John MacDonald
ESCI 300 Final Assessment
Karyn Booy - ESCI 300 Final Assessment:
Karyn Booy
37.5 great effort
Article Response:
Question: How should this article shape the way we teach science? Include some examples/references to
support your thoughts.
Response:
Often when determining how to teach a class, such as science, we turn to resources produced by
professional teachers with experience, psychologists who study classroom learning styles, or the newest
information produced by researchers on the different ways in which students learn. However, we often
fail to go to the source and ask students directly what they want in their science classes! Perhaps some
teachers think that students don’t know what is good for them or will take the easiest way out. However,
this article has shown that students are asking for almost exactly what the research on best practices for
science instruction shows!
As educators, the messages from this article are of great significance. Not only does it inform us that
students are important advocates for their learning and know what they want, but also tells us that they
want such learning to be meaningful, hands on, community based, and involve both independent and
group work. They want to engage in arguments, observation, experimentation, communication with peers,
developing an explanation, and working independently as well as in a group. Essentially, all these kids are
asking for in their science class is to engage in the nature of science!
This article will shape the way we teach science as we can recognize how kids would like lessons
structured, that they desire less talking from the teacher and more hands-on activities, and that discussions
aren’t a waste of their time. Rather, they find them to be useful in coming to understand concepts. The
ways in which students suggest to incorporate technology are vital. Many concepts in science are difficult
to grasp, especially when viewing static pictures and reading out-dated text. Rather, as shown in the
article, students remember more from hands-on activities in which they experience the phenomena
themselves, or videos which explain those things not easily observed. Yet, as educators we need to be
careful that we don’t’ simply show video, but that the video is comprehensive and simple as many
students may not understand the concepts the first time around. Rather, simple videos accompanied by a
teacher review and class discussion are best. So no more randomly selecting a video that makes sense to
the teacher, or just the smart kids! The media we use needs to be helpful for everyone! A great example of
media to use is the TED Ed videos as they are simple, easy to understand, use great analogies or “stories”
as the article mentioned, and also include questions to follow to ensure that students understood the
material!
I find that this article really relates back to a lot of what we have been striving for in this class, which is to
integrate hands-on activities done both individually and as a group into the lessons. Working in staff
groups as well as on our own in developing an understanding of magnets and how electricity is generated
using coils and magnets was essential to my learning. Never before had I understood the concept.
However, my understanding came from the ability to try hands-on activities which were simple and easy
to do, discuss the science behind it with my peers from my staff group, as well as work individually to
further my knowledge in creating a functioning motor using a magnet, battery and coil.
Additionally, this article gives much indirect praise to POEs, as seen in our class. POEs are a great way
for a student to assess their prior knowledge, use hands-on activities to understand a science concept in a
short but meaningful way, and then apply that knowledge in a new area.
John MacDonald
ESCI 300 Final Assessment
Karyn Booy
From this article I learned much about how to teach science that I never before thought about. To me,
from my experiences, activities and media additions to the lesson were a privilege in the science
classroom – rarely seen and most often not understood. Additionally, discussions were almost never used
and rather, we were directed to read the textbook and “figure it out from there” by yourself. However, I
see that these hands on activities, use of media, class discussions and analogies are important as they help
students to learn the information, remember the information, and actually understand the information. As
teachers we need to move away from thinking that “we know best”, and turn to the students to find what
they desire for their learning. We need to be innovative and make meaningful lessons, moving away from
relying solely on the textbook. Hopefully, as we do this, we will be able to help students better understand
the material and in the meantime. Allowing them to make arguments, gather evidence by observation,
develop explanations, communicate their ideas and work both independently as well as in a group, we
allow the opportunity to help students foster a love for science while engaging in the nature of science.
What else is should science class be for? 9
John MacDonald
ESCI 300 Final Assessment
Karyn Booy
Paper Chromatography: an explore activity 17.5
1. Observations. Most important observations are highlighted.
a. As the water moves up the chromatography paper, the black marker line moves up the
paper as well, showing a separation of colours as it occurs.
b. The colour orange emerges first as the black marker line moves up the chromatography
paper.
c. As the black marker line moves further up the paper, a blue colour emerges at the top of
the column.
d. As the water continues to move up the paper, the colours go higher and higher.
e. Other colours which emerge include yellow at the very bottom, followed by pink.
f. The colours display as follows, top to bottom:
i. Yellow, orange, pink, light pink, red, blue.
g. The black marker appeared to “drag” along the edges of the chromatography paper. After
a significant separation time, the center had no black marker remaining, but the edges had
small dark brown patches.
h. The largest colour visible was the orange and pink. Yellow was quite small.
i. By the end, no black marker is visible anymore. The closest to black is the dark brown
spots between red and black.
j. After 20 minutes of separation the colour column had moved 3.5inches what are these
inches?up the paper. 2.5 +1
2. Procedure
a. Take 1 piece of chromatography paper.
b. Using the scissors, cut the end of the paper so it makes a point, resembling the diagram
below.
c. Using the black felt marker, draw a line across the chromatography paper, as seen below.
John MacDonald
ESCI 300 Final Assessment
Karyn Booy
d. Take a 100mL graduated cylinder and fill it with 10mL of water.
e. Take the chromatography paper and fold the top over so there is approximately a 2.5inch
overhang.
f. Hold the overhang together using two paperclips, one on each side.
g. The paper clips should stick out slightly (as seen below) so the paper will be held up in
the graduated cylinder by the paper clips.
h. Place the chromatography paper (with attached paper clips) in the graduated cylinder so
just the tip of the paper is in the water. Note: The line drawn in black marker should NOT
be submerged in the water or touching the surface.
i. Observe and take notes of what happens. This make take 10-15 minutes. 5 finally some
pictures!!!! And only 3 left.
3. Questions & Expected answers:
John MacDonald
ESCI 300 Final Assessment
Karyn Booy
a. What is the first colour you notice that separates out?
i. Orange
b. What happens to the line of black marker as the separation continues?
i. The black marker moves up the paper and gets smaller over time. It looks like it
is “dragging” up the paper.
c. Which colour emerges at the top of the column?
i. Blue
d. If you took all of the colours seen on the chromatography paper and mixed them all
together, what colour would you get?
i. Black. The mixture of the colours separated out would give us black.
e. Why, by the end of the separation process, is the line of black marker no longer visible?
Why is there little to no black remaining on the paper?
i. The black marker separated out into the various colours which make it up. As the
colours making up the black line separated out the black was no longer visible.
Karyn solubility and particle motion and separation 4
4. My Objectives:
a. For students to develop an understanding of how colours are developed by mixture of
many different colours.
b. Understand how chromatography works and that it is a method by which components of a
mixture can be separated. 2.5
5. Assessment
a. Students will be assessed based on their ability to successfully answer the above
questions during lab time. Additionally, at the end of the session they will be required to
fill out an exit slip with the following two questions:
i. Name the purpose of paper chromatography: where did they encounter this?
1. Expected answer: to separate components of a mixture
ii. The combination of blue and yellow make green. What do you anticipate would
be the results if you repeated the chromatography experiment with a green watersoluble marker, rather than black?
1. You would see the separation of the green colour into the components
blue and yellow, as well as any other shades contributing to the shade of
the marker. 2.5
John MacDonald
ESCI 300 Final Assessment
Karyn Booy
Who Knew – Goodbye to Squishy Circuits! 11
Questions for Pre-assessment:
1. What is a conductor of electricity?
a. A material that allows electricity to pass through it.
2. What is an insulator of electricity?
a. A material that prevents the passing of electricity through itself.
3. What are some examples of conductors?
a. Metals like iron, aluminum, copper, graphite
4. What are pencils made out of?
a. Graphite
5. What is normally used for a circuit?
a. Wire and electricity
6. What is the conductor in the circuit?
a. The metal wire.
7. Is graphite a conductor?
a. Yes
8. Should we be able to use graphite to create a circuit? Why?
a. Yes. Graphite is a conductor and hence will allow electricity to pass through it for a
circuit.
Materials:
-
Graphite pencil
1 9V battery
LED lights
Paper clips
Procedure for Student-centered activity: Working in groups of 3…
1. Sketch a simple circuit composed of 1 9V battery and 1 LED.
2. Using the graphite pencil, 1 9V battery and 1 LED, redraw the ciricuit. Remember that the lines
you draw are the “wires” of your circuit! Try to make that circuit work so that the electricity
flows from the battery to the LED light.
a. Draw the circuit out on paper and make the lines of the circuit very wide. Ensure that the
circuit is completely shaded in to ensure there are no gaps to prevent electricity from
flowing.
Example of a simple circuit:
John MacDonald
ESCI 300 Final Assessment
Karyn Booy
b. Draw your circuit below:
c. Did the LED light up? Yes or No? (Try turning it around)
3. A parallel circuit is composed of several components connected at different branches of the wire
(graphite lines). Draw yourself a parallel circuit and, using 1 9V battery and 2 LEDs, try to
complete the circuit so the LEDS light up.
Example:
John MacDonald
ESCI 300 Final Assessment
Karyn Booy
Draw your circuit below:
4. Did your circuit work? If not, why do you think that may be?
5. A series circuit has several components one after another, as seen below in the example. Using
your graphite pencil, 1 9V battery and 2 LEDs, try to make a series circuit that will light up the
LEDS.
6. Draw your circuit below:
John MacDonald
ESCI 300 Final Assessment
Karyn Booy
7. Did the circuit light up? Why do you think it might not have worked?
8. A light switch turns the lights in the house on and off by completing the circuit. Essentially, when
the light it switched off, you have broken the circuit. Attempt to create a switch in your circuit
using the paper clip. Remember, metals are conductors of electricity. The purpose of the switch is
that, when it is connecting the “wires” if your circuit, the LEDS light up. When it is not conneting
the “wires”, the LEDs should not light up.
9. Draw your circuit below:
10. Did it work? Why do you think it might not have worked?
11. What other materials might you be able to use as a switch?
3
drawing 3
John MacDonald
ESCI 300 Final Assessment
Karyn Booy
Assessment:
Students will be assessed on their ability to answer the above questions, as well as whether the circuits
they create work or not.
Why this works:
Graphite is a conductor of electricity so it carries electrical current. When drawn on the paper, the thick
graphite lines act as the “wires” of the circuit, conducting electricity through them. The battery supplies
the electricity which is shown to be flowing by the illumination of the LED lights.
The paper clip can serve as a switch as it too is a metal which conducts electricity. When both ends of the
unfolded paper clip are attached to two separate sections of the graphite “wire”, electricity flows through
the paper clip and to the other graphite “wire”. However, when one or both of the paperclip ends are
removed, the circuit is broken and electricity will not flow to the LEDs. 2.5
Frustrations:
It was difficult to do this alone as I had to balance the LEDs as well as the paperclip to have them all
sufficiently connected to the graphite, while ensuring that the battery didn’t fall over. An extra set of
hands would have been helpful.
Additionally, the paperclip, when folded up in its original shape, did not work as a conductor which
annoyed me, but I realized that unfolding it created a simple path for the electricity to flow through,
making it a better switch.
Further, it was difficult to develop a lesson/activity on the spot, but was good practice. The crunch for
time was a bit frustrating. 2.5