATERIALS: laptop and projector, blackboard
TASK 1
Explanation and discussion about:
- engine
- thermal engine
- historical evolution of engines
- laws of thermodynamics
(Power Point presentation – Addition 4 )
Homework: Separate students into groups and tell them to find some materials about :
 Heat engine (car engine)
 Heat pump (air condition/refrigerator)
 Human being and Earth as thermodynamic systems
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LESSON 7 : Carnot engine
COMMON STRATEGIES: connections to the world outside the classroom, participatory
approach
MATERIALS: laptop and projector, blackboard
TASK 1
Show and discuss about Carnot engine
(Power Point presentation – Addition 4 )
TASK 2
Exercises on a thermal engine and on Carnot engine (Refer to file Addition 5 )
Homework: continuation of group work
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LESSON 8 & 9 : Engines and second law of thermodynamics
COMMON STRATEGIES: collaborative work amongst students, connections to the world
outside the classroom, participatory approach, students develop own ideas
MATERIALS: laptop and projector, blackboard, class text book
TASK 1
Students report on their homework
TASK 2
Discussion
Homework: Exercises from class textbook
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LESSON 10 : Irreversibility and entropy
COMMON STRATEGIES: collaborative work amongst students connections to the world
outside the classroom, participatory approach
MATERIALS: laptop and projector, blackboard, copies of printed exercises, class textbook
TASK 1
Explanation and discussion about irreversibility with real life examples
(Power Point presentation – Addition 6)
TASK 2
Explanation and discussion about entropy with real life examples
(Power Point presentation – Addition 6 )
TASK 3
Exercises (Refer to file Addition 7 )
Homework: Exercises (Refer to file Addition 7 )
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LESSON 11 : Order and disorder
COMMON STRATEGIES: collaborative work amongst students, connections to the world
outside the classroom, participatory approach, experiential learning
MATERIALS: laptop and projector, blackboard, glass of water and ink, class textbook
TASK 1
Introduction: few students are chosen to present their homework
TASK 2
Discussion on order/disorder concepts in Physics
(Power Point presentation- Addition 6 )
TASK 3
Experiment: drop of ink in a transparent box with water as a irreversible process leading to
disorder (Refer to file Action 2 )
Homework: problems to solve (in the class textbook)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LESSON 12 : Statistical interpretation of entropy
COMMON STRATEGIES: experiential learning, collaborative work amongst students,
connections to the world outside the classroom, participatory approach
MATERIALS: 10 coins per two students, millimeter paper, lap projector, blackboard
TASK 1
Experiment with coins (Refer to file Addition 8 ) (Refer to file Action 3 )
Discussion about experiment.
TASK 2
Explanation of microstates and macrostates of the system.
Most probable state of gas: molecules take up the whole space and move about randomly.
The least probable state: all molecules of the gas are located in the corner of the room.
TASK 3
Entropy and probability (Power Point presentation – Addition 6 )
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LESSON 13 : Entropy and other social sciences and expressions
COMMON STRATEGIES: connections to the world outside the classroom, students
develop own ideas, collaborative work amongst students
MATERIALS: laptop and projector, blackboard, several art books
TASK 1
Find how physical concepts of micro/macro and order/disorder are expressed by artists
(Power Point presentation – Addition 6 ) (Bibliography – see Addition 9)
TASK 2
Research web sites and find information about how the concept of entropy can be applied in
many other sciences
(Refer to file Addition 2)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LESSON 14 Assessment on the second part: engines and second law,
entropy
COMMON STRATEGIES: connections to the world outside the classroom, students
develop own ideas
MATERIALS: blackboard
TASK 1
Oral assessment: questions on content related to lessons of the second part of the pilot are
proposed to some students. Valuation must consider level of knowledge, appropriate use of
words, competence of application, synoptic understanding.