Density Lab: ELD/SDC Day 3- Properties/Assessment/Observations of Liquids

This week I have a new student from Somalia and I needed to make sure that he could be successful. So as an opener we reviewed the properites of a liquid. I started with what are the 3 states of matter and students responded: solid, liquids and gas. I asked for examples around the room. Then, we did the hand movements: fist for solid, fingers moving for liquid and gas fingers moving out. 
I have bottles filled with colored water, oil, hand lotion, clear corn syrup, and fabric softener.  I instructed the students that they were not to open the bottles, but that they could roll, shake, and swirl the bottles.  Then, I showed different posters with the properties: has color, bubbly, foamy, transparent, translucent, viscous, opaque. Next, I had students sort into two lines for the following: transparent/translucent, viscous/not viscous, color/no color.
Next, I gave them the Salad Dressing Assessment.  8 of them answered A- The oil will always be on the top and 4 answered C- it is random, sometimes the oil will be on the top and sometimes it will be on the bottom.All students were able to draw a picture and most were able to write one sentence explaining their thinking.  Here are some of the answers:

• A-Because oil is lighter than vinegar
• A-Because when you shake it. It will go up because it separates from vinegar. Then, it went up.
• A-I think it is the same as oil and water
• C- Because it is random oil separates everywhere and sometimes vinegar goes down or up.
• C- Because it is random

I gave out observation sheets that shows the senses and we filled in the title: Observation of 4 liquids and the columns: blue, yellow, green and pink.  I talked to them about being careful with the liquids and if there is a spill to let me know and clean it up with paper towels. I instructed them in the proper way to smell the liquid through wafting. 
We observed each liquid together in their small groups of 2-3.  They filled out their observation charts as I charted their answers on a big chart. We practiced orally sentences like-I see the liquid has a light pink color. I see the liquid is transparent, I noticed that the liquid is not viscous, I noticed that the liquid smells like the stuff they put on my arm when I get a shot at the hospital, etc.
On Monday, we will review the observations.  Then, start with the 2 layer pours.

Density Lab: ELD/SDC Day 2- Cartesian Diver

Today the students worked together on white boards to do 3 things with the Cartesian Divers: Scientific Diagrams, Observations and Questions. I had tro use eyedroppers instead of ketchup packets because the ones that I had gotten only one of them floated. 
First, I introduced the Cartesian Diver and how it worked.  Then, we split the white board into 3 sections. A top section for the picture and a T-chart below to record observations and questions.  I listed the materials on the board and show them what each one was: water, eyedropper and 2-liter bottle.
Their goal was to draw and label the cartesian diver, and have 3-5 observations and questions. I told them to play with the cartesian diver. 
We had to work on the words: squeeze, up, down, and water level.  We also worked on their oral language. Using beginning stems like: I see...and I made them say it in a full sentence correctly before writing it down.

• the eyedropper go up and down when I squeeze the bottle
• bubbles on the eye dropper.
• the water in the eye dropper go up when the eye dropper goes down
• the eye dropper was jumping
• the bottom of the eye dropper there is a bubble
• when you tap the bubble it goes up very fast

Questions that students came up were interesting-

• Why is there a bubble in the eye dropper?
• What happens if the water is hot?
• What happens if there is more air?
• Why does the top of the eye dropper stick out?
• *Why does the eye dropper go up and down?
• Would the eye dropper go to the top if the cap was off?

* more than half the groups had this question

Just one more note- my backroom was cold and the classroom was warm about 72 degrees.  By the time I moved the Cartesian divers to the warm room the divers had sunk to the bottom of the bottle.  I thought I was doomed until I thought about it and I opened the closed system. It all equalized so the eye droppers floated to the top again. The students noticed, but I did not provide any explanation to it.  Only one group wrote down that observation on their white board.

Density Lab: Day 1:Question of the Day: What is Density?

Today, we started the Liquid Density unit.  I  looked at Carl's Day 1 and asked students- What is Density? We have just completed studying states of matter, but students have not had enough experience with this idea so I decided to give them a little more direction and told them that all objects have density. Some objects are more dense and some are less dense.  I showed them a water balloon and a balloon filled with air that was about the same size. I put the two balloons in the hands of the Level 1 ELD so that they could feel the density.We worked on the words: less dense and more dense.  I also gave them a ping pong ball and a golf ball to reinforce the less dense and more dense.  Then, made a T-chart and drew and labeled things that they knew about.  When I drew the pictures I showed the particles. In the less, I drew a few dots and in the more, I drew alot of dots packed in together. 
The students started coming up with their own ideas of less and more dense- beach ball and bowling ball, and granite and pumice. Their homework was to go home and find other examples of things that are less dense and more dense. 
Tomorrow, we will review less and more dense by sorting some more objects with partners on a T-chart labeled more and less. 

Density unit Day 10 -Final day, revisit salad dressing

The only thing I did today related to the density unit was to give the final salad dressing assessment.  I had them wright the answer under their original answer in the lab notebook.  As is the case before, I gave the "Mrs. Leyeer question" to my first period question and the Page Keely style one to the rest of the classes.  I will bring some of the students responses to the meeting.

From here I will start to discuss the density of solids and also talk about Buoyancy as a force.  I have many other activities to finish out the density unit, but will miss the "flow" the last two weeks (pun filly intended).

Density Unit Day 9: wrap-up

Periods 1 and 2  I experimented with the order and by P3, I came up with the following:

First I had the kids draw a diagram of how you find the density of a liquid.  I got a bunch of different answers, but mostly got a comic strip style, step by step diagram of what you do (mind the volume, find the mass etc.).

Then I told the kids to find the density of water.  I had 3 different size graduated cylinders on the desk (1/3 had a 25ml, 1/3 had a 100ml and 1/3 had a 500ml).  The students struggled a bit, but for the most part the, once their mistakes were pointed out, they got on track.  very rarly did the students not know what to do.  I checked their answers, and had them type it in the computer under their group.  The purpose of this was to:

1. Assess the process skills on how to find the density of a liquid
2. show them that the density of water is 1g/ml
3. show them that the amount of liquid does not change.

We looked at the numbers, had a discussion about size and density, and I tied it back to the Cartesian diver answering the question "How dense are the water particles?".  I also told them to look at the data tables and try to guess which liquid was water.  

I then posted a table with a bunch of  liquids and their know densities,  and told them to use their notes to try to determine whet the other liquids were.  I took answers verbally in the Claim/Evidence format (i.e. Claim: the green one is corn syrup.  Evidence: it has a density of 1.32 and it smelled sweet.) Link to table: https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=ddhqzk34_57rdspx2dw

Then I attempted to layer all 6 liquids as they described them (with some success...see below).

The
Density
tube of
SCIENCE!!!

Density Unit Day 8: Mystery Liquids

Fig. 1

  I got 2 new solutions (see fig. 1):

• Salt water (dyed Black, although it looks green) - made by heating 1000ml water in the microwave, adding a TON of salt, and mixing until all the salt is gone that is going to be gone, then pouring it into another container, leaving the salt behind.
• Baby Oil (not dyed, left clear)- bought at CVS

I told the students that they needed to determine where the new liquids would fit into the existing layers.  In order to do this they need correct numbers form the previous lab.  I had some of the liquids out for students to redo or finish that lab.

Period 1 I left it relativity open, I said that all I wanted was a Claim (about where the clear and the Black  would fit into the layers) and Evidence (using numbers).  Most everyone started to make a data table right off the bat, and I have very little problems.  2 groups misunderstood the directions and simply stated how the clear and the black would layer. almost everyone finished and got stamped.

Period 2 I gave them a little more structure in that I had them write "Claim" and "Evidence" on their paper, and I said that I wanted a data table (I think?).  Some put the data table below their Claim And evidence, while others added on to their data table form the previous activity.  Some just wrote their data at the bottom in no table, but provided data in their claim. almost everyone finished and got stamped

Period 3 I gave them given more structure, in that I said that I wanted them to have a data table at the bottom. Most finished and got stamped.

Issues:  There needs to be something for the students to do.  some students are breezing right through this and then they are done.  others are still struggling with the lab from the day before (which they need) and it takes them longer.  The students that are done have nothing to do (which could mean problems).

NOTE: the baby did not float on alcohol (did we think it would?) not a huge issue.

Tomorrow I plan 2 things, 1)demo the placing of the 2 liquids, and 2)give them a list of the known densities for the liquids (plus some others) and have them try to guess the liquids.

Density Unit Day 7: Catch-up and Double alcohol assessment

Today  I let the students finish the lab form yesterday (finding the density of the liquids) and stamped off the complete ones.  I also gave the kids a chance to earn stamps from previous labs.  While this was happening I sent them up one at a time to enter their density data into an excel program that automatically finds the average. this led to a discussion about "does density effect layering?"

with 10 minutes left in class, I gave them the "Double Alcohol Assessment".  (link below)
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1LkizaeTJoSqM7kDCC-MlKr7wnJNKyI-ePwrlUyWFJbg