Activity #8

Activity 8: Exploration of Chemistry
For activity 8, students have a choice to explore other topics of chemistry presented in the PhET simulations.
Tasks to be completed:
1. Choose any Teaching Idea from any of the Chemistry Simulations (http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/category/chemistry ) and post your results/data and/or answers on your blog.

For this part of the activity, I chose to complete the Build an Atom Student Guide by Jackie Esler

2. Work with any of the Chemistry Simulations to create your own Teaching Idea. The criteria for this is as follows:
a. must identify and meet three (3) science education standards
b. must be original work
c. must be scientifically accurate and appropriate for the directed grade level.

My teaching idea is based off the Bending Light Exploration Simulation found at 
http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/category/chemistry

As an Early Childhood educator, I can create an introductory lesson plan from the simulation that will be most appropriate for early in the year with fifth grade students.
This lesson will focus primarily on building the students' understanding of how light is effected by the different mediums used in the simulation.

1. I will have the children open the Bending Light Exploration Simulation on the website.

2. They will be instructed to have a piece of paper and colored pencils to record their observations from the simulations.

3. Each student will be asked to explore what happens to the light as a "Ray" of light travels through the Water, Air, and Glass mediums.

4. Next, I will ask the children to pick a partner for a simple guessing game. This game will allow the students to practice what they've learned about the effects of mediums on the ray of light.

5. The students will be asked to create a Mystery A or B for their partner, each taking a turn to create the simulation.

6. After everyone has taken a turn guessing the type of medium that affected the ray of light, we will discuss  our conclusions as a group.

7. This activity can be added to or adjusted depending on the developmental appropriateness of the students in the classroom.

The following Science Standards apply to this Teaching Idea for Bending Light Exploration:

A.4.1 When conducting science investigations, ask and answer questions that will help decide the general areas of science being addressed

A.4.3 When investigating a science-related problem, decide what data can be collected to determine the most useful explanations

C.4.5 Use data they have collected to develop explanations and answer questions generated by investigations

C.4.7 Support their conclusions with logical arguments

C.4.8 Ask additional questions that might help focus or further an investigation