Stoichiometry that might work...

WHAT AM I DOING TO HELP KIDS ACHIEVE?

HOW DO I KNOW WHEN THEY ARE THERE?

WHAT IS THE EVIDENCE?

     So I did a quick stoichiometry starter.  Given 61 students, kids had to calculate the exact amount of packages of Hershey bars, marshmallows and gram crackers that I would have to buy and how much it would cost.  Students pretty much nailed it.

     I then did a lab "No Leftovers" by Stephanie Kimberlan.  It is a TIMU lab.  Students have several mole to mole and gram to gram ratios they must calculate (Al and Copper(II)chloride).  To make a long story short, the calculations went well and so did the lab.  It was very visual and many kids succeeded who typically say they hate math.  I "tweaked" it a bit (instead of grams I made a solution of the copper(II)chloride and had them calculate mL as well).  I told them they could calculate the ratios using cross multiplication, proportions or factor labeling....as long as I could see and understand their work.  It was extremely visual and really steared the kids to the mole to mole concept in the balanced equation. (The above pictures are "before" and "after").

     This is a tough time of year to teach.  We are done with tests, students are getting ready for summer and freaking out over AP tests.  We had a star party Thursday night.  It worked out amazingly well.  We saw Venus, Jupiter and had some great shots of the moon.  I had some kids I could barely pull away from the telescope and they all tried to take pictures through the eyepiece with their cell phones.  Not the traditional kind of science but I will take anything I can to get kids excited.

     Coming up next...Hess's law and more stoichiometry...I'll keep you posted....