9th Grade Biology/11th Grade Chemistry by Kimberly Minerva

Types of Reactions/Conservation of Mass

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:17:39 UTC

Burning steel wool results in an increase in mass- due to a synthesis reaction

Total Bond Energy

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:19:28 UTC

In this high school physical sciences unit, students investigate why some substances absorb heat when they react, while others release it. Students first solve the mystery of where energy goes in endothermic reactions by examining salt dissolution and using magnets as models for bonds. They then expand their investigations to look into where the energy comes from in exothermic reactions. The model they continue to develop with magnets helps students account for why breaking bonds absorbs energy from the surroundings while forming bonds releases energy into the surroundings. The end of the unit naturally motivates a new question to pursue in future units, “Why are some types of particles more attracted to one another than others?"

Why Don't Antibiotics Work Like They Used To?

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:21:40 UTC

This high school unit on natural selection and evolution starts out with students exploring the case of a young girl with a life-threatening infection of pan-resistant bacteria. This case sparks questions that lead them to investigate the growing prevalence of such cases and discrepancies between antibiotic use in their communities and CDC recommendations. As they develop a model to explain how bacteria populations change over time, students expand their investigations to look at whether similar population changes are occurring in a population of birds

How Do Small Changes Make Big Impacts on Ecosystems?

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:22:51 UTC

Students start out examining data of the buffalo population in the Serengeti over the past fifty years. Competing ideas for why the population skyrocketed in a short period of time and then collapsed sometime later motivates students to investigate a variety of additional data sources. Exploration of each new data source raises further questions, and more potential suspects to investigate. As each new suspect is tracked down (resource competition, climate change, seasonal rainfall patterns, predators, disease, and fire), students incrementally develop a more and more complex ecosystem model that accounts for why some populations grow, some collapse, and others remain stable in the same ecosystem.

Water Simulation

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:23:51 UTC

Water molecules are observed at various temperatures. It can be observed that one side of the molecule is negative and one side is positive and that the positive and negative charges attempt to align themselves. This could be a great simulation to introduce polarity. Students may be given time to play around with the simulation and then be asked to determine what is causing this difference in charge distribution.

ChemThink: Ionic Bonding Simulation

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:25:48 UTC

Students progress through this interactive simulation in which they learn about ionic bonds and how ionic solids form crystals. This could be used as a follow up (explore) to the phenomenon “Why can’t we melt salt?”

The Cheerios Effect

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:26:56 UTC

5 minute video discussing how the properties of adhesion, cohesion, and surface tension of water cause Cheerios to stick together or to the sides of the bowl in a bowl of cereal. Could be used as a phenomenon for introducing intermolecular forces.

NOVA: Evolution Lab

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:28:20 UTC

Students build phylogenetic trees using information about different related species. It’s a great interactive tool for students to learn the connection between genetics and evolution.

Intermolecular Forces

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:29:48 UTC

Video: Whiteboard ink floats on water- does not dissolve- different polarities

Mentos and Soda

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:31:03 UTC

Video: Dropping mentos into diet coke causes the carbon dioxide in the soda to escape the bottle very quickly due to the microscopic bumps on the Mentos candy.

RNA Virtual Lab Game

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:31:52 UTC

Game from NOVA which enables students to build molecules of RNA and interact with them to build a protein.

Melting and Boiling Simulation

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:32:42 UTC

This simulation allows students to observe what happens to water molecules as they go from solid to liquid to gas. This could be used as a way to demonstrate that temperature is defined as average kinetic energy or to present the phenomenon that the temperature of water does not change when a phase change is occurring.

Runner's High

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:33:44 UTC

Video: The "runner's high" is a feeling of euphoria that occurs during and after strenuous exercise. Research has show that this occurs when endorphins are released in the peripheral nervous system and eventually bind to receptors in the brain. Endorphins are mainly used to block pain in the body.

Cell Transport Simulation

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:34:35 UTC

Students are presented with a cell membrane with various embedded proteins (aquaporins, ion channels, GLUT transporters, etc.) They click on various molecules (o2, co2, glucose, sodium, potassium) and see how they are transported (either straight through the lipids, through channels, exocytosis). It is a way for them to explore the various forms of transport and which molecules require energy in order to enter the cell.

Evolution Phet Simulation

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:35:21 UTC

Students can manipulate the color of the environment (brown or white) and the color of bunnies (brown or white) and then introduce either a predator or limited food and observe what happens to the ratio of brown to white bunnies over time.

NOVA: Polar Lab

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:35:53 UTC

Students go on a virtual expedition to discover how the poles are the keys to learning more about Earth and climate change.

Virtual Microscope: Human Tissue

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:36:36 UTC

Students look at five different tissue samples under a virtual microscope: cartilage, liver, stomach, fat, and heart muscle. Great way to observe how structure relates to function!

A Look Inside the Digestive System

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:37:13 UTC

Students learn the pathway food takes through the digestive system and view real images of what the organs look like from the inside

Heating and Cooling a Liquid

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:38:29 UTC

Students increase the temperature of a liquid and observe what happens to the speed and motion of the particles. Can be used to investigate the phenomenon of a reaction occurring at a faster rate at a higher temperature.

Phet Simulation: Heat Transfer

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:39:08 UTC

Students manipulate iron and brick, can heat up the objects, use a thermometer to determine temperature and then observe how the heat gets transferred (from the hotter object to colder object).

Phet Simulation: Gas Laws

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:39:46 UTC

Students can manipulate variables (pressure, temperature, and volume) and observe how the variables are related to one another in order to determine the various gas laws. Great to use as an intro to each gas law…have students determine relationships themselves and then practice calculations.

NOAA: Understanding Coastal and Ocean Acidification

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:40:56 UTC

Students progress through a series of 5 levels of increasing difficulty in which they analyze graphs of atmospheric CO2 levels over time, ocean pH levels over time, and analyze ocean pH levels near the coast in order to learn about the impact of global warming on ocean pH levels. Student worksheets for each level are provided. Also great for differentiation!

Investigating Coral Bleaching Using Data in the Classroom

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:41:55 UTC

Students progress through a series of 5 levels of increasing difficulty in which they analyze maps of coral reefs, graphs of “degree heating weeks” and make observations about the appearance of reefs in various locations in order to learn about the impact of rising ocean temperatures on coral reef ecosystems. This activity is great for differentiation as students of varying ability levels will have different expectations for how many levels to complete.

STEMonstrations: Surface Tension of Water in Space

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:42:33 UTC

Video of an astronaut demonstrating surface tension of water in space. Activity in which students place drops

Spacecraft Materials and the Chemistry of Space Exploration

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:43:13 UTC

Students place different metals into solutions of copper (II) sulfate and rank their reactivity. Used to determine which metal should be used to create a spacecraft that will be going to a planet containing large amounts of copper (II) sulfate.

How Warming Water Causes Sea Level Rise

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:43:47 UTC

Students set up a simple experiment by filling a water bottle to the top with water, inserting a straw, and placing the water bottle near a heat source. Students measure the height of the water in the straw and the temperature of the water.

Mutation Simulation

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:44:25 UTC

Students can alter a segment of DNA, then transcribe and translate it to observe the effect on the final protein product.

Diffusion Across a Semipermeable Membrane

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:44:54 UTC

Students set the concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide on both sides of a plasma membrane as either “low” or “high” and then observe what happens when the molecules are permitted to move freely.

Hydrogen Bonds: A Special Kind of Attraction

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:45:36 UTC

Students can observe the dipoles on a water molecule and how adjacent dipoles interact with one another. Temperature and speed can be manipulated.

Cold Metal

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:46:09 UTC

Students place their hands on different materials (wood, styrofoam, plastic, metal, etc.) and rank them in terms of their apparent temperature. Then they use an infrared thermometer to measure the temperature of each material, only to find they are all at room temperature.

Sizing Up Temperature: Explore Charles’ Law in a Syringe

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:46:43 UTC

Quick Lab on Charles’ Law: Students submerge syringes of room temperature water into beakers of water of various temperatures (cold, cool, warm, hot) and record the volume change in the syringe.

Boyle-ing Water: Watch Water Boil at Room Temperature

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:47:14 UTC

Room temperature water is placed in a syringe. As the pressure is increased on the syringe, bubbles will begin to form in the liquid.

Aluminum Air Battery

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:47:57 UTC

Students use redox chemistry to create a battery using aluminum foil, a paper towel soaked in salt water, and activated charcoal

Malaria and Sickle-Cell Anemia

kbruno1211 — 2024-01-12 02:49:57 UTC

HHMI Video: Being a carrier for the sickle cell gene provides resistance from malaria