Mad Science Curriculum
Summer Connections, 2012
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Course Description: Students will learn about a variety of topics including: heat transference,
states and properties of matter, engineering and technology, and basic physics through hands-on
scientific experiments that strengthen students’ skills of inquiry and analysis. Experiments are
designed to be fun and engaging, ensuring full student involvement and maximizing learning
potential.
Scientific Method:
1. Formulate a testable hypothesis.
2. Design and conduct an experiment specifying variables to be changed, controlled, and
measured.
3. Select appropriate tools and technology (e.g., calculators, computers, thermometers, meter
sticks, balances, graduated cylinders, and microscopes), and make quantitative observations.
4. Present and explain data and findings using multiple representations, including tables, graphs,
mathematical and physical models, and demonstrations.
5. Draw conclusions based on data or evidence presented in tables or graphs, and make
inferences based on patterns or trends in the data.
6. Communicate procedures and results using appropriate science and technology terminology.
7. Offer explanations of procedures, and critique and revise them.
“Inquiry, experimentation, and design should not be taught or tested as separate, standalone skills. Rather, opportunities for inquiry, experimentation, and design should arise
within a well-planned curriculum. Instruction and assessment should include examples
drawn from life science, physical science, earth and space science, and technology /
engineering standards. Doing so will make clear to students that what is known does not
stand separate from how it is known,”
- Massachusetts Science and Technology Curriculum Framework
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WK 1 DAY 1
Heat Transference: Making Ice Cream
Intended Learning Objectives: The purpose of this lesson is to expose students to the
properties of heat transference, teach them how to measure substances, and how to
differentiate between chemical and physical changes. Students will learn the difference
between measuring volume and mass, and they will learn to recognize the need for using
certain instruments. Students will learn the difference between chemical and physical
changes. Additionally, they will learn how heat works as a form of energy.
Essential Concepts: Ice has to absorb energy in order to melt, changing the phase of
water from a solid to a liquid. When you use ice to cool the ingredients for ice cream, the
energy is absorbed from the ingredients and from the outside environment. When you add
salt to the ice, it lowers the freezing point of the ice, so even more energy has to be
absorbed from the environment in order for the ice to melt. This makes the ice colder
than it was before, which is how your ice cream freezes.
Materials:
118 mL of milk
118 mL whole milk
59 mL sugar
59 mL teaspoon vanilla
118 to 177 mL sodium chloride (NaCl) as table salt or rock salt
16 ounces of ice
1-quart Ziploc bag
1-gallon Ziploc bag
Procedure:
1. Add 118 mL of milk to 1-quart plastic bag
2. Add 59 mL of sugar to 1-quart plastic bag
3. Add 59 mL of vanilla to 1-quart plastic bag
4. Add 16 ounces of ice to 1-gallon bag
5. Add 118 mL of rock salt to 1-gallon bag
6. Tightly seal 1-quart plastic bag, and place it inside the 1-gallon plastic bag.
7. Shake the two baggies together for at least 5 minutes, monitoring the ingredients
and checking for the desired consistency.
Standards Addressed:
Properties of Matter
3. Recognize that the measurement of volume and mass requires understanding of the
sensitivity of measurement tools (e.g., rulers, graduated cylinders, balances) and
knowledge and appropriate use of significant digits.
Elements, Compounds, and Mixtures
8. Differentiate between mixtures and pure substances.
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10. Differentiate between physical changes and chemical changes.
Heat Energy
14. Recognize that heat is a form of energy and that temperature change results from
adding or taking away heat from a system.
WK 1- DAY 2
Electrons in Motion-Lighting a fluorescent tube with a balloon
Intended Learning Objectives & Purpose: Students will explore one way electricity
works and be able to see results of electrons in motion. They will also see how light goes
from ultraviolet light to light that is visible to the human eye. They will be able to relate
the moving electrons to potential energy becoming kinetic.
Essential Concepts: When a fluorescent tube is connected to an electrical current, the
chemicals on the tiny filaments at each end of the tube release electrons. Electrons jump
from one end of the tube to the other producing 120 flashes of light every second. Too
fast to see, this ultraviolet light is invisible to the human eye. A drop of mercury inside
the tube is vaporized by the electrical flashes and the vapor carries electrons to the
phosphor powder coating the inside of the tube. Phosphor is a chemical element and often
part of transitional metal compounds. This coating changes the ultraviolet energy into
light energy that can be seen essentially converting electrical power to useful light.
Rubbing the balloon causes electrons to build up on the surface of the balloon. The
buildup of electrons causes the mercury vapor inside the tube to become charged and just
as when the tube is connected to an electric current; the changed mercury vapor
bombards the fluorescent chemicals resulting in visible light.
Materials: Balloon
Fluorescent tube
Procedure:
1. Inflate and tie the balloon.
2. Wash the outside of the fluorescent tube and thoroughly dry.
3. In a dark room, place one end of the tube against the floor.
4. Hold the tube upright and quickly rub the balloon up and down the outside of it.
5. Hold the balloon near the tube.
6. Tube starts to glow and the light moves with the movement of the balloon. Once
the tube starts glowing, even the nearness of the balloon should cause light to be
produced.
Standards addressed:
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Elements, Compounds, and Mixtures
5. Recognize that there are more than 100 elements that combine in a multitude of ways
to produce compounds that make up all of the living and nonliving things that we
encounter.
Forms of Energy
13. Differentiate between potential and kinetic energy. Identify situations where kinetic
energy is transformed into potential energy and vice versa.
Heat Energy
15. Explain the effect of heat on particle motion through a description of what happens to
particles during a phase change.
Chemistry, High School – Electromagnetic Radiation
6.2 Describe the electromagnetic spectrum in terms of frequency and wavelength, and
identify the locations of radio waves, microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light
(rainbow colors), ultraviolet rays, x-rays, and gamma rays on the spectrum.
WK 1 DAY 3
Egg in a Bottle
Intended Learning Objectives: The purpose of this lesson is to expose students to
concepts of pressure and heat transference. Students will focus on concepts of pressure
and heat transference. They will explore how molecules react with one another in the gas
state.
Essential Concepts: The pressure of the air pushes the egg into the bottle. Before the
burning paper was put into the bottle, the pressure of the air inside the bottle was the
same as outside the bottle. The burning paper, however, heats the air inside the bottle.
This causes the air inside to expand. When the egg is placed on top of the bottle, it seals
the bottle, and the fire eventually goes out. When the fire goes out, the air inside the
bottle cools. As it cools, the air contracts, and the pressure of the air inside the bottle
becomes less than the pressure outside. Then, the higher outside pressure pushes the egg
into the bottle!
Materials:
1 hard-boiled egg
1 glass bottle with a mouth slightly smaller than the egg
1 8-cm by 8-cm (3-inch by 3-inch) piece of newspaper
Matches
Procedure: The instructor will take these steps:
1. Remove the shell from the egg. Set the egg on the mouth of the bottle to see that
the egg does not fit through the mouth.
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2. Fold the piece of newspaper into a strip that can be dropped into the bottle, about
1 cm by 8 cm.
3. Light the match and use it to ignite the folded strip of paper. Remove the egg
from the mouth of the bottle and drop the burning strip of paper into the bottle.
Before the fire goes out, set the egg back onto the mouth of the bottle. Within a
few seconds the egg will squeeze through the mouth and into the bottle.
Learning Standards Addressed:
Heat Energy
14. Recognize that heat is a form of energy and that temperature change results from
adding or taking away heat from a system.
15. Explain the effect of heat on particle motion through a description of what happens to
particles during a phase change.
6. States of Matter, Kinetic Molecular Theory, and Thermochemistry
6.2 Using the kinetic molecular theory, explain the behavior of gases and the relationship
between pressure and volume (Boyle’s law), volume and temperature (Charles’s law),
pressure and temperature (Gay-Lussac’s law), and the number of particles in a gas sample
(Avogadro’s hypothesis).
TIME PROVIDING: Observations & Explorations Outside
Intended Learning Objectives & Purpose: To observe the world through a scientific
perspective. Students will find the scientific method easier to relate to by making own
observations, raising questions, and formulating one’s own hypotheses.
Essential Concepts: When you use one or more of your five senses to gather
information about the world, you are observing. To increase the power of their senses,
scientists sometimes use microscopes, telescopes, or other instruments that help them
make more detailed observation. An observation must be an accurate report of what your
senses detect. It is important to keep careful records of your observation in your science
journal or notebook by writing or drawing. The information collected through
observations is called evidence, data.
Materials:
Blue science journals
Pencils
Optional- smalls plastic baggies, hand held micro-lens, colored pencils
Procedure:
1. Students collect their materials and line up to go outside.
2. Teacher gives safety rules, boundaries, and the allotted amount of time.
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3. Group files out onto the field areas where students are allowed to have time on
their own or with a partner to make scientific observations.
4. Teachers will circulate to assess progress of activity.
Standards addressed:
Classification of Organisms:
1. Classify organisms into the currently recognized kingdoms according to characteristics
that they share. Be familiar with organisms from each kingdom.
Energy and Living Things
12. Explain the roles and relationships among producers, consumers, and decomposers in
the process of energy transfer in a food web.
16. Recognize that producers (plants containing chlorophyll) use the energy from sunlight
to make sugars from carbon dioxide and water through a process called photosynthesis.
This food can be used immediately, stored for later use, or used by other organisms.
Biology, High School
6.4 Explain how water, carbon, and nitrogen cycle between abiotic resources an organic
matter in an ecosystem, and how oxygen cycles through photosynthesis and respiration.
WK 2 Day 1
Building a Closed Circuit
Learning Objectives: Students will learn how to construct a simple circuit and explain
how they work. Students will be able to differentiate between: conductors and insulators,
chemical and physical changes, and open and closed circuits. Students will also have the
opportunity to
Essential Concepts: Electricity flows in a loop called a circuit. In some ways it is similar
to how water flows from one point to another and back. The circuit has energy that flows
from a battery, flowing through the wires in order to provide light to a bulb.
Disconnected from anything requiring its energy, a battery is conveniently stored
potential energy. Once it is connected in a circuit it provides kinetic energy to the circuit.
A battery requires a chemical reaction with metals in a chemical solution in order to
generate electrical energy.
Materials:
7 9-volt Batteries
Christmas lights
Wire strippers
Electric tape
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Procedure:
1. As modeled by instructors, strip the wire of the Christmas lights to about 1 inch.
2. Unwind the 2 loose wires, and cut the wire connecting the bulbs. Cut the wire
halfway between each bulb.
3. Once you have the bulbs separated, expose the metal part of the 2 wires on each
bulb using the wire stripper.
4. Open up the stripper and place 1 of the bulb’s wires about 1 inch into the hole of
the wire stripper that’s just a little bit smaller than the wire.
5. Squeeze the handles of the wire stripper together and pull away from the bulb.
Repeat with the other wire.
6. Place one of the wires into the positive side of the 9-volt battery.
7. Place the other wire into the negative side of the 9-volt battery.
8. Observe the light bulb and continue to experiment if necessary.
Standards Addressed:
Elements, Compounds, and Mixtures
5. Recognize that there are more than 100 elements that combine in a multitude of ways
to produce compounds that make up all of the living and nonliving things that we
encounter.
10. Differentiate between physical changes and chemical changes.
13. Differentiate between potential and kinetic energy. Identify situations where kinetic
energy is transformed into potential energy and vice versa.
Materials, Tools, and Machines
1.1 Given a design task, identify appropriate materials (e.g., wood, paper, plastic,
aggregates, ceramics, metals, solvents, and adhesives) based on specific properties and
characteristics (e.g., strength, hardness, and flexibility).
Engineering Design
2.1 Identify and explain the steps of the engineering design process, i.e., identify the need
or problem, research the problem, develop possible solutions, select the best possible
solution(s), construct a prototype, test and evaluate, communicate the solution(s), and
redesign.
2.2 Demonstrate methods of representing solutions to a design problem, e.g., sketches,
orthographic projections, multiview drawings.
2.4 Identify appropriate materials, tools, and machines needed to construct a prototype of
a given engineering design.
5. Energy and Power Technologies—Electrical Systems
5.2 Identify and explain the components of a circuit, including sources, conductors,
circuit breakers, fuses, controllers, and loads. Examples of some controllers are switches,
relays, diodes, and variable resistors.
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WK 2 – DAY 2
Building Bridges
Intended Learning Objectives & Purpose: Students will understand that there are three
kinds of forces that operate on any bridge: the dead load, the live load, and the dynamic
load. They will investigate how engineers build bridges by building a model structure of
their own.
Essential Concepts: Dead load refers to the weight of the bridge itself. Like any other
structure, a bridge has a tendency to collapse simply because of the gravitational forces
acting on the materials of which the bridge is made. Live load refers to traffic that moves
across the bridge as well as normal environmental factors such as changes in temperature,
precipitation, and winds. Dynamic load refers to environmental factors that go beyond
normal weather conditions, factor such as sudden gusts of wind and earthquakes. All
three factors must be taken into consideration when building a bridge. Some famous
suspension bridges are: New York’s Brooklyn Bridge, also in NY the George
Washington, a double-decked bridge that connects New Jersey and New York, and in
California the Golden Gate Bridge.
Different types of cables were often used, the main suspension cable in older bridges was
often made from chain or linked bars, but modern bridge cables are made from multiple
strands of wire. This contributes greater redundancy; a few flawed strands in the
hundreds used pose very little threat, whereas a single bad link or eye bar can cause
failure of the entire bridge. (The failure of a single eye bar was found to be the cause of
the collapse of the Silver Bridge over the Ohio River). Another reason is that as spans
increased, engineers were unable to lift larger chains into position, whereas wire strand
cables can be largely prepared in mid-air from a temporary walkway.
A suspension bridge is strong in tension. Parallel cables are stretched the entire length of
the bridge over giant towers. The cables are anchored at each end of the bridge. The
roadway hangs from the cables attached by wire suspenders. The weight of the bridge
and the load on it act to pull apart or stretch the cables. This pulling apart creates tension
forces. It is basically forces in balance that keep a suspension bridge from collapsing.
The cables ride over the towers and anchor at the abutments. Both the towers and
abutments bear the load.
Materials:
Two meters of twine rope for each of the four groups
One wooden plank per group
Procedure:
1. Instruction given after introduction to bridges.
2. Students separated into groups of 3-4
3. Each group will be given an allotted time to construct the most sturdy, stable
bridge that can hold the most weight.
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4. When time is up each group will have books placed on their bridge and will be
judged by the teachers and fellow peers.
Standards addressed:
Technology/Engineering 6-8
5. Construction Technology- Involves building structures in order to contain, shelter,
manufacture, transport, communication, and recreation.
5.2 Identify and describe three major types of bridges. Ex. arch, beam, suspension, and
their appropriate uses. Ex. site, span, resources, and load.
WK 2 DAY 3:
“Oobleck” Slime and States of Matter
Intended Learning Objectives & Purpose: Students will explore the states of matter
and think critically about what kinds of environmental factors (temperature, but also
pressure and others) can influence how a substance or a mixture behaves. They will also
explore the concept of non-Newtonian fluids, and reflect on how this new concept
changes their thinking about states of matter.
Essential Concepts: Based on your prior knowledge of the three states of matter, is it
possible for a substance to be more than one state of matter at the same time? “Oobleck”
slime is a non-Newtonian fluid; that is, it acts like a liquid when being poured, but like a
solid when a force is acting on it. This is not to say that it is both liquid and solid at the
same time, but rather that it behaves like each of these states of matter under different
conditions applied by environmental factors. Careful investigation of the “oobleck” slime
illustrates that a substance or mixture’s state of matter depends not only on temperature,
but on other environmental factors as well. Your manipulation of the slime affects how it
behaves. Finally, your experimentation with the mixture, especially through adding
various amounts of water to it, should illustrate that a specific range of saturation is
required to produce a non-Newtonian fluid. This concept of non-Newtonian fluids is
useful for understanding the ways in which many everyday substances and mixtures
behave.
Other than slime, can you think of other substances that behave as both a solid and a
liquid, depending on how they are handled? (Examples: ketchup, toothpaste, paint,
shampoo, blood, etc.)
Materials:
2 cups of corn starch
1 cup of cold water
One-gallon plastic baggie (one per student)
Green food coloring
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Procedure:
1. In plastic baggie, add 2 cups of corn starch, 1 cup of cold water, and several drops
of green food coloring.
2. Mix the substances together, carefully observing changes in viscosity.
3. Apply pressure to the mixture with your hand, carefully observing differences in
how the mixture acts when standing alone in its container and when you apply
pressure to it.
4. Now add a small amount of water to the mixture, and see how the added liquid
affects the mixture’s behavior both while standing still and when being handled.
Standards addressed:
Physical Science K-5, 2 (review):
2. Identify objects and materials as solid, liquid, or gas. Recognize that solids have a
definite shape and that liquids and gases take the shape of their container.
Physical Science 6-8,
8. Differentiate between mixtures and pure substances.
Physical Science 6-8,
10. Differentiate between physical changes and chemical changes.
WK 3- Day 1
Rock Candy
Intended Learning Objectives & Purpose: Students will learn to make rock candy and
about the growth of crystals from super saturated solutions. They will become familiar
with how solutions work and build on reporting and observing skills.
Essential Concepts: The nature of a crystallization process is governed by both
thermodynamic and kinetic factors, which can make it highly variable and difficult to
control. Factors such as impurity level, mixing regime, vessel design, and cooling profile
can have a major impact on the size, number, and shape of crystals produced.
A crystal is formed following a well-defined pattern, or structure, dictated by forces
acting at the molecular level. As a consequence, during its formation process
the crystal is in an environment where the solute concentration reaches a certain critical
value, before changing status. Solid formation, impossible below the solubility threshold
at the given temperature and pressure conditions, may then take place at a concentration
higher than the theoretical solubility level. The difference between the actual value of the
solute concentration at the crystallization limit and the theoretical (static) solubility
threshold is called super saturation and is a fundamental factor in crystallization
dynamics. Super saturation is the driving force for both the initial nucleation step and the
following crystal growth, both of which could not occur in saturated or under saturated
conditions.
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Now put yourself in the place of a molecule within a pure and perfect crystal, being
heated by an external source. At some sharply defined temperature, a bell rings, you must
leave your neighbors, and the complicated architecture of the crystal collapses to that of a
liquid.
Materials:
Cotton string per students
Wooden dowel or chopstick per students
Water
Cane sugar
1 Cup that can withstand heat or glass jar
Masking tape
Bead or paper clip
Procedure:
1. Teacher asks students how they think that crystals form. How are different types
of solutions made?
2. After brief introduction on the process of crystallization students will receive the
wooden stick and write their name on a piece of masking tape and put it on a jar.
3. Each student’s string will be dipped in water, and then covered in sugar.
4. The stings will be left to dry as the teacher will mix 1 part water to a boil,
followed by adding 2 parts sugar (this is the supersaturated because it has more
solvent, sugar, until it does not dissolve any longer.)
5. Teacher pours the solution into each jar carefully, and the students will add a
paper clip or bead to the end of the string, and carefully let it drop into the
solution by placing wooden stick across the jar to keep it from falling in.
6. Students hang their sticks from the top of their jars to dry with the lids on. They
will observe the experiment’s progress and growth of the crystals the next day at
the beginning of class and take them out on the third day to eat, after observations
are made of course.
Standards addressed: 6-8 Physical Science
Elements, Compounds, and Mixtures
5. Recognize that a substance (element or compound) has a melting point and a boiling
point, both of which are independent of the amount of the sample.
6. Differentiate between physical changes and chemical changes.
Heat Energy
14. Recognize that heat is a form of energy and that temperature change results from
adding or taking away heat from a system.
15. Explain the effect of heat on particle motion through a description of what happens to
particles during a change in phase.
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WK 3- Day 2
Methods of Heat Transfer
Intended Learning Objectives & Purpose: Students will define the 3 ways in which
heat is transferred, tell the difference between a pure substance and a mixture, and be able
to put their knowledge into action by building their own working ovens.
Essential Concepts: Heat is transferred in 3 ways. The first way, conduction, is when it
goes from one particle of matter to another without the movement of matter. Think of a
spoon in a hot cup of cocoa. The spoon is made of metal which is a good conductor. An
example of a bad conductor would be wood. The second way, convection, is when heat is
transferred by the movement of currents within a fluid. Think of a pot of hot water, you
will see the water move as it begins to boil. The flow of hot water creates a circular
motion known as convection current.
These currents can also transfer heated air. As the air is heated molecules move quicker
therefore make more space between them and so becomes less dense and rises up. Then
warm air rises, cool air flows into its place. The third way is radiation, this transfer of
energy happens by electromagnetic waves. Think of standing in front of a fire, unlike the
other two ways, it doesn’t require matter to transfer thermal energy. Another example is
the sun’s energy; it reaches the Earth through millions of kilometers of empty space.
Most materials we see everyday are not elements and compounds, which are pure
substances but mixtures. A mixture is made of 2 or more substances-elements,
compounds or both, that are together in the same place but not chemically combined.
Mixtures differ from compounds in 2 ways, 1) each substance in a mixture keeps its
individual properties. 2) The parts of a mixture are not arranged in a set ratio. There can
be a heterogeneous mixture or a homogonous mixture. A heterogeneous mixture is when
you can see the different parts. Homogeneous mixture is mixed so evenly you can’t see
the different parts. Ex. of heterogeneous mixture is a salad or soil.
Materials:
Cardboard box with 2 inch holes cut into each side
Two sockets and two light bulbs with outlet close enough by
Aluminum foil
Eggs, vegetable oil, brownie mix
Brownie pan
Procedure:
1. Teacher asks the students which method of heat transfer they think is happening
in the inside of an oven.
2. Teacher shows the materials we have to work with and ask, “If I wanted to
produce a convection current, how would I put these together?”
3. Show students ingredients for mixing the brownies then ask, “In order to create
brownies, what do I need to do with these separate substances? (show egg, oil,
and box mix)
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4. Then ask which of these the pure substances are. (egg and oil) What kind of
mixture is the brownie mix? Homogeneous because all of the parts are mixed so
well you cannot see the separate parts.
5. Students have 5 minutes to discuss strategy and 15 minutes of actual building of
the oven while teacher makes brownie mix and gets it ready to be placed in oven.
6. Extra step time permitting-remind students that we learned what a conductor was
and that metals are good conductors. Give them a choice of paper towels, wooden
plaque, and aluminum foil then ask, would you add any of these materials to your
stove to make it a more efficient cooker, and if so why?
7. Brownie mix is placed in the pan and into the finished stove. Students switch to
their next period and if by lunch time the brownies are thoroughly cooked, they
have successfully passed the challenge.
Standards addressed: 6-8 Physical Science
Elements, Compounds, and Mixtures
1. Give examples of elements and compounds.
2. Differentiate between mixtures and pure substances
Heat Energy
1. Recognize that heat is a form of energy and that temperature change results from
adding or taking away heat from a system.
2. Explain the effect of heat on particle motion through a description of what happens to
particles during a change in phase.
3. Give examples of how heat moves in predictable ways, moving from warmer objects
to cooler ones until they reach equilibrium.
Chemistry, High School
1. Properties of Matter
1.2
Explain the difference between pure substances (elements and compounds) and
mixtures. Differentiate between heterogeneous and homogeneous mixtures.
1.3
Describe the three normal states of matter (solid, liquid, gas) in terms of energy,
particle motion, and phase transitions.
WK 3 – Day 3
Analyze Rock Candy Results/Outdoor Explorations
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WK 4 – DAY 1
Density and Heat Transference: Making Lava Lamps
Intended Learning Objectives & Purpose: Students will differentiate between viscosity
and density, and will explain how density is responsible for oil and water not mixing
when poured into the same closed container. Students will explore the ways in which
density affects how a lava lamp works, particularly in relation to heat transference.
Essential Concepts: While oil is more viscous than water, it is actually less dense.
Density is defined as a substance’s mass per unit volume. Oil’s lower density explains
why in this experiment the vegetable oil floats on top of the water when added to the soda
bottle – at least until the Alka-Seltzer is added, which affects the temperature of both the
oil and water. The Alka-Seltzer demonstrates why fluids float up and down in a “real”
lava lamp. As the denser water is heated by the lamp at the bottom of the lava lamp, it
becomes hotter and less dense, causing it to float to the top. On its way to the top of the
lava lamp, it slides past the less dense fluid (wax, in the case of a real lava lamp) that has
been cooling at the top, at the point farthest away from the hot lamp. As this heating and
cooling process continues, the two fluids continue becoming more and less dense and
sinking and floating accordingly. In the case of our home-made lava lamps made during
this experiment, instead of a heat-producing lamp, we use Alka-Seltzer tablets to affect
the density of the liquids and cause them to sink and float past each other.
The Alka-Seltzer tablets react with the water to produce carbon dioxide gas bubbles,
which then stick to the water droplets. The water/gas combination is less dense than the
oil, so they rise to the top of the soda bottle. At the top, the gas bubbles pop and escape
into the air, allowing the dense water to sink back to the bottom again.
Materials:
1 empty two-liter soda bottle
1 liter of vegetable oil
1 liter of cold water
Funnel
5-10 Alka-Seltzer tablets
Food coloring
Procedure:
1. Using the funnel, fill the empty two-liter soda bottle with cold water
2. Using the funnel, add one liter of vegetable oil to the bottle. Observe the
distribution of water and oil in the bottle.
3. Add 5 drops of food coloring; shake the bottle to spread the food coloring evenly.
4. Add Alka-Seltzer tablets to the bottle. Observe the results of adding the tablets to
the water and oil.
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Standards addressed:
Physical Science 6-8,
2. Differentiate between volume and mass. Define density.
8. Differentiate between mixtures and pure substances.
WK 4 – Day 2
Animal Adaptations-Create an Animal to Survive in its Biome
Intended Learning Objectives & Purpose: Students will be able to explain that an
adaptation is a behavior or physical characteristic that allows an organism to live
successfully in its environment. Students will also be able to explain the basic
characteristics of the six major biomes.
Essential Concepts: In order to survive and reproduce, animals must find the best
possible ways of obtaining food, moving around, and protecting themselves against
predators. These adaptations need to be specific for the area the animal lives in. There
are six basis biomes:
1. RAIN FOREST BIOMES Temperate Rain Forests- Northwestern coast of US receives
more than 300 cm of rain per year therefore is considered a rainforest but with moderate
temperatures. The term temperate means having moderate temps. Huge trees like cedars,
redwoods, and Douglas firs grow there.
Tropical Rain Forests- Found in regions close to the equator so the climate is warm and
humid all year long. A ton of variety of plants grow here in fact, scientists studying a
100-sq meter area identified 300 different kinds of trees! And there are 3 distinct layers;
the roof is called the canopy, second layer just below called the under story. Ecologists
estimate that millions of species live here and serve as a source of food for many reptiles,
birds, and mammals. Many of these animals in turn are sources of food for other
animals. This biome probably have more species in the than all the biomes combined.
2. DESERT BIOMES- An area that receives less than 25 cm of rain per year.
Evaporation is greater than precipitation. It can be scorching during the day then cool
rapidly each night, some places such as the Gobi Desert in Asia get down to below
freezing! So, organisms that live here must be adapted to lack of rain and extreme
temperatures. Ex. nocturnal cooler at night, body structures that hold water.
3. GRASSLAND BIOMES- Receive more rain than deserts, but not enough for trees to
grow. They are areas that are populated mostly by grasses and other non-woody plants.
They receive between 25-75 cm of rain per yr. Fire and droughts are common;
grasslands located close to the equator known as savannah receive as much as 120 cm per
year. You will see scattered shrubs and small trees along with the grass.
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Many of the world’s largest animals live here, herbivores such as elephants,
bison, antelopes, zebras, rhinoceros, giraffes, and kangaroos. It is a symbiotic
relationship because grazing by the animals helps maintain the grassland by keeping
young trees and bushes from sprouting and competing with the grass for water and
sunlight.
4. DECIDUOUS FOREST BIOMES- Many of the trees here are deciduous meaning they
shed their leaves and grow new ones each year, ex. oaks & maples. Many salamander
and bird species are found here. It receives enough rain to support the growth of the trees
and plants and gets at least 50 cm of rain per year. Temperatures vary greatly and
growing season lasts about 5-6 months. A variety of plants create many different
habitats. Anything from tiny birds to big black bears can be seen here. If you are here in
the winter you would not see much wildlife, many birds migrate to warm areas and
mammals hibernate (enter a stage of greatly reduced body activity similar to sleep.)
5. BOREAL FORESTS BIOMES- Most trees here are coniferous, produce their seeds in
cones and have leaves shaped like needles. You will sometimes see this biome referred
to by it Russian name the taiga. Winters are very cold and snow can reach heights well
over your head! Summers are rainy enough to melt all the snow. Trees such as fir,
spruce, hemlock, and other coniferous trees, are well adapted to prevent water loss since
water is frozen for much of the year. For instance, they all have thick, waxy needles that
prevent water from evaporating. Animals adapt by eating the seeds produced by the
trees, some even eat the tree bark and new shoots. Ex. Snowshoe hares, moose, beavers,
and some of the herbivores support the large predators like wolves, bears, great horned
owl, and lynxes.
6. TUNDRA BIOMES- No more water here than in a desert. Extremely deep snow and
very short growing season during which time the top layer of soil thaws, but underlying
layers remain frozen, this creates many shallow ponds and marshy areas in the summer.
Plants found here include moss, grasses, and shrubs. Many insects are found here
therefore many insect-eating birds take advantage of this plentiful food and long days (in
the short summer season north of the Arctic Circle, the sun does not set during
midsummer!) But when winter approaches, most birds migrate south. Mammals found
here are caribou, foxes, wolves, and Arctic hares. Some of their adaptations are growing
thick fur coats and scraping away the snow to find lichens to munch on. While wolves
follow the caribou and look for weak members of the herd to prey upon.
It is possible that your animal doesn’t fit into any of these biomes. For instance,
there are many areas where you find only mountains and ice; there are plenty of animals
that live here as it provides a unique ecosystem. Your animal could also be adapted to a
marine environment or other aquatic ecosystem.
Materials:
Googly eye
Feathers
Glue
Construction paper
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Cotton balls
Pipe cleaners
Modeling clay
Markers
Tape
Procedure:
1. Teacher explains that there are 6 main different biomes while passing out a
description of each to each student and that animals need to develop certain
adaptations in order to survive in a specific site.
2. Students take turns reading aloud until all biomes have been discussed.
3. Students are presented with all the different materials and the challenge of using
them to create any imaginary creature that who would flourish in the biome of
their choice.
Standards addressed:
Grades 6-8 Evolution & Biodiversity
12. Relate the extinction of species to a mismatch of adaptation and the environment.
Ex. numerous species could not adapt to habitat destruction and over killing by humans
such as the wooly mammoth and passenger pigeon.
Biology, High School
5.3 Explain how evolution through natural selection can result in changes in biodiversity
through the increase or decrease of genetic diversity in a population
WK 4 Day 3
Constructing Miniature Golf Courses
Intended Learning Objectives: Students will develop math, problem solving, and
teamwork skills as they design, create, and play an indoor miniature golf course.
Essential Concepts: A miniature golf course requires engineering and architectural
knowledge to provide a fun and sometimes challenging environment for mini-golfers. A
design plan must be created before people begin construction otherwise the whole course
could fall apart. After making a prototype from the design, the prototype must be tested
before being presented to society. Any problems that arise from this test run must be
addressed by returning to the original blueprints and changing the necessary pieces in a
number of ways to provide a better, stronger, or more efficient structure. All of these
steps require a variety of people who have different skills and experiences that can
contribute to the end result.
Mini-golf also requires understanding of geometry, which angle can a person aim for the
hole, and physics, which may involve friction, velocity, force, and so on.
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Materials:
Foam pipe warmers
Thick wooden dowels
Thick foam board
75 Solo Cups
Duct Tape
Foam boards
Cardboard/shoeboxes (any that we can find)
Books
Binders
Paper rolls (towels, toilet paper, etc.)
Index cards
Ping pong/golf balls
Paper plates
Sand paper sheets
Paper
Frisbees
Scissors Tape/Glue/Hot Glue Gun
Procedure:
1. In groups and using concepts from the Science and Engineering Standards,
students will design and assemble their own obstacle for an indoor miniature golf.
Learning Standards Addressed:
Engineering Design
2.1 Identify and explain the steps of the engineering design process, i.e., identify the need
or problem, research the problem, develop possible solutions, select the best possible
solution(s), construct a prototype, test and evaluate, communicate the solution(s), and
redesign.
2.2 Demonstrate methods of representing solutions to a design problem, e.g., sketches,
orthographic projections, multiview drawings.
2.3 Describe and explain the purpose of a given prototype.
2.4 Identify appropriate materials, tools, and machines needed to construct a prototype of
a given engineering design.
2.5 Explain how such design features as size, shape, weight, function, and cost limitations
would affect the construction of a given prototype.
Communication Technologies
3.2 Identify and explain the appropriate tools, machines, and electronic devices (e.g.,
drawing tools, computer-aided design, and cameras) used to produce and/or reproduce
design solutions (e.g., engineering drawings, prototypes, and reports).
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Manufacturing Technologies
4.4. Explain basic processes in manufacturing systems, e.g., cutting, shaping, assembling
joining, finishing, quality control, and safety.
Construction Technologies
5.1 Describe and explain parts of a structure (e.g., foundation, flooring, decking, and
wall, roofing systems).
WK 5 -Day 1
The Coffee Can Lung
Intended Learning Objectives & Purpose: Through constructing a model of human
diaphragm students will see that it is a muscle located below the lungs that does all the
work of breathing and the lungs just hold the air. The model will also show that the chest
cavity is an airtight compartment with the dome-shaped diaphragm on the bottom with
the opening to your lungs at the top. When you breathe in or, inhale, the diaphragm
moves down, increasing the volume of the chest. This lowers the air pressure inside your
body so the outside air comes rushing in to fill the lungs. When you breathe out, the
diaphragm moves up, increasing the air pressure in the chest cavity and forcing the air
back out of the lungs.
Materials:
1 large coffee can with both ends removed per group
Gallon sized plastic storage bag
2 large, thick rubber bands
12 inch round balloon
Scissors
Procedure:
1. Have students place their hands on their abdomens and breathe in and out while
teacher asks, “What do you think helps you breathe?” (Possible answers-the
respiratory system i.e. nose, mouth, windpipe, trachea, etc.)
2. Show students teacher model while explaining that the plastic bag inside represents
the lung, and the balloon stretched at the bottom represents a dome-shaped sheet of
muscle called the diaphragm. Explain further that the diaphragm contracts and
relaxes to draw air into the lungs and push it out again.
3. Students predict what would happen if they gently pulled down on the balloon, and
then are invited to “create their own Coffee Can Lung”.
4. Teacher instructs them to place the plastic bag inside the can and drape the edge
around the top of the cylinder. The bag should be fairly loose inside the can.
5. Secure the bag in place with 2 large rubber bands.
6. Cut the balloon’s open tip so that you’re left with a large piece of curved rubber.
Stretch the balloon over the top of the can and secure it with 2 rubber bands.
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7. Students make a prediction about what they think would happen when they pull down
on the balloon at the bottom of the can?
8. Teacher tells them to grasp the balloon at the bottom of the can and gently pull down.
They observe what happens then have them share out what they think is going on one
at a time.
9. Instruct to gently push the balloon up into the can, observe what happens this time.
Have students share why they think this is?
10. Have volunteers one at time using the Coffee Can Lung as a model explain or write in
their journals, “How do you think human lungs work?”
Standards addressed: Grades 6-8
Systems in Living Things
6. Identify the general functions of the major systems of the human body (digestion,
respiration, reproduction, circulation, excretion, protection from disease, and movement,
control, and coordination) and describe ways that these systems interact with each other.
Biology, High School
4. Anatomy and Physiology
4.3
Explain how the respiratory system (nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, lungs, and
alveoli) provides exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
4.5
Explain how the muscular/skeletal system (skeletal, smooth and cardiac muscles,
bones, cartilage, ligaments, tendons) works with other systems to support the body and
allow for movement.
WK 5 – DAY 2
Surface tension: Pennies
Intended Learning Objectives & Purpose: Students will explore how surface tension
acts upon objects in water, and will investigate how much weight (that is, gravitational
pull) is needed to “break” surface tension.
Essential Concepts: The chemical bonds between atoms in water are strong enough to
create a kind of resistance called surface tension, which can in turn cause an object to
float on the surface of a body of water rather than sinking. The more pennies you add to
the cup, the closer you get to breaking these chemical bonds and causing the plastic cup
to sink below the surface and to the bottom of the container. Both these chemical bonds
and the resulting surface tension act in resistance to the force of gravity, which is
increasingly pulling the cup downward with each penny added to it. The force of gravity
eventually outweighs surface tension, bursting the chemical bonds keeping the cup at the
surface and causing it to sink. This experiment illustrates how two or more competing
forces of nature can act simultaneously on the same object, affecting its behavior in
diverse ways.
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Materials:
Plastic cup
Bucket of cold water
50-75 pennies per group
Procedure:
1. Place an empty plastic cup into a bucket of cold water, allowing it to float at the
surface.
2. Add one penny at a time to the plastic cup, observing the effects of the added
weight on the cup’s position in relation to the surface of the water.
3. Continue adding pennies to the cup until the cup sinks below the surface and to
the bottom of the container.
Standards addressed:
Earth and Space Science 6-8,
1. Recognize that gravity is a force that pulls all things on and near the earth toward the
center of the earth. Gravity plays a major role in the formation of the planets, stars, and
solar systems and in determining their motions.
High School Chemistry
4.5 (preview). Identify how hydrogen bonding in water affects a variety of physical,
chemical, and biological phenomena (e.g., surface tension, density, boiling point).
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