Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Dress As Your Favorite Element!

You have spent the last few weeks investigating atoms and the elements that they make up. You have learned how to interpret and "decode" a periodic table and how valence electrons, period, and group number can effect the properties of a specific element. Now let's hone the scope a bit.....



Your Assignment: Pick an element and research it. Through your research determine the properties of your element (density,boiling point, melting point, state it's found in at room temperature, reactivity, and anything else you think would be interesting to share) and identify common uses of your element. You must also find out when your element was discovered and the origin of its name.

The Final Product: Next Tuesday you will come to class dressed as your favorite element and present your findings. You need to create a poster to use as a visual aid during this presentation. The poster must include at a minimum the following information:

  • Element name and symbol

  • Atomic mass and atomic number

  • A picture of a sample of your element

  • A list of physical and chemical properties

  • Information on the discovery of your element (date, scientist, and origin of name)

I realize that there is much room for personal interpretation of the guidelines of this project.....go with it! You are all clever and creative....put those skills into action!

A Good Starting Point....

If you are stuck on trying to find a cool and interesting element to take on check out this awesome interactive periodic table. It has great pictures and tons of info on properties and history of each of the elements.
Your project will be graded on accuracy as well as creativity (a specific rubric will follow).

Have fun and good luck!!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Organizing the Elements



Welcome back! Your first assignment of 2011 is below.....

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ICE CREAM!


Ice cream is a solidified concoction of milk, sugar, whipping cream, and vanilla. Using your knowledge of the states of matter, kinetic energy, and observations from the lab today please complete the form below.


Friday, November 19, 2010

First Hand Implosion

Friday second period, McCurdyB students in action.....Apologies in advance if this video makes you a little dizzy, we're still working on our filming techniques!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

The Incredible Imploding Can: How Does it Work

Your assignment:
1. watch the video
2. scroll down, under the video and read the instructions
3. answer the questions in the form, read them over to make sure they are complete, and hit submit!
4. you' re done.



Important background information: The can that is being heated has 5 mL of water at the bottom of it. Besides that, it is completely empty.





Monday, November 1, 2010

Separation Techniques in Action

Students performed filtrations followed by evaporation to separate a mixture of sulfur and salt.





Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Make a Plan!!!

On a separate piece of paper please propose a method to separate the following mixtures/substances. Your plan can be written out step by step or in paragraph form....


#1: Water and Isopropanol

#2: Sand and wood chips

#3: Water (I know this is a pure substance.....how would you pull apart the oxygen and hydrogen atoms, though???)

#4: Salt, water and sulfur.

Be prepared tomorrow to try some of your methods out!