PROJECT OVERVIEW
Name of Project:
MOLARITY, GET A CLUE!
Subject/Course: Chemistry
Duration: 6 days
Teacher(s): Corder, Izaguirre, Thornton, Wills
Other subject areas to
be included, if any:
NONE
Project Idea
Students use solution chemistry to solve a murder mystery.
Grade Level: 10, 11
Summary of the issue,
challenge,
investigation, scenario,
or problem:
Driving Question
How can we solve a murder using Chemistry?
Content and Skills
Standards to be
addressed:
C.10 ABCDEF
T+A
21st Century Skills
Collaboration
to be explicitly taught
and assessed (T+A) or
that will be
encouraged (E) by
project work, but not
taught or assessed:
Presentation (Feedback given for future
project)
E
T+A
E
X
X
Presentation Audience:
Group:
Culminating
Products and
Performances
Submit Lab Documents and summary document relating how the labs
performed could point to a murder.
Class:
X
School:
X
Community:
2 Short quizzes, PhET simulation, 3 Collaboration grades from group.
Individual:
Experts:
Web:
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education
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PROJECT OVERVIEW
Entry event to
launch inquiry,
engage
students:
PowerPoint presentation of possible murder scenarios with embedded videos of chemistry being used in
forensic situations.
Assessments
X
Quizzes
Formative
Assessments
(During
Project)
Entry event lab report
Notes
Preliminary Plans/Outlines/Prototypes
Checklists
Rough Drafts
Evidence board
Online Tests/Exams
Other: PEER/SELF EVALUATION
X
Written Product(s), with rubric:
Summative
Assessments
(End of Project)
Practice Presentations
X
Other Product(s) or Performance(s), with
rubric:
__________________________________________________
X
Oral Presentation, with rubric
X
Peer Evaluation
Multiple Choice/Short Answer Test
Self-Evaluation
Essay Test
Other:
.
Resources
Needed
LABS
On-site people, facilities:
LAPTOPS
Equipment:
GROUP FOLDERS, CHEMICALS FOR TESTING
Materials:
Community resources:
Reflection
Methods
(Individual,
Group, and/or
Whole Class)
Journal/Learning Log
Whole-Class Discussion
X
Focus Group
X
Fishbowl Discussion
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education
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P R O J E C T
T E A C H I N G
A N D
L E A R N I N G
G U I D E
Project: Molarity, Get a Clue!
Major Product(s) and
Presentation
students need to complete
1. Summative
Report
2. Collaboration
Knowledge and Skills Needed by Students
to successfully complete major
products and presentations
Scaffolding / Materials / Lessons to be Provided
by the project teacher, other teachers, experts,
mentors, community members
(10B) Develop and use general rules
regarding solubility through investigations
with aqueous solutions. (R)
 - Precipitation Lab using solubility rules to determine
mystery solution/murder weapon.
- Filtration Lab to determine molarity
(10E) Distinguish between types of solutions
such as electrolytes and nonelectrolytes and
unsaturated, saturated, and supersaturated
solutions. (R)
 Having determined mystery solution, students compare
their solution to its solubility curve and calculate the
maximum amount dissolved at different volumes with
descriptions of types of solutions with calculation
(10F) Investigate factors that influence
solubility and rates of dissolution such as
temperature, agitation, and surface areas.
(R)
 Rate of Dissolution Lab
(10C) Calculate the concentration of
solutions in units of molarity.
 PhET # 1
(http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/molarity)
(10D) Use molarity to calculate the dilutions
of solutions.
 PhET #2
(http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/concentration)
(2I) Communicate valid conclusions
supported by the data through methods
such as lab reports, labeled drawings,
graphs, journals, summaries, oral reports, and
technology-based reports.

1. Teaching piece on collaboration
- Avid strategy (fish bowl)
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education
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P R O J E C T
Project: MOLARITY, GET A CLUE!
M O N D A Y
C A L E N D A R
Start Date: FEB 25- MAR 20
T U E S D A Y
W E D N E S D A Y
T H U R S D A Y
F R I D A Y
PROJECT WEEK ONE
2/25 – A
LAUNCH!
Finalize Contracts
Assign Team
Roles/Responsibilities
2/26 – B
LAUNCH!
Finalize Contracts
Assign Team
Roles/Responsibilities
2/27 – A
Precipitation lab:
Determine murder
weapon.
Rate of Dissolution Lab
SEMINAR – The Solubility
Curve
2/28 – B
Precipitation lab to
determine murder
weapon.
Rate of Dissolution Lab
SEMINAR – The Solubility
Curve
3/1
3/7
7th/8th Period NW Exams
3/9
Student Holiday
(Teacher Workday)
1st/2nd Period NW
EXAMS
PROJECT WEEK TWO
3/4 – A
ELA TAKS
3/5
3rd/4th Period NW EXAMS
3/6
5th/6th Period NW Exams
PROJECT WEEK THREE
3/18 – A
Filtration lab: Determine
murder weapon’s
molarity.
COLLABORATION FISH
BOWL
3/19 – B
Filtration lab to
determine murder
weapon’s molarity
COLLABORATION FISH
BOWL
3/20 – A
PhET #1 – Calculating
Molarity
WORK TIME
3/21 – B
PhET #1 – Calculating
Molarity
WORK TIME
3/22 – A
PhET #2 - Calculating
Dilutions
WORK TIME
PROJECT WEEK FOUR
3/25 – B
PhET #2 - Calculating
Dilutions
WORK TIME
3/26 – A
Lab Report Presentation
3/27 – B
Lab Report Presentation
3/28 – A
REFLECTION
3/29
STAFF STUDENT HOLIDAY
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education
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