WHAT AM I DOING TO HELP KIDS ACHIEVE?
HOW DO I KNOW WHEN THEY ARE THERE?
WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE?
I started doing heat diagrams as suggested by the American Modeling Teacher's Association. Essentially, students identify energy as thermal, chemical or phase energy. They examine and endo or exothermic reaction and draw where the energy is going. They can also do the same in reactions where there is a phase change. Why do I mention this?
Every year when we do the heat of fusion of ice and the specific heat of a metal labs I almost always have a handful of students use the wrong mass or temperature change in the heat equation. They would constantly get confused between the system and the surroundings....until now. I went through the heat bar diagrams and this time I have not had one student use the wrong mass or temperature. I would like to claim credit, but honestly I am not that good. The AMTA curriculum is. Lesson learned....
This week in academic we are starting with stoichiometry. First, they will have to tell me how many marshmallows, chocolate and gram crackers are needed for everyone to get a smore. If they get it right, then they each get a smore. I'll keep you posted....
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