ADOPT AN ELEMENT PHASE ONE: RESEARCH & SMORE (due Tuesday, January 5th)
On Monday, December 14, each Foundations of Science student received a card from Theodore W. Gray's the Photographic Card Deck of the Elements that represented his or her unique element assignment. With this card - which provides a starting point for each student's element research - came a packet of information outlining the guidelines for both parts of the Adopt an Element Project.
The first phase of the project, which is due on Schoology by Tuesday, January 5th, is to research the properties, atomic structure, history and discovery, and applications and uses of their adopted element. The element card along with the class copy of Theodore W. Gray's book The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe and links to four different interactive Periodic Tables on the web should provide more than enough information for filling out their Element Adoption Certificate - the document they are using to compile their research.
Once the Element Adoption Certificate is complete, students will then transfer the facts about their element into a digital poster using Smore.com, adding images and links to help illustrate their research.
I am completing a sample project on Hydrogen as a way of showing them how to complete the Element Adoption Certificate and Smore project. Guidelines, rubrics, example projects, tutorials, and helpful links are all available in the Adopt an Element Project folder (yellow) on our course Schoology page.
ADOPT AN ELEMENT PHASE TWO: BUILD A BOHR MODEL (due Wednesday, January 13th)
The hands-on component to the Adopt an Element Project involves students creating a Bohr Model, to scale, for an atom of their element. As explained in the project packet and as we will be learning in class, Niels Bohr suggested that electrons orbited the nucleus (protons and neutrons) of an atom the way the planets orbit the Sun in our solar system.
The Bohr Models each student creates must meet the following criteria:
I have posted sample pictures on Schoology, and they're scrolling at the bottom of this page (although the ones pictured there were not required to hang from the ceiling, so they're not perfect examples). I am making a Bohr Model for my adopted elements of Hydrogen and Thulium to show the students as well.
PROJECT TIME: IN CLASS WORK DAYS
Today was our first in-class time devoted to the Adopt an Element Project. While I expect the Bohr Model construction to occur at home or after school during ACT, I am providing time each day in class between now and January 5 for students to work on their research and Smore!
Today, tomorrow, Monday, and Tuesday, students will have one-third of our class time (approximately 15 minutes) to work on their research and Smore. I have reserved a computer lab for next Wednesday, December 23, so that we can have a 50 minute project work day. I really think most students should head into the holiday break with Phase One of the project finished.
Either way, Monday, January 4, will be devoted to reviewing for our quiz on Sections 4.1 and 4.2 (Atomic Theory and Atomic Structure) and finalizing Smores. The quiz on Sections 4.1 & 4.2 as well as the deadline to submit Adoption Certificates and Smores on Schoology is Tuesday, January 5, 2016.
After that, students will have a week to finalize their Bohr Models prior to the Wednesday, January 13th deadline - and the end of the first semester of freshman year!
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about the project or anything that is happening in Foundations of Science. Thank you for sharing your child with me. I continue to learn a lot from each of them, and this element project is a great example of how we're all learning together!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Hooper
On Monday, December 14, each Foundations of Science student received a card from Theodore W. Gray's the Photographic Card Deck of the Elements that represented his or her unique element assignment. With this card - which provides a starting point for each student's element research - came a packet of information outlining the guidelines for both parts of the Adopt an Element Project.
The first phase of the project, which is due on Schoology by Tuesday, January 5th, is to research the properties, atomic structure, history and discovery, and applications and uses of their adopted element. The element card along with the class copy of Theodore W. Gray's book The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe and links to four different interactive Periodic Tables on the web should provide more than enough information for filling out their Element Adoption Certificate - the document they are using to compile their research.
Once the Element Adoption Certificate is complete, students will then transfer the facts about their element into a digital poster using Smore.com, adding images and links to help illustrate their research.
I am completing a sample project on Hydrogen as a way of showing them how to complete the Element Adoption Certificate and Smore project. Guidelines, rubrics, example projects, tutorials, and helpful links are all available in the Adopt an Element Project folder (yellow) on our course Schoology page.
ADOPT AN ELEMENT PHASE TWO: BUILD A BOHR MODEL (due Wednesday, January 13th)
The hands-on component to the Adopt an Element Project involves students creating a Bohr Model, to scale, for an atom of their element. As explained in the project packet and as we will be learning in class, Niels Bohr suggested that electrons orbited the nucleus (protons and neutrons) of an atom the way the planets orbit the Sun in our solar system.
The Bohr Models each student creates must meet the following criteria:
- It's three-dimensional. These aren't posters; they're actual 3D, planetary models of the atom.
- It can be hung from the ceiling of our classroom. We're going to put the Periodic Table on the ceiling above us in Room 200!
- Its diameter is a scaled representation of the size of the atom. The scale we're using is that the diameter, in centimeters, of each model must be equal to the atom's atomic radius (in picometers) divided by 4. In other words, an atom with a radius of 40 pm will have a model that is 10 cm across.
- It has an identifiable theme. The protons, neutrons, electrons, and overall structure of the atom should be creatively represented in a unified way (music themed, sports themed, science themed, Penn State themed) - here's a chance for the kids to be creative!
- It displays the correct number of protons, neutrons, and electrons. By the end of class Friday, students will know how to figure out how many protons, neutrons, and electrons an atom of their element has! Note: In a Bohr Model, the electrons are further organized into "shells" of different sizes. This information is provided on page 2 of the packet!
- It includes a key that explains what symbols are used to represent the protons, neutrons, and electrons.
- It has the element's name, chemical symbol, and electron configuration attached at the bottom. This will be the last part we do, when we learn about electron configurations the first week of January. This feature is not included in the dimensions of the model; it's a piece we'll add later.
- It does not cost more than $20 to make or purchase materials for the model. I would rather the students use everyday materials creatively than rob a craft store!
I have posted sample pictures on Schoology, and they're scrolling at the bottom of this page (although the ones pictured there were not required to hang from the ceiling, so they're not perfect examples). I am making a Bohr Model for my adopted elements of Hydrogen and Thulium to show the students as well.
PROJECT TIME: IN CLASS WORK DAYS
Today was our first in-class time devoted to the Adopt an Element Project. While I expect the Bohr Model construction to occur at home or after school during ACT, I am providing time each day in class between now and January 5 for students to work on their research and Smore!
Today, tomorrow, Monday, and Tuesday, students will have one-third of our class time (approximately 15 minutes) to work on their research and Smore. I have reserved a computer lab for next Wednesday, December 23, so that we can have a 50 minute project work day. I really think most students should head into the holiday break with Phase One of the project finished.
Either way, Monday, January 4, will be devoted to reviewing for our quiz on Sections 4.1 and 4.2 (Atomic Theory and Atomic Structure) and finalizing Smores. The quiz on Sections 4.1 & 4.2 as well as the deadline to submit Adoption Certificates and Smores on Schoology is Tuesday, January 5, 2016.
After that, students will have a week to finalize their Bohr Models prior to the Wednesday, January 13th deadline - and the end of the first semester of freshman year!
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about the project or anything that is happening in Foundations of Science. Thank you for sharing your child with me. I continue to learn a lot from each of them, and this element project is a great example of how we're all learning together!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Hooper