LIBRARY
Michig State
University

LII: I

 

 

 

This is to certify that the
thesis entitled

USING TRADITIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY
SOURCES AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AS A
THEME FOR TEACHING HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY

presented by
Heather C. Lemon

has been accepted towards fulfillment
of the requirements for the

MS. degree in Physical Science-

Interdepartmental
% (céwtr ”"’
' /

Major rofessor’s Signature
J1; Iago;

Date

 

 
 

MSU is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer

 

 

 

PLACE IN RETURN BOX to remove this checkout from your record.
TO AVOID FINES return on or before date due.
MAY BE RECALLED with earlier due date if requested.

 

DATE DUE DATE DUE DATE DUE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5/08 K:lProj/Acc&Pres/CIRClDaIeDue indd

 

USING TRADITIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES
AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AS A THEME FOR
TEACHING HIGH SCHOOL CHEMISTRY
By

Heather C. Lemon

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree Of

MASTER OF SCIENCE
Physical Science-Interdepartmental

2009

ABSTRACT
USING TRADITIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES AND THEIR
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AS A THEME FOR TEACHING HIGH SCHOOL
CHEMISTRY
By
Heather C. Lemon
The purpose of my research was to increase student interest and content
knowledge in chemistry by using the theme of traditional and alternative energy and their
effects on the environment in my high school general chemistry courses. Students have
been exposed to these ideas through the news, and the real-world connection engaged
student interest. This theme involved an interdisciplinary approach, using information
from courses they have already taken, such as Biology, Physics, and Earth Science.

Activities and labs within the theme were used to teach conservation of mass, balancing,

chemical reactions, therrnochemistry, and electrochemistry.

My thesis is first and foremost dedicated to my wonderful mom and dad, who
have been endlessly supportive and have always been there for me 100%. To my brother
and sister, Zachary and Shannon, who always encouraged me and when I needed it most.
To the greatest little brothers in the world (I have data), Gabriel and Tristan, who wanted

status reports on my progress every day. I love you all so much.
This thesis is dedicated to the memory of my grandpa, Ray Holton, who passed

away during my research, but was so excited for me and supportive of me in the pursuit

of my degree. I love and miss you, grandpa.

iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to thank Dr. Merle Heidemann for excellent advice throughout the program and
revision suggestions. Also, I would like to acknowledge Dr. Ken Nadler for very
interesting conversations about alternative energy, and for his helpful pushes forward in

my biodiesel investigations.

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

List Of Tables ......................................................... vii
List Of Figures ......................................................... viii
Introduction ............................................................ 1
Implementation ....................................................... 10
Activity Summary ............................................ 11
Personal Reflections on Activities’ Success ............ 18
Results/Evaluation .................................................... 24
Discussion And Conclusion ....................................... 42
Appendices
l-Pre Survey ................................................................ 47
2-Pre Test .................................................... 48
3-Paper Clip Balancing .................................... 50
4-Environmentally Themed Reaction Type Demos... 51
5-Conservation of Mass Lab .............................. 53
6-Reaction Types Lab ...................................... 55
7-Post Test Part 1 ............................................ 6O
8-Coral Chemistry Article ................................. 62
9-Biodiesel Lab Part 1 ...................................... 63
10-Article ..................................................... 65
ll-Refining Aluminum Video Questions ................ 66
12-Biofuel Lab Part 2 ....................................... 67
l3-Battery Design Lab ....................................... 69
14-Hydrogen Hopes DVD Guidelines .................... 7O
lS-Alternative Energy Project ............................. 71
16-Post Test Part 2 .......................................... 72
l7-Post Survey .............................................. 73
References ............................................................... 75

LIST OF TABLES

l-Summary of Theme Activities ...........................................
2-Non Common Pre Survey Responses Organized By Percentage...
3-Non Common Post Survey Responses Organized By Percentage...
4-Post Survey Evaluation of Activities’ “Helpfulness” ..................

S-Comparison of Pre & Post Test Results .................................

vi

11

28

31

33

35

LIST OF FIGURES

l-Pre & Post Survey Comparison—“I am interested in science.” ......

99

2-Pre & Post Survey Comparison—“I am interested in chemistry.

6

3-Pre & Post Survey Comparison— ‘1 am interested in learning

about the environment and our possible impact on the world”. . . ..

G

4-Pre & Post Survey Comparison— ‘1 pay attention to news
stories about the environment and alternative sources of

energy.” .....................................................................

5-Pre & Post Survey Comparison—“I feel like I understand the
science behind news stories about the environment and

alternative sources Of energy.” ...........................................

6-Pre & Post Test Results Comparison ....................................

vii

24

25

26

27

28

39

I. Introduction

Whereas many high school science classes Often have compartmentalized topics,
students can learn one unit, and the following unit may be on a completely unrelated topic,
for the most part, high school chemistry tends to build upon itself. As my mentor teacher
used to say, you are not allowed to forget anything. Students’ attention may fluctuate
throughout the school year, and because chemistry is so cumulative, it can be time
consuming and difficult for students to “jump back in” and learn chemistry again, since
Often students must go back and learn previous material before being able to understand
the current material.

Senioritis can be a huge grade-killer, and these poor grades can be devastating to
students’ college plans. Students are also missing an opportunity to build the skills they
need in order to make them successful science students in college. Some students in my
class do not plan to go into science and have a challenging class schedule. When the end
of the term approaches and the homework becomes overwhelming, they decide to focus
on classes in their future field of study. This behavior is understandable, but when they
try to catch up on their chemistry, they face an even bigger challenge, as they step back to
catch up on the old material before focusing on the new unit.

With an increased funding for research in different forms of energy production and
our impact on the environment, we are being bombarded daily by news articles and
updated information. While many of the emerging sources of energy may be considered
cutting edge science, fundamentally they tend to break down into simple chemistry
concepts that are taught at the high school level. (Weyman, 2009) Students are

increasingly aware of the implications of human actions on the environment and what can

be done in order to decrease our impact. As a result, many students are naturally curious
about how energy is converted and how byproducts can harm the environment, as well as
how these methods of energy conversion can be improved. As a result, this interest should
translate into greater motivation and focus in the classroom. By utilizing the theme of
traditional and alternative energy sources and their environmental impact, students can see
a direct connection between their life and what they learn in the classroom. This
connection gives students a direct context to their learning, allowing abstract concepts to
become more concrete (Eick, Deutsch, Fuller, and Scott, 2008).

Prompted by seeing students last school year get very excited and interested in an
environmental application, I decided to harness this interest in order to increase student
motivation and learning.

As a result of this interest, the focus of my study is to assess the benefit of using
traditional and alternative energy sources and their environmental impact as a theme, in
order to engage student interest and increase their knowledge about the science behind
these principles and the underlying content concerning chemical reactions, batteries, and
thermochemistry. Student interest and knowledge about the science behind the topics in
my theme were assessed using pre- and post-surveys, where common questions were
evaluated with a T-Test, to determine if the change is statistically significant. The level of
student understanding of chemical reactions, batteries, and thermochemistry was
determined by pre- and post-test results in answering questions constructed using the
Indiana State Standards. In keeping with my school and district goals, 1 determined

whether students earned an average score Of at least 70% per question.

Thematic instruction involves integrating overarching themes into the curriculum,
often with real-world applications, incorporating multiple subject areas and methods of
instruction. Commonly, elementary and middle school teachers utilize one comprehensive
theme, which is incorporated through the entire school year. High school and middle
school teachers often instruct using themes over smaller sections of the curriculum, as
applicable, and may utilize multiple themes throughout the course.

Research has revealed that thematic instruction can be a powerful technique in the
classroom, benefiting student interest and engagement in course content. (Focus on
Effectiveness Webpage, 2005).

The literature suggests that thematic teaching also helps students make connections
and organize the new material more easily in their minds (Caine & Caine, 1997). Perhaps
as a result of this phenomenon, studies have shown that thematic teaching increases
student achievement (Bean, 1997; Kovalik, 1994).

Thematic teaching often incorporates multiple subject areas, thus utilizing an
integrated approach. Integrated instruction allows students to make connections between
topics they already know, giving them a deeper understanding of the underlying
principles. This contextualized knowledge allows students to answer questions faster and
allow them to apply what they have learned in new ways. (Lipson, 1993)

Thematic teaching also Often incorporates many different approaches to projects, taking
into consideration students’ different strengths, in keeping with the theory of multiple
intelligences. Material was presented in a variety of ways, helping students who learn best

linguistically, logically, spatially, and kinesthetically. These approaches can also give

students a more rounded view of the material being covered, experiencing lessons by
using different approaches (Gardner, 1993).

In utilizing my theme of traditional and alternative sources of energy and their
impact on the environment, I have developed many new activities, incorporating a range
of approaches and methods of assessment. The teaching theme was incorporated through
labs both with given and student-generated procedures, video clips of simulations and
applications, independent student research and a culminating group project, integrating
and applying what they had learned in order to determine the best choices for their group.

I considered the theme to be one of a range of effective teaching strategies at my disposal
throughout the school year, and the theme was only used when it fit with the material
being covered. As a result, the theme was taught mostly during the second semester, and
it was not utilized in every lesson during that time period.

The topics taught while using the theme are not merely direct applications of
Chemistry knowledge, but they also incorporated a wide range of other fields, both inside
and outside of science. These interdisciplinary connections allow for practical applications
to help enrich the standards-driven curriculum, which can also increase student
knowledge. The literature indicates that an interdisciplinary approach is beneficial in
helping students to more fully understand and learn new material (Perkins, 1986).

Within the context Of my chemistry class, some terms may have more specific,
limited definitions. Energy is considered the ability to do work, which includes kinetic
energy, electrical, radiant, thermal, and energy stored in chemical bonds. Students also
learned that energy is transferred, or converted from one type of energy to another, that

this process is often not efficient, causing usable energy to change into a less useful form

energy. An example of this is a traditional car engine - a chemical reaction occurs,
releasing energy, but not all of that energy can be used to drive the car; some of this
energy is converted to thermal energy, heating the car engine and the atmosphere.

This interdisciplinary teaching theme incorporates concepts form biology, physics,
engineering, earth science, and ecology. Biological applications are inherent in the
Carbon Cycle, which partially explains where carbon dioxide “comes from” and “goes to”
during combustion, as well as how the biological processes of photosynthetic organisms
can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Physics and engineering are required in
order to develop motors, generators and other devices that run and store energy more
efficiently. Engineers are developing and identifying the optimal materials for more
efficient solar panels. All sources of energy utilize some form of energy conversion, from
chemical reactions to mechanical and thermal energy in a traditional internal combustion
engine, or from the Wind’s mechanical energy turning a turbine, and converting into
electrical energy. A knowledge of earth science and ecology is also critical in order to
more deeply understand these topics: from the effect of greenhouse gases on the planet’s

temperature to the potential of removing some of those gases through carbon

sequestration. (Carbon sequestration can be achieved by pumping C02 underground

basalt deposits in order for form insoluble carbonate salts such as calcite [CaCO3] or

dolomite [CaMg(CO3)2] at high pressure (Science Friday, 2008) Economic factors guide

innovation in businesses, where the sciences are applied to solve real world problems,

which should lead to a profit for the company funding research into alternative energy
sources.

Because this theme encompasses multiple chemistry concepts, including
conservation of mass, balancing chemical equations, reaction types, redox chemistry,
predicting products, and themochemistry, the summary of the primary scientific ideas is
rather long, and is summarized in the next several paragraphs.

Conservation of Mass is a scientific principle that states that matter cannot be
created or destroyed. This means that the total mass of reactants will equal the total mass
of the products, and that atoms will not disappear or suddenly pop into existence, as if by
magic. If experimentally detemiined results suggest that mass may have been destroyed,
then that could be due to products that were not recovered due to poor lab technique
(spilled on the lab bench, coating beakers, etc.) or the formation of a gas that was not
collected. The concept of conservation of mass leads to the idea of balancing chemical
equations. Chemical equations are balanced by changing the coefficient in front of each
molecule’s formula, in order to represent how many Of each molecule must react or be
formed as a product. In a balanced chemical equation, the number of each atom must be
the same on the reactants and products side, thus showing conservation of mass.

In my high school curriculum, students learn about the following reaction types
and how to predict their products: synthesis, decomposition, single replacement, double
replacement (including acid-base neutralization), and combustion. Synthesis reactions
have products that are more complex than their reactants, and frequently within the scope
Of my class they involve the formation of a polyatomic ion or common molecules. An

example of a synthesis reaction is the formation of water from hydrogen and oxygen gas.

Decomposition can be considered the reverse of a synthesis reaction, where the products
are less complex than the reactants, and molecules are broken down. An example of a
decomposition reaction would be the electrolysis of water, forming hydrogen and oxygen
gas. Single replacement reactions involve one atom taking the place of another in a
molecule, according to the activity series. When looking at the activity series, higher
atoms can replace lower atoms, and cations replace cations, while anions replace anions.
The general format of the reaction is A + BX -) AX + B. An analogy for this would be if
a couple are ballroom dancing, and another man walks up, taps the male dancer on the
shoulder, and asks to cut in. Now, the man who was dancing earlier is standing on the
dancefloor alone. An example of a single replacement reaction is magnesium metal
reacting with hydrochloric acid, forming aqueous magnesium chloride and hydrogen gas.
Hydrogen was replaced by magnesium, leaving hydrogen alone. Double replacement
reactions contain two binary molecules, where anions replace anions and cations replace
cations. A chemical reaction occurs if a solid, liquid, or a gas is formed. The general
format for the reaction is AX + BY 9 AY + BX. An analogy for this would be two
couples participating in the TV show Wife Swap. An example Of a double replacement
reaction is precipitating transition metals from solution, such as sodium iodide reacting
with lead (11) nitrate to form sodium nitrate and solid yellow lead (11) iodide. In my
chemistry curriculum, combustion reactions are limited to molecules with carbon and
hydrogen reacting with oxygen gas to form carbon dioxide and water vapor. An example
of a combustion reaction would be a log burning in a campfire.

Synthesis, decomposition, single replacement, and combustion are special cases

of oxidation-reduction reactions, which describes an atom being oxidized and losing

electrons, and another atom is gaining those electrons and being reduced. Students also
learned the required parts of the electrochemical cell, how electrons spontaneously flowed
in a battery from anode, where oxidation occurs, to cathode, where reduction occurs, and

that they can determine what will be oxidized and reduced by consulting their Standard

Reduction Potentials table, where Ecell = Ereduced + Boxidized- If Ecell is positive,

then the reaction is spontaneous and the battery will work as written.

The heat energy required or released in a physical change can be calculated by the
equation q=mch, where q is heat energy, m is mass, c is the specific heat capacity, which
varies according to the substance, and dT is the change in temperature. The heat energy
required or released during a phase change is calculated by the constant for the latent heat
of the substance being analyzed.

Most of my students take chemistry during their senior year as an elective, and
have already taken biology, genetics and physics. These classes provide them with a
scientific background and context to build on. These previous experiences allowed me to
make connections with other subject areas without having to spend a lot Of time teaching
fundamental concepts from other classes. This allowed me to save time, giving me more
freedom to incorporate these new activities, many of which are more time consuming than
the ones they are replacing.

Talk among students in school is that my chemistry class is challenging, but that I
am a fun teacher and the labs are cool. As a result, enrollment is high for my class, even
though it is an “elective” science class (beyond what is required for graduation). Some of

my students are capable but unmotivated, who walk into class on the first day and tell me

they have no intention of doing any homework or taking notes; they just want to do the
labs and “take in” chemistry.

My students are taking first year general chemistry as an elective course, mostly
during their senior year. For the most part, they are college bound or career motivated
students. My students attend Memorial High School in Elkhart, Indiana, one Of two city
secondary schools, each with a population of around 1800 students. At Memorial High
School, 43% of the students are eligible for free or reduced lunch. Demographically,
Memorial is 65% white, 17% black, 13% Hispanic, and 5% from a combination of other
ethnic groups. (Great Schools Webpage, 2009) Geography also plays a role in Elkhart’s
diversity. Located within a 15 minute drive both to a Chicago commuter train line and a
large Mennonite community, where horse drawn buggy is a common means of
transportation, Elkhart is a city with small town values and urban problems.

Manufacturing of RVs and cabinets has been the major source of employment, and
many of these jobs were lost during this school year, with unemployment skyrocketing to
nearly 20%. These circumstances have changed between conducting my research for this
project and teaching it. My students were accustomed to easy to find, stable, well paid
employment without requiring a high school diploma, available at several businesses in
town. Within this school year these opportunities have suddenly become very rare; the
manufacturing industry is no longer full of secure, stable jobs. These realities suddenly
are suddenly something that students must face, and try to adjust their plans for the future.

During my research for this project, I had an excellent opportunity to delve into
current events and newer applications in alternative sources Of energy. I also spent time

learning the details about how biology, organic chemistry, general chemistry, physics, and

ecology overlap with respect to the current energy science applications, as well as what
my students have learned from their previous science classes. I found far fewer peer-
reviewed articles that incorporated energy science lessons for a chemistry classroom than I
anticipated. Of the available articles, most were at the university level or involved
equipment beyond what is available to me at my school. At the time of writing this thesis,
there were no published articles or resources for teachers incorporating these themes in a
regular chemistry classroom.

A primary resource related to thematic teaching in chemistry was by Dr. B. Adams
(2008), which was a Project Based Learning (PBL) activity coordinating university
researchers with high school students studying air pollution in their homes, in the context
of an independent study science course (Adams, 2008). Other related published activities
included a calorimetry lab illustrating global warming (Burley & Johnston, 2007), and a
demonstration where sulfur dioxide gas is produced and reacts to form acid rain (Goss &
Eddleton, 2003), which I unfortunately could not adapt due to limited available supplies

for my classroom.

11. Implementation

Student participants were only restricted from this study if they did not have their
signed consent forms saying they would be willing to participate, or if they did not engage
in the activities. My subjects consisted of a mix of students from all of my class periods;
thirty-nine students and parents gave permission on the consent forms. Two students were
excluded fi'om analysis; one student due to total apathy and one missing because she was

absent for most of unit. As a result, n=37 as my research group.

10

A. Activity Summary

Because my theme covers many different topics and approximately a semester-

long period of time, I will include here only what I added to the curriculum as part of this

project, listed in chronological order. This section does not contain comprehensive lesson

plans covering the entire second semester.

Table 1: Summary of Theme Activities

 

 

Incorporated Activities Description Topics Covered

& Instructional Goals

1. Pre-Survey Multiple choice and short ' motivation, work
answer questions. ethic, willingness to

To determine students’ do homework

general attitude of ' interest in learning

students about chemistry about the unit

and assess their level of
motivation.

*Appendix 1: Pre-
Survey

 

 

2. Pre-Test

To determine students’
prior knowledge
concerning the
applicable Indiana State
Standards.

*Appendix 2: Pre—Test

 

Multiple choice, short answer,
and free response questions
covering all of the appropriate
Indiana State Standards for
Chemistry 1.

 

balancing chemical
equations
identifying reaction
types

conservation of
mass

predicting products
and identifying
phases

basic
thermochemical
calculations (using
latent and specific
heat)

 

11

 

Table l (cont’d).

 

3. Paper Clip
Balancing

To give students a
hands-on balancing
experience, while
illustrating conservation
of mass.

*Appendix 3: Paper Clip
Balancing

Working in groups to use paper
clips to balance a given
unbalanced chemical equation
using the concept of
conservation of mass.
(Introduction to the concept of
balancing chemical equations.)

conservation of
mass

balancing chemical
equations (intro)

 

4. Reaction Type
Demos

To give students a
physical example of
each covered reaction
type, while drawing a
connection to the theme.

*Appendix 4: Reaction

1. Synthesis: formation of
plastic.

2. Decomposition: Electrolysis
of water.

3. Single Replacement:

Mg(s) in HCI forming H2 gas.
4. Double Replacement:
Precipitation of lead ions from
“drinking water”.

5. Combustion: Whoosh bottle.

identification of
reaction types
predicting products
(intro)

practice identifying
products in a
chemical equation
by observation

 

 

Type Demos
5. Conservation of Both products are solid after stoichiometry
Mass Lab boiling away water solvent. (review)

predicting products
To give students a CuSO4(aq)+Na2CO3(aq)-9 (review)
measurable example Of conservation of
conservation of mass, to CUCO3(S) + Na2804(aq) mass

build lab skills, and to
' make connections to
combustion reactions
where conservation of
mass is still true, but
more difficult to
measure.

*Appendix 5:
Conservation of Mass
Lab

 

Lab tests the previously learned
careful lab technique and lab
analysis calculations. Also,
practicing research using
traditional and online sources is
incorporated.

Products are saved for future
use.

 

reaction products &
solubility

products of coal,
gasoline, and
incomplete
combustion and
their effects

clean coal
technology

 

12

 

Table 1 (cont’d)

 

6. Reaction Types Lab

To let students practice
predicting products and
experimentally confirm
whether a reaction
occurs. Also, I wanted
them to draw the
connection between
reactions that occur in
class and those that
happen in “the real
world”.

*Appendix 6: Reaction
Types Lab

Students predict products for a
series of reactions, then mix in
well plates and search for
evidence of a reaction and
confirmation if they were
correct in their predictions.

Used Na2S04 from
Conservation of Mass Lab.

Wrote out 5 reactions related to
sources of energy and the
environment, labeled reaction
type, and explained what that
reaction represents.

identifying reaction
types and predicting
products.
connection between
these reactions and
the environment.

 

7. Post-Test Pt. 1

To assess student
learning on covered
material.

*Appendix 7: Post-Test
Pt. 1

Questions come from pretest.
#1-9.

balancing chemical
equations
identifying reaction
types

conservation of
mass

predicting products
and identifying
phases

 

 

8. Coral Chemistry
Article

To show students how
C02 in the air dissolves
in water and is
damaging corals. This
article is useful because
it incorporates several
different topics the class
is learning about.

*Appendix 8: Coral
Chemistry Article

 

Students read an article from
Discover Magazine about the
acidification of the oceans and
its effect on corals and other
sea creatures. Students answer
comprehension and application
questions based on the article,
as well as doing basic research
on carbon sequestration.

 

carbon cycle
(review from
biology class)
predicting products
(review)

making connections
to acids, bases, and
solubility equilibria.
carbon sequestration

 

13

 

Table 1 (cont’d)

 

 

 

9. Carbon Class discussion based on last ' chemical reactions —

Sequestration Video assignment and video, formation of

Clip connecting to chemistry. insoluble salts

(precipitation

To illustrate how this www.sciencefi'iday.com/ reactions)

C02 could potentially be program/archives/200807255

removed and help limit

its negative effect on the

environment.

*T here is no appendix

entry for this video clip.

10. Biodiesel Lab Pt. 1 Students synthesize biodiesel ' intermolecular
from waste vegetable oil and forces (review)

TO reinforce concepts save for future thermochemical ' stoichiometry

about intermolecular analysis. (review)

forces, show the
connection to
environmental concepts,
and to have prepared
samples of biodiesel for
lab pt. 2.

*Appendix 9: Biodiesel
Lab Pt. 1

 

 

11. Article

To have students find
and interpret the
chemistry of articles in
the news.

*Appendix 10: Article
Requirements

 

Students find a current event
article written in the last two
years about sources of energy
or the environment, and
students summarize the article
in their own words, describe
how it relates to chemistry and
write their opinion or reaction
to the article.

 

topics are article
dependent, but often
they relate to one or
more topics
included in this
theme.

 

14

 

Table 1 (cont’d)

 

12. Refining
Aluminum Video

To expose students to a
high level chemistry
explanation applying
what they learned in
class to understand new
material.

*Appendix 11: Refining
Aluminum Video

Students watch a short United
Streaming video about the
refining of Aluminum (an
Indiana state standard). The
video is at a high level, and is
paused several times to allow
students to process what was
said, look things up in their
book, talk in groups, and
answer questions that directly
connect the video to class
content.

solubility
electrochemistry
(calculating Ecell, l/2
reactions,
spontaneous
reactions)

 

determine the heat of
combustion of biodiesel
and ethanol, to see the
solid products of
biodiesel combustion,
and to make a logical
judgement on their
preferred fuel,
considering their data,
fuel costs, and other
factors.

*Appendix 12: Biodiesel
Lab Pt. 2

 

 

determine the one they believe
is the best option.

 

Questions

13. Biodiesel Lab Pt. 2 Students devise a setup to test combustion products
the heat of combustion of calculating heat of

Students can biodiesel and ethanol. Students combustion from

experimentally compare the two fuels and experimental data.

 

 

Table l (cont’d)

 

14. Battery Design Lab

To determine if students
understand the required
parts of an
electrochemical cell and
build their own using
convenient materials. If
their battery doesn’t
work, they should
problem solve to figure
out how to “fix” their
battery. I also wanted to
engage my students by
giving them the choice
to design their battery
with anything they want,
using whatever design
they want.

*Appendix 13: Battery
Design Lab
Requirements

Students design their own
electrochemical cells using
anything they want. They
calculate Ecell, sketch the
battery and check their value
actual value with a voltmeter.
They propose why their value
was not what they calculated.

Follow up questions involve
comparing modern internal
combustion, hydrogen fuel cell,
electric, and hybrid cars.

electrochemistry
(requirements for a
electrochemical cell,
calculating Ecell,
basic concept of
circuits

 

 

15. Hydrogen Hopes
Video from Scientific
American Frontiers

To get student interest,
expose students to actual
scientists who are
currently making
breakthroughs, and to be
exposed to a range of
different areas for
advancement. Students
should also be able to
connect the carbon cycle
to the section on CO2
consuming algae.

*Appendix 14:
Hydrogen Hopes Video
Questions

 

Video follows Stan & Iris
Ovshinsky and their
company’s innovation in
alternative energy, as well as a
small amount of information
about some other upcoming
technologies.

Students watch and take notes
from the video to help them for
the Alternative Energy Project.

 

reaction types
(review)

review of carbon
cycle (biology class)
varying amounts of
information about
hybrid vehicles,
hydrogen vehicles,
solar panels,
hydrogen producing
and greenhouse gas
consuming algae.

 

16

 

Table 1 (cont’d)

 

16. Alternative Energy
Project

Students consider local
needs of their
community and weigh
pros and cons of each
source of energy, while
explaining the science.
Students also must
practice verbalizing
these concepts in
groups.

*Appendix 15:
Alternative Energy
Project Requirements

Students join a group which
represents the interest of:
1. The city of Elkhart
2. Elkhart Community
Schools
3. Power Company
(Indiana Michigan
Power)
4. Local auto company
5. Rural
farmer/homesteader
6. Commuters to Chicago

Each student researches and
addresses one energy category
for their group, then they
compile and share their

findin s.

 

17. Post-Test pt. 2

To determine students’
current knowledge
concerning the
applicable Indiana State
Standards after lessons
are completed.

*Appendix 16: Post-Test
Pt. 2

electrochemistry
(redox, electrolysis,
voltaic cells)
combustion products

(C02, C0, H20,
and others)

energy sources for
houses, cars, the
effect of greenhouse
gases and recycling

 

Questions come from pretest.
#10-12.

basic
thermochemical
calculations (using
latent and specific
heat)

 

18. Post-Survey

To determine students’
current attitude of the
activity’s effectiveness,
their motivation, and
reasons for their level of
motivation.

*Appendix 17: Post-
Survey

 

 

Multiple choice and short
answer questions.

 

motivation, work
ethic, willingness to
do homework
effectiveness of
each activity
interest in learning
about sources of
energy and
environmental
impacts

perceived
understanding of
underlying
chemistry concepts
behind related news.

 

 

While several activities found in Table l are clearly directly connected to my
theme, others are more ambiguous. The connections that are not clearly stated in the table
will be explained more fully here. The Paper Clip Balancing Activity (Appendix 3)
prepares students for environmental applications such as the Conservation of Mass Lab
(Appendix 5) and the Biodiesel Lab Part 2 (Appendix 12), introducing the concept of
balancing and the conservation of mass. The Reaction Type Demos (Appendix 5) not only
prepare students for the Conservation of Mass Lab (Appendix 5), but the demos
themselves illustrate alternative energy connections, such as the production of hydrogen
gas and the combustion of ethanol.

Conservation of mass is an important consideration in combustion; though carbon
dioxide cannot be seen or easily weighed, it is still being released into the environment.
The Conservation of Mass Lab (Appendix 5) allows students to react substances where
both products are solid, so they can take measurements in order to more fully understand
the relationships and understand how carbon dioxide is released into the environment.
The Reaction Types lab (Appendix 6) allows students to practice predicting products,
including formation of hydrogen gas. This lab also includes an application where students
come up with their own environmental reactions and predict products.

B. Personal Reflections on Activities’ Success

Students’ focus and motivation varied throughout the activities associated with the
theme, but as a rule, students were engaged throughout these activities. Below is a
summary of qualitative data based on personal observations, collected to help determine

the level of success for each activity.

18

Students took the Pre-Survey (Appendix 1) and Pre- Test (Appendix 2) seriously. I
told students that they would get credit as long as they answered every question, and as a
result all questions were answered. In the case of the pre-test, students did not score well,
but since they had not yet learned the topics, I would suggest that this is a positive sign; if
they knew the material before the lessons are taught, then my instruction should cover
other topics. Students also took the post-survey and post-tests seriously. My post-test
assessments were embedded in class tests, and students tend to find my tests to be
challenging. Students commented that all the tested material was covered in class, but that
test anxiety and lack of studying can hurt some of their scores.

The Paper Clip Balancing Activity (Appendix 3) required me to do three or four
different examples in front of the class using paper clips so they became familiar with the
procedure, and for most students the first few questions that they worked out in groups
took a considerable amount of time, but the remaining questions were answered in a much
quicker timeframe. I found it interesting that students said they were familiar with how to
balance chemical equations, but the majority did not balance correctly without instruction.

The most common mistake was to change subscripts or to put a coefficient in the middle

of a molecules’ formula (for example, C202). Students were engaged and were getting

the correct answers as I walked around during the activity.

Students enjoyed the Reaction Types Demos (Appendix 4), and they were
interested in how these reactions model uses and applications in the “real world”.
Analysis of these demos were broken down in a step-by—step presentation, in order to help
students build their critical thinking and analysis skills and to help them identify important

concepts. For the most part, my students needed a significant amount of coaching during

19

the discussion questions for the first few demos and to identify products. Students became
more confident, and more students volunteered answers as we went through the demos.
Students were gaining experience in predicting products and identifying products of
chemical reactions through observation.

After an uncertain start by many students, after consulting their lab partners and
their notes, they began the Conservation of Mass Lab (Appendix 5). Students were
motivated and working the whole time, and seemed excited about using their product in a
future lab. Overall I think this lab was a helpful experience, both in reinforcing required
concepts, and in gaining new experiences. This lab revealed that I still had have students
in each class period that needed to develop better lab skills. Lab technique drastically
affected data in this particular lab. In fact, some lab groups could not measure
Conservation of Mass directly from their data due to significant loss of product. This lab
was at the end of the third marking period and I was concerned that students would not do
the lab analysis and not turn in their work, since this tends to be common behavior. Since
I am gaining data on quality of student responses and not the quantity, I announced that
this lab was going to worth the same number of points as a test, and that I would extend
the deadline. Several students mentioned that they were so busy that if the lab weren’t
worth as many points they probably would not have done it. Of these students, most had
commented that they were glad they did, because they were interested what they had
learned during the research.

Overall, I believe the Reaction Types lab (Appendix 6) was effective. Students
were very engaged throughout the lab, and they really enjoyed testing mini-samples,

trying to observe chemical reactions. In fact, a student that I had been working hard to

20

motivate since the beginning of the year suddenly “clicked in” during this lab. From this
lab on, she would take notes, try to do homework, and even came in after school to catch
up and ask questions. As a teacher, moments like this are what make it all worthwhile.

The Coral Chemistry Article (Appendix 8) was given to the class as a bonus
opportunity on a test review day, and as a result, I got fewer back. I originally intended
this as a homework assignment, but I had to change it due to a tight schedule. The
participating students were very engaged. I saw students leaning over and saying, “Did
you read this part yet?” or asking me questions about things not directly addressed in the
article. Several days after the bonus was collected a student told me he had just read about
different coral species and the harm that carbonic acid can do to them. This article is
connected to my theme because it describes how carbon dioxide, a major product of
combustion, is harming corals in the ocean.

The Carbon Sequestration clip followed a recap of the Coral Chemistry Article.
Students seemed interested, and they liked the simulation of carbon sequestration. I
believe this clip was most useful to students who did the Coral Chemistry Bonus, and for
the others it was useful only on the level that it introduced the concept and the chemistry
involved.

Of all of the lab activities, students were least excited during the Biodiesel Lab
Part 1 (Appendix 9). Students said the procedure was simple and quick, and they were
impatient to start burning. “Can’t we just burn it today?” This lab did not take much time
to do in class, but there is a waiting period while the solution reacts completely. 0n the
other hand the students seemed genuinely interested in burning their lab sample later. I

think this portion of the lab is what it was meant to be - it made connections with previous

21

topics, it did not take up much class time, and students created a sample that could be
analyzed later.

The student selected Article (Appendix 10) seemed to work reasonably well,
though it varied according to student and the article they chose. Some of my students
commented that they liked finding an article they are interested in, and a few students saw
me in the hallway and kept asking me if I had read their article yet, sometimes during the
same day they had turned it in! On the other hand, other students most likely selected the
first article they found, basically quoted the article instead of summarizing in their own
words, not explaining the chemistry behind the article. I believe that because it could
apply to a wide range of articles, students get out of it what they put into it.

I feel that using the Refining Aluminum video clip (Appendix 11) gave my students
an excellent opportunity to further develop their critical drinking skills because the
analysis questions demanded that students think things through and make conclusions in
order to answer the questions. The questions were laid out so students could work
together and make small steps, leading to larger conclusions. Several students were a little
frustrated because answers were not stated explicitly in the video, but I utilized
scaffolding to help keep them moving forward as necessary. I feel this was an important
experience for my students, because again it helped them stretch their logical thinking
skills, but I understand that my students felt it was more like work than fun. I am
comfortable with that assessment. Not everything that is beneficial for students will be the
most exciting thing they do that day.

My students had been waiting for the Biodiesel Lab Part 2 (Appendix 12) since

they had made their biodiesel, and they were always excited about fire and burning.

22

Students appreciated the freedom of designing their own lab setup for burning their fuels.
The amount of soot produced through the burning of biodiesel shocked many students. I
also had business-minded students that mentioned they appreciated having to consider the
cost of the fuel when answering some of the analysis questions in addition to the
chemistry. Students remained engaged, even through the calculations, which is where
students most often would stop working on lab activities.

For the Battery Design Lab (Appendix 13), students were hesitant at first to start
designing their batteries, most likely because they were overwhelmed by possibilities. I
allowed students to use literally anything that was not dangerous or illegal, either in the
lab or from home, and their design was completely up to them. Students made batteries
using Capri Sun pouches, lab stools, pop cans, scoopulas, paper towel salt bridges, and so
on. I even had a student who made an elaborate series of beakers, wiring up each
successive electrode with complex loops around their metal samples. Many students were
engaged and enjoyed trying out their creative theories and designs, and it really reinforced
what requirements there are for electrochemical cells, such as having a salt bridge, using
different metal samples as the anode and cathode. The application questions were often
thoroughly answered and researched by the students, but some students only answered
very generally, implying that they answered based on what they already knew or learned
in chemistry class.

Students tended to be very attentive during the Hydrogen Hopes video (Appendix
14), and several students commented that they would like to meet Stan and Iris Ovshinsky,
and that they seemed like really smart and fun people. Students expressed interest in

whether the innovations are even more advanced now, after the video was produced.

23

Alternative Energy project (Appendix 15) was given as a bonus activity, because it
was the end of the school year, and our class was out of time. Students could refer to their
previous assignments and do any necessary additional research to answer the questions.
Few students turned in this bonus; it was due on exam day. This is unfortunate, because
the projects I did get were excellent. Students seemed to appreciate the connection to
local people and their community, and I overheard students saying, “Our city should really
be doing this.”

III. Results/Evaluation

In order to understand the objective data, some of my Pre—Survey (Appendix 1)
and Post-Survey (Appendix 17) questions attempted to assess student interest and
motivation. The Pre-Survey was given at the beginning of the school year, prior to my
teaching the activities, and the Post-Survey at the end of the school year, after all lessons
were taught. The data shows an increase in interest from Pre to Post Survey for each
question. The five common questions were the same on each survey, the results of which

will be directly compared below.

24

 

Figure 1: Pre & Post Survey Comparison--"I am
interested in science." (n=37)

I Pre-Survey
I Post-Survey

 

 

 

 

 

Agree Mostly Agree Neutral Mostly Disagree
Completely Disagree Completely

Student Responses

 

As Figure 1 reveals, all students were at least neutral in their opinion about

science, and that in the Post-Survey student interest had increased, with the largest

 

difference occurring due to the increase in students that completely agree they are interest

in science. There was a 16% increase in students who agreed completely.

Figure 2 evaluates student interest specifically in the field of chemistry.

25

 

Figure 2: Pre a Post Survey Comparison--"I
am interested in chemistry." (n=37)

 

60
50

3 I Pre-Su rvey

E 40 ‘ IPost-Survey

3. 30 ,7 - 27,772,”
20 -

a?

  

 

 

Agree Mostly Agree Neutral Mostly Disagree
Completely Disagree Compleme
Student Responses

 

 

 

On the Pre-Survey, the majority of the responses were neutral, and at the time of
the Post-Survey, the majority of students mostly agreed that they were interested in
chemistry, while there was a 17% increase in students that completely agreed that they
were interested in chemistry.

Figure 3 compares pre and post survey data describing student interest in learning

about the environment and our impact on the world.

26

 

Flgure 3: Pre a Post Survey Comparison--"I am
interested in learning about the environment and
our possible impact on the world." (n=37)

 

 

    

60
50
'3 IPre-Survey
E 40 ’ lPost-Survey " '
30
8
¢ 20
a?
10 .
0 . , , - . ,
Agree Mostly Agree Neutral Mostly Disagree
Completely Disagree Completely

Student Responses

 

As seen in Figure 3, there is only an 8% increase in the number of students who
completely agree that they are interested in learning about the environment and our
possible impact on the world. In both Pre and Post Survey responses, the majority of

students completely agree that they are interested in these topics. This is a positive

 

finding, since I selected my research topic on the assumption of student interest. Only one

student (3%) is not interested in learning about the topic on the post-test, there is an
overwhelmingly positive response, in spite of the overall small difference in student

opinion.

27

Figure 4 shows the change in responses from Pre to Post Survey, showing the level

of student attention to news stories related to my theme.
Figure 4: Pre a Post Survey Comparison--"I pay

attention to news stories about the environment
and alternative sources of energy." (n=37)

 
    

4O
35
O
5 2 I Pre-Survey
I Post-Survey

VI

96 Responded
H r-s N N I.»
O O

GUI

Agree Mostly Agree Neutral Mostly Disagree
Completely Disagree Completely

Student Responses

 

Data from Figure 4 shows that there is a clear increase in students paying attention
to news stories about the environment and alternative sources of energy, with the majority
of the students responding that they mostly agree. The data reflects a 19% increase in
positive responses on the post-test, which is a significant increase.

Figure 5 compares students’ perceived understanding of the science behind news
stories about the environment and alternative sources of energy, before and after my

theme was taught.

28

 

 

Figure 5: Pre a Post Survey Comparison--"I feel like I
understand the science behind news stories about the
environment and altnernatlve sources of energy."

 
    
 
   

50 I Pre-Survey

40 I Post-Survey —
30

20

10

0 , VI
Agree Mostly Agree Neutral Mostly Disagree Disagree
Completely Cornpietely
Student Responses

 

 

Though Graph 5 indicates a small number of students responded that they
completely agreed with the statement during the Post Survey, there is a dramatic increase
in more positive responses, with the most common responses being that they mostly agree
or give a neutral response, whereas in the Pre Survey the most common responses were
that they mostly disagreed or a neutral response. Overall, the post—test results show a 35%
increase in students who either agree completely or mostly agree, which is a significant
increase.

The remaining Pre-Survey questions were not asked in the Post-Survey, and are

summarized in Table 2 below.

29

Table 2: Non Common Pre—Survey-Responses Organized by Percentage (n=37)

 

Questions

Agree
Completely
[A]

Mostly
Agree
[Bl

Neutral
(don’t
agree or
disagree)
[C]

Mostly
Disagree
[Di

Disagree
Completely
[Fl

 

3. What is the
grade you
expect to earn
in chemistry
class?

38%

27%

35%

0%

0%

 

4. I complete
homework
regularly.

35%

30%

19%

16%

0%

 

5. I use most
success
periods doing
my
homework.

19%

30%

41%

11%

0%

 

6. I finish my
homework at
home three or
more days a
week.

22%

32%

30%

11%

5%

 

7. I don’t
usually get
assigned
homework in
other classes.

3%

14%

32%

38%

14%

 

8. I rarely
have to take
homework
home with
me.

3%

16%

30%

38%

14%

 

 

9. I am
interested in
learning about
the
environment
and our
possible
impact on the
world.

 

49%

 

22%

 

24%

 

5%

 

0%

 

30

 

When studying the non-common Pre-Survey results (Table 2), interesting student
trends emerge. According to the survey, 65% of my students expected to earn an A or a B
in chemistry class, which is the same percentage of students who completely or mostly
agree that they regularly complete homework. Question 5 shows that 49% of my students
use success period, which is the name of Memorial High School’s study period. Just
because students do not use their study period for homework does not necessarily mean
that they do not regularly complete their homework, since school clubs and any music
meetings, such as band or orchestra, are held during this period. The data also shows that
49% of my students stated that they usually are not assigned homework in other classes, or
they gave a neutral response, with a similar response from students who do not usually
have to take home their homework. I find this response difficult to believe, but I do not
personally have any information about the amount of homework assigned in other classes.
While I understand that an incredible amount of homework does not equate to greater
learning, I find this data a little troubling, since these students will most certainly have
extensive, high-level homework in college.

71% of my students were interested in learning about the environment and how
they may impact the world, and only 19% of my students stated that they did not pay
attention to news stories about the environment and alternative sources of energy. Only
16% stated that they felt they knew a lot about the environment and our possible impact
on the world, and only 5% felt like they understood the science behind news stories about
the environment and alternative sources of energy. These data support my original

assumption that students would be interested in my theme, and that students did not

31

already have an in-depth knowledge of these science topics especially as they relate to

chemistry.

Very interesting responses can be found in the non common post-survey results

(Table 3).

Table 3: Non Common Post-Survey Responses by Percentage (n=37)

 

Question

Agree
Completely

Mostly
Agree

Neutral
(don’t
agree or

disame)

Mostly
Disagree

Disagree
Completely

 

3. I completed
all of my
chemistry
homework

during 4
Marking
Period.

49%

24%

16%

11%

0%

 

4. “Senioritis”
hurt my
chemistry
grade.

3%

19%

16%

22%

41%

 

5. I was
motivated in

chemistry

, th
during 4

Marking
Period.

38%

35%

16%

11%

0%

 

6. My

motivation

increased
(1

, n
during 2
Semester.

8%

38%

27%

24%

3%

 

 

9. I was NOT
interested in
the
environmental
connections
in class.

 

0%

 

3%

 

22%

 

51%

 

23%

 

32

 

Table 3 (cont’d)

 

 

11. I feel that 16% 57% 24% 3% 0%
I benefited
from how
energy and
the
environment
were worked
into the
chemistry
lessons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When analyzing the non-common Post-Survey results (Table 3), there are several
interesting findings. Of students analyzed, 49% completely agree that they completed all
homework during the last marking period, 73% stated they were motivated during the

final marking period in chemistry, and 46% experienced an increase in motivation during

nd '
2 Semester, which was the period of my study. This increased motivation can also be

attributed to students trying to pull their grades up before the end of the school year. On
the other hand, 22% of my students said that “senioritis” hurt their chemistry grade.

The collected data show that only 3% (1 student) were not at all interested in the
class’s environmental connections, and they also did not feel that they benefited from the
integration of these topics in my lessons. All other students were interested and felt they
benefited, or they gave a neutral response.

My post-survey also included a list of theme activities, which students sorted

according to perceived helpfulness (Table 4).

33

 

Table 4: Post-Survey Evaluation of Activity “Helpfulness” (n=37)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Activity Very Helpful A Little Not Helpful Did Not Do

Helpful Helpful This
Activity

12. Paper 0% 43% 57% 0% 0%

Clip

Balancing

13. Reaction 8% 46% 35% 5% 5%

Types

Demos

14. 16% 49% 30% 5% 0%

Conservation

of Mass Lab

15. Reaction 27% 38% 32% 0% 3%

Types Lab

16. Coral 24% 19% 3% 0% 54%

Chemistry (53% of (41% of (6% of

Article participants) participants) participants)

Bonus

17. Carbon 19% 38% 43% 0% 0%

Sequestration

Video

18. Biodiesel 0% 30% 49% 22% 0%

Lab Pt. 1

19. Article 3% 62% 19% 3% 12%

20. Refining 16% 3% 22% 30% 0%

of Aluminum

Video Clip &

Questions

21. Biodiesel 35% 38% 19% 5% 3%

Lab pt. 2 —

Combustion

22. Battery 22% 57% 14% 8% 0%

Desigg Lab

23. 16% 30% 27% 14% 14%

Hydrogen

Hopes Video

24. 8% 11% 0% 0% 81%

Alternative (57% of (43% of

Energy participants) participants)

Bonus

 

34

 

Generally, I think this information is useful, but student perception of
“helpfulness” may be influenced by how much they enjoyed an activity, or their responses
could be skewed if they did not complete the activity they are ranking. Keeping these
limitations in mind, these data suggest that students found all of the activities helpful. Due
to lower participation for the Coral Chemistry Article (Appendix 5) and Alternative
Energy Project (Appendix 5) bonus assignments being much lower, it is more difficult to
collect reliable data. Also, many who participate in bonus activities may be more diligent
and self-motivated students, so results for these activities may be skewed.

The Paper Clip Balancing activity (Appendix 3) was considered to be helpful
overall, giving students a visual means to understand balancing chemical equations, but no
students classified it as very helpful. Since students had been exposed to balancing three
years ago in Biology, they already had a head start on the topic covered The Reaction
Types Demos (Appendix 4) and Conservation of Mass Lab (Appendix 5) were well
received, with only 5% feeling they were not helpfisl. The student driven analysis during
the demos was pretty rigorous, as seen in the related Appendix, and the Conservation of
Mass Lab contained many calculations. It appears that a few students may have felt left
behind or did not make the desired connections during these activities.

All students who participated in the Reaction Types Lab (Appendix 6)

classified it as at least a little helpful, with 65% considering the activity to be either
helpful or very helpful. All students who participated in doing the Coral Chemistry
Article activity (Appendix 8) and the Alternative Energy Bonus (Appendix 15) found it
helpful, but participation was extremely low, with the Coral Chemistry Article having

54% not participating and 81% not participating in the Alternative Energy Project. Of the

35

students who have participated in the Coral Chemistry activity, 94% found it helpful or
very helpful, with the remaining 6% finding it a little helpful. Of the participants in the
Alternative Energy activity, 100% found it helpful or very helpful. The Carbon
Sequestration video was considered 57% helpful and very helpful, and the remaining 43%
found the activity a little helpfiil.

The Pre— Test (Appendix 1) and Post— Test questions were identical, and were
written based on the Indiana State Standards for chemistry. In multi-step problems partial
credit was awarded, one point for every step, including a point for correct significant
figures and units, following the answer-key rubric I wrote. Data was collected for each
question utilizing t-test analysis, where n=37, and for each question student improvement
is statistically significant (Table 6). For the pre-test, I offered points to students who

attempted to answer all questions, even if they were not sure or gave the wrong answer.

36

Table 6: Comparison of Pre & Post Test Results (n=37)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question Topics T-Test Results Meaning

1. Balancing, Rxn Type & -4.48 P = 0.000; statistically
Ox. # MC (1 pt.) significant

2. Balancing, Rxn Type & -5.84 P = 0.000; statistically
Ox. # MC (1 pt.) significant

3. Balancing, Rxn Type & -3.97 P = 0.000; statistically
Ox. # MC (1 pt.) significant

4. Describe a procedure for -l4.l P = 0.000; statistically
determining conservation significant

of mass (5 pts)

5. Predict Products, -l6.9 P = 0.000; statistically
balance, write phases and significant

rxn type (4 pts)

6. Predict Products, -12.8 P = 0.000; statistically
balance, write phases and significant

rxn type (4 pts)

7. Predict Products, -11.4 P = 0.000; statistically
balance, write phases and significant

rxn type (4 pts)

8. Predict Products, .-l3.4 P = 0.000; statistically
balance, write phases and significant

rxn type (4 pts)

9. . Predict Products, -13.4 P = 0.000; statistically
balance, write phases and significant

rxn me (4 pts)

10. q = mch calculation -15.3 P = 0.000; statistically
(5 pts) significant

11. deap calculation (5 -3.43 P = 0.002; statistically
pts) significant

12. dHt = q + deap -7.72 P = 0.000; statistically
calculation (5 pts) significant

13. Electrochemical Cell -8.66 =0.000; statistically
(5 pts) significant

 

 

 

 

Questions 1-3 are multiple choice questions that require students to identify the
correct reaction type, oxidation numbers, and balance chemical equations. Commonly
selected incorrect answers included balancing while changing the subscripts or
misidentifying the oxidation number due to not using molecule charges and ensuring they

add to zero.

37

Question 4 allowed students to write a procedure for determining the conservation
of mass where no gas is produced. Pre-test answers tended to be vague. One such
example was a student that said “Mix ingredients together and they react, so you get your

,9

masses. A common mistake was to explain a detailed procedure but not state that they
need to mass reactants or products. One particularly good student response was: “Weigh
all containers before placing any reactants inside of them. Weigh reactants. Add water,
mix the chemicals and water mixture to create a reaction. Filter solid product and boil
away water. Weigh everything after it has reacted and subtract out the mass of the
containers holding the chemicals. Hopefully you end up with the same number as the
mass of the reactants before the reaction. Remember, you cannot create or destroy any
matter in a reaction. If the mass is more than before then something was contaminated or
wet. If the mass is less than before then some chemicals must have spilled out of the
beaker.”

Questions 5-9 required students to predict products, balance, write phases and
reaction types. In the pre-test, students tended to jam atoms together into one large

compound. (For example, Zn + HCl -) ZnHCl was a common answer.) In the post-test,

most common errors were to forget common ion charges or not make the atom charges in

the molecules add to zero. (“1Zn(s) + 2HCl(aq) 9 1H2(g) + lZnCl(aq)”, where the

charge of zinc in ZnCl has a charge of +1 in their response instead of the correct response,

1Zn(s) + 2HCl(aq) 9 1H2(g) + lZnC12(aq), where Zn has a +2 charge in ZnClz.)

Another repeated error was found in #6, where some students noticed the reaction is

decomposition, but did not write the most common product [lKClO3(S) + Heat -)

38

lKCl(aq) + 103(g)’ instead of the correct answer of 2KClO3(S) + heat 9 2KCl(S) +

302(g)-1

Questions 10-12 are thermochemistry calculations. On the pre-test, most students
who earned points got them based on writing the correct number of significant figures and
units, rather than doing the calculations correctly. Students who had previously taken
physics were at a distinct advantage, if they remembered the equation and concepts. In
order for students to answer question 10 correctly, they must remember and use the
equation q=mch, and several students wrote this equation on their paper, earning at least
partial credit. Post-test results were much improved, with more students using the correct
equation, or on occasion solving for dT, even if they did not remember the equation or

used the equation incorrectly.

Question 11 is a calculation involving deap as a conversion factor, with the

constant provided with others on the question sheet in a list of useful information. Of the

responses that earned points on the pre-test, students often wrote the correct units, since

the question specifically asks for energy. Since deap is also used in physics class, it was

surprising to me that only 3 more points were earned on question 11 of the pre-test than

question 10. In my experience, for whatever reason, my students tend to latch on to the

“easy to remember” q=mch equation, and they have a harder time calculating deap’

since there is no equation involved, and students feel like there should be an equation they

are not remembering. In actuality, question #11 should be even easier to solve correctly,

39

since students to not have to memorize anything, deap is provided, and students just

need to use the units to tell them how to solve.

Question 12 is a three-step problem, where the solution is the sum of q=mch from

o 0
220-1000 C and 1000-1100 C plus the energy calculated from deap- Since this

question is a combination of concepts from questions 10 and 11, it is logical that this score

is lower than the previous questions. The most common mistake for this question is to

0
only solve for q=mch, where dT was solved from 22.0-110.0 C, completely missing the

amount of heat energy required to boil the water.

Question 13 asks students to draw and label a picture of an electrochemical cell or
battery. During the pre-test, students often drew a picture of an AA battery, with arrows
pointing to the “+” and “—“ end of the battery. In the post-test, most students showed
beakers, as represented in our textbook, with a wire connecting the anode and cathode.
Salt bridges or labeling anode, cathode, and the flow of electrons were the most common

missing parts of the electrochemical cell.

40

Pre and post-test results were analyzed using a result comparison per question, and

in each case, students demonstrated marked improvement (Figure 6).

Figure 6: Pre & Post Test Results Comparison
(n=37)
100 I Pre-Test __
I Post-Test

1 .

1 2 3 4 5 6 713
Question Number

Average 96 Correct
U!
0

 

 

There is an increase in scores for each question when comparing pre— to post-test,
with an increase from 32% up to 54% average. The average percentage when comparing
post-test responses ranges from 48% to 90%. My students achieved the goal 70%
minimum per question goal for 11 of the 13 questions, with several questions scoring
within the 80%-90%. As stated above, students commonly did not solve Question 12 as a
multi-step thermochemistry problem. Though the individual calculations in this question
are no harder than those found in questions 10 and 11, which students scored 79% and
80% for each of these questions respectively, and an average of 67% for question 12. This
result may be due to the fact that students who solved question 10 correctly did not
necessarily solve question 11 correctly, As a result, any student who incorrectly solved

number 10 or number 11 would mean they may also miss points in question 12.

41

Students scored only 48% on question 13, with the lowest pre-test score of only
16%. One potential reason for the lower score on this question could be that there was no
list provided of everything they must draw and label, and so students might not remember
everything to label, even if they did completely understand the components in the

electrochemical cell.

IV. Discussion and Conclusion

Overall, I conclude that the teaching theme was quite effective in increasing
student motivation and content knowledge. Students indicated an increased focus, interest,
and knowledge about the science behind news stories about the environment and
alternative sources of energy, as well as an increased interest in science and chemistry,
with statistically significant results. Students also reached the 70% minimum goal on 11
out of the 13 questions.

My subjective impressions confirm these data. Student interest was high for all
activities, and even a few students who rarely do any homework completed the majority of
the assignments in this theme. Students would come to me and ask me about the
chemistry of things they had thought about more deeply, or tell me about stories they had
heard on the news or from other students. One such example is the previously discussed
student who told me what he discovered about how carbonic acid harms a particular type
of coral. Students would also want to discuss and find out more information about local
environmental stories such as methanol being collected from the dump to power the

county jail, and a local business using biodiesel to power their delivery vehicles.

42

I found that my teaching theme required more planning and preparation than I
originally anticipated. In a sense, the amount of work is greater than reinventing the
traditional chemistry curriculum “wheel”, because there are several other considerations
than just chemistry content. Integration with previous courses required delving into
curricular content for multiple classes, as well as researching current developments in my
theme, finding resources and creating activities to reflect and forge connections to the
theme. While developing the theme, I found I had to constantly question whether the
activities would help increase my students’ knowledge and understanding of the required
chemistry content, or if it would only be interesting and fun, but not directly tied to the
required chemistry curriculum. There was no time in the curriculum for a teaching theme
of solely enrichment activities. Time is an important consideration, as the Indiana State
Standards for chemistry are very difficult to cover within this limited amount of time in an
engaging way (using labs and activities, not just lecture).

I attempted to accommodate more theme-based content by adding some
application materials on as homework, and for the most part I feel this was successful.
Most students completed these assignments in their entirety, even though the research
portion was more time consuming, involving online research and analysis outside of the
classroom. Some students clearly copied off of their fiiends’ paper, and I had some
concerns about students plagiarizing. In the future I will ensure that I go over how to avoid
plagiarizing at the beginning of the school year, and will make it clear that they can
approach me with help or questions, but ifI find that they had copied material that they

would fail the assignment.

43

Even given the precautions I took to save as much time as possible, I still found
that we were running out of time and had to turn two activities into bonuses. After
teaching my theme this year, 1 have learned more about what slows down the pace of these
activities, and with slight adjustments next year, I believe I will be able to teach the entire
theme as originally intended, without having to convert activities into bonus assignments.

In the future would also modify some of the theme-based activities. The pre and
post-test question 13 will be rewritten in order to ensure that I have clear information to
determine exactly what students do and do not know about the structure and components
of an electrochemical cell, as it was difficult to draw conclusions about why students
scored so poorly as written.

In order to more smoothly incorporate my theme and ensure my students make the
connections, I would add five more reactions at the end of the pre-lab on the Reaction
Type Lab (Appendix 6), where students predict products, and I ask a question where they
explain the reactions and how they apply to our classroom theme. Since completion of the
pre-lab is required in order to perform the lab, this would ensure they actually make this
connection, and it does not get overlooked. Also, for the Biodiesel Lab Pt. 2, I would
limit the sources students use for determining the costs of ethanol and biodiesel, in order
to gain more consistency in student responses and make the values more closely tied to
our community. In the future, only sources published within the last month within fifiy
miles of the school will be allowed.

It is very tempting to describe my theme as Green Chemistry, but that would not
be an accurate description. According to the EPA, green chemistry is the “design of

chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of

44

hazardous substances.” (EPA, 2009) I carefully collected and disposed of products in a
responsible way, and I believe these demos and labs helped increase student awareness,
which may help shape their personal choices in the future. Though my teaching theme
encourages awareness and understanding about chemistry’s environmental impact, for the
most part, the labs could not be considered environmentally friendly. I would like to
“green” my labs as much as possible, incorporating more microscale activities and
limiting the use of polluting chemicals such as transition metals when possible. I would
also like to revamp the entire chemistry lab sequence, taking the products fiom one lab
and using it as a reactant for a future lab, in order to limit the number of chemicals to be
purchased and disposed of.

After my research was completed, several interesting, new articles were published
that I will use in the future. One such article gives links to new internet resources can be
used to teach environmental chemistry, which contains many possible resources with
which to create or modify my theme-based activities (Diener, 2009). Another new
resource I would like to use is found on the National Science Teacher Association web
page, where an excellent Power Point presentation entitled “The Heat is On! Climate
Change and Coral Reef Ecosystems” can be found. This resource contains excellent, clear
information, including an astonishing amount of clear data linking chemistry and biology
concepts to the environment. Portions of this Power Point could even be used directly in a
chemistry lesson to illustrate these connections (Gledhill, 2009). By utilizing these new
resources, modifying the theme-based activities described out above, and adapting the
classroom labs to be “greener”, my teaching theme of traditional and alternative energy

sources and their impact on the environment should be even more effective.

45

APPENDIX 1: PRE-SURVEY

Answer the following questions using the following scale:

A — Agree completely! B- Mostly agree C- Neutral (don’t agree or disagree)

10.

ll.

12.

D- Mostly disagree E- Disagree completely!

OR for questions about grades:
A=A B=B C=C D=D E=F

. I am interested in science.

I am interested in chemistry.

What is the grade you expect to earn in chemistry class?

I complete homework regularly.

I use most success periods doing my homeWork

I finish my homework at home three or more days a week.
I don’t usually get assigned homework in other classes.

I rarely have to take homework home with me.

I am interested in learning about the environment and our possible impact on the
world.

I feel like I know a lot about the environment and our possible impact on the
world.

I pay attention to news stories about the environment and alternative sources of
energy.

I feel like I understand the science behind news stories about the environment and
alternative sources of energy.

46

APPENDIX 2: PRE-TEST

Choose the answer with the correct balanced equation, reaction type, and oxidation
numbers for every atom. (C.1.9, C.l.10, C.l.22, C.l.27)

1. Cu+ 02-) CuO

a. Cu2 + 02 9 Cu202 Combustion Cu=+2, O=0

+2 -2
b. 2Cu + 02 9 2Cu0 Synthesis Cu=0, & O2=09 Cu & 0
c. Cu2 + 02 9 Cu202 Synthesis Cu=2+ & O2=—29 Cu0=0

. +2 -2
d. 2Cu + 02 9 CuO2 Synthesrs Cu=0, & O2=09 Cu & 0
e. None of the above r,

 

2. Al+ O2 9 A1203

a. A12 + 02 + 0 -> A1203 SR Al=3+ &02=O9Al3+& O=2-
b. A12 + 03 9 A1203 Decomp. Al=0 & O=2- 9 Al3+& O=2-
c. 4A1 + 302 9 2Al203 Synthesis Al=0 & 0=0 9 Al3+& O=2-
d. 2A1 + 202 9 2Al203 Comb. Al=0 & 0:0 9 Al3+& O=2-

e. None of the above

3. C2H6 + 02 9 C02 + H2O
a. C2H6 + 302 9 2CO2 + 3H2O SR C4-& H+ & 0-29 C+4 &

0-2 & n+2

b. 2C2H6 + 702 —> 4c02 + 6H20 Comb. C4- & H+& 02:0 -> C4+
& 02- & H+

c. C2H6 + 02 -> C202 + H6 SR (34+ & H-l & 02:09

C+2 & 02- & H+1

d. 2C2H6 + 602 9 4CO2 + 6H2O Comb. C4- & H+& 02=0 9 C4+

& 02- & H+
e. None of the above

4. Describe IN DETAIL a possible procedure for determining the conservation of mass of
a chemical reaction where no gas is produced. (C.1.12 & 01.13) (5)

47

Reaction Types — Predict products, balance, write phases and reaction type. (C. 1 . 19,
C.l.lO, C.l.ll, 01.35)

5. Zn + HCl 9

6. KCIO3 + heat 9

7. C6le + 02 9

8. Pb(N03)2 + Na(0H) 9

9. HC1+ NaOH 9

Solve problems involving heat flow and temp changes (specific heat and latent heat)
(C. 1 .39)

10. If 2.3g of iron is heated from 22.1 deg C to 87.0 deg C, what is the enthalpy? (5)
11. How much energy is required to boil 200.0 mL of pure water at 100.0 deg C? (5)

12. How much energy is required to heat 100.0 mL of pure water from 22.0 deg C to
110.0 deg C? (5)

13. Draw and completely label a picture of an electrochemical cell (battery). (5)
Possibly Useful Information
dHfus H20 = 6.01 kJ/mol

deap H20: 40.7 kJ/mOl

CFC: 0.449 J/g K
cmo= 4.19 J/g degC

K= deg C + 273.15

23 ,
1 mole = 6.02x10 things

48

APPENDIX 3: PAPER CLIP ACTIVITY

We are going to balance chemical equations using the conservation of mass. Matter
cannot be created or destroyed, so all atoms in products must have come from the
reactants.

For each reaction below, write the color you want each atom to represent as a paper clip.
Make one “paper clip reactant” using the colored paper clips provided. For each question,
use your “paper clip reactants” to form the stated products by unclipping and reclipping
them as necessary, breaking bonds and forming new bonds. If you cannot make the
products as written, form a new “paper clip reactant” containing the needed atoms, then
break it apart to form products. Repeat this breaking apart of reactants until there are no
“extra atoms”, and only “paper clip products” remain.

The number of each “paper clip reactant” used is its coefficient, and the number of each
“paper clip product” is its coefficient

Let’s try one together:
2 Na + 1 C12 9 _2_NaCl Na = blue ‘ C1 = pink
I | I | | ‘

In groups, use the method above to balance the following questions. Once you’ve
completed each one, show me and I will check it for you.

1. _ Mg + __C12 9 _MgCl2

2. ____Cu + __ AgNO3 9 Ag + __ Cu(NO3)2

S"

_SO2 + __ H20 9 ___H2SO4 (FYI: This reaction describes how acid rain
can be formed.)

4. _H20 9 __H2 + _02 (FYI: This reaction can be used to produce hydrogen
for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.)

S"

_CH4 + ____02 9 ___CO2 + _H20 (FYI: This is a combustion reaction,
which is similar to how your car burns gasoline.)

49

APPENDIX 4: ENVIRONMENTALLY THEMED REACTION TYPE DEMOS

In each case, I do the demonstration, students tell me what reaction type this represents
and how they know. We also look at reactants, what they see in the demo, and write out
the balanced chemical equation.

 

 

 

Reaction Type Demonstration Discussion Questions
(students talk in groups,
then class discussion)

Synthesis Silly Putty Synthesis -What evidence is there of
synthesis?

[This is an easy classroom -Where do most

example to give the idea commercially produced

about how plastics are plastics come from?

formed] -What are some concerns
about the uses of plastics?

Decomposition Electrolysis of Water -What evidence is there of

[This is a source of H2,
which could be used to run
hydrogen fuel cell powered
vehicles]

decomposition?
-What end is producing H2?

What end is producing 02?
How can we test it?
(Students discuss and come
up with theories, then we
test them next class period.)

 

 

Single Replacement

 

Single Replacement using a
eudiometer

Mg(s) in HCl forming H2
gas.

[Another reaction that

produces H2l]

 

-How can you identify the
bubbling gas?

-Where does the Mg (s)
go?! What magnesium
based product must be
formed?

 

50

 

Appendix 4 Table Continued

 

Double Replacement

Precipitation of Lead Ions
in “Drinking Water ”

Double replacement
reaction to show how
transition metal ions can
precipitate, which removes
those ions from solution.
For example:

Na3P04(aq) +
Pb(N03)2(aq) ->
NaN03(aq) +
Pb3(P04)2(s)

-What is the solid product
formed?

-What environmental
benefits could this reaction
type have?

 

 

Combustion

 

Whoosh Bottle: Combustion
of EtOH vapor in a 5 gallon
empty water bottle.

[EtOH is used as an
alternative to gasoline in
vehicles]

 

- What are the products?
-What evidence is there of
these products?

-How can we test it? (Test
it according to class ideas.)
-Endo or exothermic
process?

-Can I do this demo again
right now? Why not?

 

51

 

APPENDIX 5: CONSERVATION OF MASS LAB

Whenever a chemical reaction is carried out you must be concerned with the separation
and identification of the products. According to the Law of Conservation of Mass, the
total mass of the reactants must equal the total mass of the products. When coal is burned
at a power plant, or gasoline is combusted by your car, there is still conservation of mass,
but it is more difficult to measure due to the gases formed.

The reaction between aqueous copper (II) sulfate and sodium carbonate forms solid
copper (II) carbonate and aqueous sodium sulfate.

CuSO4 (aq) + N32C03 (aq) 9CuCO3 (s) + Na2804 (aq)

Solid copper carbonate product in this reaction can be easily collected by filtering. The
aqueous sodium sulfate product can be collected by boiling away the water, causing it to
become a solid.

You should recognize that the water does not enter into this reaction; it is to be considered
as the medium for the reaction to proceed. You will make separate solutions of copper (II)
sulfate and sodium carbonate in your procedure in order to allow even mixing of ions.

Procedure:

1. Rinse and then dry the graduated cylinder with distilled water. Transfer 40.0 mL of
distilled water into a beaker and then add 1.06 g of sodium carbonate (use the centigram
scales). Stir till all solute is dissolved (add a few drops of distilled water down the stirring
rod to rinse it). Add 1.6 g of copper (II) sulfate to 40.0 mL of distilled water and mix the
two solutions. Stir till the reaction is complete.

2. Mass a 250 mL Erlenmeyer flask and a piece of filter paper. Record this data. Prepare
the fimnel and filter paper for filtration into this flask.

3. Pour the reaction mixture into the funnel carefully. Collect the filtrate in the
Erlenmeyer flask. Keep the level of the mixture at least 2 cm below the top of the filter
paper. If any solid material remains in the beaker, use some of the filtrate, or a small
amount of water to rinse out all the solid into the funnel.

4. When the filtration appears complete, remove the filter paper and residue from the
funnel. Open up the folds and place it on a sheet of notebook paper with your names and
station number. Give this to me to dry overnight.

5. Begin to evaporate the water fi'om the filtrate by gently heating the solution.
CAUTION: Excessive heat will decompose your solid, or cause it to leave the flask.

6. Allow the flask to cool fully, then mass and record. Mass and record the dry solid on the
filter paper the next class period.

Conservation of Mass Lab Calculations:

52

% recovery (total) = total mass of products x 100 =

 

2.66 grams
% error (total) = | 2.66 g - total mass of products | x 100 =
2.66 grams

% error for each product = mass of one product weighed x 100 =
calculated possible yield
Questions: (Q1-8: 20 pts & Q9: 20 pts)
1. What effects would melting, freezing, or boiling have on the conservation of mass? (2)

2. Explain IN DETAIL why would it be more difficult to get accurate measurements if we
did a combustion conservation of mass lab. (3)

3. Using the rules for solubility, explain why one product became insoluble and
precipitated and the other remained in solution. (2)

4. Describe what happened when you added the copper sulfate solution to the sodium
carbonate solution. (2)

5. Why did we heat the sodium sulfate solution? (2)
6. Why were the original solutions homogeneous? (2)
7. Suggest ways in which your experimental technique could be improved. (2)

8. By looking at the balanced chemical equation can you suggest a possible way to predict
what the results should have been. Calculate these actual values and check your
percentage errors. (5)

9. RESEARCH: Using textbooks, magazines, or trustworthy sites on the internet (NOT
wiki, yahoo answers, etc.), research and write at least a few sentences answering the
following questions:

a. What is your solid product, copper (II) carbonate, known for/used for? (4)

b. What is your dried product, sodium sulfate, known for/used for? (4)

0. Are there any solid products of combustion when a power company burns
coal or when your car combusts gasoline? What are they and how might
they affect the environment? (5)

d. What are the gaseous products of combustion when a power company
burns coal or when your car combusts gasoline? What are they and how
might they affect the environment? (5)

e. What is “Clean Coal Technology” generally speaking and how does it

attempt to “clean” the emissions? (5)
“DO NOT FORGET TO LIST YOUR SOURCES!“ (2)

53

APPENDIX 6: REACTION TYPES LAB

Pre-Lab: Reaction Types and Predicting Products
Predictions: Predict what will happen when the following reactants are mixed together.

You may use a list of solubility rules and the activity series to help you. Balance each of
the equations below.

 

Reactants Predicted Products

 

Pb<N03)2 (aq) and K1 (aq)

 

NiCl2 (aq) and NaCl (aq)

 

CuSO4 (aq) and Na2SO4
(3C1)

 

AgN03 (aq) and NaCl (aq)

 

NH4C1 (s) and water

 

NaC2H302 (s) and water

 

NaC2H302 (s) and H2804
aq)

 

Na2SO3 (s) and HCl (aq)

 

NaHC03 (s) and HCl (aq)

 

Zn metal and Cu(N03)2 (aq)

 

Zn metal and HCl (aq)

 

Cu metal and HCl (aq)

 

Mg metal and HCl (aq)

 

 

 

 

54

Reaction Types & Predicting Products Lab

Introduction: When two ionic solutions are mixed, a double replacement reaction may
occur. (Don’t forget: positive can replace positive, and negative can replace negative.)
The products of this double replacement reaction may be a precipitate (solid), a gas, or a
liquid such as water (like in an acid base neutralization, which is a special case of double
replacement). A neutralization reaction is a little more difficult to observe in the lab, but
there should be a slight change in smell or temperature.

It is POSSIBLE that an observable neutralization reaction will happen in our lab. In
these reactions the salt reacts with the water to form either a weak acid solution or a
weak base solution. Like other neutralization reactions, these reactions are a little
difficult to observe directly since the only observable change will be a small change in
smell or temperature.

In this lab you should also observe single replacement reactions, when metals react with
ionic compounds. Frequently in these reactions, the ionic solution’s cations get reduced
to a zero oxidation state (charge) while the metal atoms get oxidized (lose electrons) from
their zero oxidation state to a higher oxidation state (charge). This results when “active
metals” (metals with no charge) lose electrons, forming cations, and the while the ionic
solution’s cations are “kicked out” and are all alone, gaining electron(s) and forming a
neutrally charged metal. (Remember, H+ is not a metal, but because of its positive charge,
it can replace/be replaced by metals according to its position on the activity series.)

Safety Considerations:

0 Wear goggles and aprons at all times in the lab.

0 Use caution when smelling any substance. Waft at a distance.

0 The acid solutions are corrosive. Rinse your hands with water after handling the
containers.

Use CLEAN well plates for all chemical tests. Wash each well with tap water and dry
with a paper towel before use.

Procedure: Record the following observations for each reaction:

SIGHT - Look for the presence of a solid precipitate either as a solid in the bottom of the
well or as cloudiness in the solution. Note that a color change alone does not indicate
the formation of a precipitate. If a solid metal changes color at its surface
(particularly to black), this generally indicates the precipitation of another metal on
the surface. You should also look for the formation of bubbles since this indicates a
gaseous product has formed.

TOUCH - Touch the bottom of each well to note any temperature change that may occur.

ODOR - Sometimes a chemical reaction produces a product with a distinct odor. These
are usually gases, although many gases have no odor. To detect an odor, waft the
vapors by holding the well plate in one hand and waving the other hand above the top
of the well plate towards your nose. Perform this carefully; some vapors are
irritating. Be sure the odor is due to the product, not a reactant!

55

Part I : Mixing of Ionic Solutions: Mix about 15 drops of each of the solutions specified
and record yoyr observations.

1. 0.1 M Pb(N03)2 with 0.1 M KI 3. 0.1 M CuSO4 with 0.1 M
Na2SO4
2. 0.1 M NiCl2 with 0.1 M NaCl 4. 0.1 M AgN03 with 0.1 M NaCl

Part 2: Mixing of Solid Salts and Water: Mix a small scoop of each solid with about I 5
drops of water and recombyoyr observations.

5. solid NH4C1 with water 6. solid NaC2H302 with water

Part 3: Mixing of Solid Salts with Ionic Solutions. Mix a small scoop of each solid with
about 15 drops of the solution specified. RecoraLvoyr observations.

7. solid NaC2H302 with 3M sulfuric acid 9. solid NaHCO3 with 3M HCl
8. solid Na2SO3 with 3M HCl

Part 4: Metals and Ionic Solutions: Mix a small scoop of each metal with 15 drops of the
solution below. Record your observations.

10. zinc metal with 0.1 M Cu(N03)2

11. zinc metal with 3M HCl
12. copper metal with 3M HCl
13. magnesium metal with 3M HCl

56

Observations

 

Mix

Sight

Touch

Smell

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10

 

ll

 

12

 

 

13

 

 

 

 

57

 

 

 

Writing reaction equations: For each mixture write an ionic equation and a net ionic
equation. If no reaction was observed, write “no reaction.”

Mix Ionic Net Ionic

 

 

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10

 

11

 

12

 

13

 

 

 

 

 

APPLICATION QUESTION: Write FIVE reactions that relate to the environment or
alternative sources of energy. State the reaction type and how it relates.

<Used and adapted from a lab handed down to me. Origin unknown.>

58

APPENDIX 7: POST TEST PART 1

Choose the answer with the correct balanced equation, reaction type, and oxidation
numbers for every atom. (C.1.9, C.l.10, C.l.22, C.l.27)

1.Cu+ O2 9 CuO

 

a. Cu2 + 02 9 Cu202 Combustion Cu=+2, O=0
b. 2Cu + 02 9 2Cu0 Synthesis Cu=0, & O2=09 Cu+2 & O-2
c. Cu2 + 02 9 Cu202 Synthesis Cu=2+ & O2=-2-:2Cu0=g t-
d. 2Cu + 02 9 CuO2 Synthesis Cu=0, & O2=09 Cu & O
e. None of the above
2. A1+ O2 9 A1203
a. A12 + 02 + 0 9 A1203 SR Al=3+ &02=09Al3+& O=2-
b. A12 + 03 9 A1203 Decomp.. A1=0 & O=2- 9 A13+& O=2-
c. 4A1 + 302 9 2Al203 Synthesis Al=0 & 0:0 9 A13+& O=2-
d. 2A1 + 202 9 2Al203 Comb. Al=0 & O=0 9 A13+& O=2-

e. None of the above

3. C2H6 + 02 9 CO2 + H2O
a. C2H6 + 302 9 2CO2 + 3H2O SR C4-& H+ & 0-29 C+4 &

0-2 & H+2

b. 2C2H6 + 702 9 4CO2 + 6H2O Comb. C4- & H+& 02=0 9 C4+
& 02- & H+

c. C2H6 + 02 9 C202 + H6 SR C4+ & H-l & 02=09

C+2 & 02- & H+1

d. 2C2H6 + 602 9 4CO2 + 6H2O Comb. C4- & H+& 02=0 9 C4+
& O2- & H+
e. None of the above

4. Describe IN DETAIL a possible procedure for determining the conservation of mass of
a chemical reaction where no gas is produced. (C. 1. 12 & C. 1. l3) (5)

59

Reaction Types — Predict products, balance, write phases and reaction type. (C. 1 . 19,
01.10, C.l.l 1, C.l.35)

5. Zn + HC19

6. KC103 + heat 9
7. (:6le + 02 9
8. Pb(NO3)2 + Na(OH) 9

9. HCl + NaOH 9

60

APPENDIX 8: CORAL CHEMISTRY ARTICLE

Go to http://discovermagazine.com/2008/jul/16-ocea_n_-gcidificaLtion-a-global-case-of-
osteoporosiflrtic1e_view?b_start:int=0&-C= and answer the following questions on your

own sheet of paper:

1.

Diagram & explain the carbon cycle as it relates to the oceans. (Where does it
come fiom and go to?)

Explain and write the chemical equation for “ocean acidification.”

Explain the chemistry of why “ocean acidification” affects corals and shelled
animals.

How does the increase in temperature affect the ocean acidification?

Why can the increasing levels of C02 harm animals? How can these animals be
harmed?

Scientists are considering carbon sequestration under oceans, deep in the ground,
etc. a) What does “sequestration” mean? b) Explain what carbon sequestration is.
c) What is it meant to do? (1) describe the chemistry of carbon sequestration
(including reaction type, equilibrium & solubility). e) What are the possible
benefits and risks? f) Do you think carbon sequestration is a good option? Why or
why not?

61

APPENDIX 9: BIODIESEL LAB PART 1

Introduction: In today’s world of skyrocketing fuel prices, more attention is being drawn
to the possibility of alternative fuel sources. Vegetable oil (which is made of fatty acids
connected by oxygens), either from the store or the local “greasy spoon” fryer, can be
reacted with ethanol to form biodiesel and glycerol.(which is used to make soap). In this
lab you will be forming biodiesel, and we will save it in order to test the amount of energy
that can be produced.

Pre-Lab Questions:

1. Italian salad dressing (Oil and Vinegar dressing) separates into layers. One layer is
the oil layer and the other is a water layer.

a. What causes the layers to form? Discuss how intermolecular forces are related

to this idea.

 

 

b. What determines which layer is on tOp?

 

c. The oil layer is the top/bottom layer (circle one), and I know this because

 

 

2. Calculate the mass of KH2PO4 required to make up 100.0 mL of 0.1 M KH2PO4.

3. Calculate the mass of NaCl required to make 100.0 mL of 1.0% NaCl.

Procedure:

1. Write your name and hour on a 250 mL Erlenmeyer Flask with a Sharpie.

2. Pour 100 mL of Vegetable Oil into an Erlenmeyer flask. Heat with stirring
to 120° F ( °C).

3. TURN OFF THE HEAT.

4. Add 25 mL of Methanol/KOH solution to the vegetable oil and cover the
flask with aluminum foil.

5. Stir the mixture for 10 minutes.

62

 

6. Remove stir bar.

7. Put your flask in the labeled bin, and we will continue next class period.

NEXT DA Y

1. Remove the glycerol layer (bottom layer) with a disposable pipet. (The glycerol
layer should be a darker brown color.) Tip the flask to the side to remove ALL
glycerol.) -

Lemon has seen BOTH of the layers (separated glycerol

and biodiesel. (Get Lemon to initial it)

2. Pour the glycerol into the labeled jug on the supply bench.

T 0 remove extra OH- from the solution:

3. Pour 100.0 mL of 0.1 M KH2PO4 into your biodiesel. Swirl for 30 seconds and
then allow to settle. Remove the bottom layer and pour into “aqueous wash” jug.

4. Pour 100.0 mL of 0.01 M KH2PO4 into your biodiesel. Swirl for 30 seconds and
allow to settle. Remove the bottom layer and pour into “aqueous wash” jug.

5. Check the pH of your biodiesel using pH paper. The pH should be near 7. If it is
not, then you will need to pour more KH2PO4 and repeat the process until the pH
is near 7. Ask me if you have any questions.

pH =
Did you have to add additional KH2PO4? How much?

 

To remove any water from the biodiesel:
6. Pour 100.0 mL of 1.0% NaCl solution into your biodiesel. Swirl for 30 seconds
and allow to settle. Remove the bottom layer and pour into “aqueous wash” jug.

7. Scoop solid NaCl into the flask and swirl until the NaCl does not clump and looks
grainy. '

8. Fold filter paper, place in the funnel, and filter out the NaCl.

9. Let the biodiesel sit and look for additional water (bubbles) in the bottom of the

flask. If it is there is any water, then fill a new funnel lined with filter paper with
new, solid NaCl. Gently pour biodiesel through the funnel.

Lemon has seen the biodiesel. Comments

 

10. Measure 10.0 mL of your dried biodiesel and place in the burner container. Label
your burner with your name and hour, and place it into the storage box for a future

lab.
11. Pour the remaining biodiesel into the jug labeled “biodiesel”.

63

APPENDIX 10: ARTICLE

Find an article (online, in a magazine or newspaper from a reliable source) that discusses
a current event related to alternative energy sources or the environment. Turn in a copy of
the article, and write a short Simple 4 essay addressing the following:

0 A summary of the article
' How it relates to chemistry
' Your reaction (opinion) on the article

APPENDIX 11: REFINING ALUMINUM VIDEO QUESTIONS

<hgp://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfin?guidAssetId=B3E4D43 5-1 3AD-4AB8-
A2FB-EDD55C4E736B>

PRE-MOVIE — A1203 (aluminum oxide) -— soluble in water?!
DURING MOVIE — Think about the steps required to purify Aluminum. . ..

1. Why was aluminum so expensive in the past?

2. STOP: 1:32 —
Q: Does Aluminum need to be oxidized or reduced for it to be isolated?

Water Vs. A1
Standard Reduction Potentials:

Write the 1/2 reactions and label anode Water:
and cathode
Al:

So WHY would it be hard to use water
To dissolve A1203 and then use electrolysis?

3. STOP 2:48
Q: Write the overall reaction of the Hall-Hercult Process. Label what is being
being oxidized and reduced.

4. STOP 3:09
0: Aluminum was EXPENSIVE in 1855 (before the Hall-Hercult process), but it
was for sale for the right price. Explain how there could have been ANY
Aluminum available before the Hall-Heroult process.

5. What financial reason is there to recycle aluminum? (Why is refining aluminum
more expensive than recycling?)

65

APPENDIX 12: BIODIESEL FUEL LAB PART 2: HEAT OF COMBUSTION OF

BIODIESEL AND ETHANOL

Introduction: Reactions can be endothermic (requiring heat energy to occur) or
exothermic (giving off heat energy). Combustion is an extothermic process, and this heat
energy can be used to run vehicles. Biodiesel and Ethanol, two alternatives to old-
fashioned gasoline, will be analyzed in this lab, and the amount of heat given off by each
reaction will be compared. This will give us an idea of which fuel will give us more
energy for our vehicles.

We will be testing our samples using the burner you filled in part 1 and heating our pop
can calorimeter setup like in our previous lab. As we know from our previous lab, heat
energy will be transferred to the air as well as the pop can of water. Before we begin this
lab, your lab group will have to come up with a way of containing the heat energy.

Pre-Lab:
1. When our car “burns gasoline”, that means that it is combusting the fuel. What are
the products of complete combustion? (l)

 

What are some of the products of incomplete combustion? (l)

 

2. What are some other substances that can be formed in the incomplete combustion
in a car? (Use your book or online resources if necessary.) (2)

 

 

3. What is the current price of Biodiesel and Ethanol per gallon? Make sure you

write down your source(s). (3)

 

 

4. Draw and describe your plan and materials needed to help contain heat energy.
(Remember: you need oxygen gas to easily get in there, and you need to be able to
see inside to confirm the flame has not gone out yet.) (3)

Lemon’s initials (1)

5. Write out a step-by-step procedure for how you will do this lab on the back and
have Lemon initial it BEFORE you start your lab. If you do NOT get things
initialed, you will have to STOP and start this lab again during Success!

 

66

MYOU WILL BE TESTING ETHANOL AND YOUR BIODIESEL"
Procedure YOU Have Written: (5)

l.
2.

3.

Lemon’s Initials
Safely Following Laboratory Procedures (5)

Observations: (2)

fibanol Combustion Biodiesel Combustion

Post Lab Questions:
1. Calculate the heat of combustion of Ethanol and your Biodiesel. (6)

2. Calculate the % Difference of the heats of combustion calculated in #1&2. (3)

3. Taking into account the cost of Biodiesel and Ethanol found in the Pre-Lab, the

observations, and your calculations above, explain which fuel is better, and explain
your reasoning. (Simple 4 rules apply!) (8)

67

' APPENDIX 13: BATTERY DESIGN LAB

Your group will design and test FOUR different batteries, created from anflhing you
want, as long as it is not dangerous, illegal, or destructive to property. You may bring
items in, or use items collected from the classroom or lab area.

You must:

1. Draw out and fully label what you would like to make. Calculate Ecell for your
battery. If you don’t see the appropriate standard reduction potentials in your
textbook you can research a value. Ask me for help or advice on this if you like.
Remember:

' Some electrodes are not oxidized or reduced, they are just allowing for a
flow of electrons.

‘ If a metal is an alloy, it may not have a recorded standard reduction
potential. If that is the case, use the standard reduction potential for the
most prominent metal, for the sake of calculation practice.

Show me your picture and calculations.

Go into the lab and try out your batteries. Test voltage with the multimeter on the

center lab table, and record your value. If your battery “isn’t working”, review

what must be present for an electrochemical cell. If you modify your battery

from the original drawing, write the actual battery you created, drawing ONE

LINE through your other picture and stating why it did not work.

4. Did your recorded voltage agree with your calculated battery voltage? If not,
how can you explain any possible voltage differences?

P!"

Batteyy Design Applications Answer the following questions for 1) modern “traditional”
cars (internal combustion engine) using flab/tic converters 2) hydrogen fuel cell cars 3)
electric cars 4) hybrid cars. These answers will be used later for a future assignment!
Don ’tforget to list your—sources!

a. How does __ work, chemically speaking? (Don’t forget to talk about Redox!)

b. Where do they get the reacting chemical/energy required in each case? (In other words,
where do they get the gasoline, hydrogen, and the original “electricity” for the electric
cars?)

c. What are some concerns critics have about the current sources of these starting
materials listed in part b?

d. What are the current strengths and weaknesses of using _?

5. Given the current state of these cars, which type of vehicle is right “for you”?
Why? (Imagine that cost is no object!)

68

APPENDIX 14: HYDROGEN HOPES DVD

(Alda, Alan [Host]. Hydrogen Hopes (2005). Scientific American Frontiers.)

The video shows everyday, real people using their knowledge of chemistry, biology, and
physics and business sense to try to solve real world problems. There is a lot of money to
be made for those that develop the best and most cost effective technologies.

Write down any notes for yourself about the strengths and weaknesses of hybrid vehicles,

Hydrogen Vehicles. solar panels, and the hydrogen producinglggeenhouse gas cleaning
algae.

 

(Do NOT write these in class notes — scrap paper or a new sheet of paper ONLY — you
will be using it for a future assignment.)

Your notes should include:
- What seems to work better for each type of technology? Why?

- What are still some limitations or problems with the technology?

- What was not explained fully and I need more information?

- Think — who would these technologies benefit most?

- What is the Chemistry behind these technologies? Be as specific as possible -
talk about specific reactions or reaction types - or more generally only if
absolutely necessary.

AFTER THE VIDEO — 5 minutes to chat with your neighbor to add to your list.

69

APPENDIX 15: ALTERNATIVE ENERGY PROJECT

In this project you will imagine you are a member of the assigned group listed below.
With the cost of gasoline and power continuing to climb, and with an increased focus on
the environmental impacts of our choices, your group is considering its options for energy
sources.

Possible Groups:
*Elkhart City Council

*Elkhart Community Schools

*Power Company (Indiana Michigan Power)

*Vehicles — Local Automotive Company

*Rural Farmers/Homesteaders — Crops/Animals & Self Sufficient Power
*Commuters to the city

Refer to what we have already learned about the following topics:
Chemical reactions including Redox Electrolysis/Voltaic Cells/Electroplating, combustion

and “other products of combustion” (other than CO2 & H20), Conservation of mass, etc.
EVERYTHING MUST BE BACKED UP BY CHEMISTRY!

Make sure your group addresses:
Limitations/Strengths/Weaknesses of each method... method of energy transfer...

efficiency. . ..conservation of mass. .. method of storing energy... the future... cost...
chemical reaction/process. . .

ENERGY SOURCES: (2)

Wind Natural Gas
Solar Coal
Geothermal Nuclear Energy

ENERGY FOR CARS: (8)

Biofuels — from veg oil

EtOH — AT LEAST 3 sources (rapeseed, corn, algae, switchgrass, sugar cane/ beet, etc.)
Gasoline/Diesel

Hybrid vehicles

Electric Cars

Hydrogen Fuel Cells (consider sources of H, infrastructure, and the chemical process)
Natural Gas

RECYCLING/REFINING: (2)

Plastics — Making/recycling
Aluminum — Mining/refining/recycling

70

APPENDIX 16: POST TEST PART 2

Solve problems involving heat flow and temp changes (specific heat and latent heat)
(C. 1 .39)

10. If 2.3g of iron is heated from 22.1 deg C to 87.0 deg C, what is the enthalpy? (5)
11. How much energy is required to boil 200.0 mL of pure water at 100.0 deg C? (5)

12. How much energy is required to heat 100.0 mL of pure water from 22.0 deg C to
110.0 deg C? (5)

13. Draw and completely label a picture of an electrochemical cell (battery). (5)

Possibly Useful Information
dHfus H20 = 6.01 kJ/mol
deap H20: 40.7 kJ/IIIOl

CFe= 0.449 J/g K
cm): 4.19 J/g degC

K = deg c + 273.15

23 _
1 mole = 6.02x10 things

71

APPENDIX 17: POST-SURVEY

Answer the following questions using the following scale:

A — Agree completely! B- Mostly agree 0 Neutral (don’t agree or disagree)
D- Mostly disagree E- Disagree completely!

OR for questions about grades:
A=A B=B C=C D=D E=F

13. I am interested in science.

14. I am interested in chemistry.

th
15. I completed all of my chemistry homework during 4 Marking Period.

16. “Senioritis” hurt my chemistry grade.

th
17. I was motivated in chemistry during 4 Marking Period.

nd
18. My motivation increased during 2 Semester.

19. I am interested in learning about the environment and our possible impact on the
world.

20. I pay attention to news stories about the environment and alternative sources of
energy.

21. I was NOT interested in the environmental connections in class.

22. I feel like I understand the science behind news stories about the environment and
alternative sources of energy.

23. I feel that I benefited from how energy and the enviromnent were worked into the
chemistry lessons.

MORE QUESTIONS ON THE BACK! ALMOST DONE! ©

72

For the following, choose the answer that best represents your thoughts on some of the
activities we did this year:

A — Not Helpful B — A Little Helpful C — Helpful D — Very Helpful
E — Did Not Do This Activity (Absent, etc.)

12. Paper clip balancing

13. Reaction Types Demos

14. Conservation of Mass Lab

15. Reaction Types Lab

16. Coral Chemistry Article Bonus
17. Carbon Sequestration Video

18. Biodiesel Lab Pt. 1

19. Article

20. Refining of Aluminum Video Clip & Questions
21. Biodiesel Lab Pt. 2 -- Combustion
22. Battery Design Lab

23. Hydrogen Hopes Video

24. Alternative Energy Project Bonus

73

REFERENCES

Adams, Earle; Smith, Garon; Ward, Tony; Vanek, Diana; Marra, Nancy; Jones, David; et
a1. (2008). Air Toxics under the Big Sky: A Real-World Investigation To Engage High
School Science Students. Journal of Chemical Education, 85, 221-224.

Alda, Alan [Host]. Hydrogen Hopes (2005). Scientific American Frontiers.

Beane, James A (1997). Curriculum integration: Designing the core of democratic
education. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Burley, Joel D., Johnston, Harold S. (2007). A Simple Calorimetric Experiment That
Highlights Aspect of Global Heat Retention and Global Warming. Journal of Chemical
Education, 84, 1686-1688.

Caine, R.N., & Caine, G. (1997). Unleashing the power of perceptual change: The
potential of brain-based teaching. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development.

US. Environmental Protection Agency Green Chemistry Web Page. Retrieved July 6,
2009 from http://wwweprygov/greenchemistry/

Electrochemistry of Molten Compounds: Aluminum. (1998). Chemistry Connections.
Video retrieved from
hgp://player.discoveryeducgtion.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=B3E4D435-l3AD-4AB8-
A2FB-EDD5 5C4E73 6B&blnFromSearch= l &productcode=US

Diener, Lynn. (2009). News from Online: Stratospheric Chemistry. Journal of Chemical
Education, 86, 153-155.

Eick, Charles; Deutsch, Bill; Fuller, Jennifer; Scott, Fletcher. (2008). The Science
Teacher, April/May, 26-29.

Gardner, H. (1993). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York, NY:
Basic Books.

Gledhill, Dwight. (2009). The Heat is On! Climate Change and Coral Reef Ecosystems
[PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from

hfip://learningcenter.nsta.org[products/syn_nposia seminars/NewOrleansO9/NOAA/webse
minar.aspx

 

 

Great Schools Demographic Data for Elkhart Memorial High School in Elkhart, IN.
Retrieved July 6, 2009 from http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/in/432

74

Goss, Lisa M., Eddleton, Jeannine E. (2003). A Demonstration of Acid Rain and Lake
Acidification: Wet Deposition of Sulfur Dioxide. Journal of Chemical Education, 80, 39-
40.

Jacobsen, Erica K. (2009). JCE Resources for Chemistry and the Atmosphere: An
Update. Journal of Chemical Education, 86, 158-160.

Lichtman, Flora. (Producer). (2008, July 25). Deep Sea Carbon Sequestration. Science
Friday Podcast. Podcast retrieved from
http://www.sciencefriday.com/proggam/archives/200807255

Lipson, M.; Valencia, S.; Wixson, K.; and Peters, C. Integration and Thematic Teaching:
Integration to Improve Teaching and Learning. Language Arts 70/4 (1993): 252-264.

Kovalik, S. (1994). Integrated thematic instruction: The model. Kent, WA: Susan Kovalik
& Associates.

McAuliffe, Kathleen. (2008). Ocean Acidification: A Global Case of Osteoporosis.
Discover Magazine, July, 2008. Retrieved from http://discoverrnggazine.com/2008/jul/16-
ocean-gcidification-a-global-case-of-osteoporosis/aLrticle_view?b_start:int=3&-C=

Perkins, D. N. (1991). Educating for Insight. Educational Leadership 49/2, 4-8.

Thematic Instruction. (2005) Focus On Eflectiveness: Researched-Based Strategies.
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. Retrieved from
http://www.netc.org/focus/strategies/them.php

Weyman, Philip D. (2009). The Interdisciplinary Study of Biofuels. The Science
Teacher, February, 29-34.

75