Instruction View

Students will understand and use statistics. Students will: > Construct, read, and interpret tables, charts, and graphs.

Students will understand and use statistics. Students will: > Make inferences and convincing arguments based on data analysis.

Students will understand and use statistics. Students will: > Construct and draw inferences from charts, tables, and graphs that summarize data from inside and outside the school environment.

Objective: To gain an appreciation for the importance of being able to estimate the number of particles in a sample of a substance.

Activity: The teacher labels and displays jars containing 150 of each of the following: marbles, paper clips, grains of rice, pennies, BB's, iron filings, etc. Additional jars have samples of elements and compounds such as zinc, water, and magnesium, or multiple units of 2 to 3 connected items. Students work in small groups. Each group is given a different jar and must follow the appropriate directions from the following: 1. Estimate the number of particles in your sample, or 2. Estimate the number of atoms in your sample, or 3. Estimate the number of molecules in your sample.

Assessment: Involvement of students in activity and contributions to the efforts of their group.

Objective: To analyze the effectiveness of their estimation.

Activity: Each group displays its sample and explains how they arrived at their estimates. Teacher leads discussion focusing on the following: 1. Difficulties experienced in trying to estimate. 2. Types of particles which were easier to estimate and which were hardest. 3. Is it possible to know how many atoms or molecules are in a sample? 4. Which jars contain samples which could be called "singles" and which could be called multiple units? 5. What problems would occur if a sample contains an exceedingly huge number of particles? Teacher tells students with countable samples (marbles, pennies, etc.) how many particles were really in their sample. Ask students to name units they are familiar with which are used to count pieces in a sample; examples are pair, dozen, score, etc. Have them generate as many terms as possible.

Assessment: Contributions to small group effort and large group discussion.

Objective: To learn other ways to determine the number of particles in a sample without counting them.

Activity: Continuing to work with the same group, students are asked to determine the number of particles in a different sample without counting. They must devise an actual procedure to carry out and test their idea, with proper equipment (such as balance and/or ruler) provided by the teacher. Each group experiment is guided by the following questions: 1. What do you assume about each particle? (Must you assume that each particle is equal?) 2. Is that a valid assumption? 3. Would it help to know how much 1 dozen particles of the sample weighs? How? Each group shares its results with the class.

Assessment: Ability of students to try to solve the problem.

Objective: To introduce and teach related terms.

Activity: Using overhead projector, teacher introduces term "mole" as the SI unit of measuring the quantity of a substance. Lecture on Avogadro's Number and its meaning. Compare and relate the terms molar mass, gram atomic mass, gram formula mass, and gram molecular mass. Draw simple diagrams of atoms, ionic compounds, molecules and moles to relate to the definition of each term. Check for student understanding with a matching exercise on the overhead. Teach mole-mass calculations and provide guided practice for students using sample problems for them to solve in class with their own calculators.

Assessment: Student involvement during lecture and ability of students to solve in-class problems.

Objective: To use new vocabulary and practice new calculations.

Activity: 1. Students complete assigned problems in text.

2. Students answer teacher-prepared questions, such as:

"How many fingers are on a mole of hands?"
"How many legs are on a mole of insects?"
"How many moles of toes would be on 50 million frogs?"

3. Students are given an iron nail and a balance. Their task is to determine the number of atoms in the nail.

4. Working in pairs, each is given a sample of a common element or compound. They must calculate the number of grams in exactly 1 mole of their substance. Then they will measure this amount of the substance in a beaker. Students then observe and compare the various 1.00 mole samples that were measured by each group. They should see that 1.00 mole of one substance does not weigh the same nor take up the same volume as 1.00 mole of another substance. They should be reminded of the previous activity when they wondered if is was possible to know the number of atoms or molecules in an element or compound.

Assessment: Completion of assigned work.

Objective: To apply and internalize what they have learned about the mole.

Activity: Student teams will do the following:

Devise a cartoon which has to do with the term "mole."

Create a description of what they could do if someone gave them 1.00 mole of pennies.

Assessment: Student on-task behavior.

Objective: To complete project assignments.

Activity: Student posters and paragraphs are shared with the class and critiqued. Each group has the opportunity to edit or refine its work.

Assessment: Quality of projects and ability to critique the work of oneself and others.

Objective: To share in final form what has been learned with the rest of the class and the school at large.

Activity: Students will prepare a display case with the following:

•1 mole samples of various elements and compounds.

• Cartoons on the mole.

• Sample written work on what can be done with 1.00 mole of pennies.

• Samples of 1 dozen, 1 ream, 1 gross, etc.

• A real mole animal preserved specimen from the biology department!

Assessment: Student enjoyment in learning; student contributions to the class display effort.