DHMO - To ban or not?

Wow! This semester has flown by like a peregrine falcon on the chase! Thanks for the great conversations and hard work. Today, we will end the semester by having a debate on a topic that has come up in the news:

From National Public Radio (United States)
"A Web site is raising alarm about the chemical compound dihydrogen monoxide. The odorless, colorless substance is abundantly available in liquid, solid and gaseous form. Its basis is the unstable radical hydroxide, the components of which are found in a number of caustic, explosive and poisonous compounds. One city in Orange County, Calif., considered banning Styrofoam cups because they contained the compound."

Website: DHMO Homepage

This is a big debate and you have only a little time to prepare. Should this compound be banned?

Time frame:

• Introduction - 5 minute
• Team discussion / prepare position - until 1:05
• ***While the two teams prepare, the members from the Orange County Commissioners Office will develop the criteria to decide whether DHMO will be banned or not.
• Presentation of criteria
• 1:10 - Debate begins
• 1:35 - Comments from County Commissioners

Inquiry Day!

What a beautiful day! I'm excited that everyone has an opportunity to get outside and collect data. The positive side of all the rain is that our Acid-Rain Mythbusters group can finally get some data about the rain. Yay!

By now, you have done research on your topic, designed maps of the AST campus that shows the location of your sample sites and created procedures to collect data. You have used these procedures to collect several months worth of data. Today is the last data collection point of 2012. By the beginning of class on Tuesday, your data should be updated on both the hallway board and your web page.

On Tuesday, the first half of the class will be provided for you to finalize a quick presentation about your project. The presentation needs to run off of your web page. This means that the class computer (currently hooked up to the projector) can find your web page and run your presentation without any delay.

Your 5-minute presentation must include:

• Current graph(s) of your data (includes today's data point)
• An explanation of trends in this data.
• Something that you have learned or been surprised about.
• A topic / question that you want immediate feedback on from your peer-scientists.
• Visuals

Groups:

	Dr. Leaf
	Dust How does the quality of air change through out the year?
	JArs of light science
	Soiltologists
	The Owl Observers How Does The Water In The Pond Changes Throughout The Year
	The Pond
	The Raindrops How does the pH in rainwater change through out the year?

Mixtures II

Content Objectives:

1. I will refine my understanding of the Law of Conservation of Mass through discussions with peers. We will relate our ideas to the candle burning experiment.
2. I will distinguish between processes creating mixtures and compounds.

December Process Words

• Adapt (6, 7, 8th grade)
• Verify (6, 7, 8th grade)
• Establish (7, 8th grade)
• Relate (7, 8th grade)
• Assess (8th grade)
• Clarify (8th grade)

Upcoming Schedule:

• Wednesday 12/12: Continued investigation of mixtures
• Friday 12/14: Inquiry Day! (see bottom of post)
• Tuesday 12/18: Inquiry Project Update

Today

Last class, your group created a data table and understood possibilities of various tests. Today, your task is to analyze each sample to then apply your knowledge to finding the correct mixture.

Inquiry Update

On December 14, we will collect data for the last time this calendar year. On that day the following items are due in one report (Please slowly go through the rubric to make sure you capture all of the items! If you have questions, please ask):

1. Background Section - this section provides the scientific basis for your project while also grounding it on the AST campus. Your question should be in this section.
2. Hypothesis - In the background, you let the reader know the general idea of what you are investigating. Now, let us know your hypothesis.
3. Variable List
4. Procedure

You will then collect data on December 14. By class on Tuesday, Dec 18 your data tables should be updated on both the wall outside of the classroom and your web page. Your report for the day of sampling should be updated on your web page.

Mixtures I

Content Objectives:

1. I will refine my understanding of the Law of Conservation of Mass through discussions with peers. We will relate our ideas to the candle burning experiment.
2. I will distinguish between processes creating mixtures and compounds.

December Process Words

• Adapt (6, 7, 8th grade)
• Verify (6, 7, 8th grade)
• Establish (7, 8th grade)
• Relate (7, 8th grade)
• Assess (8th grade)
• Clarify (8th grade)

Upcoming Schedule:

• Thursday 12/6: Conservation of Mass
• Monday 12/10: Mixtures - What are differences between compounds and mixtures?
• Wednesday 12/12: Continued investigation of mixtures vs compounds.
• Friday 12/14: Inquiry Day! (see bottom of post)
• Tuesday 12/18: Inquiry Project Update

With the people at your table, please do the following:

1. Each person reads his/her connection to the Law of Conservation of Mass & the candle experiment out loud. On the white board, list the main idea of this person's writing. (No judgments! Let's hear all ideas and then work from there.)
2. What are the similarities between the ideas? List / describe
3. What are the differences? List / describe
4. How can the differences be resolved? Come up with a connection that all members of the table agree upon.
5. Make a drawing of the candle reaction. Include reactants and products. Relate to the law of conservation of mass.

Aaah! Somebody messed up Mrs. Claus' cookie recipe. You have been tasked with determining the correct mixture of ingredients. How will your group record testing results so that you can help her out when she brings the bags on Wednesday?

Law of Conservation of Mass

What is this infographic asking you to do / think about?

What does it mean to "conserve"?

Don't Break the Law

• What law is discussed? 
• How can the law be "broken"?

Content Objectives:

1. Explain the Law of Conservation of Mass
2. Design an experiment that can test the Law of Conservation of Mass.

Language Objectives

1. Using full sentences, describe connections between the law of conservation of mass and past experiments.

December Process Words

• Adapt (6, 7, 8th grade)
• Verify (6, 7, 8th grade)
• Establish (7, 8th grade)
• Relate (7, 8th grade)
• Assess (8th grade)
• Clarify (8th grade)

Upcoming Schedule:

• Thursday 12/6: Conservation of Mass
• Monday 12/10: Mixtures - What are differences between reactions and mixtures?
• Wednesday 12/12: Assessment (Reactions / Mixtures)
• Friday 12/14: Inquiry Day! (see bottom of post)
• Tuesday 12/18: Inquiry Project Update

Law of Conservation of Mass

How can your group test the Law of Conservation of Mass?

Create an experiment using the baking soda / vinegar reaction to test the law of conservation of mass.

Task

1. Modify the lab to test the law of conservation of mass.
2. Put the law of conservation of mass into context of this experiment. What happened? How was mass "conserved"?

Whiteboards will be used to present experiment and discussion.

• Brief overview of experiment
• Data table
• Observations
• Connection to Law of Conservation of Mass.

Exit note: Return to the candle experiment. How can you use this experiment to describe the Law of Conservation of Mass?

Support Reading: Chemical Interactions (chapter 3.2, p.78-84)

Review Questions
p. 84 (1-6)

Inquiry Update

On December 14, we will collect data for the last time this calendar year. On that day the following items are due in one report (Please slowly go through the rubric to make sure you capture all of the items! If you have questions, please ask):

1. Background Section - this section provides the scientific basis for your project while also grounding it on the AST campus. Your question should be in this section.
2. Hypothesis - In the background, you let the reader know the general idea of what you are investigating. Now, let us know your hypothesis.
3. Variable List
4. Procedure

You will then collect data on December 14. By class on Tuesday, Dec 18 your data tables should be updated on both the wall outside of the classroom and your web page. Your report for the day of sampling should be updated on your web page.

So, how does the candle maintain a flame?

Last week was a great one for investigation. I was impressed by the ways everyone managed to test ideas. Today, we will sum up the your experiments.

What was the "magic trick" and what clue did it give you about the fuel for combustion?

Visual Requirements:

The visual should contain the following content:

1. Show the questions and the initial thoughts of each person (candle fuel).
2. Process - go through each item that was possibly a material of combustion. For each, explain how you tested and how you determined that it was/was not a material of combustion.
3. Analysis - describe the role of each material of a candle in combustion.
4. Equation of Combustion
1. What are the reactants? How did you demonstrate that oxygen is required?
2. What are the products? How did you demonstrate that water vapor is produced?
5. Learning - what did you learn through this process
6. Error analysis please discuss potential sources of error and a follow-up you are interested in pursuing."
7. Improvements to this inquiry -  how can it be improved?
8. Future questions - what are you interested in as a follow-up to this lab.

In addition, please don't forget that this is a visual, not a report. Drawings and sketches are needed!

Inquiry Update

On December 14, we will collect data for the last time this calendar year. On that day the following items are due in one report (Please slowly go through the rubric to make sure you capture all of the items! If you have questions, please ask):

1. Background Section - this section provides the scientific basis for your project while also grounding it on the AST campus. Your question should be in this section.
2. Hypothesis - In the background, you let the reader know the general idea of what you are investigating. Now, let us know your hypothesis.
3. Variable List
4. Procedure

You will then collect data on December 14. By class on Tuesday, Dec 18 your data tables should be updated on both the wall outside of the classroom and your web page. Your report for the day of sampling should be updated on your web page.