Connection/
Motivation: Students will spend time preparing
and executing a simple procedure to produce oxygen gas.
This procedure will consist of heating potassium chlorate
in a test tube in the presence of manganese dioxide powder
and collecting the oxygen released under water in a gas
collection bottle. The students will be directed to produce
the gas, test the procedure outlined in the activity, and
test for the presence of oxygen. The key is to have the
children use the tools and implements and test for the oxygen
with their own hands.
Procedure:
After
conducting the laboratory activity, discuss their results
with the entire class. Seek out answers that relate directly
to what they observed when they first produced the oxygen
and then tested for the oxygen with a burning wooden splint.
Examine the students' understanding of the procedure when
they actually perform the activity.
After
the discussion, hand out photocopied worksheets that replicate
the entire laboratory activity in paper. Have the students
review the steps and fill in spaces in a data table from
the material given to them by the worksheet's reading. After
the students finish the questions related to the lab activity,
discuss the two ways to approach the concept with the class
and work out the students' feelings about the activity.
Use
the activity to present the differences between the two
activities. Point out that both ways bring about the same
information, but which activity gave them more understanding.
Explain that in many high school classrooms in New York
State, laboratory science means that students do nothing
more than fill out a worksheet that explains what they would
do if they had the equipment and the room.
Review
the spending gap that exists between communities based on
state funding and explain that without the funds for science
classes, many schools Substitute "paper labs"
for Regents requirements because they do not have the equipment
or the space to run proper laboratory sessions.
Also,
as an extension, review the different lists given for a
proper set up for laboratories in the state. Discuss how
funding differences hurt the chances for these laboratories
to be developed and used for work. Discuss the reasons why
laboratories have to be fully funded to work effectively
for the students to advance in science. |
Subject
Areas:
Chemistry
Grade Levels: 10-11
About
the teacher:
James
Kopchains is a chemistry teacher at Flushing High
School in Queens, teaching primarily 10th and 11th grade
students. He has been teaching in the NYC public schools
since 1991. Before high school, he taught 8th grade science
at I.S. 125 in Sunnyside. James has also participated in
the UFT’s Dial-a-Teacher program for the past two
years. He is a member of the National Science Teachers Association
and the New York Geographical Alliance. Before becoming
a teacher, he worked for 12 years as a reporter with the
Jersey Journal newspaper in Jersey City. He has been teaching
at Flushing High School since 2001.
j.kopchains@lycos.com
|