Keri Santos
RET II Project
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RET 1 inspired my lessons for RET 2 through the
following experiences:
Ability to work in the Materials Research Lab
Synthesizing a high temperature superconductor
Creating a magnetic track in which the superconductor
can levitate and move with stability
Developing a vehicle (styrofoam car!) that housed the
superconductor allowing it to travel along the track
Being able to share the final project with my class!
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It was this Real Science Experience from RET I
that inspired the creation of these lessons
I created lessons that will hopefully let my students
feel like they are part of a Real Science Experience
along with adding activities that were fun!
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My Ret II project focuses on chemistry for 8th grade
students.
I plan to start with the smallest particle and build until
we are focusing on some of the largest known bodies in
the universe. (Atoms to Asteroids)
These lessons are aligned with the California State
Standards and are to be used along with my current
curriculum.
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Divide interactive lessons evenly between
computer and classroom activities
Include at least one lab, game, and hands-on
activity for each chapter.
Incorporate lessons and games into my
curriculum that will excite even the most
unmotivated student.
Labs
• Stimulates
higher level
thinking
• Students
practice the
scientific
method
• They feel like
they are doing
“real” science
Hands-on
Activities
• ELL Students
• Kinesthetic
Learners
• Tactile Students
Games
• Competition
leads to
motivated
students
• Stimulates
learning
• Fun!!
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This project will cover approximately the first
half of the school year
Assess the project by using:
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Student performance on each individual lesson
(worksheets, models they developed, game scores,
project grades, etc)
Comparing student test scores from previous years
Student’s excitement about the new activities
Feedback from students
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Each lesson has a Teacher Guide which includes:
CA State Standards
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Content that students should know before lesson (vocab, concepts, etc.)
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Approximate time for the lesson
Materials needed
Answers to student worksheet
Possible extensions, troubleshooting help
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I will be adding more to the TG as I try them in my class this year
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Larger lessons (projects) include a rubric
RET II Overview of Lessons
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Atomic Theory Timeline :students research and create a timeline
for the development of the atomic theory
What’s your state?: students model the motion of atoms in
different states of matter with balloons
Mystery Bag: students try to guess the mystery objects in a bag
based on their physical characteristics
Penny Activity: students separate copper from zinc using
physical and chemical means
Solid + Liquid =Gas: demonstration involving the combination of
a solid and liquid to produce a gas
Adopt –an-Element: students choose an element to research and
then build a model out of various materials
Messing with Mixtures: students work with edible materials to
learn about solutions, colloids, and calculating percentages of
mixtures
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Covalent Marshmallows: students build models of covalent
molecules using marshmallows and toothpicks
Reaction in Action: students take the mass of materials before and
after a reaction and apply it the Law of Conservation of Mass
Fireworks Lab: students research elements involved in fireworks,
they then hypothesize which elements are present in samples that
you burn in class
Fireworks Lab
TG Firework Lab
Salt vs. Sugar: students try to deduce which contains ionic and
covalent bonds by observing and heating the materials
Scale Model of our Solar System: students choose appropriate
sized objects to represent our sun, moon and the different planets,
then distance them from the sun on an open field using a scale
reference
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Atomic Structure Webquest: students visit a few sites and find
answers to questions
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Matterville Webquest: students visit websites to find answers to
questions about the different states of matter
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Adopt –an- Element: (research of adopted element)
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Fireworks Lab: (research of elements for classroom act)
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Solar System Webquest: students search for answers about our solar
system
Material Science Smackdown: students learn about the different
properties of elements, what they can be transformed into, and uses
-Strange Matter
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Alien Juice Bar-students learn the pH’s of
certain materials while opening their own juice
bar for aliens
Chemical Mix-up-students have to separate
elements, compounds, and mixtures into their
correct categories
To Bond or not to Bond-students must make a
“chem” connection with elements that are
capable of bonding with each other
Periodic Puzzler-students are contestants on a
game show trying to guess
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Matter Card Game: similar to go fish, students
turn over cards to find matches to their state of
matter
Connect 4: students have different game sheets,
they will turn-over clues and try to connect 4 on
their sheet
Element Bingo: students fill out bingo sheets with
element symbols, teacher gives clues about
element
Space Rocks Game: students answer questions
about space rocks in order to advance on a game
sheet in hopes of becoming a discovered meteorite
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Martina Michenfelder
Frank Kinnaman
NSF
UCSB and all of the MRL staff