Science Methods - Week 15

 

This week we had to create an outline for how we can use the phenomenon of vinegar and baking soda to motivate students to learn about matter and its interactions. We posed a question, described how students could collect data, and described how students could use evidence collected to answer the question.

1.       Why does the balloon blow up when we mix vinegar and baking soda?

2.       Students might look at different properties of each, such as mass, color, and shape before, and compare that to after the experiment

3.       They should guide themselves to the conclusion that the mass stays the same under both situations

 

This week I got to learn all about creating this model and during it, I learned a lot about what happens when you fill a balloon and how the gas actually makes the mass of the balloon lighter. I found this lab mostly clear, but it was confusing when the lab turned out different than I expected. I was confused for a while until Dr. Nordine explained the concept. I can apply this whole lab to my teaching in the future by knowing to practice my labs in advance before I teach them, to make sure the results students get are expected, or that I can explain if they are not.