RECONSTRUCTING HIGH SCHOOL

CHEMICAL REACTION

LESSONS TO MOTIVATE AND

SUPPORT CONCEPTUAL LEARNING

by

Nathan Moma Ndiforamang

An education leadership portfolio submitted to the Faculty of the University of Delaware in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership

Fall 2017

© 2017 Nathan Moma Ndiformang All Rights Reserved

RECONSTRUCTING HIGH SCHOOL

CHEMICAL REACTION

LESSONS TO MOTIVATE AND

SUPPORT CONCEPTUAL LEARNING

by

Nathan Moma Ndiforamang

Approved: ____________________________________________________________ Chrystalla Mouza, Ed.D. Interim Director of the School of Education Approved: ____________________________________________________________ Carol Vukelich, Ph.D. Dean of the College of Education and Human Development Approved: ____________________________________________________________ Ann L. Ardis, Ph.D. Senior Vice Provost for Graduate and Professional Education

I certify that I have read this education leadership portfolio and that in my opinion it meets the academic and professional standard required by the University as an education leadership portfolio for the degree of Doctor of Education.

Signed: __________________________________________________________ Zoubeida R. Dagher, Ph.D. Professor in charge of education leadership portfolio I certify that I have read this education leadership portfolio and that in my

opinion it meets the academic and professional standard required by the University as an education leadership portfolio for the degree of Doctor of Education.

Signed: __________________________________________________________ Charles Hohensee, Ph.D. Member of education leadership portfolio committee I certify that I have read this education leadership portfolio and that in my

opinion it meets the academic and professional standard required by the University as an education leadership portfolio for the degree of Doctor of Education.

Signed: __________________________________________________________ Chrystalla Mouza, Ed.D. Member of education leadership portfolio committee I certify that I have read this education leadership portfolio and that in my

opinion it meets the academic and professional standard required by the University as an education leadership portfolio for the degree of Doctor of Education.

Signed: __________________________________________________________ Jeffrey Lawson, Ed.D. Member of education leadership portfolio committee

I certify that I have read this education leadership portfolio and that in my

opinion it meets the academic and professional standard required by the University as an education leadership portfolio for the degree of Doctor of Education

Signed: __________________________________________________________ Jacqueline Fajardo, Ph.D. Member of education leadership portfolio committee

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to express my sincere thanks to my dad (and lifelong mentor), Mr.

Peter Tabo, for investing in me throughout my academic and moral ventures in life. He

talked about this period and was graciously looking forward to my graduation, but the

cold hands of death snatched him a year ago before this graduation. I am dedicating this

achievement to him, and may his soul rest in perfect peace. I also remain grateful for the

thoughts and relentless prayers from my family—mothers, sisters, brothers, friends, and

others back in Africa, Cameroon, my place of birth. I thank you all!

I extend a sincere thanks to my advisor, Dr. Zoubeida Dagher, for her persistent

encouragement and constructive guidance along this doctoral journey. Her firm

supervisory tone was consistent and omnipresent to keep me working harder to the

victory line. I also thank the members of my Education Leadership Portfolio Committee,

Dr. Charles Hohensee, Dr. Chrystalla Mouza, Dr. Jeffrey Lawson, and Dr. Jacqueline

Fajardo for their commitment, expertise, and feedback that kept me on track.

I also acknowledge the enormous sacrifice from my children, Nate Jr., Ngu, and

Natalie, for putting up with my busy schedule. It kept me away from all the things that a

great daddy does, but I am now back to spending all my valuable home moments with

you children and going places so that you can do the stuff you all like to do. Thanks for

always working hard and taking school seriously.

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I owe deep gratitude to the students at Perryville High School over the past 10

years that I had the privilege to have in my classroom. They were willing to let us try

innovative tools and research-based resources that had worked elsewhere in similar

settings. Thanks to my science colleagues in Cecil County Public Schools, the school-

district coordinator for the Science and STEM Program, Mr. Frank Cardo, and most

especially my chemistry colleagues. You all helped in so many ways for me to complete

the practical component of this ELP project. Finally, a big thank you to others I have not

mentioned by name but were there for me in spirit or in person to see me succeed. Thank

you all!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................... ix LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................... xi ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................. xii Chapter

1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. 1 

Professional Context ........................................................................................... 1 Organizational Context ....................................................................................... 3 Constructing the Layout for the Project Plan ...................................................... 4 The Next Generation Science Standards ............................................................. 6 

2 PROBLEMS ADDRESSED ............................................................................... 7 

Problem Statement .............................................................................................. 7 Teachers’ Understanding of the Chemistry Issue ............................................... 8 Different Dynamics in Learning Chemistry ....................................................... 9 Exploring Teaching Resources and Strategies .................................................. 10 Background Literature on Conceptual Learning and Misconceptions ............. 13 Background Knowledge to Construct the Lessons ........................................... 14 

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) ....................................... 15 The American Chemical Society (ACS) Recommendations ...................... 15 

Background Understanding for Assessment ..................................................... 16 Understanding Learners’ Cognitive Behavior and Responses .......................... 17 Description of Chemical Reaction Unit Concepts ............................................ 19 Significance of Reconstructing Chemical Reaction Lessons ............................ 20 

3 IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES .................................................................... 22 

Academic Language Pertaining to Chemistry Reaction Concepts ................... 24 Technology Integration ..................................................................................... 25 Issues Related to Technology Integration ......................................................... 27 Lesson Plan Template: The 5E Model .............................................................. 29 

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Developing Background Knowledge About Assessment ................................. 31 Introducing Formative Assessment Techniques ............................................... 33 Contributions of Teachers to the Reconstructed Lessons ................................. 41 Teacher Feedback on Unit ................................................................................ 41 

4 IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES RESULTS .................................................. 43 

Analyzing Approach of the Project ................................................................... 43 Reflecting on the Improvement Goal ................................................................ 46 

5 REFLECTIONS ON IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................. 55 

Analyzing the Steps Taken ............................................................................... 55 Analyzing the Lesson Reconstruction Process ................................................. 57 Reflection on Improvement Goal ...................................................................... 58 Reflections on Leadership Development .......................................................... 59 Reflecting on my Growth as a Scholar ............................................................. 61 Reflecting on my Growth as a Problem Solver ................................................ 62 Reflecting on the ELP Process .......................................................................... 63 Future Leadership Prospects ............................................................................. 64 

REFERENCES ............................................................................................................. 65 Appendix

A FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE STUDENTS’ LEARNING OF CHEMISTRY CONCEPTS .............................................................................. 69 

B THE PEDAGOGY OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS ........................................ 89 C EXPLORING TEACHERS’ VIEWS ON TEACHING CHEMICAL

REACTIONS .................................................................................................. 111 D CHEMICAL REACTIONS: TEACHING TOOLS AND RESOURCES ...... 129 E RECONSTRUCTED CHEMICAL REACTION LESSONS ......................... 160 F FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT ....................................................................... 291 G PROFESSIONAL FEEDBACK ON DEVELOPED UNIT ........................... 338 H INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD (IRB) APPROVAL FORM .............. 361 

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 1  Description of Planned Artifacts .............................................................. 21 

Table 2  Using Assessment Strategies to Improve Conceptual Understanding of Lesson Activities ................................................................................. 34 

Table 3  Sample Formative Assessment Tasks as Applied in the 5E Model and the 3D Framework............................................................................. 50 

Table 4  Concepts Students Find to Be Most Challenging .................................. 117 

Table 5  Resources, Tools, Models and Animations Used to Address Learning Difficulties .............................................................................. 118 

Table 6  Effective Instructional Tools Used to Address Student Difficulties ...... 119 

Table 7  Least Effective Tools/Methods Used to Teach Chemical Reaction Lessons ................................................................................................... 120 

Table 8  Lab Activities That Support Students’ Understanding of the Lessons ................................................................................................... 120 

Table 9  Activities That Generate Motivation for Students to Learn ................... 122 

Table 10  Recommended Tools and Resources That Support Students’ Learning ................................................................................................. 122 

Table 11  Recommended Assessment to Include in Lessons to Assess Students’ Understanding ........................................................................ 123 

Table 12  Instructional Tools That Effectively Support the Learning of Challenging Concepts in the Lessons .................................................... 124 

Table 13  Guiding Criteria for Selection of Tools/Resources ................................ 155 

Table 14  Lesson Plan 1: What Is a Chemical Reaction? ...................................... 342 

Table 15  Lesson Plan 2: What Is the Evidence of a Chemical Reaction? ............ 343 

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Table 16  Lesson Plan 3: How Are Reactants and Products of Chemical Reactions Represented in Equations? .................................................... 344 

Table 17  Lesson Plan 4: How Are Chemical Reactions Classified? .................... 345 

Table 18  Lesson Plan 5: How Do You Write and Balance Simple Chemical Equations? .............................................................................................. 346 

Table 19  Lesson Plan 6: How Do You Write and Balance Simple and Complex Chemical Equations? ............................................................................. 347 

Table 20  Lesson Plan 7: How Do You Investigate the Activity Series in Chemical Reactions? .............................................................................. 350 

Table 21  Lesson Plan 8: How Is the Activity Series Applied to Predict the Products and to Write Equations for Single Replacement Reactions? .. 352 

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1  Summary of Discourse (Adopted from Sickel et al, 2013) and Permission (Confirmation Number: 11648003) from Copyright Clearance Center. .................................................................... 47 

Figure 2  The Logic Model used to Reconstruct the Chemical Reaction Lessons. ................................................................................................... 58 

Figure 3  Survey Questions on the Topic of Chemical Reactions for Teacher Participants ............................................................................... 113 

Figure 4  The Performance Expectations for Chemical Reactions Concepts. ....... 162 

Figure 5  The 3D Framework of the NGSS........................................................... 163 

Figure 6  Connections with Common Core State Standards. ................................ 164 

Figure 7  Vignette Debriefing is Used to Engage Students to Learn Chemical Concepts (Source: NGSS Lead States, 2013a). ..................... 173 

Figure 8  Student Practice Problem Activity. ........................................................ 186 

Figure 9  Student Discovery Lab Activity. ............................................................ 202 

Figure 10  Graph that Shows Display of Temperature vs. Time in for Baggie Reaction. .................................................................................... 208 

Figure 11  Student Skeletal Equation Practice Activity. ......................................... 217 

Figure 12  Student Chemical Equation Practice Activity. ....................................... 220 

Figure 13  Activity Series. ....................................................................................... 277 

Figure 14  Materials for Single Replacement Lab. ................................................. 280 

Figure 15  Analysis Questions from Lab Performance. .......................................... 285 

Figure 16  Framework for Selective Assessment. ................................................... 294

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ABSTRACT

The primary focus of this education leadership portfolio is to reconstruct lessons

on chemical reaction concepts for teachers to use and reach all learners of chemistry in

Cecil County Public Schools. As a high school chemistry teacher, I have observed that

student enrollment in chemistry is relatively low, and students show little enthusiasm

about being successful in chemistry compared to other science subjects. To understand

these issues, I researched conceptual learning, misconceptions, and best practices;

prepared open-ended questions in a survey for chemistry teachers in my district;

distributed the survey; received their responses; and processed the information received. I

analyzed the data using qualitative techniques, and the results revealed that many of the

tools provided in the district’s curriculum guide for chemistry were not effective in class.

I used the data to search for learning tools and classroom resources that could improve

students understanding of chemistry concepts. I then reconstructed eight lessons on

chemical reaction concepts utilizing those tools and resources. I redistributed the

reconstructed lessons to teachers who had volunteered to review the lessons and provide

professional feedback. The teachers’ feedback revealed that the tools and resources

incorporated in the reconstructed lessons included interactive activities that would excite

students. The teachers indicated that the lessons were technology rich and included a

variety of learning strategies. They also noted that the lessons included too many

activities to cover within a day’s lesson, and some of the recommended weblinks had

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technical issues. Most of the suggestions received were used to improve the quality of the

reconstructed lessons and will serve as a resource for future fine-tuning of the lessons.

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Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Effective teachers provide students with meaningful learning opportunities that

connect key ideas to prior experiences and understandings. Based on my own

experience, I noticed that frequently students can describe chemical reaction processes,

such as the propane flames used to cook, but can neither relate it to combustion as a type

of chemical reaction nor write the balanced chemical equation for burning propane that

releases heat energy during the reaction process. Gilbert and Watts wrote, “When

discussing learners’ ideas in science one needs to distinguish between an individual’s

cognitive structure (which can only be conjectured), and the researcher’s own models

(which can be formally represented in words and diagrams)” (as cited in Taber, 1998, p.

598). It is therefore important for a prospective school leader to explore the existing

learning dynamics of what is being taught in class (from the standards) and how students

best learn in that classroom environment.

Professional Context

I currently teach chemistry and other science subjects to students in Grades 9-12

at Cecil County Public Schools (CCPS) in Maryland. For the last 10 years of my 22 years

in teaching, I have been concerned about the low level of student interest in learning

chemistry and eventually building careers from this course. Many students tend to avoid

2

taking chemistry as one of their four science course requirements. In my capacity as a

classroom teacher, I have observed that chemistry course enrollment for the past several

years has been low and the students who take the class show very little enthusiasm

toward being successful in the course. Chemistry ought to be a subject that interests

students because its content has so many applications in everyday life to which learners

can relate.

In the past 5 years, the average enrollment of students in the courses per semester

in the classes that I teach has been as follows: General Chemistry, 11; Zoology, 40;

Honor Chemistry, 30; and Environmental Science, 40. The school district considers

General Chemistry and Honor Chemistry separate and unrelated subjects that count as

any other science credit for graduation. Many science and engineering programs in

college, such as nursing, pharmacy, and material engineering, are interested in students

with a strong chemistry background. The issue of low enrollment for chemistry has been

discussed during department meetings among teachers, but no further action has been

taken to address the problem. As a teacher who teaches all these science subjects, I have

tried to understand the reason behind the enrollment in all science classes, but have

continuously observed students’ lack of enthusiasm in chemistry.

An effective chemistry lesson is essential for teachers’ success. Having access to

a well-developed lesson plan will make a difference in how teachers teach chemistry

students in their classrooms. The current chemistry curriculum document in CCPS does

not offer teachers the necessary detailed information to deliver effective lessons that

support learning. The district has no standard lesson plans for teachers to use in

classrooms, and the curriculum does not help teachers to prepare for lessons.

3

Preparing a good lesson is often challenging to newly hired teachers, and they

need to collaborate with other experienced teachers to construct effective lessons that can

make the difference in the classroom (Bauml, 2016). The district curriculum for

chemistry does not provide suggested tools and resources for teachers to use. There is a

need for teachers to research effective learning tools that will allow students to take

charge of their learning and to make available the resources that students can access to

support teachers’ claims and make connections to what they already know. For example,

there are no suggested technology tools (such as simulations, visual labs, or games) in the

chemistry curriculum that teachers can incorporate into lesson activities and use in class.

Students do not have the opportunity to use technology throughout the unit lessons.

Teachers are not encouraged to insert technology into their lessons for students, but

educators in the 21st century know that technology tools are important for best practices

in the process of teaching and learning. My challenge as an educator is to make chemistry

a more appealing subject by improving the quality of activities in the chemistry

curriculum and the way I teach it.

Organizational Context

For the 2015-2016 academic year, Perryville High School had about 950 students,

63 teachers, 20 support staff, three administrators, and eight front-desk staff. Of the 10

science teachers in the school, two taught all the different chemistry courses. The

graduation rates for the past 3 years have been over 80%, and more of the students were

encouraged to take chemistry as part of the graduation science requirement. The bell

schedule runs from 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. on a four-block schedule, and there are many

after-school programs like the Twilight program to provide remediation to students who

4

need academic help at no cost. One of the three school building administrators is always

on the school premises after the end of the school day for a couple of hours to provide

administrative support to staff who stay to help struggling students to meet classroom

challenges.

The CCPS district has five high schools (including Perryville High School), one

school of technology, six middle schools, and 17 elementary schools. There is an average

of three teachers who teach chemistry in each of the district’s high schools. The district

mission statement is as follows: “Our mission is to provide an excellent pre-kindergarten

through graduation learning experience that enables ALL students to demonstrate the

skills, knowledge and attitudes required for lifelong learning and productive citizenship

in an ever changing global society” (Cecil County Public School [CCPS], 2015).

Constructing the Layout for the Project Plan

This project began by identifying curricular challenges with teaching and learning

chemical reaction concepts and the ways students learn in my classroom. To address the

issues, I developed a plan of action comprised of seven artifacts that are included as

appendices at the end of this document. These artifacts were planned to gain background

knowledge, survey instructional resources, and consider teacher input in the process of

reconstructing lessons. The titles of the artifacts are:

1. Factors that influence students’ learning of chemistry concepts

2. The pedagogy of chemical reactions

3. Exploring teachers’ view on teaching chemical reactions

4. Chemical reactions: teaching tools and resources

5. Revised chemical reaction lessons

5

6. Formative assessment

7. Professional feedback on developed unit

The first artifact focused on providing a better understanding of how students

learn chemistry, their conceptual understanding, and misconceptions of chemical

concepts. Developing this artifact constituted the backbone of how the learning

challenges can be addressed. The second artifact focused on identifying best practices,

instructional strategies, and pedagogic features that support the effective teaching of

chemistry. The third artifact summarized teachers’ views on teaching chemical reactions

in CCPS to understand the variety of teaching practices used and learning challenges

experienced with students, including the tools and resources they perceived to be

effective and ineffective.

The fourth artifact focused on identifying and compiling a set of tools such as

Physics Education Technology (PhET) simulations (which are research-oriented

interactive computer simulations and models used for teaching and learning chemistry

and other sciences) and research-based resources such as the American Chemical Society

(ACS) that have been shown to work in other classroom settings. The fifth artifact

contained consolidated knowledge acquired from the first four artifacts to reconstruct

eight lessons intended to motivate students to learn, engage students in completing the

class activities, and improve the process of teaching and learning chemical reaction

concepts. The sixth artifact was a set of formative assessment tasks for the eight lessons

as they relate to the three dimensions of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

These tasks are intended to assess students’ understanding and provide feedback that is

useful for adjusting plans for subsequent lessons. The seventh artifact included the

feedback sought from teachers in the district about the eight lessons, as well as their

6

suggestions for changes on the reconstructed lessons before they are recommended for

use with students.

The Next Generation Science Standards

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013) adopted by the

State of Maryland provide a useful three-dimensional (3D) framework, around which the

science curriculum should be organized. The first dimension, science and engineering

practices (SEP), includes the following: asking questions (for science) and defining

problems (for engineering); developing and using models; planning and carrying out

investigations; analyzing and interpreting data; constructing explanations (for science)

and designing solutions (for engineering); engaging in argument from evidence; and

obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information.

The second, disciplinary core ideas (DCI), includes the following: Life science,

earth and space science, physical science, and engineering design. The third dimension,

cross-cutting concepts (CCC), includes the following: patterns, cause and effect;

mechanism and explanation; scale, proportion, and quantity; systems and system models;

energy and matter—flow, cycles, and conservation; structure and function; and stability

and change (and all these are for applications across all domains of science), and

disciplinary core ideas (that focus on most important aspects of K-12 science (Pruitt,

2014).

Teachers can put forward lots of information and resources into the framework of

both knowledge and ability so as to address students’ conceptions and misconceptions of

chemistry. The purpose of this project was to consider how this information can be used

to reconstruct lessons on chemical reactions in ways that are likely to improve learning.

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Chapter 2

PROBLEMS ADDRESSED

Problem Statement

As a teacher in CCPS, I have observed that my Chemistry students do not show

enthusiasm about coming to class and are not excited to learn. In contrast, I see high

levels of enthusiasm in my students taking science classes such as Zoology,

Environmental Science, Biology, and Honors Chemistry. I shared this observation with

other science teachers, and I have given deeper thought to understand what factors could

contribute to how students like to learn chemistry. Teachers in the school district meet

during professional development sessions and usually talk about curricular matters, share

classroom challenges, and discuss issues of concern that various teachers experience as

they teach science classes.

Much of the attention during these professional development meetings is focused

on addressing curricular issues that pertain to Biology, Honors Chemistry, and

Environmental Science, but little or no time is dedicated to addressing the issues that

teachers experience teaching General Chemistry. Often during these workshops, the focus

is on higher level courses such as Honors Chemistry and Advanced Placement (AP)

Chemistry, and little or no time is dedicated to curricular issues in the General Chemistry

course. There have been very few attempts in these professional development workshops

to address lesson-related issues stemming from the regular or General Chemistry

curriculum and assessment.

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Students taking General Chemistry often select the course to meet the graduation

credit requirement and are not interested in academic opportunities beyond high school. I

believe that most of the students from the local community who are taking General

Chemistry do not seem to have an inner drive for learning chemistry because they see

little relevance about this subject outside the classroom and are not aspiring to continue

learning chemistry or a related field beyond graduation.

Teachers’ Understanding of the Chemistry Issue

I have found it challenging to understand and use the district chemistry

curriculum guide when planning lessons because of the structuring and organization of

content and activities. The issue of misalignment between content and activities in the

lessons comes up regularly during district professional development sessions but has not

been resolved. There is a lot of pressure on the professional development leaders to focus

on getting the high-level (Honors and AP) students to become college ready and to pass

state and national standardized tests.

The suggested class activities in General Chemistry (also referred to as

Chemistry) curriculum guide do not properly align with the content, nor do they offer

opportunities to engage students. Some teachers (especially newly hired ones) heavily

rely on the district-provided curriculum and teach lessons that lack student involvement

activities such as discovery and hands-on tasks. Students then build no fun memories

about learning chemistry and are not enthusiastic about their chemistry experience.

Redesigning effective chemistry lessons is a daunting task for an already busy

classroom teacher; however, one of CCPS’s core values is to set high goals and hold

teachers accountable for their attainment. While this enshrined district core value sounds

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intimidating to classroom teachers because there is too much to do already to meet

supervisory expectations.

Different Dynamics in Learning Chemistry

More often than not, students enrolled in AP and Honors-level courses have a

higher socioeconomic status, good parental support, and more experiences in science.

According to Schwartz, Bilsky, and Layder, “The value gained by the support of family

affect the individual’s both personality development and social life and also make easier

to overcome the difficulties” (as cited in Erden & Ümmet, 2014, p. 74). The students who

get good grades (high achievers) tend to have more structural support from home and the

potential to adapt to new curricular standards that are taught in classrooms. Conversely,

most students taking General Chemistry tend to have less parental influence and support

and come from less privileged neighborhoods and vulnerable family settings (Berg,

2016).

The content for the General Chemistry curriculum does not include student

activities that are meaningful or exciting to the students. Because the learning challenges

that occur in General Chemistry are not being directly addressed, students taking this

course are not as engaged in the learning process. Students in my other science classes

like the lesson activities that they do in class, they are engaged in the learning process,

and do better in unit assessments.

As a teacher who teaches General and Honor Chemistry, I have observed that

students learn better when they are provided with curricular structures that have

measurable outcomes, meaningful lesson activities, and supportive classroom settings

with rich learning opportunities. I think that if the students enrolled in General Chemistry

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are provided with supportive curricular and instructional settings that enable them to

relate the unit content (activities that they learn) in class to other disciplines and everyday

life experiences, they are more likely to excel.

To partially address this shortcoming, I reconstructed lessons to provide

opportunities for students to explore exciting content topics, develop chemical concepts,

and understand skills for the learning trajectory that the instructional tasks match to other

levels of thinking. The existing curriculum did not include research-based teaching

methods (such as recommended technology) to use with students, nor did it provide

guidance on what strategies would best support students learning. The chemistry

curriculum did not include a variety of teaching tools that help teachers to meet the needs

of all students, especially those with behavioral and emotional issues. I incorporated

learning strategies like suggestions from the Positive Behavioral Interventions and

Supports (PBIS) program to target all learners and to include extra resources that should

accommodate students struggling in chemistry.

Exploring Teaching Resources and Strategies

The contributions of a few researches helped sharpen my understanding of the

process of teaching and learning chemistry. Breslyn and McGinnis (2012) used the

cognitive framework to study science teachers’ conceptual abilities to inquire about

student learning in the classroom. A fascinating finding revealed in this study is that there

is no theoretical understanding of how the discipline shapes teachers’ conceptions; the

enactment of inquiry and the concept of inquiry depend on the discipline of the science

teacher (Breslyn & McGinnis, 2012). Most researchers in education agree that inquiry

should be a meaningful part of the learning process in the science classroom. Adequate

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planning, sufficient instructional time, and supportive professional development are

elements that contribute to an effective teaching process.

Many affordable educational strategies and resources are available to reach out to

students who do not like chemistry or who do not have the interest to pursue chemistry or

chemistry-related careers after high school graduation. There should be pedagogic ways

to integrate these resources, tools, and digital technologies into lesson plans that offer a

broader differentiation and a variety of learning opportunities. Therefore, there was a

need to explore in depth which instructional tools and technologies offer students the

flexibility, creativity in thinking, and motivation to learn chemistry. A new approach is to

present lessons that introduce educational and engaging tools into students’ activities in

ways that encourage them to become more active in their learning. Chung et al. (2016)

noted, “Educational institutions are taking advantage of advances in digital technology to

engage their students with various teaching and learning modes” (p. 54).

The teaching tools and instructional techniques used should take into

consideration students’ attitudes toward learning chemical reactions and achievement in

chemistry. Ma, Williams, Richard, Prejean, and Liu indicated that game-based virtual

learning environments have the potential to provide opportunities for students to engage

in authentic tasks such as problem solving (as cited in Williams, Ma, & Feist, 2007), but

there should be scaffolding for learners to get the benefits. Using educational games is

one of the most valuable tools that a chemistry teacher can incorporate as a lesson

activity but these games should be relevant to the concepts taught in class. Students

should know the rules of the game and the consequence if rules are not respected. Franco-

Mariscal, Oliva-Martinez, and Almoraima (2014) reported, “Educational games can be

considered as powerful tools in science, and, when used appropriately, they are excellent

12

resources for the teaching/learning process” (p. 284). Games are effective learning tools

that provide unique opportunities for students to interact with a knowledge domain in

educational settings. Classroom games employ computers, computerized tablets,

smartphones, computerized games, game boards, floor tiles, and game courses and are

motivational, strengthen important life skills, call upon critical thinking, and become a

pedagogical staple for many teaches (Farber, 2011).

Many games in chemistry are used to review and reinforce a variety of chemistry

topics such as the nomenclature, symbols and formulas of chemical species (such as

atoms and subatomic particles), families of chemical elements, and the periodic table.

According to Bayir (2014),

Studies have indicated that card and board games dealing with chemistry topics are successful in teaching chemistry, capturing interest, developing collaborative skills, providing motivation, and addressing visual learning styles as well as decreasing the anxiety and apprehensions of students and teachers. (p. 531)

Games can be used in a chemistry class as a break for students from the usual

routine of daily lessons. For games to be integrated successfully in the lesson plan, Farber

(2011) noted that the teacher has to demonstrate leadership and have a clear measurable

objective, comprehendible rules and directions, rewards and penalties, and team

composition. Although there are ongoing conversations about the educational value of

games, there are few noted examples of games that have been integrated into educational

settings, and researchers have not said much about “their validity and usefulness as

teaching tools in formal settings” (Marklund & Taylor, 2016, p. 122).

Educators and technology experts are approaching the issue of making the process

of teaching and learning more interactive through media. One approach is to design the

13

interactive medium such that the tools and resources on platforms are explained to local

teachers by a professional (Saka, 2011). Another approach involves using instructions

that are available on the online site. An example of the former platform used in chemistry

classroom is the Computer Assisted Learning Method (CALM). The architecture of

CALM is based on Socratic pedagogy, where the database pool of questions is sensible to

the progressing level of that student. The algorithmic generation of individualized

questions is a key feature of this tool. This interactive and dynamic tool makes it possible

for students to get immediate feedback and additional practice for a deeper

understanding. A major challenge with using CALM in the lessons reconstruction process

is that it is effective for only single-stage questions and not multiple-stage questions that

are often used for developing critical thinking skills (DeSouza, 2008).

Background Literature on Conceptual Learning and Misconceptions

Students learn in different ways. To provide an explanation for the term

conceptual framework, Hewson noted conception was used to indicate a functional unit

of thought, and Watson used the term framework to suggest “a basic structure which

supports and gives shape” (as cited in Taber, 1998, p. 599). Teachers should establish a

distinction between aspects of cognitive structure that influence chemistry students’

behavior, such as providing an answer to a question on chemical reaction, and their level

of thinking that produces a single proposition. A conceptual framework provides a

common structure for proper learning to take place, and it is a different notion than the

alternative conceptual framework. Conceptual structure is the best approximation of a

cognitive structure that represents a model for the learner’s personal experiences in the

physical world. Driver and Easley originally used the term alternative framework to refer

14

to a “situation in which pupils have developed autonomous frameworks for

conceptualizing their experience of the physical world” (as cited in Taber, 1998, p. 598).

Students typically have misconceptions about the natural world, and those

misconceptions are known to interfere with learning new and difficult concepts. Teachers

have to design lesson activities that challenge students’ misconceptions and regularly

require them to confront their own ideas by interacting with course activities and text

materials. More contributions from other education researchers helped shape the thoughts

and dimension for this curricular project. Rickey and Stacy (2000) indicated, “Students

with a high level of metacognitive activity are more able and more likely to refine naïve

ideas in the face of contradictory experimental results” (p. 915). This statement implied

that chemistry students should be taught to be aware; self-monitor the science concept by

taking steps to reflect on contradictory experimental procedures, data, and results; and

seek explanations. Rickey and Stacey (2000) described this experience by noting,

“Students in highly unstructured environments are never forced to confront their

misconceptions, nor are they given the opportunity to reconcile them with scientific

conceptions” (p. 916).

Background Knowledge to Construct the Lessons

Certain educational sources with evidence-based information were identified and

noted to have ideas, skills, strategies, and knowledge used to construct the lessons. These

resources include the Next Generation Science Standards and the American Chemical

Society’s recommendations.

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The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

Maryland is one of several states that have adopted the NGSS into the school

systems, and the CCPS district is committed to aligning its curriculum to the new

standards. The NGSS framework’s emphasis on the process of inquiry and scientific

practices that are integrated across different learning disciplines can provide better

learning opportunities for students who are less motivated to learn. The NGSS provide a

great opportunity for teachers to teach science in our classrooms the way we know we

should, and it takes time and effort (Pruitt, 2015).

The American Chemical Society (ACS) Recommendations

The ACS guidelines and recommendations for teaching high school chemistry

served as the primary reference in revising the chemical reaction lessons. The ACS

website houses information from sources that are considered reliable and that represent

knowledgeable viewpoints of chemistry educators. It is the product of a task force

initiated in the fall of 2009 under the auspices of the Society Committee on Education to

update a guidance document. These materials are a valuable resource because they focus

on the nature of instruction, the physical and instructional environment, the main idea in

the chemical reaction unit, and my professional responsibility as a science teacher. This

document was primarily intended for classroom teachers like me, and the content of these

guidelines will sustain my focus on instructional methodologies and best practices.

The previous CCPS chemistry curriculum included concepts listed in a haphazard

manner and the outline provided in the course’s framework did not emphasize the

essential components of CCPS’s high school chemistry learning environment. The

recommendations provided at the Society’s Committee on Education website are

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invaluable resources to guide the structure of lesson planning and the flow of student

activities in reconstructing the lessons on chemical reactions.

The ACS Committee on Education’s (2012) position fully aligned with my

leadership goals when it stated,

These guidelines recognize the professional integrity of high school chemistry teachers who may want to share with school or district administrators’ information about best practices and physical environment, including the tools of educational technology and laboratory facilities. (p. 2)

I wanted to ensure that the revised lessons on chemical reaction succinctly provide the

opportunity for students to solve real-world problems and convey this information to

others.

Background Understanding for Assessment

The key element of formative assessment is genuine engagement with a free-

flowing exchange of ideas between the teacher and the students in the presence of

disciplinary practices. The evidence for students’ conceptual understanding is

demonstrated through the quality of questions the teacher poses to students, listening to

their answers, and making decisions about how to move learning forward based on

students’ responses (Ateh, 2015). During instruction, the teacher must clarify as precisely

as possible the ideas that will be targeted by a test question and identify possible

misconceptions that students may have about those ideas.

Knowing students’ misconceptions helps teachers to improve instruction and

better design their own test questions to assess whether students truly understand the

chemistry concepts they are being taught. Pellegrino, Chudowsky, and Glaser, wrote,

“Assessment is a form of reasoning from evidence in which observations of students’

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actions and artifacts are used to support inferences about what they know and can do” (as

cited in DeBarger, Penuuel, Harris, & Kennedy, 2016, p. 176). I use formative

assessment as a transformative instructional tool to positively influence both my students’

in-class learning and their subsequent performance on accountability test.

An educational assessment is a complex and principled system that has to be

coherent and functioning to produce valid and fair inferences, reliable scores, and useful

information to stakeholders. A principled assessment that is designed with an explicit

argument for how evidence is gathered and interpreted constitutes a major framework for

the lessons and the activity’s underlying knowledge, skills, and process for the

reconstructed lessons will definitely improve students’ understanding of misconceptions

about chemical reactions. As stated by Brown, Afflerbach, and Croninger (2014), the

argument includes a model of cognition, observable tasks, and a method of interpretation

for the performance outcomes. The formative assessment should not be complex, time

consuming, or bring about students’ faltering but must be capable of helping teachers

understand students’ needs. Carpenter and colleagues contended, “Teachers who listen to

students’ problem-solving strategies and generate instruction based on these strategies

have a greater impact on students’ conceptual understanding of mathematics compared to

other teachers” (as cited in Ateh, 2015, p. 116). The teacher’s role is to pay close

attention to students’ ideas and thinking, create opportunities to get evidence of students’

in-depth knowledge of learning goals, and make instructional decisions.

Understanding Learners’ Cognitive Behavior and Responses

A good cognitive structure of knowledge for chemistry is complex and demands

effort by the teacher and the students. Nakhleh (1992) viewed learning as a cyclical

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process in which new information is compared to prior knowledge and equally linked to

that same knowledge base. The learner selectively attends to the flow of presented

information, and his or her preconception will then determine the information to which he

or she should then pay attention. Nakhleh further noted, “Students’ conceptual

knowledge of chemistry is based on a model of learning in which students construct their

own concepts” (p. 191). Students listen to instructions and make up their understanding

based on what they previously know about that concept. Additionally, students’ behavior

and how seriously they want to learn chemistry are also contributing factors to the

acquisition of chemistry knowledge. The learner’s brain learns new concepts based on

what it finds relevant to make the necessary connection to the learner’s prior knowledge.

An important facet of conceptual understanding is the analysis of student

responses to teacher questions that range from appealing to authority to true beliefs about

nature (Taber & Watts, 2000). Several factors are attributed to explanations generated in

the science classroom, but the teacher’s role as the explainer of scientific phenomena is

central in the process of teaching and learning. For example, distinguishing between

answers framed as appealing to the authority and answers framed as explanations and

then distinguishing between true and pseudo-explanations can provide a useful

framework for diagnosing learning issues. In science, the learner’s understanding of

events in the natural world (such as to understand the concept of chemical bond) differs

from the scientific understanding of the same events. It is not clear whether students’

explanations of the changes apply across different phenomena (Taber & Watts, 2000).

When teachers understand the cognitive behaviors of learners, they can better assist

students who were not able to construct an appropriate understanding of the fundamental

chemical concepts from the beginning of their studies (Nakhleh, 1992).

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Description of Chemical Reaction Unit Concepts

Understanding the concept of chemical reactions such as reaction types, writing

and balancing equations, can be considered the pivotal topic for chemistry in the high

school curriculum. Sirhan (2007) wrote, “Because chemistry topics are generally related

to or based on the structure of matter, chemistry proves a difficult subject for many

students” (p. 2). Prerequisite concepts include understanding the structure and

characteristics of an atom and a compound that form the basis for chemical reactions.

Atoms are the building block of chemical substances and they chemically bond with each

other to form various chemical compounds. Thus, the first two units of chemistry prepare

students to understand the names and characteristics of all elements on the periodic table

and the ways these elements interact based on individual properties. The simple unit

called the atom interacts in real-life operations to form large compounds and more

complex units that react with other compounds through the process of chemical reactions.

Based on my experience, most students have preconceptions about atoms, but

knowing how the different kinds of atoms interact can be confusing. By the time students

are learning chemical reactions in Unit 3 (out of four units), they will have already

completed half of the curriculum. To teach chemical reaction concepts, teachers can

include in their lessons several practical examples and fascinating activities that relate to

everyday experiences. To understand chemical reaction concepts, students must use

background knowledge that they learned earlier on chemistry concepts such as atoms,

chemical bonds, and formulas. This interconnectivity in chemistry concepts was

eloquently described by Russell, Kozma, and Jones (1997), who noted,

Chemists have extensive and self-consistent mental models of chemical concepts and phenomena, which allow the recognition of general

20

classifications of problems and applications of appropriate concepts, theories, and factual information to new situations. (p. 330)

Chemical reaction concepts are so interconnected with previously learned chemistry

concepts because writing chemical reactions demands recalling and understanding the

valence-electron model, characteristics of the subatomic structure, elements and

compounds, and many more related concepts.

Significance of Reconstructing Chemical Reaction Lessons

Unit 3 of General Chemistry includes chemical reaction concepts that may be

considered as the point where students either make meaningful connections to all the

physical sciences that they have learned so far, or miss these connections and continue to

have problems as the course progresses. It is therefore important to reconstruct the

lessons in this unit to include class activities that actively engage students with their

learning, present them with problems that interest them, confront their misconceptions,

and help connect chemical concepts to their common experiences. Such a reconstructed

chemical reaction concepts unit should provide the support to discover relevant

knowledge and maintain students’ interest in chemistry for the rest of the course. My

envisaged inquiry-based lessons with interactive investigations should develop students’

problem-solving strategies, articulate their mathematical ideas to balance chemical

equations, and support their reasoning with data and evidence. Table 1 provides a

description of all the artifacts that contributed to the reconstructed chemical reaction

lessons according the order in which they appear in the appendices.

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Table 1 Description of Planned Artifacts

Appendix Artifact title Type Description of artifact

A 1. Conceptual learning

Literature synthesis

Explores meaningful, engaging and fun class activities (such as simulations, hands on activities, demonstrations, labs, and online visuals/ videos on chemical reaction) to include in the lessons. Also identifies and addresses typical student difficulties or misconceptions about the chemical reaction concepts unit.

B 2. Pedagogic aspects

White paper Summarizes best classroom practices on teaching chemical reaction concepts in secondary schools. Aligns these best practices with the three dimensional learning in NGSS: Science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas in science disciplines (with emphasis on chemistry).

C 3. Exploring teachers’ views

Survey Surveys district high school chemistry teachers about tools and resources they typically use to teach chemical reaction concepts.

D 4. Contextual tools and resources

Resource allocation plans

Surveys a variety of learning tools and resources that could be used effectively to teach chemical reaction concepts.

E 5. Chemical reaction lessons

Curriculum design

Presents eight reconstructed lessons on chemical reaction concepts and including the new tools, resources, best practices and learning strategies that will optimize learning.

F 6. Formative assessment

Develop assessment tasks

Provides formative assessment tasks that are focused on a limited set of performance indicators/concepts that are aligned to the resources and 3D learning.

G 7. Professional feedback

Curriculum feedback

Summarizes feedback from district teachers on the developed lessons

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Chapter 3

IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES

Several resources were accessed at various stages of developing this curricular

project. Educational strategies and tools during the planning and reconstruction phases

were grounded in evidence-based research. The process also involved surveying teachers

at two points in time. The first time was to seek their input prior to reconstructing the

lessons, and the second time was to seek feedback after reconstructing the lessons. The

planning phase involved selection of content, consideration of suitable learning tools,

decisions on aspects of instruction, consideration of differentiated lessons, and inclusion

of the contributions and voices of knowledgeable others. During the process of

reconstructing each of the eight lessons, three key questions guided my decisions: What

do I want students to learn? What teaching and learning activities will I use? How will I

check for understanding? I needed to include engaging facts that would be meaningful in

the reconstructed lessons and learning activities so that students could make connections

to everyday experiences.

In completing this ELP project, I worked closely with my supervisory committee

and adhered to professional ethical practices as I collaborated with my colleagues and

school building administrators. The most important of all the formalities was to respect

my students, provide the best teaching and learning support as they strive to become

better learners of chemistry, and be ready to listen and answer all their questions.

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Chemistry is generally described as the branch of science that deals with the

identification of substances of which matter is composed. Students learn about the atomic

properties, investigate the ways in which these atoms interact, combine, and change to

form new substances. This description of chemistry is not only elaborate in its content but

profound in knowledge at both the conceptual and the application level. The vast nature

of chemical reactions’ content made it easy for me to locate and include varieties of

students’ activities in all the phases (of the 5E model) in the reconstructed lessons. I

provided synergistic options for teachers to select from, and create learning opportunities

for students to connect with other chemistry context that contribute to better

understanding of the lesson’s objectives.

The 5E instructional model is a constructivist model comprised of five learning

phases: engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate. A feature that I like about this

constructivist approach is that the learners are able to build new ideas based on

preexisting knowledge. Each of the reconstructed lessons is considered a lesson module

in the sense that teachers do not have to exhaust all the activities listed in each of the

lessons with their students. Rather, teachers have the choice to select any of the activities

for the day’s lesson from each of the 5E phases (in the module) and do them in class with

students.

A literature search was conducted using the University of Delaware’s library

database and the CCPS district website that house information about existing chemistry

standards. Research on how students learn chemistry served to update my understanding

about student conceptual learning, and raise my awareness about the misconceptions

regarding chemical reaction concepts, best practices, pedagogy, and learning strategies. A

significant step that occurred in the initial phase of this project occurred when I received

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a Human Subject Research Protocol permission from the Office of the Institutional

Review Board (IRB) to conduct an exploratory study with fellow teachers. I used the

Qualtrics Survey Software to administer a survey online. This software is a reliable all-in-

one tool that facilitates the process of generating surveys or questionnaires, sending

participation requests, collecting data, and processing the data securely.

The voluntary participation of chemistry teachers in this initial survey led to

identifying tools and resources that impeded students’ learning of chemical reaction

concepts and helped jump-start the lesson-reconstruction process. Teachers rated and

expressed their opinion about tools that were already in the curriculum and provided

information about additional tools and resources that they have gathered over time to

improve lesson quality. Including the input of my colleagues in the reconstructed lessons

added more authenticity to the product of this project. Upon completing the

reconstruction of the lessons, I returned all eight lessons to my colleagues in the district

for review and feedback. Because these chemistry teachers are prospective users of the

reconstructed lessons, it was important to have them participate in the project.

Academic Language Pertaining to Chemistry Reaction Concepts

It is necessary to recognize that students’ linguistic strength contributes to their

understanding of concepts. For example, knowing the meaning of the word

decomposition adds to a student’s understanding of types of chemical reactions. It then

makes sense to conclude that the information students use to construct their concepts

comes from two sources: public knowledge such as ideas from text and lectures and

informal prior knowledge from everyday experiences such as peers, products, and

commercial sources (Nakhleh, 1993, p. 191). The lesson indicators could be seen as set

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propositions that the students use to make meaning for a particular lesson, such as to

write and to balance the reaction involved in a decomposition reaction. When learning

chemical reactions, the words used to describe the types of chemical reactions reveal the

nature and process of reactions and will hint to the learner how to write the chemical

equation for the reaction process. For example, the decomposition reaction of calcium

carbonate tells the student that the chemical component is breaking down to smaller

products. The same is the case for the synthetic reaction of nitrogen and hydrogen, which

reveals that both nitrogen and hydrogen are reacting to form a larger chemical product.

The reconstructed lessons also took into consideration the linguistic needs of

students in the district who are learning chemistry by incorporating group activities to

challenge their understanding of key terms in the lesson. For example, in the engaging

phase of Lesson 1, the students completed a What Is Chemical Reaction activity, where

they used the think-pair-share strategy in small groups to challenge each other with

introductory key terms on chemical reaction concepts. There was also a similar approach

in the exploration phase of Lesson 4 for the Understanding Reaction Type activity, in

which students had to research the different types of reactions, identify real-world

examples for each type of reaction, and practice using the key terms appropriately.

Technology Integration

Using technology is a great way to help students understand chemistry and

enables students to visualize chemical phenomena and systems at the microscopic level.

Technology often stimulates students to achieve mastery-level understanding of chemical

reaction concepts, such as writing and balancing equations. Benson and Kolsaker stated,

“Digital technology has become an integrated part of education” (as cited in Chun & Lee,

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2016, p. 54), and many institutions are introducing this technology to get students

engaged in teaching and learning modes. I selected computer technology in my chemical

reaction lessons that provides microscopic-level animations that aid visual learners. I also

introduced websites to link the classroom with the outside world and relate the chemical

concept to a real-life chemical event.

However, the use of technology in the chemistry classroom should not replace

required demonstrations and experiments due to the need for extensive preparation, long

clean-up times, costs, or safety concerns. Russell et al. (1997) discussed using a prototype

multimedia computer program called Multimedia and Mental Models in Chemistry to

“make the classroom more interactive for the students” (p. 330). Students used built-in

software to build accurate mental models for chemical concepts for both qualitative and

quantitative experiments. The rationale behind this project was to improve computer lab

simulations, tutorial assistance, drills, and practice to achieve enhanced molecular-level

animations of chemical phenomena. I have noticed that students learn more when they

take advantage of computer technology to represent the microscopic and macroscopic

views of the same phenomena simultaneously.

For several chemical activities in the reconstructed lessons, students are expected

to use some form of technology to complete the curricular task. For example, in the

explanation phase for Lesson 2, students listen to audio, complete an online quiz for the

Evidence Reinforcement activity, and later visit the Concord Consortium website to

complete the Baggie Chemistry investigation activity, which teaches them about the

importance of knowing lab safety measures.

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Issues Related to Technology Integration

The use of technology does pose a threat of impeding the speed of both the

students who use it to complete tasks in class and the classroom teacher who has to try it

before incorporating it into a usable lesson for students. Including technology in the

lesson is an effective practice but can sometimes be a threat because it ends up slowing

the work of students. This nuisance may be due to technical issues with the software not

operating well, running speed due to Wi-Fi availability, or student familiarity with the

technology at hand. Both teachers and students must be comfortable using the

technology, and it often takes practice, interest, and time to become familiar with using

technology. There are documented cases of certain popular media in which instructors

were so frustrated with student off-task behavior in class and they refused to allow

laptops to be used or turned off the wireless connections altogether (Kay & Lauricella,

2011). Initiating outright bans on technology sends a message that students are not trusted

to take responsibility for their own learning and may even hamper the enthusiasm in other

teachers who may want to use technology in their lessons. There are some promising

aspects of using laptops in class if they are used properly for learning, as stipulated in the

activities of a lesson. Chung and Lee (2016) indicated that modern technology such as the

use of information and communication technology has had a tremendous impact on

people’s lives in contemporary society.

Technology is often time consuming when used for the first time, but gets better

when it is mastered and speeds up instruction applications. Chhabra and Sharma (2013),

noted “Technology allows convenience but hinders collaboration due to delayed postings

and the lack of personal connections between individuals” (as cited in Fukuzawa & Boyd,

2016. p. 9). The use of some technologies such as most personal devices often demands

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the full attention of learners, and they have little or no face-to-face interaction with other

learners. There has been a significant evolution in using computers, laptops, projectors,

filmstrips, iPads, smartphones, SMS, and cable news television for educational purposes

to bring knowledge and information closer to students. Technology use may not be as

engaging to students as the teacher envisaged during lesson planning, and students might

use technology for social or entertainment purposes rather than for learning (Chun & Lee,

2016).

Understanding how a given tool works takes time and practice for students, and

they have to make the connection of applying this technology as they develop complex

models that allow them to manipulate a proposed process. Chemistry is taught to students

using a lot of models and abstraction that require thinking critically. The use of models is

central to what scientists do, both in research and when communicating explanations of

science. In the chemistry classroom, I use these models as tools to approximate ways that

facilitate the explanation and prediction of chemical outcomes but avoid the realities that

will impede the learning process. In a constructivist framework, learning is viewed as an

active process of meaning making in the mind of the learner with built-in background

knowledge and experiences. Jaber and BouJaoude (2012) indicated that macro-micro-

symbolic teaching enhanced students’ conceptual understanding and relational learning

of chemical reactions. The learning process requires a multilevel way of thinking that

uses metaphorical models to enhance students’ understanding of chemical reactions.

It is a pedagogic issue when some students in my classroom do not have access to

technology because they cannot afford it and when using technology is a component for

the lesson. The availability and use of education applications such as Kahoot for style

games and quizzes during instruction is often limited in my classroom because some

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students cannot afford technology devices such as smartphones that will facilitate the

learning process of certain chemical concepts. Several years ago, the CCPS district

instituted a school-wide Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy, where students are

allowed to have cell phones in class and have access to school-provided Wi-Fi. Schools

often provide limited numbers of technology tools to students and there are often

classroom management issues, but I set class rules, routines, and rituals at the beginning

of each semester to curtail misbehaviors from students in class. The BYOD policy has

taken care of student overcrowding around a single technology device when they need to

complete class activities in small groups. Other challenges associated with the use of

technology include unreliable devices (such as pH probes and scales for measuring

masses) that do not operate at a speed that will keep up with the pace of instruction.

Lesson Plan Template: The 5E Model

The 5E model was the main framework I used to reconstruct the chemical

reaction lessons. I selected this approach because it is best suited for students with

diverse learning backgrounds to work in a learning setting that allows for small group

interaction and collaboration, and the students have greater control over the learning that

is taking place in class. The teacher’s role is limited in many regards, but the teacher is

there to observe and facilitate students’ interactions, guide the process of learning that is

taking place, and answer questions that arise. Mortimer and Scott noted that the

framework of the 5E model allows for discursive interactions in each of the 5E lesson

phases (as cited in Sickel, Witzig, Vanmali, & Abell, 2013), and this curricular

characteristic is necessary in student–student interaction settings. The 5E phases are

engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate, and they allow students to build upon

30

their prior knowledge. I selected the lab experiments, readings, discussions, lectures, and

all other learning activities of the lesson based on what students should learn and then

linked them together explicitly with the phases of the 5E model.

The reconstructed lessons on chemical reaction unit concepts were completed

using the 5E model that elicit and utilize students’ ideas in which, they are engaged

through probing questions, challenging problems, and social interactions (Sickel et al.,

2013). For each of the reconstructed lessons, the students have a warm-up activity on the

board that they start working on when they enter the classroom to get a conclusive

explanation to support the activity. The teacher begins the lesson by going over the

warm-up activity to introduce the lesson’s objectives, engage students in the lesson, get

them interested in what they are learning, and help the students to understand why it is

important to learn about the concept. Next is exploration, when the teacher strategically

allows students to learn and explore new information about the content and provides

students the framework to be a successful lifelong learner.

Explanation is a phase in the 5E model that involves clearing up misconceptions,

especially as the activities allow students to analyze their exploration, support ideas with

evidence, listen to others’ explanations, and question others’ explanations. Sickel and

Witzig (2012) noted, “The 5E model represents one research-based instructional format

that encourages class discussions” (p. 638). Elaboration is the point in the lesson where

students use their creativity with modern tools to prove mastery of the concept, expand

and solidify their thinking skills, and apply their knowledge to a real-world situation. The

last phase of the 5E model is evaluation, when activities allow the teacher to assess

students’ knowledge, observe students as they apply new concepts and skills, and provide

students opportunities to ask related questions that would encourage future investigations.

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For more detail regarding how I used this model, refer to the chemical reaction lessons in

Appendix E.

Developing Background Knowledge About Assessment

Formative assessment tasks for the reconstructed lessons are aligned with NGSS

expectations with a focus on making sense of the phenomena and not factual recall. The

formative assessment process guides teachers in making decisions about the instruction.

The 3D framework describes the vision of being proficient in science, and this framework

includes science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core

ideas. For example, students learn about chemical reactions concepts when they engage

in both scientific and engineering practices such as investigate, design, and build models

and theories about the natural world.

The website of Project 2061 of the American Association for Advancement of

Science contains many chemistry assessment items that teachers can use to assess

students’ knowledge and misconceptions about key ideas in chemistry. There is a

dramatic shift from previous science standards documents to what the science and

engineering practices are treating as independent topics, and inquiry standards (and the

assessment items) are separated from conceptual standards (and items). The assessment

tasks in the lessons on chemical reaction concepts are each focused on a specific context

(with components) that work together to assess a group of related standards partially or

fully. This science inquiry assessment is achieved through performance, which includes

an independent investigation that students are carrying out physical processes, thinking

skills, and reasoning skills. An example in the reconstructed lesson could be asking

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students to find the acidity of water in a local pond and determining how it affects nearby

plant and animal growth.

The prepared lessons for chemical reaction concepts include one of the eight

NGSS practices, using mathematics and computational thinking, in both the instruction

and the assessment for students to have a greater depth of understanding for mathematics,

science, and engineering that is integrated in these chemical reaction concepts. The use of

these practices provides students the opportunity to apply skills and the content of the

standards to the learning process (National Research Council [NRC], 2012b). The

formative assessment tasks provide an authentic check for students’ understanding as

they engage with content materials in practical and novel learning opportunities in a

cross-disciplinary approach (NSTA, 2014).

They use different applications of the cross-cutting concepts outlined in the

framework, such as patterns, diversity, cause, and effect to learn about the concept and

link the different domains of science to a coherent and scientifically based view of the

world. The process used in class activities to collect evidence of student learning

includes, but is not limited to, the following: observations, questioning, discussion,

learning logs, graphic organizers, peer-group self-assessments, individual or group

whiteboards, practice presentations, think-pair-share, and visual representations. This

formative assessment provides the opportunity for students to relate their life experiences

to scientific or technological knowledge. It is also for the teacher to understand what the

students know and do not know about chemical reactions.

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Introducing Formative Assessment Techniques

Experienced teachers can use an effective lesson to reach out to different levels of

learners in the classroom, but they can only know if the students understand by using

some form of assessment. Classroom formative assessment techniques are generally

simple, non-graded, anonymous activities designed alongside lesson activities to provide

both the students and the teacher useful feedback on the teaching-learning process as it is

happening. When formative assessment is incorporated into classroom practices, it

provides information that the teacher needs to adjust teaching and learning while they are

still happening. The reconstructed lessons include actions that Keeley (2016) noted that

chemistry teachers already do every day, such as asking questions, listening carefully to

students as they explain their ideas, observing students as they work in groups, and

orchestrating classroom discourse that promotes public sharing of students’ ideas.

Table 2 illustrates how formative assessment techniques and tasks are aligned

with the each of the three science learning dimensions outlined in NRC’s (2012)

Framework for K-12 Science Education (Keeley, 2016). These formative assessment

practices are integral to informing teaching and learning, as well as measuring and

documenting student achievement. Appendix F provides more detail of how these

techniques have been embedded in lesson activities that students complete individually or

in groups, thus allowing the teacher to consistently check for student understanding.

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Table 2 Using Assessment Strategies to Improve Conceptual Understanding of Lesson Activities

Assessment strategy Description

Class setting and materials

Framework for K-12 science education

(NRC, 2012) Whiteboarding (Lesson 1: Explain phase)

Students pool their individual thinking and come to a group consensus on an idea that is shared with the teacher and the whole class. They accept, discard, or modify their own ideas and are able to erase their own idea and consider the alternative ideas of others. Sharing thought, considering others ideas, and modifies their idea. The size of the whiteboards allows the teacher to quickly see and provide feedback when necessary. Students should be introduced to using this technique the first time it is used for group work and presentation.

Small groups of three to four; portable 24-by-32-inch large whiteboards; erasers; dry erase markers.

It supports the practice of developing and using models and constructing explanations. DCI: Chemical reaction. CCC: Stability and change—to explain the phenomenon of aluminum reacting with oxygen.

Collaborative clued corrections (CCC) (Lesson 2: Evaluation phase)

It is an alternative way to mark student papers with comments that encourage revision. The teacher reviews student-completed work and distributes a sample set of clued papers to the small groups of students to seek out the problem areas and revise them collaboratively. It provides all students with an opportunity to activate and discuss their own ideas and modify them based on peer feedback.

Small groups of three to four; complete assignment made up of selected responses or short answers.

Used to provide feedback on student work that includes DCI: Structure and Properties of Matter, Chemical Reactions. CCC: Energy and Matter, Stability and Change.

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Table 2. Continued

Agreement circles (Lesson 3: Engage phase)

This is a kinesthetic way to activate thinking and engage students in scientific argumentation. It is a springboard for students to draw (and/or learn) from existing knowledge and to justify their thinking to their peers about why they agree and do not agree with the statement. The teacher can get a quick visual sense of students’ understanding according to which part of the circle they are in.

Small groups of three to four; students stand in a circle as the teacher reads a statement; develop a set of about four conceptual challenging statements related to the lesson.

Used to formatively assess students’ understanding of disciplinary core ideas related to chemical reactions. SEP: constructing explanations and engaging in argument from evidence.

Familiar phenomenon probes (Lesson 3: Explain phase)

Probes are designed to elicit students’ ideas about a familiar phenomenon encountered in everyday experiences. It includes a selection response section and a justification for the selected response. Students are engaged in thinking about the phenomenon, sharing, probing, and modifying their own ideas as new information overrides their existing conceptions. Use of familiar phenomena to elicit ideas related to a specific learning goal.

Written task or used orally to stimulate small- or large-group discussion.

Support the scientific practice of asking questions (as the probe itself) and for use of a model. DCI: Structure and Properties of Matter, Chemical Reactions. CCC: Energy and Matter, Stability and Change.

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Table 2. Continued Think-pair-share (Lesson 4: Evaluate phase)

Thinking is combined with communication and allows students to share their ideas safely and modify them or construct new knowledge. As students share ideas, the teacher notes the inaccurate ideas or flaws in reasoning and an opportunity to probe deeper in students’ contributions. It can be used as think-ink-pair-share where students write down their ideas before sharing with partner.

Students pair up to discuss their ideas and then share in a small-group or whole-class discussion.

Used to introduce and discuss how the practices are used. DCI: Structure and Properties of Matter, Chemical Reactions. CCC: Energy and Matter, Stability and Change. SEP: Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking.

Explanation analysis (Lesson 4: Explain phase)

Assesses the ability to hone, construct, and analyze a well-crafted scientific explanation of a curricular concept (like the activity series that is used to predict the occurrence of a chemical reaction). Krajcik and colleagues emphasized that the claim used in the explanation should have sufficient evidence, and the reasoning that links the evidence to the claim (as cited in Keeley, 2016). Teacher-led feedback on students’ explanations helps students to see their corrected written explanations, rethink, revise, and develop a deeper conceptual understanding of what a scientific explanation is as well as improving the ability to write scientific explanations.

Self and peer; Small groups; Students write scientific explanations. Teacher has to help students to develop a conceptual understanding of the language used to construct explanations.

It supports the scientific practice of constructing scientific explanations by breaking them down into component parts.

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Table 2. Continued Partner speaks (Lesson 5: Explore phase)

It provides an opportunity for students to talk through an idea or questions with another student before sharing with a larger group. It helps develop careful listening and paraphrasing skills since the strategy is for students to share the thinking of their partner, not their own. The social engagement enhances the development and sharing of ideas especially when there is need to have students think through a new idea.

Ask students to turn to their “elbow partner” and then to a large group.

It supports the scientific practice of constructing explanations or engaging in argument from evidence. DCI: Structure and Properties of Matter, Chemical Reactions. CCC: Energy and Matter, Stability and Change.

Juicy questions (Lesson 5: Explain phase)

This requires students to think deeply by using a robust and engaging question to bring students’ prior and existing knowledge upfront. Students have to work on a series of smaller questions before they take on the bigger question. It involves integrating ideas from topics that have been taught in several other lessons and the teacher has to identify in advance what the smaller questions might be to help students respond to the juicy question.

Small groups of three or four; requires several smaller questions and ideas to answer the juicy question.

Support the scientific practice of asking questions by posing a set of smaller questions. DCI: Structure and Properties of Matter, Chemical Reactions. CCC (Pattern, Energy and Matter, Stability and Change.

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Table 2. Continued I think-we think (Lesson 5: Elaborate phase)

It provides an opportunity for the students to record their own individual ideas (I Think) prior to group discussion and the ideas their group has through the discussion (We Think) on a two-column sheet. In comparing their own idea to the group ideas, they clarify their initial thinking and make the necessary modification of the ideas through group interaction. It provides insight as to how students’ ideas have changed throughout the course of instruction and for the teacher to guide students toward developing a conceptual understanding of ideas in the lesson.

Individual and whole class; a two-column sheet to record their ideas.

Support scientific practice of constructing explanation and argument from evidence. CCC: Stability and Change.

Points of Most Significance (POMS) (Lesson 5: Evaluate phase)

Ask students to identify the most significant idea that they gain from the lesson and usually used at the end of a lesson. It is a metacognitive strategy to connect with important goals of the lesson. The teacher can quickly administer, collect, and use the information to clarify and make emphasis to the key points of the lesson.

Students can describe orally or in writing.

Used with scientific practices that is explicitly developed through a lesson. DCI: Structure and Properties of Matter, Chemical Reactions. CCC: Energy and Matter, Stability and Change.

Guide reciprocal peer questioning Lesson 6: Elaborate phase)

A technique for students to question each other about the content (like on writing and balancing equations) they are learning using higher order, open-ended question stems. By asking each other question in a mutually supportive peer environment, it activates their own thinking, and elicits ideas from others in ways that differ from their interactions with the teacher.

Small groups of three or four.

Support the scientific process of asking questions. DCI: Structure and Properties of Matter, Chemical reactions.

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Table 2. Continued Fact first questioning (Lesson 7: Explain phase)

It is the use of higher order questioning technique to draw out student knowledge beyond recall and enabling them to tap into deeper thinking processes. It uses deeper how or why questioning that pushes students to elaborate beyond stating the fact and not just factual what that limits the response. When the students state the fact first and have some wait-time before being asked the higher level question, it activates their thinking about the concept.

Individual. Framing fact-first questions help developing students to become critical consumers of scientific knowledge (NRC, 2012).

Support the scientific practice of asking questions DCI: Structure and Properties of Matter, Chemical reactions.

Muddiest point (Lesson 7: Evaluate phase)

It is a quick monitoring technique that students are asked to take few minutes to jot down what they found to be most difficult or confusing part of the lesson. It provides a metacognitive opportunity for students to think about their own learning especially when they are encountering a new information or engaged in discussion that result in cognitive conflict.

Individual and information is used as instructional feedback to address student difficulties.

Used with scientific practices that students describe what the muddiest point in using the practice is. DCI: Structure and Properties of Matter, Chemical reactions. CCC: Patterns, Energy and Matter.

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Table 2. Continued Focused listing (Lesson 6: Explore phase)

It is a knowledge-comprehension level activity for students to recall what they learned (from prior instruction) and it helps the teacher to gauge students’ readiness. Students list as many concepts, facts, and ideas as they can recall from prior instruction and the teacher uses this information to make decisions on how to best build from students’ experiences and knowledge.

Individually and in small groups to develop collective focused listing.

Used with science practices that students will learn more their previous experiences, and find out what they know about using models. DCI: Structure and Properties of Matter, Chemical Reactions. CCC: Stability and Change.

No-hands questioning (Lesson 6: Explain phase)

It is used to stimulate thinking and provide an opportunity for all students to be asked to share their thinking. Typically, students raise their hands when they wish to answer questions but with this technique, students do not raise up their hands. The teacher poses a question, practices wait time, and calls on students randomly. Everyone needs to be ready to share his or her ideas and this therefore increases students’ engagement.

All students are active participants in the learning process.

Used with scientific practices to ask students to share their ideas linked to one of the practices. DCI: Structure and Properties of Matter, Chemical Reactions. CCC: Patterns, Energy and Matter, Stability and Change.

Traffic light cups (Lesson 8: Explain phase)

Promotes self-assessment by increasing students’ awareness during hands-on activities, investigations, and other group activities. Students use the Traffic Light Cups to signal the teacher when the groups need help or feedback or proceed with task without assistance.

Group activities; obtain green, yellow, and red stackable party cups of the same size.

Used for scientific practices that involved mathematics, modeling, and investigations.DCI: Chemical reactions. CCC: Patterns, Energy and Matter.

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Contributions of Teachers to the Reconstructed Lessons

A survey with open-ended questions was developed and sent to teachers in the

district (see Appendix C), to solicit information about relevant personal experiences with

tools, resources, and teaching techniques. First, I obtained a variety of information and

determined which of the tools and resources suggested in the district curriculum worked

and did not work in the lesson reconstruction process. Second, I used recommended tools,

resources, and learning strategies that the teachers had tried successfully in their own

classrooms. Third, they furnished me with information about some misconceptions about

chemical reactions that they had gathered from experience. Fourth, the provided

information further improved my understanding and knowledge on how students in the

district schools learn.

Teacher Feedback on Unit

The teachers’ review and feedback on the reconstructed lessons provided useful

information for revising them (see details of the feedback in Appendix G). One of the

main ideas stated in the feedback from teachers was to reduce the number of class

activities that students are expected to complete in a single lesson. They wanted to see

more laboratory activities included in the lessons so that students have the opportunity to

handle and appreciate the feel of chemicals safely. Teachers expressed satisfaction with

the variety of student activities included in all eight lessons. They helped to identify

issues with some of the technology tools included in the lessons.

There was a general impression from teachers that the reconstructed lessons will

enhance learning in the classrooms and make a difference in the students’ life as they

learn chemistry. One of the participant said, “There are varieties of different activities in

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each lesson that it will keep every student engaged in class.” Another participant said,

“The emphasis on small group settings will make it possible for students to often work

together, and help teach each other.” Based on teachers’ feedback, I concluded that the

lessons should serve as modules where teachers do not have to teach all the activities

listed in the lessons, but select what they think will be sufficient to cover the lesson for

the day. I strongly suggest that teachers maintain the 5E model in their selections by

including at least one activity from each of the five phases—engage, explore, explain,

elaborate, and evaluate.

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Chapter 4

IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES RESULTS

Analyzing Approach of the Project

This ELP project was aimed at getting productive learning tools and research-

based resources that can improve the process of teaching and learning chemical reaction

concepts unit lessons. I received contributions from my chemistry colleagues who

understand both the students and the curricular standards that should motivate students’

participation and support the conceptual learning of chemistry in the CCPS system. I was

able to make decisions on which of the curriculum strategies I would adopt and get good

compelling results to present to my colleagues and get them on board with my project to

want to use the end-product in their classroom. As I started to gather the pieces of

information for the project, I found many studies on how students learn and how to create

effective lessons. I had to discern a proper approach to communicate professionally with

my colleagues, and I had informative conversations with colleagues who had completed

similar projects. When I had gathered the information that I needed, I worked out my

plans, wrote synthesis papers, conducted surveys, analyzed data, and constructed the

lessons on chemical reaction concepts. On two separate occasions at a district-wide

professional development, I presented my project goals to colleagues and had open

discussions about them.

During the process of reconstructing eight lessons on chemical reactions, I was

guided by the following questions:

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What meaningful chemical concepts should be included in the lessons that will engage students in the learning process? What are typical student difficulties or misconceptions in relation to the chemical reactions concepts that need to be taken into consideration when reconstructing chemical reaction lessons? (Results reported in Appendix A)

Which classroom practices and pedagogic strategies are found to be more effective in teaching chemical reactions in secondary schools? (Results reported in Appendix B)

What can I learn about the quality of tools and resources used to teach chemical reaction unit lessons in my district’s secondary schools to use the results to reconstruct chemical reaction concepts unit lessons? (Results reported in Appendix C)

Which learning tools and resources are most likely to support the teaching of the chemical reaction unit? (Results reported in Appendix D)

How will the knowledge gained from the literature and fellow teacher support contribute to the process of reconstructing lessons on chemical reaction lessons? How will the tools and resources be organized and sequenced to optimize learning? (Lessons presented in Appendix E)

What formative assessment tasks could be developed to align better with the unit’s objectives and the instructional sequence? (Assessments presented in Appendix F)

How can feedback from other chemistry colleagues or content experts on the revised unit provide useful information for further improving it? (Report on feedback provided in Appendix G)

It took over a year and a half of hard work for me to complete the ELP project,

and I now have eight outstanding lessons on chemical reactions ready for

implementation. I developed a good understanding of the content framework that makes

up the curriculum standards for chemistry in my district, the state of Maryland, and

national standards. I learned about curricular strategies and features of effective lessons. I

learned how to select and sequence student activities that will appeal to diverse learners,

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especially those that are struggling in class. I now understand how to prepare higher

quality formative assessments and get students ready for district- or state-generated

assessments. Undertaking this project has prepared me to be comfortable in handling

more complex curriculum issues such as developing a brand new curriculum for a

program.

As a result of the work I undertook to revise the chemical reaction lessons, I

believe that I am now a better classroom teacher and have gained knowledge to help my

colleagues to solve their lesson plan issues. I have developed better collaborative skills

and have a better understanding of my colleagues in the district as a result of having

opportunities to meet with them and hold conversations during district-wide professional

development sessions. Administering the initial survey and requesting professional

feedback helped me develop new professional connections with my colleagues around

curriculum issues of interest to our teaching community.

This project further developed my background knowledge about the 3D

framework of NGSS and the enormous benefits that science teachers can harness from it

to improve the teaching and learning process. I now have a good understanding of the

NGSS bundling strategy to bring coherence to instructional time. I learned about the

potential of the EQuiP (which stands for Educators Evaluating the Quality of

Instructional Products) Rubric to determine what revision of existing lessons is needed to

produce a high-quality lesson. The EQuiP Rubric is an initiative designed to identify

high-quality materials aligned to the NGSS and to improve the quality of instructional

materials used in the classrooms. I had the privilege to broaden both my academic and

professional horizons, as I collaborated for over 3 years, working together with seasoned

college professors of the ELP committee in a small group setting, had one-on-one

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meetings with members, received enormous amounts of feedback and support, and

learned how to carry out academic and field research, surveys, and many more tasks to

complete my ELP program.

Reflecting on the Improvement Goal

Eight interactive, inquiry-based chemical reaction lessons and related formative

assessments have been developed following and the phases of the 5E teaching model,

thus creating learning opportunities for students to explore a variety of resources. For

example, in Lesson 3, the engage phase is a Representing Chemical Reactions Practice

Problem activity for students to write skeletal equations by working in a small-group

setting of three, and they will later share their answers with other groups and the teacher.

The next activity is online and students have the option to access the site using either

classroom-provided computers or personal electronic devices. Students learn better if the

activities are engaging, they work in small groups, and they collaborate to complete a

challenging learning task. Figure 1 provides an analysis of the purpose, communicative

approach, patterns of discourse, and teaching intervention for 5E lesson phases.

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Figure 1 Summary of Discourse (Adopted from Sickel et al, 2013) and Permission (Confirmation Number: 11648003) from Copyright Clearance Center.

The lessons incorporated a variety of learning tools that students are likely to find

interesting, stay on task, and apply to their understanding of chemical concepts. These

tools include learning opportunities for students to visit online sites to complete

investigations, watch videos, share ideas, use probes, complete quizzes, generate

discussions, and present findings either in small groups or to the whole class. For

example, in Lesson 5, students are given an equation (for the decomposition of aluminum

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oxide) to check if it is balanced as a warm-up activity. In the same lesson, students are to

access, read, and complete an online activity on writing equations about replacement

reactions and watch a video on ten amazing chemical reactions. It is expected that, the

students are motivated about what they understand chemical reactions to mean and are

likely to relate the examples from watching the video to the concepts of chemical reaction

that are being taught in class. Students learn more when they can relate their background

knowledge to the chemistry that is occurring at the molecular level. The next activity at

the exploration phase of Lesson 4 is a short refresh-practice question on how to write

chemical formulas that they need know before they learn how to write chemical

equations. A Balancing Equation activity to account for differentiated instruction in the

lesson is available for students who are comfortable with the concept of writing chemical

formulas.

There are additional opportunities for students to reinforce other processing skills

such as predicting, inferring, and sorting/classifying as students complete the Reinforce

Balancing Chemical Equation activity. After a series of short practices to write and

balance chemical equations, there is a simulation task on Khan Academy’s site

(https://www.khanacademy.org/) for students to practice how to place number

coefficients in front of reactants/products to balance equations and they can use either

class-provided computers or personal electronic devices to complete the task. The lesson

ends with other practices on writing and balancing chemical equations, an evaluation of

five problem-solving questions, closure, and homework. Lesson 5, as in all the other

lessons, has a variety of innovative tools for students to use and access to resourceful

online sites that students can use to practice and share their learning experiences. If a

teacher understands how to reach all learners and is able to provide equal learning

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opportunities, then the lessons in this project have provided this level of understanding to

me and to others. Most of the feedback from participating teachers expressed satisfaction

with the lessons’ content and stated that the lessons should be able to excite all learners

because of the provision of many different tools in the activities.

Table 3 presents an example of how the 3D framework of the NGSS is applied to

the activities in Lesson 3 to engage students in class through the five phases of the 5E

lesson models. Students are simultaneously assessed throughout the lessons as they work

in small group settings to explore, discuss, solve problems, make decisions, and share

with other groups and the class.

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Table 3 Sample Formative Assessment Tasks as Applied in the 5E Model and the 3D Framework

Lesson 3: How are reactants and products of chemical reactions represented in equations? 5E Elements/

Communicative ApproachLesson Activity/

{Teaching Strategy} Assessment Relevant NGSS Dimension:

SEP, DCI, and CCC Classroom prep Authoritative/Non-Interactive

Warm-up: to write the word equation for the formation of Iron III chloride {Use overhead projector}

Questions on how to write the word, skeletal, and balanced equation.

SEP: Using Mathematical and Computational Thinking to determine how to balance equation

ENGAGE students to think about initial development of representing reactions in equation format 1. Dialogic/ Interactive (Making connections between chemical bonds/formulas & chemical reactions) 2. Authoritative/Dialogic/ Interactive

1. Representing chemical reactions Practice {Small group, develop explanation and share- Think-Pair-Share} 2. Refresh writing chemical equation activity {Reading, writing out/ discourse and sharing}

Group activity to write skeleton equations from word equations. Online reading on “Meaning of chemical equation,” completing review, and/or watch video to write out stated chemical equations.

DCI: Chemical reactions CCC: Pattern- on stated chemical equation as students discusses, share, and present findings.

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Table 3.Continued EXPLORE students to describe the phenomenon and how to represent chemical equations 1. Authoritative/ Dialogic/Interactive (Identify the key terms/concepts & introduction of formal equation terms/skills) 2. Dialogic/ Interactive

1. Writing Word Equations {Complete worksheet and discuss answers} 2. Reaching Reaction Peak group activity {Online group activity}

Students substitute symbols and formulas for word equations Students work in small groups to research chemical concepts and create two “authentic” equations from scratch.

SEP: Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions- as students identify the correct formulas, subscripts and coefficient to balance the equations. CCC: Stability and Change- as students construct explanations on how their choice of compound/element in equations are stable and will react with each other to form stable products.

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Table 3. Continued EXPLAIN to students how to develop the steps on ways to represent chemical reactions 1. Authoritative/ Interactive (use element manipulatives to develop word equations & skeletal representations) 2. Dialogic/ Interactive

1. Introducing fun chemical reactions {Watch video, practice writing skeletal equations and presentation on conceptual change} 2. Student-student teaching moment {Randomly call about 4 students to write answer on the board and ask students to make modifications if necessary}

Student watch videos of “awesome” chemical reactions to complete exercises on writing reactions. Calling a set of four students upon completion on “how to write chemical equations” exercise to teach the class and later complete practice problems.

SEP: Developing and Using Models- as students watch several fun occurring chemical reactions and developing a model based on what saw and from teacher guided instruction and group discussions. DCI: Structure and Properties of Matter as students use their understanding of the Periodic Table, Atomic vs. Electron Structure and their characteristics/properties to present the chemical facts.

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Table 3. Continued ELABORATE students to apply and expand on writing out chemical reactions (Extend students’ conceptual understanding) 1. Authoritative/ Dialogic/ Interactive (use simulation technology to practice & develop deeper-broader understanding of chemical equation representations) 2. Authoritative / Dialogue/Interactive

1. PhET Interactive simulations {Online technology access to develop new phenomenon} 2. Writing chemical equation video using TED Ed {Watch, discuss, report examples & complete questions}

Students complete simulation practice on writing chemical equations Watch chemical equation video, followed by class discussion, and stating the steps to write out equations.

SEP: Using Mathematical and Computational Thinking as students use mathematical representation of the phenomena to reinforce their understanding, skills, and apply their knowledge on how to write word and skeleton equations.

EVALUATE to check for students understanding of how to represent chemical reactions 1. Authoritative/ Non-Interactive (assess understanding of how to represent chemical equations)

Writing chemical equations {The assessment will assist teacher on what to address in subsequent class}

Students work quietly to complete the assessment task

CCC: Stability and Change as students construct and explain the process of “changing matter (atoms vs. molecules) to get stability” during chemical reactions as they write both the words and skeleton equations.

Note. SEP = Science & Engineering Practices, DCI = Disciplinary Core Idea, and CCC = Cross-Cutting Concept.

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The reconstructed lessons also incorporate a variety of learning strategies for

students to work in small group settings, control the interactive dynamics, and challenge

one another in the learning process. Good learning practices, such as inquiry-based

learning activities, create supportive learning environments. When students are given

control of their learning, they work hard, take responsibility of their own learning, and

build up the interpersonal skills needed beyond the classroom.

Introducing inquiry-based strategy in class activities means a commitment to

engaging and maintaining student interest in science. In Lesson 5, for example, inquiry-

based activities provide options for students to work in small groups, make decisions,

have constructive discussions, and share ideas. In each of the completed lesson activities,

they have to present findings such as watching carefully selected chemical reaction

videos and completing the Balancing Chemical Equation worksheet questions and

computer simulation activity. The inquiry-based teaching presents a pedagogical

approach where the students explore academic content by posing, investigating, and

answering questions. Lopes and Costa reiterated that teachers of physical science need to

pay attention to the physical situations and that the instruction must make clear that

contextualization is important for the application of the physical concepts to solve

problems (as cited in Tan & Hong, 2014). Inquiry-based teaching is effective when the

teacher includes in the lesson plans carefully constructed questioning sequences to

provoke students’ thinking and curiosity.

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Chapter 5

REFLECTIONS ON IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Upon completing this ELP project, I now have a thorough understanding of how

to apply the 3D framework of the NGSS to lesson planning and other instructional

strategies that support student learning. I have experienced significant growth in my

professional life as a chemistry teacher and have had an opportunity to share the outcome

of this study at a district-wide professional development. While embarking on this ELP

project, I also applied some new instructional strategies like the NGSS’s Five Tools and

Processes to prepare conceptually coherent lessons that generate and evaluate chemical

evidence. All the lessons that I currently use in my classes are inquiry-based; they

provide students with opportunities to engage in a range of scientific investigations that

demand thinking, logical reasoning, communication, and application of information.

As a teacher leader, I have had the experience of administering open-ended

questionnaires for teachers and requesting feedback from the same colleagues who

voluntary participated in the ELP project. It was a great learning opportunity to have

worked very closely with my supervisory committee while completing my ELP portfolio

project. This collaborative exposure to a mentoring team with broad professional

background will definitely help me in my aspiration to be a supervisor of educators.

Analyzing the Steps Taken

The reconstructed lessons on chemical reaction concepts promise to motivate

students through engagement in interactive activities and the use of strategies aimed at

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improving students’ conceptual understanding. This reconstruction process was guided

by findings from recent research on teaching and learning high school chemistry, best

practices in K-12 science education, and resources developed for the implementation of

the NGSS. Studies on how students learn chemistry were consulted. The literature on

conceptual change in science categorizes how students can improve their understanding

of chemical ideas from their naïve science knowledge is fragmented into various theories

(Rickey & Stacy, 2000).

Students come to school with background knowledge of intuitive conceptions

about the world. These sets of beliefs are not consistent with accepted scientific notions.

The students hold onto their beliefs about the natural world and the alternative

conceptions are believed to interfere with their formal learning in school. In the chemical

reaction lessons, it is possible to recognize what was not correctly put in place during the

balancing process when students are practicing to balance a chemical reaction. When

teaching in class, I insist that my students be aware of their own thoughts, which should

help them to develop a better understanding of chemistry.

During the first week of a new semester, I do an activity with my students where I

ask each of them to write a page on what they know about chemistry. I randomly

distribute them into small groups to share with others what they wrote down and each

group will then present to the class a summary of what was discussed in their small

groups. I collect what they wrote down at the end of the class, read them to learn the

students’ background knowledge, and keep them in my class for future reference.

Understanding the students’ background knowledge and experiences is an effective way

to bridge the gaps, make the content more accessible to students, and engage students in

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chemical experiences that connect with their diverse backgrounds, thereby building on

this knowledge.

Analyzing the Lesson Reconstruction Process

When this project began, I devoted a lot of time to searching for authentic

curricular tools and resources that change the learning dynamics and appeal to other

colleagues. One of the main considerations was determining the number of lessons that

would sufficiently address the curricular concepts indicated in the district’s chemistry

standards. I had to understand the diverse group of learners and the ways they learn, and I

had to incorporate their prior knowledge of chemical reactions. I informally listened to

the voices of students that I taught and those taught by other chemistry teachers in my

school. When I was satisfied with the information that I had gathered, I developed a logic

model that outlined the various steps and the flow of information in reconstructing the

lessons.

The logic model consisted of three major sections: input, process, and output.

Each section was further detailed out to ascertain the preparation and readiness. This

logic served as the guide for my subsequent plan to construct lessons for more chemistry

concepts. Figure 2 shows the logic model that I used in reconstructing the lessons.

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Figure 2 The Logic Model used to Reconstruct the Chemical Reaction Lessons.

Reflection on Improvement Goal

As a step toward improving my entire high school chemistry course, I

reconstructed the chemical reaction lesson in ways that motivate and support students’

conceptual learning. Having a good chemistry curriculum in the hands of all teachers at

CCPS has the potential to have a dramatic effect on chemistry student achievement and

teaching quality. Over the years of using the curriculum, attending professional

development, and sharing lesson plans with other colleagues in my school district, I

learned what works and what does not work. I expressed my desire to the district science

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coordinator to reconstruct a curriculum focused on the learning process and the students.

I gathered the resources needed to include in the content and delivery of lessons.

Given the wider context of the State of Maryland’s adoption of the NGSS (NGSS

Lead States, 2013), and the CCPS goal of aligning its curricula with these standards, I

supported the district’s goal by using the 3D learning model espoused by the NGSS as a

guiding framework for redesigning subsequent lessons in the chemistry curriculum.

Reflections on Leadership Development

My journey to become an education leader, scholar, and problem solver

continues. In the process of completing this degree program, I have learned a lot about

education research, leadership practices, and school governance. It has been a journey of

over a decade from a nontraditional learner taking a graduate enhancement course to a

full-time graduate student in the School of Education pursuing a doctoral program in

educational leadership.

I began the program with a background as a high school chemistry teacher and

developed the skills of a prospective education leader with an interest in school

curriculum and technology. I attribute my success in this program to the experience I

gained over time as a teacher and the knowledge I acquired from courses I took for over

four years as a graduate student in this leadership program. The program supported my

academic and professional growth through exposure to educational challenges that are

emanating from important decision making about complex problems. As a practitioner, I

learned that curriculum decision making has implications for teaching and learning that

constitute the core functions of the organization. It is therefore important that such

consequential decisions be deeply rooted in facts, theories, and evidence.

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I have been in the field of education for almost five decades as a student and as a

teacher. I have witnessed and implemented top-down decisions with no authority to

question them. My graduate studies at University of Delaware gradually opened my eyes

to understand education systems better. They have enabled me to become a better

educator who aspires for instructional leadership in my school district and beyond.

Throughout the program, I have taken advantage of available professional opportunities

to participate and share my knowledge and experience. Thanks to courses that I took as a

doctoral student, I am a better problem solver and communicator. I now understand

school policies and display my leadership skills by actively participating in school and

district-wide organized professional development.

I have used the knowledge that I gained in this doctoral program to influence the

professional actions and decisions I make with students and colleagues. I allow my

students more control over the lesson activities by allowing them to make decisions when

they are on task and when they stay off task. The improved class routines for how

students learn include features like setting time for classroom breaks and transitions,

making decisions on lesson activities to be completed either in class or at home as

homework, and setting up due dates for big summative projects. Lesson flexibility is an

important feature to include in lessons during reconstruction, and creating opportunities

for students to be actively engaged in class activities is a bold approach to engage

students in their own learning that is taking place in the classroom. Bereiter and

Scardamalia explained that when the learning environment is set up in a way that students

critically think about what they are learning: “Students become responsible for own

learning” (as cited in Hmelo-Silver, 2004, p. 239). I am also realizing significant

improvement with feedback related to routine supervisory observations. I am receiving

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increased attention in my school building from colleagues and administrators. I also

enjoy participating in district, state, and national organized curriculum workshops

because of the confidence that this program has bestowed in me. I look forward to using

my knowledge and skills about curriculum and instruction more effectively.

Reflecting on my Growth as a Scholar

Before I started the doctoral program, I had an undergraduate degree in

biochemistry, master’s degrees in both education (curriculum) and applied chemistry, and

an associate’s degree in computing (database administrator). I have participated in several

university- and state-organized workshops such as the Institute for Critical Technology

and Applied Science in Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia

Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia, and the Teacher Quality in Chemistry Program at the

University of Maryland at Baltimore. The growth I have experienced as a doctoral

student was not limited to course-based activities such as building a website and

undertaking an action research in my classroom as a teacher, but I am now a trained

education leader, who has a solid understanding of myself, self-confidence, better

communicator, resourceful and open to new ideas.

By taking statistics course, I learned how to use data in a meaningful way and

how to apply the gathered statistics information of the outcomes to influence the process

of teaching and learning in the classroom. The same data can also be processed and used

to understand the administrative dynamics at a school, district, state, and national level.

Thanks to this program, I am better at finding solid, peer-reviewed, quality articles and

general literature in scholarly databases on issues of interest to me more efficiently.

62

As a scholar, I have grown in this program to become an active listener and a

good researcher. I understand better how to diagnose a complex organizational problem,

spontaneously reflect on possible solutions, make responsible decisions, and implement

them accordingly. This program has taught me to develop scholarship skills that I can use

to make instructional improvement and to understand the dynamics of school and district

leadership that often need scholarly approaches to address and solve critical issues.

Reflecting on my Growth as a Problem Solver

Attending the doctoral program has taught me to see problems not only through

my eyes but also through others’ lenses and to make honest decisions. As a practitioner in

an educational organization, I learned that my decision making should include the

interests of students. I have learned to solve problems in a practical way because I had to

listen, reflect, seek a sound solution, and be direct in solving the problem. While

conducting the research study for my ELP project, I had ample opportunities to build

relationships with my colleagues. The survey I conducted with district teachers helped

me improve my communication skills. Some of the courses I took in the program

required me to conduct interviews with leaders, attend school board meetings, and

provide practical evidence regarding my problem-solving skills. Before I started this

program, I wrote many discipline referrals and sent students out of my class for

disruptive behavior, but this practice has markedly decreased, and almost no discipline

referrals for disruptive behavior left my class for the 2016-2017 academic year. This

significant change has occurred in my approach to classroom management because I am

becoming a better problem solver in terms of analyzing the behavioral incident not only

through my eyes but by looking at it using the students’ perspective. I have taken the

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ideas that I learned from this program and I am using them to be a good problem solver at

my job. I remain grateful for my achievement in the doctoral program at the University of

Delaware.

Reflecting on the ELP Process

When I identified my problem statement, I presented it to members of the ELP

committee to get their thoughts on my envisaged project. We met, discussed the issues

and timeline, and created a plan of action around the development of the seven

appendices. I used all available resources, including both the University of Delaware

library and the CCPS science office to develop the first two appendices that form the base

of my curricular project.

It was very important to get input from other chemistry teachers in the district as I

embarked on the project to revise the chemistry curriculum (Bauer, Libby, Scharberg, &

Reider, 2013). For this reason, I solicited input from fellow teachers prior to

reconstructing the lessons and requested their feedback on the reconstructed lesson to

improve the lessons’ content further. The experience of presenting and briefly discussing

the initial version of the lessons with colleagues at a district professional development

session encouraged me to get more involved in leading or co-leading future school and

district in-service opportunities related to curriculum and lesson planning. Furthermore, I

plan to share my reconstructed lessons with my school district administration and

advocate piloting the revised lesson plans in the five high schools that teach chemistry in

the district. Finally, it is my vision as a prospective education leader that the revised

curriculum will shift the role of CCPS chemistry teachers from “I am here to teach” to “I

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am here to facilitate good learning” and “I am here as a resource for my fellow teachers

in the school and the district.”

Future Leadership Prospects

Reconstructing chemical reaction lessons for this project is the first phase of my

plan to revise other units in my General Chemistry curriculum. I already know where to

get the tools and resources that I need and how to locate other materials necessary to

complete the lessons. I plan to enlist the support of my colleagues to join me in the effort

to develop or reconstruct lesson plans that align better with the NGSS in chemistry.

I am interested in taking this initiative beyond chemistry to other science subjects

in high school that may need to update their lessons. I hope to use the lessons from

chemistry as an example to convince teachers and particularly the district coordinator

about the value of revising the curriculum. I am ready to work with my school and

district administrators to organize workshops and training sessions to support the effort of

my colleagues in revising their curricula.

65

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Appendix A

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE STUDENTS’ LEARNING OF CHEMISTRY CONCEPTS

Introduction

The purpose of this artifact is to understand how students learn best in class and

the factors that will improve the processes of learning chemistry. Several studies have

explored why students taking chemistry at all levels struggle and are not successful

(Nakhleh, 1992). Many investigations point to the fact that most struggling students do

not have a good understanding of the fundamental chemical concepts from the beginning

of their studies. After these students start lacking the vital concepts of not fully

understanding the most advanced concepts that build upon the fundamentals, they start

having learning issues in class. Pfundt and Duit noted, “Many students find science

difficult and physical sciences like chemistry and physics are especially problematic” (as

cited in Coll, Ali, Bonato, & Rohindra, 2006, p. 365). The suggested reasons include but

not limited to the abstract nature of science, high mathematical content, lack of

enthusiastic or competent teachers, and most students doing chemistry after high school

are told to do it as a required part of a program and not by choice.

Students learn when their working memory capacity is motivated to focus their

attention on the learning task and connect the lesson indicators with ideas from their

outside classroom experience, which results in a pool of knowledge (Baviskar, 2011). For

example, a student being taught a lesson on a chemical reaction unit about types of

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chemical reactions should make a connection with concepts such as decomposition

reactions, elements on the periodic table, electron configuration, and atomic structure.

These chemical lesson concepts are themselves composed of interrelated concepts that

are individually made up by sets of simple, declarative statements that the students

possess about that concept. The students already know how to write chemical formulas

(from the previously taught Unit II of the curriculum) and the characteristics of every

element or compound (from the previously taught Unit I of the curriculum). According to

Larking, “Scientific misconceptions are reduced when instructional practices provide

opportunities to build on student prior knowledge” (as cited in Wendt & Rockinson-

Szapkiw, 2014, p. 1104). When students are provided with opportunities to examine

concepts through observations and evidence gathering, they understand better when they

engage to identify and investigate preconceptions based on past experiences.

Understanding How Students Learn

It is important for a teacher to do all it takes to know the students, establish a

relationship of mutual respect, and understand how they learn. Teachers are to use the

first few days of class to tell students about themselves, show enthusiasm about teaching

chemistry to them, and have the students talk about themselves. Creating opportunities to

get to know the students, their background, and class expectations and having a better

understanding of the conceptual underpinnings of how these students learn will greatly

help the teacher in lesson planning. Conceptual understanding is relative and inherently

intuitive for any chemistry teacher to know how the students are learning. In chemistry,

content knowledge is invariably the primary goal among a range of goals for students to

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achieve and some of these goals are vaguely defined (Holme, Luxford, & Brandriet,

2015). Holme et al. (2015) further noted that most students struggle to solve problems

because they lack the necessary understanding of chemical concepts; in some instances,

students are able to use algorithms to solve numerical problems but are not able to answer

non numerical questions about essentially the same content because a “conceptual

understanding in chemistry has been inferred rather than specified in detail” (p. 1477).

Holme et al. (2015) demonstrated variability among several chemistry teachers of the

intuitive understandings of student conceptualizations of chemistry. Providing an active

learning environment for students to explore the activities and discover new concepts is

an effective practice, and it will motivate them to self-regulate and construct their own

knowledge. It is challenge to teachers to best articulate what exactly should be done in

lesson plans to help all students be successful in the course. It is necessary to know the

meaning of conceptual understanding in a classroom and thereby frame the instructions,

class activities, and assessments.

Conceptual understanding enables students to learn with the understanding

necessary to solve new kinds of problems that they will inevitably face in the future. It

could be described as needing to go beyond knowing facts, the novelty of the situation,

and driving the meaningfulness of conceptual knowledge. Holme et al. (2015) noted,

“One particular aspect of student understanding in general chemistry that has attracted

attention over the past several years is the distinction between conceptual understanding

and the capacity to carry out algorithmic calculations” (p. 1477). Good teaching practice

includes class activities that require students to make predictions and build explanations

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in their assessment from experience and prior knowledge. To expatiate on the role that

intuitive understanding plays in the process of teaching and learning, Holme et al. (2015)

noted, “The ability to articulate specific aspects of conceptual understanding is useful in

the design of test items” (p. 1482). This helps to reinforce a firm understanding of

chemical concepts for students and is applicable for teachers to use to plan lessons.

Taber (1998) reiterated the notion that many students of chemistry show similar

alternative conceptual frameworks on the fundamental aspects of learning but they differ

from the “merits constructivist position” (p. 597). This concept is a useful model of

alternative thinking that chemistry teachers should look for in their classrooms when

discerning how their students learn. Even though this idea of alternative conceptual

frameworks has long been established by Driver and Erickson and by Gilbert and Watts,

there was a question about its existence from other science education researchers such as

Kuiper (as cited in Taber, 1998) as they worked on the topic of conceptual framework.

Driver and Erickson saw the conceptual framework as being part of an individual’s

cognitive structure that is inside the learner’s mind. Driver and Erickson included within

the term alternative framework both an idiosyncratic response to a task and the general

notion applied to a range of situations (as cited in Taber, 1998). An alternative framework

is consistent with the conceptual structure model of being the cognitive structure likely to

generate students’ understanding.

The idea of students’ awareness of their own thoughts and how the new chemical

indicators are related to their naïve science knowledge is consistent with both theory

theory and piece theory views of conceptual change (Rickey & Stacy, 2000). As such,

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students understand better if they own responsibility to the learning process and are

attentive to the rituals and routines of the classroom. Metacognition incorporates

knowledge of factors that affect the ability to memorize, which is often a way students

learn chemistry (Rickey & Stacy, 2000). Understanding the phenomenon of a substance

chemically interacting and then writing and balancing chemical equations requires a great

deal of memorizing the chemical symbols of elements on the periodic table. Students

have access to the periodic table at all times, but comfortably handling problem-solving

scenarios of chemical processes requires proposition knowledge about this subject matter.

Before teachers introduce the unit content on chemical reactions, they have extensively

taught the students about atomic and electronic structures, elements, the periodic table,

and chemical bonding. The students’ middle school background in science and their

ability to retain what they have previously learned is relevant in formulating chemical

reactions from scratch.

In the process of learning chemistry content, metacognition requires students to

self-monitor their understanding during the lecture. The teacher has to establish a good

classroom management structure where students respect each other, understand

classroom expectations, and are ready to learn of in class. Rickey and Stacey (2000)

noted that metacognition greatly influences the way chemists think and how students

learn chemistry. It is a great practice for students to always think and reflect on the

chemistry that is being learned in class and take further steps to regulate the direction to

solve the chemical issue. The following illustrates the difference for the terms

metacognitive activities and cognitive processes: “Asking yourself questions about the

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chapter might function either to improve your knowledge (a cognitive function) or to

monitor it (a metacognitive function)” (Rickey & Stacy, 2000, p. 915). When students

write and balance chemical equations, they have to remember to maintain the same

number of coefficients for all the elements on both sides of the equation.

Students achieve more when they are given the opportunity as a class group to

collaborate, manipulate complex formulae, and understand the fundamental principle

from sources of individual lifetime experiences. The proponents of pure discovery insist

that students should be encouraged to explore their environments creatively and these

explorations should not be curriculum-driven but based on the interest of students

(Rickey & Stacy, 2000). The shortcoming of pure discovery is that the students are

unguided during the process of teaching and learning, and they do not have time to reflect

on and confront their misconceptions. In a lab activity setting, this learning approach has

a high degree of open-endedness in that it allows the students to take a large measure of

responsibility for their own learning. The activities included in the lessons on chemical

reactions should be reasonable and based on the assumption that these students already

have advanced metacognitive abilities. Teachers must understand that students’ attitudes

and their impressions developed during the learning process result in further learning

difficulties when they engage in science learning at the postsecondary-school level (Coll

et al, 2006). It is important for teachers to know their students, set high expectations, and

provide an active learning environment where they are in control of their own learning.

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Background Understanding of Conceptual Learning

Few investigations have specifically addressed students’ conceptual

understanding that is relevant to teaching and learning chemistry in my classroom. Coll et

al. (2006) stated that the attitudes and impressions that students develop learning science

in secondary schools are carried to postsecondary institutions as they engage in learning

science. The students and teachers’ conceptions influence their behavior and decisions in

their everyday life, such as teaching and learning the concept of chemical reaction.

Salloum and BouJaoude (2008) noted that both teachers and students already have lots of

intuitive conceptions about the world that they bring to the school building that are often

not in agreement with accepted scientific notions. These student and teacher conceptions

influence their behavior and decisions, especially because they both believe that they

have been effective for them so far. The possible sources of students’ alternative

conceptions are a result of the lack of relevancy of materials in chemistry, insufficient

expositions to chemistry courses, and faulty use of the term in everyday language

(Salloum & BouJaoude, 2008). They also reiterated that chemistry teachers’ planning and

decisions in the classroom are influenced by their conceptions about the course.

DiSessa (1993) focused on understanding the intuitive sense of the mechanism

that accounts for common sense, explanations, and judgment of plausible mechanical

causal situations. The methodology used to address cognitive mechanisms is strongly

knowledge based and it answers questions related to operating the system and its

evolution. Good understanding of the mental process of how students learn in class and

their ability to process conceptual knowledge should help teachers to plan better for

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activities to include in the lessons. DiSessa described a type of hypothetical knowledge

described as a phenomenological primitive or p-prim. He presumed that conceptual

development is a large-scale phenomenon that involves the substantial reuse of

knowledge (DiSessa, 1993, p. 179). The elements that comprise this knowledge had

existed for their role in previous stages of competence. This sense of mechanism is the

knowledge that provides individuals with the capability to do a task or not to do a task. It

can also be used to make predictions of either what may happen or not happen and then

to give causal explanations for physical events. According to DiSessa, the theoretical

claims for mechanism is the basic characteristics for a native sense of mechanism and its

evolution into expert physics is determined by a number of fundamental cognitive and

physical acts. Typically, the lessons in a chemistry class, target activities that have

examples for the concept, strengthen problem-solving skills, and ensure a more effective

performance.

Newton and Newton (1998) studied primary school children’s views of scientists

and their work as they learn chemistry. What students see, watch, and listen to

contributes significantly to the development of conceptions of science and scientists, and

conceptual change thereafter comes from the formal instruction and direct experience of

the subject in the classroom. Newton and Newton noted,

There have been several national and international studies of young children’s view of science and scientists which have found that the major aspect of stereotypical images are shared by children in the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. (as cited in Newton & Newton, 1998, p. 1138)

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Such stereotypes form early and strategic intentions in the way students learn chemistry

that are often gender biased and have an unrealistic view of scientists’ work. DiSessa

(1993) then explained that how students perceive the scientist as a person and science as

a subject will influence both their personal and their societal life. Howard (1987) stated

that younger children’s conceptions of science are usually the subject of formal

instruction, and these develop from their various experiences of science (as cited in

Newton & Newton, 1998). Once established, some conceptions about science and

scientists are difficult to change.

Rickey and Stacy (2000) described metacognition as “a key to deeper, more

durable, and more transferable learning” (p. 915). It raised the awareness of

metacognition as an indispensable ability that is useful for learning chemistry. These

authors provided a good explanation for why chemistry educators should know about

metacognition and provided instructional tools on promoting metacognition. Student

interpretation of an ambiguous chemical process or event (such as Statue of Liberty

hanging color) may be influenced by preexisting biases or expectations (Flavell, 2004, p.

282). Metacognition is considered to be an active process of monitoring, orchestrating,

and regulating students’ cognitive ability of the objects or data in the lesson.

Misconceptions Related to Chemical Reactions

This section focuses on summarizing the range of misconceptions students have

about chemical reactions to help explain why they have difficulty with this topic. A

misconception that is directly tied to chemical reactions concerns the relationship

between molecules and intermolecular forces. Students learn that a chemical reaction is a

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process where new chemical substances called reactants are broken down and

simultaneously rearranged into a final-end substance called product. A chemical reaction

rearranges the constituent atoms of the reactants to create different substances as

products. Everyday examples include burning fuels; brewing beer; and making cheese,

glass, and pottery. The feasibility of a chemical process occurring will depend on the

types of molecules and the intermolecular forces for both the reactants and the product of

the chemical reaction. However, students generally have difficulty comprehending the

dynamics for the bonding process for the covalent molecules. Students are not able to

correctly apply valence-shell electron-pair repulsion theory to identify structures of

molecules. It is challenging for students to make the connection that occurs with the

rearrangement of atoms from reactants to products in the chemical process. There are

forces of attraction within the atoms of a molecule (known as intramolecular) and

between two or more molecules (known as intermolecular). However, students tend to

think of this intermolecular force as the force of attraction within a covalent bond of the

molecules. For a covalent bond to occur, two or more atoms have to share electrons in the

valence (outermost) shell of their atoms to attain an octet structure that leads to molecular

stability.

Students are also taught in a previous unit that all compounds are formed from

individual atoms and are held together by chemical bonds. A chemical bond is formed

when one, two, or more electrons of the atom are either shared or transferred. For

students to understand whether atoms’ interaction will lead to either formation of a

covalent or an ionic bond, they should have prior knowledge about structure of an atom.

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The resulting shapes for these structures are determined by participating atoms’

outermost electrons, which create an electrostatic force of attraction within and without

this molecular unit. Students get mixed up with the concept that the number of electrons

in the valence shell of a nonmetal atom equals the number of covalent bonds formed by

that atom. Therefore, students have to establish a cognitive connection of the process of

chemical reaction to the preexisting molecules and intermolecular forces. Peterson and

Treagust (1989) revealed eight misconceptions that are prevalent with concepts on bond

polarity for even simple covalent molecules. They used simple covalent molecules such

as hydrogen fluoride to demonstrate the misconceptions that include but are not limited to

molecular shapes, molecular polarity, intermolecular forces, and even the octet rules.

Students tend to have difficulty explaining phase changes involving atoms and

molecules in the chemistry classroom. Students in my classroom think the bubbles

formed by boiling water are made of air, oxygen, or hydrogen. A research study

conducted by Osbone and Cosgrove (1983) found students ranging in age from 8 to 17

years were not able to explain the phenomenon of why a saucer held over boiling water

became wet but dried off when it was removed from the steam. Students are usually able

to define the terms condensation and evaporation but are not able to apply them on

chemical systems in real life.

Students tend to have misconceptions about the gas model of matter. Students see

gas as a weightless substance, and as such, they cannot correctly predict the weight of a

sealed container in which a liquid evaporates. Reacting chemical systems respect the Law

of Mass Conservation for scientific systems, and this absolutely applies to matter in all its

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states: gas, liquid, and solid. When the reactants of a chemical system form new products

during chemical reactions, the total mass before and after the reaction process will stay

the same. However, students have difficulty understanding the chemical process when it

involves either the use of gas or the production of gas. This is because the mass for this

reacting system has to be constant, irrespective of any change in the reacting system’s

physical appearance. I experience this with students in my chemistry class who are

unable to state the balanced chemical equations representing the rearrangement of atoms.

Further investigations at higher levels revealed that more students are able to comfortably

solve traditional gas law or stoichiometry questions but are not able to answer the

conceptual questions. Students are more uncomfortable with the particulate model of

gases, but demonstrate a good mastery of the algebraic knowledge of gas laws.

As students get deeper into chemistry, they are taught during formal instruction to

explain the behavior of matter using the kinetic model theory for matter. Furio Mas,

Perez, and Harris concluded that students could not “comprehend kinetic theory or they

understood the theory but could not apply it to explain the behavior of gas” (as cited in

Nakhleh, 1992, p. 193). The difficulty students face with this theory could be attributed to

earlier school experiences. At the elementary level, students learn about gas concepts in

terms of examples. This gradually changes through middle school where a gas is often

referred to as a form of matter. In Grade 9, gas is then explained as particulate theory of

matter. In high school, the expectation is for student to describe and represent gas using

the kinetic model theory, which can be hard for students to comprehend. Students do not

apply the particulate model theory consistently and can explain neither solids nor liquids,

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but can eventually explain gas. It is easy to use the particulate model to advance

understanding for gas behavior as opposed to a more counterintuitive explanation for

solids or liquids.

Students tend to treat the task of balancing chemical equations as an algorithmic

exercise. Most students will balance the equation for the reaction of nitrogen gas reacting

with hydrogen gas to form ammonia gas. In contrast, these students are able to draw the

correct molecular diagram to describe the equation at a microscopic level. The students

are not able to use the coefficients and subscripts to draw the individual molecules as

stated in the balanced chemical equation. To interpret the equation correctly, students

must understand the structure and physical state of both the reactants and the products,

the interactive dynamic of the particles, and the stoichiometry relationship of the reacting

particles involved.

Students also find it difficult to explain chemical change in terms of the

appearance and disappearance of substances. When a chemical reaction occurs, there is a

chemical change. Unit III is about chemical reactions, and students are expected to write

and balance chemical equations. When students complete chemical lab activities in my

class, I have them predict the reactions and then write out and balance the chemical

equation for the predicted chemical change. Students sometimes see the occurrence of a

chemical change as just the way things happen because they have no interest in knowing.

They also see chemical change as a displacement from one physical location to another.

It is explained as a modification of that material, either as the occurrence of a

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transmutation where the atoms somehow change or as the occurrence of a chemical

interaction.

If students lack the comprehensive background knowledge on matter and

chemical bonding, then misconceptions will be inevitable. Students will sometimes view

chemical change as an additive process of sticking fragments together rather than a

process of breaking and reforming bonds. When introducing the evidence of chemical

reactions concepts, it is necessary to review with the students the properties of elements

versus compounds and the different types of chemical bonds. Students also face

difficulties understanding the difference between some chemical and physical changes

because they often use the static model and incorrectly classify chemical change as no

change. Students find it challenging to understand chemical equilibrium when they

cannot perceive equilibrium mixture as an entity. Instead, they understand the occurrence

of equilibrium as two separate sides of independent and balanced chemical equations.

The students fail to recognize and connect this equilibrium occurrence as a dynamic

development where further reaction is happening.

Conclusion

To improve the conceptual understanding of my students, I have to know their

background and be selective in the concepts included in instruction. According to

Johnstone, “Science can be understood at three different levels, each increasingly

complex: the phenomena (macroscopic), the particle (microscopic), and the symbolic”

(Gabel, 2003, p. 70). If teachers want to be successful teachers, they have to learn from

both professional experts and educational strategists about what works best in the

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classroom. Learning in the class increases when the teacher engages students in a fruitful

metacognitive (thinking about one’s own thinking) activity and sets up the learning

environment such that they are in control of their own learning. Chemistry teachers have

the significant role of helping students to integrate and reconstruct their conceptual

structure for learning chemical reactions.

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Appendix B

THE PEDAGOGY OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS

Introduction

It is important for chemistry teachers to use teaching approaches that engage

students in learning the content and to make sure that the process checks for students’

understanding. Establishing a learning environment that students can interact and work in

within group settings will foster meaningful discussion, sharing of ideas, and effective

communication among students. There are tons of developed tried-and-true strategies

available from other education practitioners who tested them out, reflected on the

outcome, and sharpened those strategies over decades or longer. And they work; they get

results by effecting positive change in student attitudes and in academic performance.

The availability of both the Internet in schools and access to abundant online resources at

no cost has made the instructional process feasible for classroom teachers.

The purpose of this paper was to research best practices, emerging technologies,

and instructional design models that would support students’ learning of chemistry. This

paper on pedagogy explores topics on best practices in science, active learning, inquiry-

based learning, classroom dynamics during teaching, safety during labs exercise, and

student communication and feedback in a chemistry setting. It also explores the pedagogy

of using the three-dimensional framework of the Next Generation Science Standards

(NGSS) to improve instruction and then improve student achievement in chemistry. This

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information will be used to reconstruct the high school chemical reaction lessons to

include effective instructional design principles and keep students engaged in completing

the revised chemical class activities.

Best Practices in Teaching Chemistry

According to the National Science Teachers Association (2003), teachers achieve

best practices for teaching and learning science in the classroom when they do the

following:

Ensure that scientific inquiry and the development of science process skills, such as problem solving, are essential components of instruction and are integrated with content delivery.

Encourage the use of a variety of teaching styles that emphasize constructivist approaches, including differentiated instruction and cooperative learning.

Encourage the use of student self-assessment in the classroom.

Regularly communicate progress in student learning to parents and students. (para. 4)

Using technology tools is one of several best practices that increase students’

motivation to participate actively and to engage them in learning. Dappolone (2013)

affirmed, “Technology tools have become so user-friendly that it’s easy enough to pepper

your lessons with worthwhile activities that integrate technology even if you’re not a

computer expert” (p. 69). Guidelines for effective technology practices include higher

order problem-solving activities that align with the goals of the standards. Students are to

be trained on handling various technology devices, manipulatives, calculators, lab tools,

and equipment before being exposed to their use. Students use technology in a wide

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variety of ways in the learning process: to complete simulation projects, watch video,

research, scientific calculations and solving problems, curricular visuals, general

communication, and feedback. Maccini and Gaynon (2000) noted, “Pedagogical

functions of calculators centered on their use as an aid to solve problems” (p. 13). Well-

designed chemistry standards include hands-on learning, such as using manipulatives to

promote conceptual understanding, and this instructional practice connects the chemical

content students are learning in class to real-world applications. The availability of

technology to students during investigations, lab activities, and manipulative use helps

students to research, understand procedures, and stay safe in class as they work in teams.

Active Learning in Science Classrooms

Student performance in chemistry depends on the nature of classroom activities

and the instructional methods that teachers use in the teaching and learning process.

Active learning is an instructional method that chemistry teachers can use to engage

students and keep them proactive in the learning process. Valuari-Orton and Bernd

(2015) noted, “Teacher-guided discussion, demonstrations, experimentation, and

database investigation engage students as they develop informed and critical opinion

about water quality and water treatment methods” (p. 369). These rigorous methods will

ensure the students have the opportunity to experience higher level chemistry beyond

functional basics. Teaching goals beyond the basics results in higher engagement.

Bernstein noted, “Japanese students work on problems that require the invention of new

solutions, proofs, or creative procedure 44% of the time, compared to U.S. students, who

engage in similar activities less than 1%” (as cited in Maccini, 2000, para. 3). Including

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exciting and meaningful learning activities in lessons is an effective way for teachers to

get their students to be active and think about what they are doing in class. Science

teachers are expected to pursue teaching practices that emphasize problem solving and

chemical reasoning skills and deemphasize rote computation and memorization tasks.

Cooperative learning, problem-based activities, and simulations are great items to

incorporate into the lesson and to engage students in the learning process. When active

learning environment is established, students are active in class and complete class

activities, such as reading exercises, writing, discussions, or problem solving that

promotes analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of class content. Mervis contended that a

growing body of research suggests that more interactive approaches will transform

learning in the classroom (as cited in Chauhan, 2013).

Several instructional strategies are effective in a classroom, such as think-pair-

share (which involves engaging students to reflect on their thoughts) and cogenerative

dialogue (which is a form of structured discourse that engages teacher and students to talk

to each other in a meaningful way). During the cogenerative dialogue, also known as

cogen, there is conspicuous presence of conversations in the classroom occurring

between teachers and students and between students and peers. Both students and

teachers have a joint venture and are responsible for what occurs in the classroom. The

presence of joint responsibility from both teachers and students then accounts for the

positive improvement that is typically realized with the cogenerative method (Martin,

2006).

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Cooperative and Inquiry-based Learning

Teachers use their pedagogical skills to frame learning activities and

conversations that challenge students’ perspectives on chemical phenomena and models

of the science content. Teachers include a variety of learning activities into the lesson that

include different levels of learning ability to improve students’ understanding of a subject

in small team settings. This makes the use of cooperative learning a successful teaching

strategy because students of different ability levels that are working in small groups feel

like an important member of the class. Duncan and Dick and Webb, Troper, and Fall

(1995) observed, “Collaborative and cooperate learning at the K-12 level has become

increasing popular, with a large body of literature showing that students have better

academic success when working together in groups” (as cited in Popejoy and Asala,

2013, p. 19). When students have the opportunity to work in group settings, they

collaborate in their explorations and findings, negotiate meanings, and establish

competent discourses of science culture.

Inquiry-based teaching is an instructional approach that involves using questions,

problems, and scenarios to help students learn through their own agency and

investigation and not just by presenting the facts to them. This approach of teaching and

learning can be applied in all disciplines (Osborne, 2015). Inquiry-based learning triggers

curiosity and focuses on how to teach students to learn. It involves more than asking for

what the students want to know but it is a way of converting data and information into

useful knowledge. Inquiry-based learning requires a deeper and refined skill set for

teaching based upon relevant pedagogical content knowledge. The use of ineffective

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teaching practices by teachers makes learning (of chemical reactions) difficult, as there

are documented cases of teachers’ deficiencies in both subject knowledge and

pedagogical knowledge (Osborne, 2015).

Teachers interested in changing classroom dynamics are to introduce strong

instructional approaches (such as group learning and guided inquiry) and novel

pedagogic structures (such as discourse analysis and sharing lab data). Ebert-May and

Hodder, as well as Siebert and McIntosh, noted that many campuses in higher education

are calling for moving the center of intellectual activity to students by means of inquiry

or student-centered models of instruction (as cited in Bauer, Libby, Scharberg, and

Reider, 2013, p. 36). This teaching practice of both active questioning and collaboration

among students in small group activities is prevalent in science, technology, engineering,

and mathematics classrooms. The role of the classroom teacher is reduced to answering

students’ questions and facilitating the learning process.

Using group-cooperative activities for students alongside teacher-directed lessons

will improve behavior and attendance and help connect the students to each other as they

work together in class. Franca, Kerr, Reitz, and Lambert determined that a peer-tutoring

intervention improved the academic and social skills of students with EBD [emotional

and behavioral disorder]” (as cited in Maccini et al, 2000, para. 3, Cooperative Grouping

Activities). Emotional and behavioral disorder is a condition where students have

difficulty playing their distinct role for tasks assigned to a team of students in class. The

nature of teaching and the learning environment of student–student and student–teacher

interactions play a significant role regarding how students develop these important skills.

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William noted that students learn best while working with fellow students to

develop skills and knowledge and to get feedback from the teacher during the teaching-

learning sequence (as cited in Chauhan, 2013). In cooperative learning settings, each

member of a team is responsible not only for learning the concept being taught but also

for helping teammates learn with the goal to improve academic achievement for the team

as a whole. DeJesus and Phelps noted most of the professional journals report traditional

lecturing in the science classroom is ineffective, and students become disconnected from

the instructor and course materials (as cited in Chauhan, 2013). This teaching strategy is

effective in chemistry classrooms, especially during inquiry-based labs, because it

increases student safety, self-confidence, and motivation and develops critical thinking

skills and teamwork.

An effective lesson is tied to the needs of the class, interest of the students,

curriculum, desired student outcomes, and classroom assessments. Wadsworth and

Albanese and colleagues noted that several of the instructional or learning strategies used

in classrooms are based on two learning principles (as cited in Watson & Bradly, 2007).

First, new knowledge is based and built upon prior knowledge and experience. Second,

students retain more information from being actively involved throughout the learning

process. Instruction strategies such as creating essential questions, KWL (know, want to

know, learned), and graphic organizers assist in developing student motivation,

engagement, and involvement in both individual instruction and collaborative learning

processes. House indicated, “Classroom discussion that placed new science topics in a

practical context was positively related to the science achievement of students in Japan”

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(as cited in House, 2008, p. 105). Chemical activity completed by students should be

meaningful, positively related to the interest of the students, and aligned to concepts

stated in the lesson objectives or learning outcomes.

Asking probing questions that garner the most information is a good teaching

practice in chemistry classrooms. As emphasized by Watson and Bradley (2009), “The

types of questions teachers ask play a significant role in the academic success of

students” (p. 9). The use of inquiry in teaching is thought to be an effective instructional

approach because this practice is rooted in teachers’ conceptions and enactment. Several

instructional strategies are effective in chemistry classrooms, including think-pair-share

and questioning. The think-pair-share strategy engages students by having them reflect on

their thoughts, discuss with their partner before responding publicly, and stretch their

thinking to consider other perspectives. The choice of teacher-designed teaching and

learning method is substantiated by Kovac, who noted, “The use of active learning for

general chemistry course was associated with improved student achievement” (as cited in

House, 2008, p. 104). This strategy takes into account the different learning styles, and an

effective teacher can use it to focus on meeting the needs of lower performing students.

According to the National Research Council (1996), scientific inquiry consists of

both the process skills and understanding about the nature of science. Capps, Crawford

and Constas (2012) noted, “Recently, many PD [professional development] programs

have emerged to support classroom teachers in changing their instructional approach to

be more consistent with inquiry-based instruction” (p. 292). There are disciplinary

differences as to how teachers might integrate scientific inquiry into lesson activities that

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students complete in science classrooms. It is necessary to consider the contextual and

cultural aspects of teaching when planning for an instructional framework that includes

inquiry-based practices.

Chemists and life scientists tend to be more experimental in their investigative

approach, but teachers make decisions about inquiry based on the theories, experimental

tools, and traditions in their discipline (Breslyn & McGinnis, 2011, p. 50). Breslyn and

McGinnis (2011) also revealed that the introduction of scientific inquiry will help

students develop their own procedures, select variables to investigate, or work with

mathematical equations in a chemistry classroom. Science deals with testable knowledge

about physical phenomena in the universe. Scientific inquiry is the best approach

available to understand the natural world and predict natural phenomena. Chemical

equations obey the law of conservation of mass, and this phenomenon is reflected in

balanced skeletal equations. When the correct chemical formulas are used in chemical

equations, the equations have to be balanced, but a clear understanding of this concept is

daunting to students.

Inquiry Approaches in Science Education

The community-based inquiry lesson (CBIL) is an instructional approach in

which students take total responsibility as a community to design and implement their

own strategies for the lesson. It is a great teaching approach for teachers to have students

explore the Activity Series for metals by performing a couple of reactions for different

metals (as in the lesson for single replacement lab) and then classify these metals in order

of their reactivity. The CBIL teaching and learning method provides students with real

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science experience to determine what they need to know and improve communication to

learn lab skills and use a scientific process. As described by Gallagher and Smithenry,

this allow students to solve problems as a class based on the concept of whole-class

inquiry (as cited in Song, Ahlswede, Clausen, Herbig, & Oliver, 2010). The student-led

scientific community approach of teaching requires assistance from the teacher on a

need-only basis or in response to student ideas and questions.

The CBIL teaching method is applicable in the chemistry classroom when

students work together as a class to solve chemical problems. A teacher can use the CBIL

teaching method to prepare a lesson on how to clean natural water sources in Cameroon

and remove the parasitic Guinea worm from these waters. An effective teaching method

for educators is to build an authentic inquiry-based class for interested teachers in

professional workshops. Each lesson in Teaching Inquiry-Based Chemistry, as outlined

by Gallagher-Bolos and Smithenry, consists of a weeklong project in which students

must solve a problem as a scientific community (as cited in Song et al., 2010). The

students become confident, independent problem solvers and experience what being a

scientist is like, while the teacher learns to listen to students’ ideas. Teaching Inquiry-

Based Chemistry is a book recommended for chemistry teachers who want to use projects

and constructivism in a classroom for active learning settings, where the students’

curiosity motivates their scientific explorations. It is used to implement student-centered

teaching immediately, slowly increasing the complexity of projects while gradually

shifting the responsibility for learning to class members to build success upon success.

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Process-oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL) is another active teaching

method that operates on students’ motivation that comes from students working in small

groups on specially designed guided inquiry materials. The materials supply students

with data or information and leading questions designed to guide them toward

formulating their own valid conclusion via the scientific method. Murphy, Picione, and

Holme (2010) maintained that, “by actively engaging students in any activity

(particularly when focused on the content of the course), the instructor can reinvigorate

students and reengage the learning process” (p. 80). This teaching method can be

implemented in the chemistry classroom to engage students to work collectively toward

an understanding of a concept.

The POGIL method of teaching is deeply rooted in both its design and facilitated

student groups that process information in a guided fashion toward the discovery of a

specific concept. Getting chemistry students to read at grade level is often a big

challenge. Murphy et al. (2010) noted POGIL is “accomplished through students

critically reading and processing information that guides them toward understanding” (p.

80). There is nothing wrong with taking advantage of innovative strategies that reinforce

the understanding of teaching science and getting students to be independent learners. My

instructional initiative has been strongly guided by Prawat’s and by Rutherford and

Ahlgren’s belief that “effort[s] to encourage teachers to shift from teacher-centered

methods to student-centered approaches have been the center of reform in education for

well over two decades worldwide” (as cited in Halai, 2011, p. 392). Inquiry is an

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important part of student-centered strategies and consequently it is necessary to rethink

the role of the teacher as facilitator in the classroom.

Dynamics of Teaching Science

A democratic classroom demands the implementation of fair and equitable

practices so that all students feel safe and respected. Class meetings in this learning

environment are organized to engage students in shared decision making (with respect for

each other), and participants are willing to change or amend their points of view in a

knowledgeable dialogue. Equitable practices not only apply to accessing equal resources

and opportunities for students in the classroom but also include consideration for their

skills, talent, and experiences. Inequity is common and familiar in school buildings, but

most teachers create fair and equitable classrooms to establish an interactive relationship.

The role of teachers is to serve as a role model for fairness in classrooms and to establish

a learning environment of respect between teachers and students.

One of the advantages of an equitable classroom is that “it helps students

recognize and deal with painful, individual emotions realistically because they are more

vested in the fairness of the system” (Matthews, Binkley, Crisp, & Gregg, as cited in

Kelly, 2002, p. 41). Equity transcends the boundaries of cooperative group work and is

closely related to social dominance, as some students take over group responsibility while

others take passive roles. Cohen indicated that creating a mixed set of expectations for all

students will significantly reduce the participation inequity (as cited in Kelly, 2002, p.

41). Cohen further noted that teachers have to teach and model equitable classroom

culture to convince students to behave more equitably toward their peers and

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subsequently to the outside world. When equity exists in classrooms, teachers feel good

about the lessons they teach, and the students are engaged in learning.

The attempt to include extensive writing in high school science classes has always

been met with challenges from educators and researchers regarding what kind of writing

should be used. The two controversial sides were stated by Prain as (a) only the

traditional science genres and (b) a variety of writing tasks and genres (as cited in

Kohnen, 2013, p. 234). It is a great strategy to incorporate writing activities in chemistry

lessons to engage students. Writing in traditional genres is challenging to students

because chemical concepts generally demand basic scientific thinking, in which the

students are lagging.

Student writing activity should be kept simple and be limited to writing

experimental reports until students can demonstrate full mastery of the content.

Rosenshine (2012) explored three areas of classroom teaching and learning and presented

10 research-based principles for classroom practices. Students learn how to generate

coherent explanations of natural phenomena when using a variety of intellectual and

social resources.

Students are globally connected through their personal computer devices, and

educators are yet to see the direct benefit of such online exposure on their learning in

class. Teachers recognize the benefit of students’ social connections through these

devices and exploit this connection in lesson planning. From a pedagogical perspective,

Bruner, Lemke, and Snow indicated “academic language acts as a further barrier to

learning in classroom contexts, with the language of science presenting a special

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challenge” (as cited in Kohnen, 2013, p. 236). Teachers face a challenge of locating an

appropriate writing piece or conducting cross-curricular activities that are fun and

motivating to students.

According to social constructivists, such as Driver, Asoko, Leach, Mortimer, and

Scott, teachers include class activities that meet the physical experiences of students and

the concepts and models of conventional science (as cited in Tan & Hong, 2014). This

instructional intervention makes it possible for teachers to provide appropriate

experiential evidence and to help chemistry students relate the concepts to real-life

scenarios.

Teaching and Communicating Feedback

Giving feedback in classrooms during learning is an effective way to increase

learning, improve student outcomes, and send a message to students that the teacher cares

about the learning taking place. Teachers typically use data from formative assessments

to collect information about student progress, where the students are relative to the goal

of the lesson. Sadler (2010) noted, “Broadening the scope of feedback to the point where

it promotes complex learning has consequences that are far reaching” (p. 536). How the

teacher plans instruction to ensure students’ conceptual understanding is very much a

determining component for realizing success. Gabel discussed using three types of

chemical representations to develop a conceptual understanding of three chemistry topics:

microscopic, macroscopic, and symbolic (as cited in Roehrig & Garrow, 2007). Unlike

the traditional teaching approach that emphasizes just symbolic representations; reform-

based teaching further incorporates microscopic and macroscopic representations. In

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reform-based classrooms, the roles of both teacher and students are very different from

their roles in a traditional classroom. There are several considerations to implement

curriculum that will “improve science education for the growing number of students

enrolled in both chemistry and physics” such as case with the NSF-funded systemic

reform projects, where teachers used reform-based practices and had evidence of higher

student achievement (Roehrig & Garrow, 2007, p. 1792). In teaching chemistry, it is

particularly important for students to understand multiple representations and be able to

move fluently between representations and representational models to develop a

conceptual understanding of the chemical lab contents.

Salloum and BaoJoaude (2008) wrote, “Science teacher’s depth of content

knowledge, its nature, and teach-ability is closely associated with their scientific literacy,

and actually may go beyond it to knowledge about the learners and conceptions” (p. 36).

Teachers play an important role in helping science students to bridge the gap from naïve

to scientific views through an understanding of the sociocultural dynamics in the

classroom. Tyler explained that this can be realized when the teachers promote discourse

communities, encourage explanatory activities, provide explanatory opportunities, and

accord a fundamental role to the language of science in the construction of knowledge (as

cited in Hilton & Nichols, 2011, p. 2217). Teachers need to integrate activities,

interactions, and challenges into what the students know and what they need to become

and do in class to improve student achievement.

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Integration of the 3D NGSS Instruction Framework

The NGSS (NGSS Lead States, 2013) provide a vision of what we (educators)

want taught in the science classroom. The vision consists of standards that are further

detailed in terms of performance expectations for students who integrate all three

important dimensions from A Framework for K-12 Science Education (NRC, 2012).

Teachers use a variety of instructional practices to teach core ideas to students, including

important concepts of engineering, and to get to the desired performance expectation. The

framework for K-12 science education does not dedicate a single approach to instruction

but remains open to using many approaches to teach science that are consistent with the

vision of NGSS documents. Metz (2013) noted, “Maintaining a teachable number of core

ideas was clearly a priority for the NGSS writers” (p. 6). The framework provides

opportunities to improve science, the learning process, and student achievement.

The performance expectations do not specify how instruction should be

developed, nor do they serve as objectives for individual lessons. The NGSS Lead States

advocated that science teaching moves away from learning content and inquiry in

isolation to building and applying science knowledge (as cited in Krajcik et al., 2014, p.

158). Many NGSS class activities, such as Classroom Sample Tasks, are available for

teachers to modify for their classrooms. Classroom Sample Tasks are a blend of practices

and concepts from both the NGSS and the Common Core State Standards that have been

put together by teachers across disciplines who have collaborated to write sample tasks.

The 5E model is an example platform for teachers to design integrated instructional units

to include lessons and activities (Krajcik et al., 2014). Great care and good planning are

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necessary when developing instruction to ensure the coherence of science instruction

stays intact.

Conclusion

Students learn best when they can explore, debate, examine, experiment with

concepts and skill, and are truly engage in what they are learning. Rosenhine (2012)

noted, “The most effective teachers ensure that students efficiently acquired, rehearsed,

and connected background knowledge by providing a good deal of instructional support”

(p. 30). Effective teachers teach new ideas in manageable amounts by modeling, guiding

student practice, reviewing, and providing sufficient practices and support. Effective

learning takes place in classrooms where students can critique one another’s ideas in civil

and productive ways and where they revise their ideas in response to evidence-based

arguments. Using effective instruction in a chemistry classroom means using a teaching

strategy that can be applied to many chemical examples, having students reach a

benchmark before advancing to a new step, immediately providing feedback, and

conducting cumulative reviews of previously learned skills. Providing a structured

learning environment and quick correctional feedback for my chemistry class will help

support student success.

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Appendix C

EXPLORING TEACHERS’ VIEWS ON TEACHING CHEMICAL REACTIONS

Introduction

As teachers meet during professional development (PD), there have been talks at

these meetings about revising the chemistry curriculum to include innovative tools and

versatile resources. Time at the PD sessions does not permit teachers to research and

develop creative lesson plans that reflect the needs or interests of students. The current

district curriculum for chemistry is outdated, redundant and does not offer teachers with

interactive lessons for students to meet society’s demand for a 21st century workforce. To

reconstruct lessons that include student activities (such as jeopardy, monopoly, and

bingo) that are meaningful and offer opportunities for students to work in small group

settings as they engage in discussions, making decisions and new discoveries.

The purpose of this research project was to get input from chemistry teachers in

all the district high schools on effective tools and resources that contribute to students’

learning of chemical reactions. The obtained data will then serve as the cornerstone for

the reconstruction effort for a chemical reactions unit that is exciting to students.

Methodology

A human subject’s protocol application was developed and approved by the

Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the University of Delaware. Simultaneously, a

survey comprising ten open-ended questions was sent to all ten chemistry teachers in the

district (spanning five high schools) using the University of Delaware’s Qualtrics

software system. The link to the survey was sent to teachers via the Cecil County Public

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School district’s e-mail system. An open-ended question format was selected to

encourage teachers to freely share their personal experiences of the tools and resources

they use when teaching the chemical reaction concepts unit. The list of questions that was

sent to teacher-participants is shown in Figure 3 below.

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Chemistry Teachers Survey

1. What do your students typically find most challenging when learning this topic?

2. List as many as you can the models, animations, and resources that you typically use to teach the Chemical reaction concepts unit.

3. What instructional tools have you used that you found to be effective in addressing learning difficulties when teaching chemical reaction concepts unit? Please describe why.

4. What instructional tools/approaches have you used that you found to be ineffective in addressing learning challenges? Please describe why.

5. Which lab activities are important for supporting students’ understanding of chemical reactions?

6. Which lab activities you found to be ineffective in supporting student learning of chemical reactions? Please describe why.

7. Which activities in the chemical reaction concepts unit seem to generate motivation among students and support their learning of concepts?

8. What additional tools and resources for balancing of chemical equations do you recommend to be included in the curriculum that will be of value to students’ understanding?

9. What types of assessments will you recommend to be included in the daily lesson plans to assess students’ understanding of the chemical reactions unit’s concepts?

10. What instructional tools have been useful in addressing the learning challenges identified in Question 1?

Figure 3 Survey Questions on the Topic of Chemical Reactions for Teacher Participants

The memo that accompanied the survey stated clearly that teachers’ participation

was voluntary and confidential. Teachers were given ten days to respond and provide

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their commentary using the Qualtrics Software platform. The Qualtrics Software

immediately generated pseudo-identity for each of the participants before distribution and

their identities were unknown to everyone including myself.

Data Analysis

Ten were teachers invited to participate in this study, six responded, and most of

them supported their responses with additional personal comments. This constituted the

generated input about curricular issues that teachers in the district perceived to be

necessary to be addressed in reconstruction process of chemical reaction concepts-

curriculum and/or lesson plans. The data was analyzed using the Qualtrics Software and

Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets. The data settings was partially guided by previous study

of Barry and colleagues (2016), who determined the frequencies on published peer-

reviewed articles of eligible documented manuscript of bibliographical information that

were obtained from an online survey (on a Health Education Research), using the

Qualtrics software. Though the information from both investigations was different, Barry

and colleagues (2016) study examined the effect sizes (across published research) by

categorization, which is an integral part of quantitative analysis process. The response

from the teachers’ online survey was collected, qualitatively processed and the data was

organized into different classes of learning categories for tools and resources. In both

analyses, there was the use of Qualtrics online survey and the analyzing technique of

categorizing the data of the variance into classes, meant “to capture an inclusive

representation of all published literature” (Barry et al, 2016, p. 520).

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The process for analyzing the data included searching for patterns, noting

common themes that emerged around specific items, and locating representative quotes in

participants’ responses. The qualitative data was reported using standard format, clear

description of the main themes, the data process and coding. The reporting of findings in

the next section allows readers to visualize the different levels of coding and read actual

examples of comments that reflect the concept being coded. The survey was aggregated

to eliminate the link between survey responses and respondent identities.

Findings

The chemistry teachers in the school district were given ample opportunities to

express both their instructional perspectives and recommendations for the tools and

resources included in the chemistry curriculum in relation to chemical reactions. The

feedback data from the online-survey was collected, stored in the Qualtrics System

Software, printed out in word-document format and was processed by systematically

organizing the responses from participants. From this data, tentative themes for the

context were identified based commonalities between participants’ experiences about the

phenomenon under investigation.

Tables 4 through 12 contain the summary of responses obtained from teachers on

the administered survey. The Tables organize the findings by ideas expressed by the

teachers relative to the question asked; the frequency each idea was expressed by

different teachers; and examples provided in teachers responses in relation. Tentative

themes were then generated for each of the set of question to obtain insight into various

aspects of the participants’ experiences in teaching chemical reaction concepts. The

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legitimacy of the findings in the context of this survey-research is based on the extent to

which responses shed new light on struggles in teaching the concepts.

Table 4 addresses question 1, which asked the teachers to identify the challenging

concepts for students when learning about chemical reactions. This data reveals that

students have difficulties in understanding the concept on how to write chemical

formulas. Two teachers insisted that the inclusion of “writing chemical formulas”

practice should be a very frequent student’s activity, included in all the daily lessons.

Students are also having difficulties on how to write the correct subscripts for the formula

that balances out to form the neutral ionic compound. When the students are unable to

write the correct formula, it is therefore not possible to write and balance the chemical

equation because of incorrect information to complete the process.

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Table 4 Concepts Students Find to Be Most Challenging

Expressed challenging concepts/ ideas Frequency Related words/ ideas/ examples

Writing chemical formulas

6 Use of subscripts; crisscross charges; diatom molecules, ionic formulas, covalent formulas

Writing chemical equations

5 Equation steps Chemical reactions

Predicting products in reactions

3 Activity series for metals

Interpreting word problems

2 Identifying the reactants/ products

Knowing ion charges 2 Associate charge with the atoms Balancing equations 2 Equation coefficients Identifying the types of reaction

2 Single vs. double replacement reaction

Table 5 addresses question 2 and the response was for teachers to list out the

models, animations, and resources that were typically used to teach the Chemical reaction

concepts. The data shows that students are likely inclined in the learning process when

the teacher incorporates lab activities and games into the lesson for students to complete.

Students are enthusiastic when assigned to explore online resources that they collaborate

with others in small group settings, have discussions, gathered information, and make

informed decisions based on group findings. The teacher’s role when students are

actively working in small group activities is reduced to being a facilitator and answering

questions that arise along the way as students learn the lesson.

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Table 5 Resources, Tools, Models and Animations Used to Address Learning Difficulties

Sites/model/animations expressed in responses Frequency Related ideas/ examples

Games 2 Earning credits, grade incentives Labs 2 Experiment http://preparatorychemistry.com/ Zn_CuSO4_flash.htm

1 Writing equations

http://www.dlt.ncssm.edu/tiger/Flash/ moles/DoubleDisp_Reaction-Precipitation.html

1 Predicting reaction’s products

PhET website (for balancing equations)

1 Simulations, hands on practice

POGIL packet 1 “Shall we dance” representations for reaction types

Online cartoons (for chemical reaction)

Parts of a chemical equation, different formula units for reactions

PowerPoints 1 Group sharing: discussions and presentations

Flowchart 1 Summarizing concepts, representation of chemical reactions

Cartoons 1

Table 6 is addressing question 3, and this question was for teachers to identify the

instructional tools that were effective in addressing learning difficulties about chemical

reaction concepts. I have realized that the inclusion of interactive tools in the lesson is

one of several ways to improve how students think and the opportunity for them to act

like real scientists. The data shows that teachers like to include online sites that have

provisions for simulations and demonstrations in lesson’s activities for students practice

writing and balancing equations. They also have them use the white board to share the

answers in class and explain concepts that may be challenging for others to understand.

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Table 6 Effective Instructional Tools Used to Address Student Difficulties

Tools/items expressed Frequency Related ideas/ examples Practice and more practice

1 Writing chemical formulas, balancing equations

Whiteboard 1 Write equations, sharing outcomes Practice websites 1 Writing and balancing chemical equations Flashcards 1 Small group discussions, learning key terms

Table 7 is addressing question 4, and the teacher’s response was to identify

instructional tools/approaches that were used in class but were ineffective in addressing

learning challenges. This data shows that students do not like class activities that they are

assigned to read either a section in course assigned-textbook or an article in a worksheet

that they have to complete. Students like to be left alone to read what they like (and these

readings are often not lesson related) because most consider reading to be boring activity

to do in class. Reading exercise is often done in a quiet setting and everyone in class at

that moment has to observe silence, but this remain a challenging behavioral practice for

students to accomplish. Students will fraudulently get answers for questions for the class

textbook from online sources and do not learn from activities that directly originate from

students’ textbook.

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Table 7 Least Effective Tools/Methods Used to Teach Chemical Reaction Lessons

Tools/approaches expressed Frequency Related Ideas/ examples Reading assignment 1 Texts from chemical publication

sources, textbook reading assignments Textbook-study guide

manual 1 Get online answers

Teacher-led class activities 1 Instructions, students watching and listening in class

Worksheets 1 Lack of support, boring exercise

Table 8 addresses question 5, which asked the teachers to list lab activities that

are effective in supporting students’ understanding of chemical reactions. This data

shows that the single and double replacement reactions are great inquiry-base laboratory

to use in class with students. Both reactions present teaching moments for teachers to put

students at the center of the curriculum and the opportunity to elaborate on concepts such

as chemical formulas, predicting products formed from reactants and how to represent

chemical reactions. Students like learning event to complete lab investigations in class

but students’ safety is very important to reinforce before they start any lab activity. Carr

(2016) explains, “Students learned that despite a foundational background in laboratory

safety, it is entirely possible to violate common rules without self-realization” (p. 32).

Table 8 Lab Activities That Support Students’ Understanding of the Lessons

Lab activities Frequency Related Ideas/ examples Single replacement lab 4 Activity series for metals and halogen, Double replacement lab 3 Identifying cations and anions for

reactants, formation of salts and water Any reaction lab 2 Combustion of acetylene

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None of the teachers provided a suggested activity in the curriculum that they

identified as being ineffective when introduced in class. Most of the recommended

curricular activities lacked variety, but teachers have students explore alternative online

sources to complete the activities in small group settings and not only limited to the class

textbook.

No table was created for question 6 because teachers did not provide information

for question. This question was asking the teachers to identify lab activities that are

considered to be ineffective in supporting student learning. None of the lab activities was

cited by a teacher, as not supporting what students do in class. No response to this

question item and few comments from teachers in this survey indicate that students like

to do things and stay actively engage in the learning process.

Table 9 addresses question 7, and the response was for teachers to identify

curricular activities that motivated and supported students’ learning of chemical reaction

concepts. The data shows that students are excited to learn, and support each other in

small group settings to complete class activities in class. They are motivated when they

do lab activities; explore online topics (that are often interactive in nature), watching

videos that illustrate the different types of reactions, creating cartoons to illustrate

chemical concepts and sharing what they have learned as a group in class.

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Table 9 Activities That Generate Motivation for Students to Learn

Class Activities Frequency Related ideas/ examples Small group activities 4 Building confidence

Support learning Reaction labs 3 Any reaction type Self-initiated cartoons 1 Student led activity, small group sharing Types of reaction videos 1 Illustrating the differences, use of reaction’

examples Lousy labs 1 Combustion lab, safety approach

Table 10 addresses question 8, and the response provided information on

additional tools and resources that teachers recommend will support students’ learning of

chemical reaction concepts. The data reveals that teachers find the PhET simulations are

very effective tools to students in practicing how to write chemical formulas, use symbols

and words to represent reaction, and balancing of chemical equations. Students are

motivated by activities that they complete in small groups, student-centered, and have

provision for online access. Two teachers suggested that students should be encouraged

to hold discussion share ideas and each member in a group plays a distinguish role to

complete the team’s task.

Table 10 Recommended Tools and Resources That Support Students’ Learning

Tools/resources Frequency Related ideas/ examples PhET simulation website 3 Available online Lego toy pieces 2 Working in small groups, share ideas YouTube videos 2 Assist students to learn Small team settings 2 One-on-one conversations

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Table 11 addresses Question 9. Teachers were asked to recommend various types

of assessments that can be used to assess students’ understanding of the lesson. Exit

passes and practice problems were suggested as great assessment techniques to check

students’ understanding of concepts in the daily lessons. When students are given

problems to solve, it is easy to identify the exact step they are having issues to understand

and that could be addressed the next day in class.

Table 11 Recommended Assessment to Include in Lessons to Assess Students’ Understanding

Assessment Frequency Related ideas/ examples Exit Passes 3 Good formative assessment Practice Problem 2 Provide a lot of insight understanding; examples

to use for reference Exit Tickets 1 Student-teacher interaction

Table 12 addresses question 10. Teachers were asked to provide instructional

tools that have been useful in addressing challenging learning concepts in the lessons.

This data shows that teachers use a variety of activities to help students review concepts

throughout in the lesson. Teachers incorporate activities that encouraged students to have

more control of learning in class, such as working in small groups, collaborating with

teammates, and challenging each other. This cooperative learning strategy allows

students to work hard, stay on task, and the teacher’s role is reduced to being a class

facilitator. They use exit-pass strategy to know what students learned in class and plan for

the next day’s lesson.

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Table 12 Instructional Tools That Effectively Support the Learning of Challenging Concepts in the Lessons

Tools/Strategies Frequency Related ideas/ examples Refreshers exercise 2 It is quick

How to write reactions Exit Pass 2 When naming compounds,

writing and correcting formulas Scaffold exercise 1 Reinforcing worksheets, flow in ideas Graphic organizer 1 Types of formulas, summary notes POGIL 1 Supplemented by labs Lab acts 1 Supportive learning, safety practice Refresher quiz 1 Concept flashbacks

Significance of the Study

This study provided an awareness of CCPS’s high school chemistry teachers’

perspectives, recommendations, and general issues regarding tools and resources to teach

and learn chemical reaction concepts. The teachers revealed that most of the

recommended activities to teach chemical reaction concepts are not exciting to students

but there are many exciting tools and resources that are available online at no cost that

help students learn better. Students show motivation on interactive activities that they

work in small groups and are engaged when they have access to online tools and

resources. Most teachers have identified the shortcomings of students not doing well with

chemical reaction concepts and had been introducing a variety of fresh tools and

resources to engage students in the learning process.

The responses on the questions from each participant reflected the challenges

posed by conceptual understanding, misconceptions, curricular tools and resources for

students. The findings generated from each of the six-high school teachers in the district

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shed light onto the experiences of participants in comparable settings at other schools.

Teachers’ responses had much in common of how the students learn in these different

schools because teachers are using the same curriculum to teach students that share much

in common in the county. Merriam (2002) stated “The individual participants’

perspectives are their own and as a unit are bounded by time, space, and their current

perception of reality” (as cited in Russell, 2008, p. 74). Students need motivation in class

and curricular support to help them see practical meaning from what can come out from

learning these new chemistry concepts. Introducing hands-on activities in the lessons and

using real life example to explain these new concepts in class for student to make

connections to real life scientists do help the learning process. Not so much is going with

chemistry in the county.

The tools and resources are used in personal lesson plans at individual

teacher/school levels but not shared with chemistry teachers or included in the chemistry

curriculum at the district level. Incoming new teachers may not be aware of the

deficiencies in the district’s curriculum and may not have time to collect new tools and

resources to improve it. Students in classrooms of teachers who take little or no initiative

to research for tools and resources are not aware of this deficiency in the district

curriculum and they are abandoned in so many struggles to learn. Educators with

leadership attitude should do something better and revise the curriculum to provide

support to both new and veteran teachers at the district level. An effective chemistry

curriculum should include research-based tools and resources that support learning of

chemical reactions in classrooms. Alexander & Kulikowich, 1994; Begle, 1979; Tobin,

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1987; and Usiskin, 1985) stated that “Curriculum materials that precedes chemistry

standard do impact both what and how teachers teach, as well as what and how students

learn” (as cited in Herbel-Eisenmann, Lubienski, & Id-Deen, 2006). This study research

is exactly a professional-response taken in the spirit of “education-leadership” to revise

and update the chemical reaction unit to have the right tools and resources that are based

on education theories and proven-to-work in classroom settings. The revised curriculum

aims to replace the current outdated tools and resources with modern tools and resources,

and offer innovative materials (class activities) that motivate and engage students.

Conclusion

The findings from this survey reveal that teachers are using very few of the stated

tools and resources but are exploiting exciting online tools and resources to engage

students in class. Teachers are doing a lot of interactive activities on challenging concepts

such as how to write chemical formulas and predicting products for chemical reactions.

Students show excitement when completing equation activities using simulations

especially from PhET websites that often have embedded tutorial sessions for quick

review when students select incorrect answers. Teachers seem to be using innovative

online sources that provide a broad range of help- from tutorials to interactive quizzes,

simulations and quick assessment to instantly check understanding of distinct concepts.

The information gathered from these colleagues will be used to research innovative tools

and versatile resources. The reconstructed chemical reaction unit curriculum will be made

available to teachers (upon completion) to use in their classrooms.

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The participation of district teachers in this survey allowed the curriculum

development process to be inclusive of their knowledge and experiences in teaching

chemical reactions. It opened opportunities for collaboration and ensures that the

developed lessons take teachers’ views and experiences into consideration. The

curriculum is an important component in any learning institution that is too big of an

undertaking to be determined by a single teacher.

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REFERENCES

Barry, A. E., Szucs, L. E., Reyes, J. V., Ji, Q., Wilson, K. L., & Thompson, B. (2016). Failure to report effect sizes. Health Education & Behavior, 43(5), 518-527. doi:10.1177/1090198116669521

Carr, J. M., & Carr, J. M. (2016). What can students learn about lab safety from Mr. Bean? Journal of College Science Teaching, 45(6), 32-35.

Herbel-Eisenmann, B., Lubienski, S. T., & Id-Deen, L. (2006). Reconsidering the study of mathematics instructional practices: The importance of curricular context in understanding local and global teacher change. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, 9(4), 313-345. doi:10.1007/s10857-006-9012-x

Kim, P., Suh, E., & Song, D. (2015). Development of a design-based learning curriculum through design-based research for a technology-enabled science classroom. Educational Technology Research & Development, 63(4), 575-602. doi:10.1007/s11423-015-9376-7

Russell, J. A. (2008). Utilizing qualitative feedback to investigate student perceptions of a basic instruction program. Physical Educator, 65(2), 68-81.

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Appendix D

CHEMICAL REACTIONS: TEACHING TOOLS AND RESOURCES

Introduction

The study of chemical reactions involves large sets of terms, just like other

chemistry topics. Some aspects of reactions may seem rather abstract but the effects are

not. Every day, we witness evidence of chemical reactions, are surrounded by the

products of chemical reactions and several aspects of chemistry are brought to bear in the

study of chemical reactions. There are some chemical concepts that are challenging for

students to learn and if there is a way to engage students with learning the more difficult

concepts, perhaps the problem could be alleviated in classrooms. The purpose of this

artifact is to explore versatile tools and reliable resources that are to be included in the

revised chemical reaction concepts that support student success. Such tools will include

interactive simulations, images, videos, tutorials, activities, wikis, and reference materials

among others. The provision for online materials will expand the process of teaching and

learning beyond the classroom walls and support meaningful learning, where

communication and interaction among students are improved during the process.

According to Russell (1999) “Many chemistry instructors use games and puzzles to make

learning of chemistry have more fun and interesting” (p. 481). In my experience,

inclusion of these interactive tools makes a difference in the classroom. When students

are introduced to concepts using games such as “Chemical Jeopardy” on an overhead

projector, they are enthusiastic, and more likely to stay on task and complete the activity

on time.

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Setting an Interactive Learning Environment

The chemistry classroom can become a dynamic teaching and learning

environment especially when students have access to online resources. There is a free-

WIFI policy in Cecil County Public School (CCPS) classrooms, for teachers and students

to use their personal mobile devices to communicate, share information and challenge

each other’s ideas. Teachers can prepare interactive lessons and guide students in the

learning process by posing problems, offering opportunities for students to find solutions

and also encouraging student questions. According to deSouza, McLean and Berger

(2008), “Today’s students have grown up with technology, and most would prefer to do

their homework using a digital tool rather than pencil and paper” (p. 497). The school

district has upgraded classroom technology with both instructional tools like smartboard,

Chromebooks, software and classroom computers set for teachers and students to use

unequivocally.

With wireless internet access in schools, it is now possible to expand the

resources available to both students and teachers. Until recently as last two years,

chemistry students were limited to traditional learning tools and resources in the library

like video, film strips, CDs and class-textbooks that were non-internet bound. It is great

to recognize that the teacher can now introduce interactive students’ activities such as fun

games, puzzles and humor articles for transitory sessions and other segments in class.

The conceptual benefits for including interactive activities such as games and puzzles in

lessons is not so clear but they can be used to stimulate students’ interest and

reinforcement of factual knowledge (Howell, 1999). Teachers can carefully select

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strategy games and incorporate them into their lessons, to enhance students’ problem-

solving and critical-thinking skills.

Methodology

The criteria used to select the new tools and resources that facilitate the learning

process between the class teacher and students was guided by the list generated over time

from attending PD sessions, workshops (like the “Teacher Quality in Chemistry Program-

UMBC”), discussions with colleagues, and putting in much research time at the

university library. Educators are still not certain as to how to get students motivated to

learn intriguing concepts and enhance the process of teaching in classrooms (Feldman &

Denti, 2004). The decision to apply educational technology in the classroom is driven by

the task at hand, and not the available technology. Introducing learning tools and

resources (such as Apps, Websites, Podcast, Educational games, Models) into the lesson

plan is one of several ways that a chemistry teacher can establish an effective learning

environment in which the student is personally engaged in his/ her own learning.

To teach chemical reactions concept, it is necessary to implore an approach that

makes it interesting and enjoyable to learners. The attitude of students is a quality factor

to determine the success of the teaching and learning processes. The following section

includes descriptions of available tools and resources that apply to chemistry (and

particularly to the chemical reaction concepts). Brief descriptions for each of the

tools/resources are given below and they are to be used to develop the next artifact for

this project. The list is not exhaustive but rather representative of the types of online

resources available for teachers that support student learning of chemical reactions.

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Chemistry Education Tools and Resources

American Chemistry Society

The American Chemical Society (ACS) website contains a portal for the society’s

journal (http://pubs.acs.org/). This site is dedicated to advancing science and services.

Though these articles are written by diverse and distinguished scientists, their

manuscripts are simple, containing rich chemical innovations, resources and templates for

secondary school learners of chemistry. The resources are professionally presented as

recommended by national and/ or international boards and they include guidelines,

national/ international chemistry standards and even go further to explain copyright terms

to potential novice contributors. Writing words and skeletal chemical equations from

reactions follow defined standards and it is therefore important for students to get

familiar with these symbols and evidence in real life experiences. ACS journal is doing a

great work to include real life exposures and local community events on its website for

students who are the local, national and international consumptions.

It contains valuable and variety of research-based articles that can serve as

resources for chemistry teachers to teach chemical reaction concepts. A search on this

website for a topic like “Recommendations for Teaching of High School Chemistry”

yields several excellent deep-content articles that provides information for the pathway to

learning, equity and ethic that should help teachers prepare the classroom for an effective

teaching and learning process. Balancing chemical equations is a tough concept for

students to grasp and such a search provides the classroom teacher, with great resources,

to reach all the learning abilities and intelligences of students. Selecting as an example

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from ACS tools website, the article about “Balancing Chemical Equations by Inspection”

by Toth Zoltan (1997), which is not interactive but contain instructional materials that are

connect other areas of chemistry for the teacher to use to reinforce the steps of balancing

of equations. Zoltan breaks down the equation-balancing process into distinct steps and

uses examples to support each step. The teacher may project this steps and examples on

the overhead presenter with very little extra explanation added to reiterate the process,

and it is easy for students to understand.

There are some great instructional chemical reactions’ articles on the ACS

website (when meticulously/rightly searched) that are considered appropriate for high

school students because they are presented in very simple language, and using practical

equations that resonate with students. The study guide has short-reading exercises, and

can generate in-class content discussions about chemical reactions. There are also videos

that can be retrieved using the in-built search engine to get real life application for

chemical reactions. These retrievable examples are very practical, easy-to-relate with the

youths and the search include: “How the hairspray does works”, “Why are people allergic

to peanuts”, “Why does food make your mouth water?”, and “What happens if you stop

using shampoo?” and so many more. This ACS website genuinely reflects its mission

statement- a forum to educate the public and support future chemists.

Chemistry.about.com

This Chemistry website contains help, tutorials, problem and quizzes on

chemistry (http://chemistry.about.com/cs/stoichiometry/a/aa042903a.htm). The corner

titled “Today’s Top 5 Picks in Education” includes lesson resources for teachers to use as

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an introductory activity in class, to generate small group-discussions on relevant

educational issues. Any lesson activity that offers the opportunity for students to make

connections between the learning of chemistry in the classroom to what they experience

outside the classroom is an asset to students understanding of the concepts. There is also

“The latest in chemistry” news section that examines secondary school topics like

“Here’s What Molarity Means in Chemistry (Definition and Examples)”, “What is an

Indicator in Chemistry?”, and “What is the Difference between Flammable and

Inflammable?” This online resource recommends to readers some update on current

chemistry issues for student read, expand on the subject, and then make connections to

both classroom lessons and real life projects in the community. For instance, during the

Olympic 2016 game in Brazil, there were recommended reading topics such as “What

Are Olympic Medals Really Made Of?”, “Ever Wonder Whether the Olympic Gold

Medals Real Gold?”, and “How Much an Olympic Gold Medal Worth?” These are all

interesting topics that should get students’ attentions and their content cover a broad

spectrum of the chemistry curriculum especially when the class lessons are effectively

exploited.

The teacher could use this online resource to introduce “How to balance chemical

equations” to students and have students watch short videos on the different types of

chemical equations. This video shows “The steps in balancing chemical equations” and

this is one of the most challenging concepts (in chemical reaction concepts) for students

to understand. There are online exercises to refresh their knowledge on how to write

chemical formulae, that they must know (from previous units) before they can write these

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chemical equations. There are also printable practices, on balancing equations-

worksheets with answers that teachers can either use in class or assign to students as

extended work.

A distinguishing feature with Chemistry.about.com (as online resource) is that it

has direct links to other related sub topics such as chemical formulas from previously

taught units. Students can navigate and relate to the main topic (of balancing chemical

reactions) at their convenience and anywhere. It contains educational video that are not

only addressing the current lessons on chemical reactions but can be used to generate

exciting classroom conversations. It is recommended, for teachers to use the videos

during transition into different class activities. It also has chemistry-inspired question/

answer provision such as: “If I leave my goldfish in the dark, will it turn white?”, “Why

does hair turn gray?”, “How do sunless tanning products work?”, and so on. Teachers can

insert these real-life inquiries into lessons to generate both small and large group

discussions.

PhET- Interactive Simulations for Science and Math

The PhET website contains a variety of math and science simulations for students

to use in learning at no cost to users (https://phet.colorado.edu/ ). There are 127

interactive simulations for science and mathematics, of which 30 simulations are for

teaching chemistry (Moore, Chamberlain, Parson, & Perkins, 2014). PhET simulations

are based on extensive education research on how students learn in an interface designed

environment but often require specific software to run the program and therefore

necessary to seek for the technical support. It was founded by Noble Laureate Carl

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Wieman, with the principal objective to engage students through an intuitive, game-like

environment. Students learn the concept for both small details (e.g., existence of diatomic

molecule- such as H2, Cl2, and O2), and larger design of real-life phenomena (e.g., the

reaction equilibrium for the chemical system) through exploration, discovery, intuitively,

and in an appealing open-style play environment, e.g., click-and-drag manipulation.

PhET simulations are neither to replace hands-on labs nor specific skills related to the

functioning of equipment but it is effective for conceptual understanding and enhancing

students’ abilities to connect multiple representations. Deciphering the evidences of

chemical reactions, the chemical reaction types and processes, products-formed and

balancing of the chemical equations constitute the proper understanding of content for

chemical reactions. PhET simulations are useful for establishing the cause-and-effect

relationships of a chemical process.

In the chemical reaction concepts, student can use PhET simulation to convert

words equations to skeletal forms and to also make connections between real-life

phenomena and the underlying science. PhET simulations are great tools for students to

use on representations and make analogies such as using symbols for element and

chemical formulas for molecules and/ or compounds. Simulations make “representation”

possible for students to use analogies to construct understanding of the unfamiliar

phenomena. PhET simulations are animated, interactive, offer a game-like environment

and there are also short, fun and meaningful activities to meet up with specific needs in

class- like extension activity for fast learners. Teachers use PhET simulations as a stand-

alone learning tool to engage students to complete lab and homework in a guided-inquiry

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approach. This tends to change the socio-cultural norms in the classroom and improves

learning. PhET simulations use dynamic graphics to explicitly animate visual and

conceptual models and then show what is not ordinarily visible, such as atoms, electrons,

and photons, make the learning process to be possible (Perkins et al, 2006). PhET

simulations are made up of the non-idealized and real-world component that the students

make first explore and construct a conceptual understanding with the idealized

equipment, and then move from the ideal to the complexities encountered in real life.

During formation of precipitates, for example, electrons are exchanged to form ionic

species in the aqueous solution and solid-state products are formed at the end of the

chemical reaction process. The activity on chemical reaction, for example, students are to

explore reactions in which chemical bonds are formed and broken and learn how to

communicate the results by writing the stoichiometry for the balanced chemical reactions.

They use PhET simulations to observe how the reaction rates are affected when the

temperature and concentration of the atoms are changed.

Concord Consortium

The Concord Consortium website is an online resource with a-self-revealing

headline that reads “The Concord Consortium: Revolutionary digital learning for science,

math and engineering” (http://concord.org/). It incorporates the best features of digital

technology for teachers and students such as InSPECT (Integrating Science Practices

Enhanced by Computational Thinking) software, which allow high school students to

undertake authentic and independent investigations. These materials are user-friendly

when incorporated into lesson plans and the interactive activity is dedicated to bringing

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out the inner scientist in everyone. This resource-site is organized into four categories:

subject, software, grade level and NGSS Pathfinder. The resource materials for chemistry

are located the subject section titled “chemistry” for schools and home. For incorporating

this resource into a lesson, the resource can be sorted out based on the type, which

includes: activity, model, sensor-based, tablet-friendly and browser-based resource.

These digital resources are generally simulations, lab demonstrations and therefore easy

for the teacher to incorporate this technology into the teaching and learning process.

There are also free web-based software tools for data analysis for students to use in a

dynamic environment and become data literate, for example, the Common Online Data

Analysis Platform (CODAP). CODAP is an easy-to-use web-based data analysis platform

that is common used by middle and high school teachers and curriculum developers. Data

constitutes an integral piece in chemistry and this CODAP is incorporated into classroom

lessons to help students summarize, visualize, interpret data and to also advance students’

data skill they need for burgeoning careers and inquiry-based practices of data scientists.

Chemistry Education is the main resource online-page that is accessible from the

drop-down menu on the Concord Consortium main website. The resources include

powerful educational tools such as interactive simulations, cutting-edge sensors,

innovative assessments and technology-based curriculum for chemistry. It is categorized

into four main sections on chemistry: matter, interactions, reaction, and states of matter

for learners to explore, making the invisible visible and enabling new insight into the

process of chemical reactions. The featured resources for chemical “reactions” include

downloadable lesson activities on the topics such as: chemical reactions, making heat and

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catalysts. The curricular activities for learners to use are grouped under the following

sections: activity, model, tablet-friendly, sensor-based and browser-based, which makes it

easy for teachers to use when planning lessons. Each of the activities on the website

states further details, the standards and usage/citation, and requirements to operate the

site. Also included with each of the featured activities are a teacher guide, warnings

related to the activity, and more suggested resources. There is a help section on the NGSS

with step-by-step support to build an NGSS lesson with the appropriate practices, core

ideas and crosscutting concepts. The NGSS Pathfinder provides numerous examples on

introducing three dimensional frameworks of NGSS into chemistry lessons and focusing

effort in improving STEM education- for understanding chemistry is in all STEM

programs. These features make concord consortium’s activities great for teachers to give

to students either for homework or learning extension. Understanding chemical reactions

needs a lot of practice outside the classroom in order to master the concepts and any

resource (and/or tool) that will help students to complete the Chemical Reactions activity

at home. Users need MacroMedia Flash Player installed in their computers to play the

animations and simulations and the website provide downloadable version for free. This

is a generous practice from the website provider to have students complete their task at

no additional cost and at their convenience.

The Concord Consortium resources contains chemical activities for students to

use computational models and probe-based activities to analyze data that result from

introducing different chemical species in both variable quantities and condition. Products

formed from chemical reactions are determined by initial reactants and their

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concentration and chemists can predict chemical outcomes based on their understanding

of conceptual knowledge about atoms that are taking part in the chemical reactions.

Computational manipulations and simulations that involve students to carry out

investigations, use models, analyze data and facilitate connections to real science will

improve the learning of chemistry. The use of technology makes complex concepts more

approachable and engaging to the students.

Iowa State ChemEd Research Group

The website of the Iowa State ChemEd Research Group’s has tools for chemistry

experiment simulations, tutorials and conceptual animations that can be used by teachers

during presentations and student as a learner extension

(http://group.chem.iastate.edu/Greenbowe/sections/projectfolder/animationsindex.htm). It

offers valuable learning tools that are provided to users at no cost for both individual and

group settings. Using these simulations will require installations of certain software,

where most can be downloaded for free. Chemistry teachers may want to talk to the

school building administrators to secure computers in the chemistry classes and a few in

the media centers and download this software to be used by chemistry students. A great

feature with this tool is that some of the animations and simulations have guided-inquiry

tutorials to accompany them. The tutorial for one simulation on chemical bond under the

section for “Predicting the products of chemical reactions”, has students complete an

elaborate worksheet that requires them to know the activity series for common metals vs.

nonmetal atoms of the Periodic Table. This simulation activity also requires them to

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know how positive vs. negative ions are formed from atoms, and writing up the chemical

formulae and equations for possible products formed during chemical reactions.

This approach to learning where students should first conduct research for

background knowledge in small group settings before completing the simulation task is

great because they collaborate and progressively work their way up to complete the task

on demand. Students work well with web-based interactive animations understand

abstract concepts in chemistry and it can be adopted as a learning strategy to aids

students’ understanding of molecular and dynamic concepts in laboratory experiments

(Frailich, Kesner & Hofstein, 2008). It requires just little support from the teacher, who

plays the role of a facilitator in class while the students set the pace and stay in control of

their own learning. This is an effective instructional strategy to have students learn

chemistry and the available technology features facilitate independent studies especially

for homework and extended studies.

Another great advantage is that the simulations contain downloadable files that

the teachers can print out to complete a lesson plan and to also use with students in class.

Even though most of the activities are categorized under certain non-chemical reactions

topics, they can be adapted and used to teach chemical reaction concepts that may not be

mentioned. When teaching a lesson on how to predict, write and/ or balance chemical

equations, it is so much of an instructional practice to go back to previously taught

concepts (such as periodic table, electron configurations, writing chemical formulae and

many other topics) to make connections. For example, most of the simulations and

animations under “electrochemistry” and “thermochemistry” can be used to teach the

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content indicator for “Evidence for chemical reactions.” The teacher can assign students

to explore this site, gather content-related ideas on chemical reactions, and then use them

to initiate and maintain group discussions and further investigations. It is a necessary

practice for the teacher to monitor the students as they complete these simulation

activities, answer questions, and have the students show their final product upon

completion of the task. This site is a work in progress and more work is needed to address

every topic to meet up with curricular expectations.

The Iowa State ChemEd Research Group online resources are combined in a

working environment, where there is cooperative learning, computer animations and

simulation of chemical reaction concepts. Also included is how to use standard scientific

methods of communication. There is strong emphasis on students’ understanding of

conceptual problems and particulate nature of matter diagrams, which is important but

conspicuously missing in most classroom lessons because students generally have a

tough time understanding it.

University of Texas: Gas Law Simulator

The Gas Law Simulator contains animations with large-size diagrams and neatly

designed simulations that students will find easy to manipulate, but contains few items on

chemical reaction concepts (http://ch301.cm.utexas.edu/gases/index.php#gas-laws/gas-

simulator.html). Most of the activities are tutorial with descriptive videos, and include

activities that can be used to illustrate the dynamics of both intermolecular and

intramolecular forces that account for rearrangement of atoms during chemical reactions.

Students should understand that for chemical reaction to occur, there is breaking of

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chemical bonds and intermolecular forces that hold reacting species together and this step

is immediately followed by reconstruction of new chemical bonds and intermolecular

forces in the product species. Intermolecular and intramolecular forces are addressed in

the previous unit, chemical bonding and very relevant to chemical reaction concepts.

Students have problems understanding chemical bonding concepts for gaseous molecules,

and how to identify products formed from reactions that results in the formation of gas

products, even though an initial reactant was neither in a gaseous state of matter.

Calculation of bond energy considers, the existing state of matter and possible

intermolecular force that is determined by the properties of surrounding atoms.

This online resource will be a valuable asset when these animations and

simulations are used to introduce chemical reaction concepts, and when addressing

chemical reactions in the gaseous state at the end of the unit. Chemical reaction between

gases are quite similar to reactions between solids and liquids except those that include

the Ideal Gas Law (PV = nRT) in its calculations (where P, is pressure, V is volume, T is

temperature, n is the mole quantity, and R is the gas constant). The reaction could either

be revisable (such as the decay and formation of dinitrogen tetraoxide) or non-reversible

(such as combustion of an organic molecule and decomposition of Hydrogen Peroxide to

produce water and oxygen gas). Chemists are typically interested in changes in enthalpy

but when the chemical reaction involves gases they are further interested in changes in

the internal energy because in gaseous reactions, there is often a change in the volume at

constant pressure.

Chemsite Paper Chromatography Simulation – Dan Damelin

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Chromatography is a process to separating mixtures by means of a

chromatographic column, solvent and the mixture alongside with two different properties

for separation: absorption and solubility. Chemists are able to choose the appropriate

solvent and column material, to exploit the differences in these two properties to make

the different substances to move at different speed along the chromatographic column.

The Chemsite Paper Chromatography Simulation website contains resources other paper

chromatography simulations that help students write good lab reports, tutorials and web

links to several topics on chemistry

(http://chemsite.lsrhs.net/FlashMedia/html/paperChrom.html). The chromatographic

simulation provides students the opportunity to practice how to adjustable a variable (for

either adsorption to the paper or solubility in the solvent) in both the “blue” and “yellow”

dyes, using adjustable grids. This process places emphasis on color distinction for the

solvent chosen and demonstrate how these two properties are manipulated to make

different substances to move at different speeds along a chromatographic column.

The site for the online chromatographic simulation contains a page “The molecule

of the month” that was initiated since 1996, and this webpage can serve as a generative

source to maintain ongoing chemistry “word of the month” in the classroom. On the

resource tab, is the “Web Links” page which contains “General Chemistry Resources”

such as “General Chemistry Online Virtual classroom.” Also, located here, are sites

which answer chemistry questions; a search-link for chemistry topic; tutorials for all

chemistry topics and many more. The drop down menu for the onsite resource tab has

“Flash Media”, which is a great resource that the teacher can assign to either individuals

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or group of students to address chemical concept as need be. For instance, teacher can use

the “Virtual Chromatography” lab to reinforce students’ understanding the implications

for the properties of solubility and absorption. The “Virtual Chromatography” allow

students to do a virtual chromatography experiment with independent settings for

solubility and absorption. It is reinforcing for the students to practice and understand the

concept on chromatography while learning chemical reaction concepts because they need

background knowledge on properties of matter and compound formation.

There are also many other virtual interactives on this site that are very

fundamental to the teaching and learning of chemical reactions including “types of

bonds”, where students will explore how different types are formed. It is worth

mentioning that this site was last updated July 9, 2007 but the syllabus covers a broad

spectrum of virtual interactives that include atomic theory, gas, reaction rates, formulas

and equations that are considered innovative to teaching and learning of chemistry. The

virtual interactives for “Formulas and Equations”, has simulation (which include

activities such as “Writing Chemical Equations”, “Types of Reactions”) that directly

explain critical concepts for Unit 3 content, chemical reactions. The simulation activities

on this site reinforce cooperative learning in classrooms alongside labs, homework, and

review handout-sheets. These resources provide educational strategies that increase

students’ opportunities to learn about chemical reactions. This online resource contains a

variety of resources that could be challenging to learners at all levels.

Covalent Bonding Tutorial from PBS Learning –

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The PBS Learning Media tutorials on Covalent Bonding provides access to

thousands of free, innovative, standards-aligned and curriculum-target digital resources

(http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/lsps07.sci.phys.matter.covalentbond/covalent

-bonding/) but are noted to have some technical issues and will not launch. The high-

quality and reliable digital content engages educators and learners at all levels with

educational topics that also includes chemical reactions. Students often have difficulties

with writing and naming covalent compounds that are constituents for either reactants or

products in chemical reaction systems. The site has instruction that is substantiated with

background-supporting materials for the topic (like for instance, the lesson on covalent

bonding). It also has virtual interaction (simulation adapted from ChemThink) and related

topic for further extension (such as atoms, atomic structure, ionic bonding, and molecular

shape). There is also at the end of each lesson, the student version that has follow up

assignments, projects and more so, for students to use to reiterate their conceptual

understanding.

The simulations on this site can be used throughout in teaching chemical reaction

concepts. There are also other visual interactives/ simulations for students to continuous

practice on writing and naming compounds that will all contribute to students’ conceptual

understanding of this unit. It is often challenging for students to decipher the chemical

outcomes when the reacting species for either the reactant or the product is a covalent

compound. The interactive activity was adapted from ChemThink and it describes

covalent bonding as a type of chemical bond that involves the sharing of electrons. The

interactive activity investigates the attractive and repulsive forces that act on the atoms

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vs. how the shared electrons are kept together and therefore resulting to how the

electrostatic potential energy, which then determines the bond length.

Interactive Lab Primer - TLC Animation

This Interactive Lab Primer site has the visual guides to common laboratory

techniques and information on how to assemble the apparatus for the lab activities

(http://www.chem-ilp.net/labTechniques/TLCAnimation.htm), but has been temporary

out of service and hoping it should be back to operate again. There is an extensive outline

for general laboratory principles and fundamental safety rules that are to be established

when working with chemicals. It also has inordinate animations on how to appropriately

“handle” chemical and glassware safely, and on personal protection. It also serves as a

resourceful site for students to visit and get familiarized with the tools, prior to any lab

activity. As an example, the interactive lab primer of Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC)

is normally used for either analyzing the progress of a reaction for mixtures or to

establish conditions for a preparative separation of compounds using chromatography. It

has both the teacher and student version for this activity, resources- video instruction,

simulation, animation, tutorial, video and other downloadable resources.

A drop-down menu on the main page for headline “Communities” leads to three

important topics that are relevant in teaching of chemistry in secondary school level. The

topics include: Talk Chemistry- a discussion forum that connects chemistry teachers;

ChemNet- help and support site for those studying chemistry (ages 14-18); and HE

Student Group- a forum for higher education students interested in chemical sciences.

This Group Forum provides extension for teachers, students and other educators the

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opportunities to talk to each other, ask questions and share advice. The “Talk Chemistry”

site is a growing online community for teachers, and it contains monthly video,

explanation on how to use the PhET simulations and provide an online address for other

simulations. The ChemNet has great resource for students to research about chemistry

career paths, and it also provide the tools and skills for students to get on the right track

to success. It has a pool to choose possible field trips for chemistry students. A very

outstanding feature with this online site is that students can use their talent and

knowledge of science to participate in a monthly competition to win.

Chemical Thinking Initiatives

The Chemical Thinking Initiatives website includes sets of interactive resources

that support students to think as chemistry experts during a learning process

(https://sites.google.com/site/ctinteractives/home) but need additional software to operate

the “Quick Timer Player.” The simulations are structured to have students stay actively

engaged as they explore the behaviors and properties for a variety of chemical systems,

including the changes that occur in chemical reactions. Reactions are one of so many

topics (including bonding, molecular structure, intermolecular forces, thermodynamic

and others) that are explored on this website using simulations. For the fact that these

simulations were created using Flash as the software then, it makes it possible for the

teacher to embed in presentation slides and display it in the classroom for large group

students’ activity. The Chemical Thinking Interactives website provides great online

resource for independent class activities (on chemistry topics) that students are expected

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to generate data to be analyzed, identify patterns in the properties of a system, test

hypothesis and verify predictions.

The main goal of this website is to provide interactive educational resources that

support teaching and learning in a “Chemical Thinking” curriculum. These resources can

be adopted and used in any chemistry setting that is interested in using interactive tools

and resources in its learning process. On this website, the “Reaction” tab on the heading-

options on the title portion opens a great interactive-activity on reaction-stoichiometry,

where students can practice balancing variety of chemical equations. Another feature of

interest is a main link (on the middle of the page) that when clicked, opens to a new

online site called “Chemical Thinking” (https://sites.google.com/site/chemicalthinking/).

This is a curriculum designed website page that introduces chemistry students to a

powerful way of thinking with multiple applications in critical areas of life beyond the

walls of the classroom. The resources here are categorized into two major groups:

chemical thinking videos and chemical thinking interactives. The “Chemical Thinking

Interactives” site has exciting simulations for students to explore topics that will

introduce chemical reaction concepts (such as chemical formulas, bonding) and to further

use the same website to complete activities on reaction proper. It is a one-site-do-all.

This website resource includes innovative curricular consideration that incites

students to think in a powerful way and with dynamic prospective that include critical

areas such as health, environmental protection, and sustainable development. Most

importantly is that the website is college driven and contains educational resources for

chemistry instructors interested in implementing this alternative way of teaching general

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chemistry. There are great materials such as short videos that provide in-depth

explanation of core concepts for high school students and a diverse set of interactive

simulations for teachers to engage students in the learning process. There are also

laboratory projects to engage students in applying their knowledge and understanding as

they work in small groups to investigate the properties of targeted systems. This lab work

(such as “How do we identify and unknown substance?”; “How do we explore chemical

change?”, and “How do we control chemical processes?”) provides students with the

opportunity to apply their chemical thinking to analyze or synthesize diverse products

that are real and relevant in the community.

ChemTeam

The ChemTeam is a tutorial site for high school chemistry that should greatly

benefit students for additional practice that occurs outside the classroom and it provides

study resources in all standard topics for students

(http://www.chemteam.info/ChemTeamIndex.html). This online site is simple, user-

friendly and easy to navigate through, while completing tasks as either at the individual

level or group settings. On its home webpage, there are few great quotes that reiterate the

importance of effective teaching and learning practices. Firstly, Dwight D. Eisenhower

states “A good teacher is one who can understand those who are not very good at

explaining, and explain to those who are not very good at understanding.” Secondly, is

Ernest Rutherford who states “Never say, I tried it once and it did not work.” Thirdly, is a

Greek proverb that states “A society grows when old men plant trees in whose shade they

know they shall never sit?” Fourthly, is Albert Einstein who states “There are only two

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ways to live your life? One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though

everything is.” Lastly is “The Parable of the Pebbles”, that makes an important point

about education. We have several educational opportunities that are unique and special

that will come our way as we grow in life and they should be exploited. Otherwise, we

will live to have feelings that are mixed of happy and sad experiences because we never

took full advantage of the educational circumstances that presented themselves in our

past lives. These quotes are not only genuinely chemistry related but most of the authors

are scientists who directly contributed to chemistry.

This is a powerful online resource, with 27 core-content sections on chemistry

that are available on just one locus for learner to access. This resource-pool inevitably

saves time and provides the learner with comfort and ushers fun into the learning process.

Each topic on the website has both instructional and remedial sections that address

diverse sources to facilitate the learning process. This minimizes the occurrence of

eminent challenges that are associated with that topic such as insufficient learning

practices, relevant content connections, and real life applications.

Chemical Reactions by National Science Teacher Association (NSTA)

This section of the NSTA website is an interactive e-book that was primarily

designed by NSTA as professional development tools for physical science and chemistry

teachers (https://learningcenter.nsta.org/resource/?id=10.2505/7/SCB-CRX.2.1). It is a

great remedial site for “slow” learners to review basic chemical processes’ concepts that

they need to understand current lessons. This website comprises of “science objects” that

have been developed over time to help teachers achieve understanding the science behind

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chemical processes.This science object is an online interactive inquiry-based content

module and it is the first of four science objects in the chemical reaction SciPack. For

example, Chemical Reactions: A World of Reaction explains that chemical reactions

occur all around us and changes in atoms arrangement and motion of atoms and

molecules can be explained by enormous variety of biological, chemical, and physical

phenomena. This interactive e-book also provides relevant examples in graphic format

and clear explanation. Texley (2015) states “This interactive e-book will be a tremendous

resource for any physical science or chemistry teacher to review or enhance content

background and understanding of student learning in this area” (p. 71). Teachers struggle

to provide relevant contexts for the mathematical skills that are necessary to understand

chemical reactions. This include images, simulations, and videos that are each linked to

the sections on student misconceptions, pedagogy, standards (particularly the NGSS) and

other relevant information on student’s learning. The animations and simulations

effectively cover chemical reactions that are deemed unsafe in classrooms and the

geometry of molecules in chemical reactions. This e-book neatly makes the connections

within content, practice, and pedagogy.

Concept Mapping in the Classroom

Concept maps are powerful teaching tools that students use to form links between

content areas and effect conceptual change in the classrooms. Use of concept maps

provides one of the meaningful approaches for student to develop well-organized

conceptual frameworks. The “Kathy Schrocks’s Guide To Everything” website has great

resources for students on how to use concept map in the classroom including games for

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students to reinforce their understanding of vocabulary words. For example, on this

website (http://www.schrockguide.net/concept-mapping.html), is the game called

“Pokemon Go” where one can harness the excitement in students in a way that is cool.

This site let students use their phone in their hands, showcase a local business that makes

chemical products, as it is experienced by scientists in everyday life. There are concept

map assessments, large pool of graphic organizers and stand-alone-tools and online tools

that students and/or teachers can use with various mobile devices that support learning.

The use of this approach to organize the conceptual knowledge in a hierarchical form of

structure presents clearer relationship within a specific topic, from general to specific

concepts- for the students to get it better.

Concept maps are valuable tools for teachers because they provide information

about students’ understanding. Pendley, Bretz and Novak (1994), state that “Meaningful

learning requires the learner to seek explicit conceptual linkage between relevant

knowledge he/she already has and new knowledge being presented” (p. 9). A concept

map is also known as a flow chart, and chemistry teachers can use it to encourage

collaborative learning, team mapping, mirror real chemical processes and provide the

students a sense of the real world. This great learning and studying tool can be used as an

integral part of students’ course work to complete homework, quizzes, reaction problems

and exams. Nicoll, Francisco and Nakhleh (2001), state that “Because concept maps are a

very visual method of helping students to organize their own thinking, they appeal to a

different type of student than do other organizational method, such as outlines” (p. 1111).

Concept mapping can also be used for quick assessment in class to check students’

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conception on a topic. Students, however, are often not familiar with concept mapping

assessment and may therefore find it intimidating. One of the primary reasons why

chemistry is a challenging science discipline is because students find it difficult to make

connections between concepts that are organized in sections- units, and further divided

into chapters and therefore hampering students’ ability to make connections. This

explains why it is important to provide learning opportunities where students can review

past concerns, work in small groups to explore investigations, carryout problem-solving

labs, share findings, and make it a routine to challenge each other with new chemical

ideas that they just learned.

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Table 13 Guiding Criteria for Selection of Tools/Resources

The description of tools and resources that were used in the chemical reaction lessons.

Tools/Resources Description Application Lesson Phase

American Chemistry Society

Manuscripts, Chemical innovations.

Appropriate for group work.

Explore

Chemistry.about.com Tutorials, problem and quizzes on chemistry, Lesson resources for teachers.

Appropriate for both individual and group learning.

Explain

PhET Variety of math and science simulations for students. Extensive education research. Engage students through an intuitive, game-like environment.

Good for group learning. Assessment of class teachers through home work is and added advantage.

Explain

Concord Consortium It incorporates the best features of digital technology for teachers and students.

An interactive approach, very good for group learning.

Elaborate

Iowa State ChemEd Research Group

Chemistry experiment simulations, tutorials and conceptual animations.

Good for individual study. A follow up from the class teacher through assignments.

Explain

University of Texas: Gas Law Simulator

Animations with large-size diagrams, neatly designed simulations. Contains few items on chemical reaction concepts.

Good for both individual and group learning.

Engage

Chemsite Paper Chromatography Simulation – Dan Damelin

A process to separate mixtures by means of a chromatographic column, solvent and the mixture alongside with two different properties for separation: absorption and solubility.

Group learning is preferable with a kin supervision from the class instructor.

Evaluate

Covalent Bonding Tutorial from PBS Learning

Engages educators and learners at all levels with educational topics. Virtual interaction.

It is good for individual learning with a quick follow up from the class teacher.

Elaborate

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Interactive Lab Primer - TLC Animation

Visual guides to common laboratory techniques, inordinate animations, resourceful site for students.

It is good for general class learning followed by individual students’ home work.

Explain

Chemical Thinking Initiatives

Online resource for independent class activities, interactive resources that support students.

Good for individual learning.

Evaluate

ChemTeam Tutorials, has few great quotes.

Good for group learning. A follow up from the class instructor is required.

Explore

Chemical Reactions by National Science Teacher Association (NSTA)

Interactive e-book. Online interactive inquiry-based content module.

It’s good for both individual and group learning. A follow up assessment is advised.

Engage

Concept Mapping in the Classroom

Games for students to reinforce their understanding of vocabulary, concept Map assessments.

Good for group learning.

Evaluate

Conclusion

Chemical reaction is the process whereby chemical properties of substances are

altered by rearrangement of atoms in the substance, which may include change of state or

phase. Teacher access to an ever-expanding set of interactive resources provides them

with additional opportunities to engage students with chemistry content from many

vantage points. Chemistry information was delivered to students using static technology

such as the overhead that offered no opportunity for them to interact with it. The lack of

interactivity in chemistry for students when solving complex problems was very

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frustrating when they encountered difficulties and were unable to get immediate and

useful feedback (deSouza et al., 2008). This can change with the availability of the

internet and use of resources such as those reviewed in this paper. Students can be

expected to not only interact among themselves and get immediate feedback from

learning tools that are designed to meet several learning goals. These interactive tools and

resources that are accessible in chemistry classrooms (and more often are also available

for continuation at home) reduce the dependence on time and location for students to

complete learning tasks. The revised chemical reactions’ lessons should generate greater

classroom collaboration as the students and teachers explore the interactive tools,

comfortably work together, cooperate, present and share information as part of the

learning process.

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deSouza, R. T., McLean, C. L., & Berger, P. (2008). Changing the education system with CALM: Computer assisted learning method. Phi Delta Kappan, 89(7), 497-500.

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Franco-Mariscal, A., Oliva-Martínez, J. M., & Almoraima Gil, 2015). Students' perceptions about the use of educational games as a tool for teaching the periodic table of elements at the high school level. Journal of Chemical Education, 92(2), 278-285. doi:10.1021/ed4003578

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Pendley, B. D., Bretz, R. L., & Novak, J. D. (1994). Concept maps as a tool to assess learning in chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education, 71, 9-15. doi:10.1021/ed071p9

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Appendix E

RECONSTRUCTED CHEMICAL REACTION LESSONS

Introduction

Overview

The following lessons on chemical reactions incorporate knowledge of how

students learn chemical reactions, best classroom practices, innovative tools, research-

based resources and refining the knowledge to put all these great items together. Each of

the eight developed lessons on Chemical Reactions has been prepared to cover a block

schedule of a 70-minute period. However, the lessons can be adapted for a double 40-

minute period in a regular daily schedule. Each lesson describes the teaching sequence

and contains a series of investigations, activities, explanations, presentations and

providing opportunity to discuss Crosscutting Concepts.

The instructional sequence is based on the BSCS 5E Instructional Model (Bybee

1997), which includes: engage, explore, explain, elaborate and evaluate. A principal goal

of revising the chemical reactions lessons is to create a road map for teachers of what

students need to learn and how it could be done effectively during class time. Each lesson

includes the learning objectives for chemical reactions, appropriate learning activities and

assessment strategies to obtain feedback on student learning. Before writing these

lessons, previous research had been done to investigate how students learn chemical

reactions and what misconceptions can interfere with their learning. Other areas that were

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investigated include how teachers can effectively teach chemical reactions using

innovative tools and resources that had been identified to work in classrooms.

NGSS-Framework for Lessons

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) consist of performance

expectations (PE), based on authentic research frameworks for the process of successfully

teaching and learning science. The revised chemical reaction lessons will provide

students with opportunities to learn science and engineering practices, crosscutting

concepts and disciplinary core ideas related to the topic of chemical reactions. The NGSS

has one high school (HS) standard for physical science that addresses chemical reactions.

This standard encompasses five performance expectations relevant to this topic: HS-PS1-

2, HS-PS1-4, HS-PS1-5, HS-PS1-6, and HS-PS1-7 as shown in Figure 4 below:

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Figure 4 The Performance Expectations for Chemical Reactions Concepts.

This is an assemblage of statements of what students should be able to do to

demonstrate that they have met the standard. Each of the PE also provides clear and

specific targets for the curriculum, instruction, and assessment, on how the teacher will

know what the students have learned in class. PE communicates the “big idea” that

combines content from the three foundation boxes that are achievable at some reasonable

level of proficiency by the clear majority of students.

Another section of the NGSS that contains instructional information for teachers

to use and plan for lesson is the three dimensions (3D) framework. This is what students

are experiencing in class, such as explaining phenomena or designing solutions to

problems. The 3D framework was considered in planning for the lessons; in that, they

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allow students to engage with the practices and their understanding of the core ideas is

deepened by application of crosscutting concepts in the lessons. Below in Figure 5, is the

display of the 3D framework for chemical reactions.

Figure 5 The 3D Framework of the NGSS.

The Science and Engineering Practices (SEP), Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI), and

the Crosscutting Concepts (CCC), are the three dimensions from the framework for each

of the PE. The performance expectations integrate traditional science content with

engineering through a Practice or Disciplinary Core Idea. The section entitled

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“Disciplinary Core Ideas” is reproduced verbatim from A Framework for K-12 Science

Education: Practices, Cross-Cutting Concepts, and Core Ideas. Integrated and reprinted

with permission from the National Academy of Sciences.

Figure 6 Connections with Common Core State Standards.

Each set of performance expectations is related to a corresponding set of Common

Core State Standards in Mathematics and English Language Arts as shown in Figure 6.

Chemistry Inside the Classroom

The District’s curriculum for chemistry (sometimes called general chemistry)

does not include all these performance expectations for chemical reactions (that are

described above) in the official content of what students are to learn in the classrooms.

For example, teachers do not teach “Le Chatelier’s Principle” concept (HS-PS1-6) in a

chemistry class because this performance expectation is not stated in the curriculum as

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what students should learn. The reason is that some of these NGSS standards are seen to

be very challenging to students who do not have a strong science background but need to

know just basic concepts about chemistry- as a science credit graduation requirement. It

is not the case for honor chemistry curriculum that includes all the NGSS standards for

chemical reactions and students are to learn all these performance expectations, in

compliance with the current state-recommended curriculum for high school chemistry.

The local district curriculum administration has collaborated with the state to

modify the distribution and intensity of content material that is taught in a general and

honor chemistry class to meet up with the readiness of the students as they enroll into

either “general” chemistry or honor chemistry at the beginning of the school year. The

performance expectations are not meant to be learning objectives but they are used in

lesson planning, to describe what the students should be able to do when the instruction is

complete. One (or sometimes two) performance expectations are used as goals to guide

selection for the activities and lessons that will give students the learning experiences. It

simultaneously gives students the confidence in demonstrating the expectations when

assessed at the end of the lesson. These lessons include activities that bridge the

expectation with the knowledge and skills students will already have in place at the

beginning of instruction.

The lessons were designed with consideration of the science and engineering

practices (which have already included within each of the performance expectation in the

NGSS document), that students will use formulated questions and the applicable

crosscutting concept to investigate the identified phenomena. Having the three

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dimensions for the lesson intact, it was easy to weave them together into a single

statement that focused on just one step in the instructional sequence. This statement is

describing the objective of the lesson, called the learning performance. The performance

expectation consists of disciplinary core ideas related to chemical reactions; the science

and engineering practices (such as scientific questions, explanations or develop models)

and; the crosscutting concepts (such as pattern). Knowing the competencies that

demonstrate how well students learned the related concepts and practices also facilitated

the revision of the chemical reaction lessons, and assessments that give students the

opportunity to demonstrate those competencies. With the proposed tools and resources

included in the revised lessons, it is possible to teach chemical reactions per the vision of

the NGSS.

Learning Approach

Houseal (2016) states that “Recent research in science education is changing how

we think about the teaching and learning of science” (p. 1). Chemical reactions occur

every day and most are natural occurrences at home and at school. It is very possible to

introduce everyday-experience activities in the lesson that students can see, relate to and

understand the chemical concept that is stated in the lesson’s objective. On the other

hand, students respond to learning based on readiness, interests, and learning profile.

Teachers should differentiate instruction to connect content, process, and product

especially working with students of diverse needs. These revised lesson plans show a

shift from the use of textbooks as the primary resource to more investigations in group

settings, collaborative thinking, sharing, and a collective celebration of successes along

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the path of learning. Students are exposed to innovative tools and resourceful materials

and are active participants in the learning process. The teacher sets up problems and

monitors students’ exploration, guides their inquiry, and promotes new patterns of

thinking. There is inclusion for variety of options in the students’ activities, different

learning styles and the practice of multiple intelligent in the lesson plans. Students will

now access online chemical reaction-sites to explore lesson’s objectives and/ or concepts

for the activities, collect data and refer results from classroom investigations to standards

that are science recommended.

Tools and Resources

There are several tools and resources that are included in the revised lesson plans

based on reputable websites such as About Chemistry, PhET simulations, Concord

Consortium and many more for students to access and work with collaborating settings.

These tools and resources are purposefully selected based on research and education

theories. The content comprises of the knowledge, concepts, and skills that students need

to learn as stated in the learning objectives. Chemical reactions are best learned by

observation, hands-on experimentation and students having access to innovative tools

(and/ or technology) to understand and practice when they are learning. There is

consideration to differentiate the chemical reaction content by including video, readings,

lectures, audio and making provision (by introducing strategies such as think-pair-share,

journaling, partner talk) for students to reflect on their learning. The differentiating

process is tailored to students’ needs and the teacher should factor in time into the lesson

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planning for students to reflect and digest the learning activities before moving on to the

next segment of a lesson.

Teaching Strategies and Tips

Learning about chemical reactions is kept simple especially when students are

learning about a new concept like how to balance chemical equations. It later becomes

challenging when the discussion includes abstract concepts such as molecules and bonds.

In these lessons, students watch the teacher perform demonstrations, use models to

illustrate chemical phenomena and have students to work independently in small group

settings but is under the teacher’s supervision. Students may have opportunity to choose

their content focus based on interest such as to watch an overview from the American

Chemical Society website or use a computer/lab-instrument to complete a simulation on

the PhET. The use of analytical approach and modeling by students to solve chemical

reaction problems is a good instructional practice and is perceived as a process of

transferring information onto the students.

The activities included in the lesson plan are to promote active thinking (by

asking questions) that forces the students to make the connection between what they

observe and the chemistry behind the observation. For example, in the single replacement

lab activities (in lesson #8), students are provided with six metals (such as lead) to react

with different aqueous solutions (such as copper (II) sulfate solution) and then to use their

knowledge (of evidence) on what is observed as chemical reactions. They are to connect

observation results to the concept of reactivity (or metal) series as to why a metal is

(predicted on the activity-scale) to be more reactive than the other metal. The final

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expectation is for the student to use this lab-activity to relate to everyday practical

observations (as it is the case happening with the changing color for Statue of Liberty in

New York).

Students are more likely to engage with the content when they are provided with

variety of ways to explore concepts especially when they complete the tasks in group

settings. The spirit of collaborative learning will help students put concepts into words, as

they solve problems during recitation in small groups, and help explain concepts they

have just learned to one other. It will be better to assign more homework and not less,

when in doubt. Students complete several laboratory activities when learning chemical

reactions but these are new skills which they have never used before, or have had little or

no experience in relating the theory to practice.

It is essential that teachers provide the help and support to contribute to their

successful acquisition of those skills required of a good experimental chemist.

Continuous emphasis on safety especially as students will be using lots of chemicals (that

are usually less hazardous than baking soda, salt and vinegar). Teach the students both

what “something is” and “what it is not” such as what is a chemical reaction and what is

not a chemical reaction. Use “2-minute quizzes” to check homework, providing quick

feedback on progress and randomly assigning follow up questions to check for students’

understanding for the chemical reaction concepts. When the products are clearly aligned

to learning targets, student voice and choice tend to flourish.

The 5E’s Lesson Plan Model

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The main instructional model used in these lessons is the 5E teaching-model

which provides a learning framework for the students to construct new ideas as they

move from one stage to another. The 5-E model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate,

and Evaluate) is based on the constructive approach to learning and features hands-on

activities to engage diverse students. It describes a teaching sequence that can be used for

an entire unit or individual lessons and this is based on inquiry science. The 5E’s model

allows the students and the teacher to construct meaning, experience common activities,

build on prior knowledge and experience, and to continually assess their understanding of

chemical reactions.

As a class “routine”, students walk into class everyday with warm-up on the

overhead presenter and they are expected to complete during the first five minutes as they

settle in. Warm-up activities are part of the engage phase to make connections between

the past and present learning experiences, anticipate activities and focus the students’

thinking on the learning outcomes of the current activities. The curricular activities that

are included at this phase of the lesson are those that stimulate their thinking, help them

address prior knowledge, and address concepts that were difficult for students to

understand and misconceptions. This first phase (of this lesson’s model) ends with a

teacher-led classroom discussion on what is the correct answer, an introduction of lesson

objectives, student activities and available tools/ resources to accomplished the tasks for

the day.

The explore phase enables students to explore their ideas- think, plan, investigate

and organize collected information. The phase, students have the opportunity to connect

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their prior experience with current learning, and to make conceptual sense of the main

ideas of the topic being studied- for example, as they create a media product, and help

others understand it. For the elaborate phase, the students expand their conceptual

understanding by practicing learned skills and behaviors, use new experiences to develop

deeper and broader understanding of major concepts, and further refine their skills. In the

last phase of the 5E model evaluate, the students are encouraged to assess their

understanding and abilities and while the teacher has the opportunity to evaluate students’

understanding of both the key concepts and skill development. The teacher creates a

problem narrative scenario that engages students to develop questions (as examples,

using either Collaborative Projects with GoogleApps or online simulation). Students

write chemical formulas for molecules such as aspirin medication and they are asked to

describe chemical bonds. Students can use their personal mobile devices to surf the

internet, talk with neighbors in an already defined voice-level (from a previous classroom

management discussion to set class rules/expectations).

Integrating Engineering Design

The National Science Foundation (2010) states that the inclusion of engineering

activities in the chemical reaction lessons presents a way to spark students interest in

studying chemistry of future careers (Next Generation Science Standards for States by

States, 2013. The inclusion of the NGSS performance expectations into the lesson plan is

an important aspect to engage students who have traditionally not consider chemistry as a

possible career choice. The framework of the Science and Engineering Practices for

chemical reactions has great information to guide teachers introduce engineering

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practices into the lessons. These practices are what students do to make sense of the

phenomena and they are to develop models to predict and show relationships among

variables between chemical systems. The Vignette Debrief is used to introduce 3-D

learning into the lesson and provide students with the opportunity to engage in all aspect

of NGSS science and engineering practices. They define the problem, design a chemical

system, work towards criteria and within constraints, develop and employ the models,

plan and carry out investigations, analyze and interpret data, share their findings, and

finally optimizing their design solutions. Figure 7 shows the debriefing of Vignette in

which the students proceed through learning about chemical reaction to address

engineering technology cycle (NGSS Lead States, 2013). It is an important component to

use with instruction when either building a foundation for high-school-level courses or

when a school transition to more rigorous standards.

Vignette presents real classroom experience of NGSS implementation with

diverse groups that builds over time, and student understanding during science

instruction. The approach of Vignettes and debriefing questions is used to identify

measurement problems, craft and test questionnaire designed to address them. Using

project-based science learning centered on authentic questions and activities that matter

to students. It is used to connect science education to students’ sense of “places” as a

physical, historical, and socio-cultural dimension in their community.

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Figure 7 Vignette Debriefing is Used to Engage Students to Learn Chemical Concepts (Source: NGSS Lead States, 2013a).

During instruction in a chemistry class of economically disadvantaged students,

the use of vignette will facilitate understanding of disciplinary core ideas, scientific and

engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts as described by the NGSS. The students

themselves are to identify and develop concepts, processes, and skills to actively explore

their environment, and verbalize their conceptual understanding as they demonstrate new

skills. They are given the time to think, plan, investigate, and organize collected

information (such as remixing another chemical product). Embedded in each of the

lesson plan are activities that provide students the opportunity to practice their skills and

behaviors. Students develop deeper and broader understanding of major chemical

concepts, obtain more information about areas of interest, and refine their skill. PhET

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simulations have great interactive activities to practice skills and get a more profound

understanding on misconceptions such as to sequence the “metal activity series” pattern

from a lab investigation that determines if a reaction is feasible or not.

There are illustrative videos and demonstrations located on “Chemical Thinking

Initiative” website for students to reinforce their conceptual understanding on “How to

write chemical equations- symbolic to word and word to symbolic.” In the elaborate

phase (of the 5E’s model), the students are applying previously introduced concepts and

experiencing new situations (such as virtual field trip), developing a solution to a real

problem that incorporate their knowledge. Finally, is evaluate phase (of the 5E’s model),

which let the teacher, evaluate students’ understanding of key concepts and skill

development for chemical reactions, with feedback on the product. Students, with their

teachers, review and assess what they have learned and how they have learned it, such

that students’ creations are noted from a perspective of real life usability rather than

teacher satisfaction with a transitional student product.

Basic Documents: The lesson plans will make specific reference to the

print/electronic resources currently used in my school. The primary resource is the class

textbook (Glencoe Chemistry, 2002- Matter and Change by Dingrando, Gregg, Hainen,

Lampe, Roepcke and Wistrom) that all students are assigned a copy and if theirs to use in

class and take home to complete homework as need be. The teacher has the option of

modifying any of the activities or using alternative tools and resources as deemed

educationally fit to facilitate student learning. Most of the online activities are completed

in classroom where students have access to classroom computers and their own personal

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computer devices to use in class for online needs. The teacher gives very limited

homework that will require the use of internet and complete assignments that often need

the textbook, which are also available online.

The online sites include the following: Iowa State ChemEd Research Group;

PhET simulation; American Chemical Society; AboutChemistry; Chemical reactions by

National Science Teacher Association (NSTA); and ChemTeam. The activities located

the class textbooks will include items such as: discovery lab; teach reinforce, quick demo,

chemistry journal, practice problems, demonstration, section/chapter assessment,

problem-solving lab and others. The following abbreviation shall be used in the lesson

planning below to describe items that students will use to complete their work in class.

These include the following: student textbook = TB; practice problem (activity in the

textbook) = PP; Students personal electronic devices = BYOD;

Suggested Time: Each of the eight lessons is designed for a block schedule (for

about 70 minutes), and the teacher decide on how to conduct the lesson. Each lesson

comprises of suggested activities for each of the 5E phases and they are expected to

progressively build on each other as to address the lessons’ objectives. Time spent on

each phase depends on the activities for students to complete but it is strongly

recommended for the teacher to exhaust all the 5E phases in each lesson. Students know

as a routine that they walk into class, settle down, begin to answer the entire warm up

questions and wait for further instruction from the teacher. There also exists a class rule

that was unanimously established on the first day of school by students to check on

behaviors and help keep students on task till the end of the lesson.

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Lesson Module: Each of the eight lessons will be a modular in structure where

the teacher is not expected to do all the activities that are stated in the lessons but select a

few from each of the 5E phases as he/she deemed fit. The number of the selected student

activities will depend solely on the teacher’s judgment (that he or she believes will cover

the lesson’s objective) of what students should know for that lesson. The scope of the

activity selection shall be based on the available class time, the learning styles and needs

of the students, and the tools and resources that are available to support the process of

teaching and learning for that lesson.

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Grade level: 11th and 12th grades

Lesson Plans

Lesson Plan #1: What is a chemical reaction?

Lesson indicator: 4.4.2: The students will show that chemical reactions can be

represented by symbolic or word equations that specify all reactants and products

involved

NGSS Performance Expectations:

HS-PS1-2. Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical

reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and

knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties.

MS-PS1-5. Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not

change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved.

NGSS Dimension 1: Scientific and Engineering Practices

Developing and Using Models

o The periodic table orders elements horizontally by the number of protons

in the atom’s nucleus and places those with similar chemical properties in

columns. The repeating patterns of this table reflect patterns of outer

electron states. (HS-PS1-2)

o Develop a model to describe unobservable mechanisms. (MS-PS3-2)

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Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking

o Mathematical and computational thinking at the 9–12 level builds on K–8

and progresses to using algebraic thinking and analysis to write chemical

reactions and equations.

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

o Constructing explanations and designing solutions that are supported by

multiple and independent student-generated sources of evidence consistent

with scientific ideas, principles, and theories.

o Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation of

phenomena (HS-PS1-5).

NGSS Dimension 2: Crosscutting Concepts

Patterns

o Different patterns may be observed at each of the scales at which a system

is studied and can provide evidence for causality in explanations of

phenomena. (HS-PS1-2), (HS-PS1-5)

Energy and Matter

o Changes of energy and matter in a system can be described in terms of

energy and matter flows into, out of, and within that system. (HS-PS1-4)

Stability and Change

o Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things

change and how they remain stable. (HS-PS1-6)

NGSS Dimension 3: Disciplinary Core Ideas

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PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter

Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process, the atoms

that make up the original substances are regrouped into different molecules, and

these new substances have different properties from those of the reactants. (MS-

PS1-2), (MS-PS1-5)

The total number of each type of atom is conserved and thus the mass does not

change. (MS-PS1-5)

PS1.B: Chemical Reactions

o Chemical processes can be understood in terms of the collisions of

molecules and the rearrangements of atoms into new molecules. (HS-PS1-

4), (HS-PS1-5)

o The fact that atoms are conserved, together with knowledge of the chemical

properties of the elements involved, can be used to describe and predict

chemical reactions. (HS-PS1-2), (HS-PS1-7)

Objectives: The students will be able to

● define a chemical reaction

● represent chemical reaction in word equations

● describe law of conservation of mass (during chemical reactions)

● formulate the parts of a chemical reaction

Content:

o Law of Conservation of mass

o Interpret the parts of an equation

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Overarching question: How does a chemical equation show evidence of a chemical

change qualitatively and quantitatively?

Lesson introduction: Chemical reaction is a process where “old” substances called

reactants react to form “new” substances called products, as opposed to a change in

physical form or a nuclear reaction. When chemical reaction occurs, old bonds are

broken, rearranged, and new bonds are formed during the process. Students had earlier

learned and now understand the concepts of both intra-molecular and intermolecular

forces that hold these atoms, molecules (and compounds) together that react to form

new chemical substances. Learning chemical reactions begins with review of concepts

such as the structures and characteristics of an atom, electron, and elements of periodic

table, molecules, compounds and chemical bonds. The lesson has activities for

students to learn about parts of a chemical reaction, signs and symbols, and what kind

of change is considered a chemical reaction.

Rationale for warm-up questions: This warmup activity is to have students to think of

processes in everyday life that are chemical reactions and now focus on the objective of

the lesson. “How are these questions of the warm up activity related to what they are

about to learn?” should be lingering in the students’ brain.

Teacher should have students connect the process of “Photosynthesis” to chemical

reactions- the process and parts of photosynthesis reaction. Photosynthesis is a

common conversation-topic in all science classrooms and students have learnt

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about this concept (of the process of photosynthesis) in middle school science and

in biology at the high school.

Warm-up Activity

Answer all questions

1. Use an example to describe a chemical change.

2. Write the word equation for the process of photosynthesis

3. Why is “the process photosynthesis” considered to a chemical reaction?

Engage

1. What is a chemical reaction-activity?

This activity is to establish the concept of a chemical change as seen in reactions. Teacher

will get the students to engage in this activity immediately after completing warm-up

activity above. Have the students work with neighbors at their desks using think-pair-&-

share in their small groups and do the following:

Read and discuss the statement “Why it’s (chemical reaction) important” located

in the class textbook (TB p. 276). This activity is a passage that contains both

reading and photo that describes chemical reactions and provides a variety of

examples to generate conversations.

Have each of the student list 2 examples of chemical reactions. The teacher

creates a common class list (on the board) from ALL students’ contributions in

class.

Have students discuss and share why each is a chemical change.

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Then have each group/team formulate two examples each of chemical reactions

that are taking place in the classroom, the school and its surroundings.

Have each group/team share their response and the teacher writing these

contributions to the list on the board

2. Reinforcing understanding of chemical reaction activity

Have students copy down the list that has been established (as a common list in

the previous activity) on the board. They are to write an explanation of why each

of those items on the list are a chemical reaction.

3. Quick Demo activity (in the teacher’s textbook for classroom use p. 279). This activity

is to demonstrate the Law of conservation of mass and for students to visually appreciate

chemical reactions as they see it happen in the demonstration. It is a reaction of 0.1 M

silver nitrate solution and 0.1 M potassium iodide solution to form yellow, insoluble,

silver iodide

Teacher will carry out this demonstration in front of the class for students to

appreciate both the occurrence of “chemical reaction” and establish “Law of

conservation of mass” during the reaction process.

Question: ask students to predict any change of mass.

Caution: silver nitrate used in this demo is toxic and will stain skin and clothing.

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Law of conservation of mass: Students will learn about the Law of Conservation of

Mass and particularly, how to apply the law to chemical reaction. This law holds

true for a chemical reaction system that, the amount of substance at the beginning of

the reaction is the same as the amount at the end of the reaction process. This

phenomenon considers the original number of atoms for the reacting species and the

total number of atoms for the products. Understanding the octet rule framework is

very important when learning about chemical reactions because atoms interact with

other atoms to fulfill the need for an octet structure that keeps the resulting molecule

at stable state. How elements will combine in during a chemical reaction is based on

the octet structure of the molecule that is achieved during the rearrangement process.

Explore

1. Law of conservation of mass activity.

Teacher will have students work in defined groups of four and complete the following

activity together:

Read section in the textbook “Conservation of mass” (in class textbook pages 63-

65). This reading passage includes the law of conservation of mass, solved

problems and practical examples that obey this law. Have students also use their

personal computer devices (BYOD) to get more important facts about the law of

conservation of mass.

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Ask each student create a statement each to ask a partner to agree or disagree but

they know the correct fact from the reading above (and guided by the common

class list). This is called the A&D statements assessment

Use knowledge of read passage and Example Problem 3-1 to complete questions-

Practice Problem p. 65 #6-9. (See questions attached below).

2. Everything in our universe (conservation of mass) video activity- TED Ed Original

Students will watch a 4.5-minute video

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S6e11NBwiw) and be prepared to answer the

question that follows below. The students will understand the law of conservation with

regards to everything in the universe and relate this concept to reactions that take place in

the chemical system.

The mass for the smallest atom to the largest star counts and the amount of mass

has remained constant throughout existence, even during the birth and death of

stars and others.

Have students in groups of three (with defined roles for members) to complete the

research activity on scientific contributions to the development of law of

conservation of mass (titled “Enrichment” teacher textbook, p. 63). Teacher will

write the names chemists/ scientists (who developed the law of conservation of

mass) on the board/ overhead presenter. Have students use class computer and/ or

their personal computer devices to read, research, construct a poster per group and

answer the question Section 3.2 Assessment p. 65 #12. (See questions attached

below).

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Students will watch the video still in groups of four and complete the online quiz

on Law of conservation of mass. Each group will sit at a designated station with

computers, head set and log on Prentice Hall Conceptual Physics

(http://study.com/academy/practice/quiz-worksheet-law-of-conservation-of-

mass.html) and complete online quiz on Law of conservation of mass at the end.

There are ten multiple choice questions, and each group member will read,

discuss, come to a consensus of the right answer, make the selection, and

celebrate their success as a team. The teacher will walk around, monitor their

progress and answer arising questions. They will also want to watch another video

on this site if they find the previous video for this activity not helping answer the

questions correctly.

Extended Law of conservation quiz activity. This extension activity is optional

and it is for students/ team that are ahead in completing the previous activity to

continue practicing.

For the students who finished the activity above, should continue this other

activity (reinforcing the Law of conservation of mass). This site is

http://study.com/academy/practice/quiz-worksheet-law-of-conservation-of-

mass.html

It is a quick multiple choice question to self-assess understanding of law of

conservation of mass: definition, equation and examples. Teacher will walk

around, probe students’ understanding and monitor that they stay on task.

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Work for lesson 1

Section Assessment P. 65#12

Figure 8 Student Practice Problem Activity.

3. Understanding parts of a chemical reaction activity

Students will complete the following activity using think-pair-&-share in their small

groups of four but will each record their answer in their individual journal to be handed to

the teacher for grade. The teacher will visit each group ask them to share their

conclusions, brief them on guides to construct an equation (also located in student

textbook on page 279), and provide them with general feedback. Each group will

complete the following:

Describe the processes observed on p. 62 Fig 3-8 (and discuss the “chemistry”

with other group members) and record your conclusion.

Student textbook p. 65#6-9

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Symbols used in equations p. 278 (TB: Table 10.1). Create an equation that you to

use at least 2 symbols)

Challenges and misconceptions: Chemical reactions are sometimes stated in

descriptive forms and are to be changed into word equations and thereafter into

skeletal forms. Identifying and separating chemical substances of reactions into

reactants and products, often pose a great challenge to students. There are certain

key words and/ or phrases (such as “formed from”; “react to yield”; and “was

introduced into”) that hint the learner to know if a component in the reaction

description is either a reactant or product. Also, there is interpretation issue when

the phrase “combustion in air” is used instead of “reacting with oxygen.” Students

do not get the concept that “combustion in air” means the same as “reacting with

(and/ or burning in) oxygen.”

Explain

Equation symbols for reactions

The activities that follow are to introduce the students to symbols used in chemical

equations and are here limited to learn just the basic information for now.

1. Representing Chemical Reactions activity.

This is a quick reading (and discussion) activity for students to work in small

groups of four, to understand basic reaction terms (like reactant, product) and

other parts of an equation. Students are expected to learn the key words (that are

listed below) using “making meaning” vocabulary strategy. Student should

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practice writing symbols used in equations (as stated in Table 10-1 p. 278). It ends

with a class discussion and probing question for the students to answer, led by the

teacher.

Vocabulary includes: chemical reaction, reactant, product, chemical equation, and

coefficient.

Symbols used in equations

2. Using equation symbol practice activity

Students will practice writing a chemical equation and using symbols and then complete

an activity. The table above is also found in student textbook- Table 10-1 (p, 278).

Teacher will guide students to write the equation for hydrogen burning in an oxygen to

produce water. Have students write the skeletal equation and identify the reactants and

products of this equation. Then hand to students the worksheet that chemical reactions are

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stated in a descriptive form to complete in a group of four. Reiterate to the students to do

the following:

(I) Figure out the two distinct parts of the reaction process- reactants and

products and (II) account for amount initially used in the “reactants”

process and final “products” obtained at the end. Teacher will walk

around, provide clue, refer them to helpful resources and answer

questions that students have while completing the worksheet.

Writing chemical equation practice activity (worksheet) Write the skeleton equations for each of the following chemical reactions: 1. When fluorine gas is heated with calcium metal at high temperature to calcium

fluoride powder. 2. When sodium metal reacts with iron (II) chloride, iron metal and sodium

chloride are formed. 3. Aluminum reacts with oxygen to produce aluminum oxide. 4. When isopropanol (C3H8O) burns in oxygen, carbon dioxide and water are

produced.

Elaborate

The relevance of chemical reaction activity

These set of activities are to give student a practical understanding for chemical reaction

in everyday life. Students will watch a 3.5-minute video on American Chemical Society

website and complete a journal entry

1. Watch and discuss video titled “What happens when you go under? How anesthesia

works.” Have students log onto the site (“https://goo.gl/EfZ9LS”) and do the following:

Write a paragraph to describe various possible reactions that occur when

anesthetic drugs are administered to patients.

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2. Research and the write a short description (a paragraph each) on the following topics:

“Law of Conservation of mass”;

“Writing chemical equation”;

“Part of chemical reactions”

● reactants, products, physical states, coefficients

3. Naming and writing (review) simulation activity

Students will log onto chemsite:

(http://chemsite.lsrhs.net/FlashMedia/html/compoundsAll.html) and complete a

simulation activity. It is activity for students to review concepts of naming and

writing chemical formulas. This activity will cover binary ionic compounds,

polyatomic ionic compounds, and inorganic molecular substances and will

include ions with variable charge.

Teaching hint: Word equations relate to the macroscopic level of laboratory

phenomena that students will experience more as they observe changes during

demonstrations. It comes with experience to interpret chemical reactions and practice

in writing chemical equations. Although word equations help to describe chemical

reactions, they are cumbersome and lack important information. This lesson is for

students to learn how to make the connection of describing the process of a chemical

reaction and using chemical formulas (to write skeleton equation) rather than having

words to identify the reactants and the products. The instructional approach will

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exhaust the main concepts stated in the lesson objective, which include: evidence, word

equations, and skeleton equation of chemical reactions.

4. Thinking aloud moment activity

Upon completion of previous activity, the teacher should have the students sit in small

groups (of four each), discuss, and reflect on activities covered so far in the lesson.

Have each group of students to research “why the amount of chemical substance

in processing industry is to be accounted for” and then relate their finding to the

“Law of conservation of mass.” Each group will create a question and hand to the

teacher at the end of their research. Teacher will later facilitate a large class

discuss on the significance of “Law of conservation of mass” when writing

chemical equations. The teacher-led discussion at the end of this activity will

focus on local, state and national chemical plants (and/ or industry) that is

operating on the science of “conserving mass” in their production.

Challenges and misconceptions: Students struggle to understand electron

configurations and how to relate the valence-electron structures for certain atoms to the

specific type of chemical bond that is formed. Understanding the chemical properties

for elements (in the periodic table) and how they are grouped as “family” with distinct

similarities is very helpful for students to know how to write the correct chemical

formulas for molecules and compounds. A chemical equation is only correct when the

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formulas for both reactants and products are correctly written out. A chemical reaction

must obey law of conservation and students have tough times to figure out the

rearrangement process to reactants to form new products. Students should practice and

review previous concepts like molecular formulas and structures.

Evaluate

This formative assessment activity focuses on finding out what the students have learned

so far and will guide the teacher to prepare for the next lesson. Students are given enough

time to answer the questions in their journal by themselves and leave behind with the

teacher. Teacher will check and direct the class to understand what exactly the question is

asking.

Assessment Task: Answer all the questions. 1. Explain the difference between reactant and products. 2. Write the skeletal equation for carbon and sulfur reacting. 3. Is water running down a fall a chemical reaction? Explain! 4. Calculate the mass of the product of 7.40 g of calcium with 1.32 g of oxygen. 5. Compare a skeleton equation and a chemical equation.

Closure

Teacher will end the lesson for the day with a very brief discussion on what they learned.

Ask students to define “chemical reaction’ in their words. Also, ask student to explain

how understanding the concept of “chemical reaction” will help them in everyday life.

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Lesson’s projection: Hanging a large periodic table chart in front of the classroom (as

an instruction visual) to refer to the elements as they are mentioned in equations is a

great strategy to have students get learn about the electronic properties of specific

elements. The chemical property of an element is determined by the valence electrons

and students often do not make this connection when predicting the products for a

reaction process. Being good in writing and balancing equations is through practicing

with a wide varies of chemical reactions and having students work in small group

settings to help each other learn.

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Homework Activity

Students will be told to complete a “pre-reading” activity for homework and is due the

next day in class: They should copy the assignment and store it in their homework folder.

The activity is on Lavoisier and the Law of Conservation of mass:

(http://www.chemteam.info/Equations/Conserv-of-Mass.html)

Homework hint & follow-up: Students are to use a writing-prompt-lab activity that was

generated alongside the reading activity of Lavoisier and Law of Conservation of mass.

The students are instructed to read, follow direction on the prompts sheet, answer the

questions accordingly, and then write a report in their journal, which will be shared with

other students in class. As students walk into class the next day, they drop their

homework journal in the “Assignment box.” Students have been told and know that

homework counts as grade and add-up to their final grade for the course. The teacher will

allocate a moment immediately after warm-up activity in class and go over the completed

homework, quick check for thorough and then providing feedback. Also in class (the

next-class day), students will share their ideas in small groups and various groups will

have one member share aloud certain portions of curricular interest. Finally, the teacher

will check students’ responses for completion and provide feedback accordingly.

Teacher Reflection: The law of conservation of mass can be counterintuitive. Most

students think the mass of substance is related to its physical states. For example,

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some students believe that gas has no mass, solids have more mass than liquids, and

salt is destroyed when it dissolves. There is also a misconception relating to the

conservation of mass: students believe that mass always increase with volume. Try the

reaction of sodium bicarbonate and acetic acid, and note students will predict an

increase in mass because the gas will occupy greater volume than the solid, and will

therefore weigh more. The teacher should plan to observe this phenomenon and take

initiative to discuss conservation of mass with the students. The emphasis on this

lesson is on the concept of defining chemical reaction and part of chemical reaction

and not so much on the Law of conservation of mass. The teacher should let the

students know that the law of conservation of mass is the rationale for balancing a

chemical equation.

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Lesson #2: What is the evidence of a chemical reaction?

Lesson indicator: 4.4.2: The students will show that chemical reactions can be

represented by symbolic or word equations that specify all reactants and products

involved

NGSS Performance Expectation:

HS-PS1-2. Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical

reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and

knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties.

MS-PS1-2. Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after

the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

NGSS Dimension 1: Scientific and Engineering Practices

Developing and Using Models

o The periodic table orders elements horizontally by the number of protons

in the atom’s nucleus and places those with similar chemical properties in

columns. (HS-PS1-2)

o Modeling chemical reactions to predict and show relationships among

variables between systems and their components in the natural and

designed worlds.

o Develop a model based on evidence to illustrate the relationships between

systems or between components of a system. (HS-PS1-4)

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking

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o Mathematical and computational thinking at the 9–12 level builds on K–8

and progresses to using algebraic thinking and analysis to write chemical

reactions and equations.

o Use mathematical representations of phenomena to support claims. (HS-

PS1-7)

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

o Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation of

phenomena (HS-PS1-5).

o Construct and revise an explanation based on valid and reliable evidence

obtained from a variety of sources (including students’ own investigations,

models, and simulations) as they did in the past and will continue to do so

in the future. (HS-PS1-2)

NGSS Dimension 2: Crosscutting Concepts

Patterns

o Different patterns may be observed at each of the scales at which a system

is studied and can provide evidence for causality in explanations of

phenomena. (HS-PS1-2), (HS-PS1-5)

Energy and Matter

o Changes of energy and matter in a system can be described in terms of

energy and matter flows into, out of, and within that system. (HS-PS1-4)

Stability and Change

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o Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things

change and how they remain stable. (HS-PS1-6)

NGSS Dimension 3: Disciplinary Core Ideas

PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter

Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process, the atoms

that make up the original substances are regrouped into different molecules, and

these new substances have different properties from those of the reactants. (MS-

PS1-2), (MS-PS1-5)

Students see that each of four substances has a different set of reactions with four

different test liquids. Students discover that substances react chemically in

characteristic ways. Students use their observations to identify an unknown

substance.

PS1.B: Chemical Reactions

o Chemical processes can be understood in terms of the collisions of

molecules and the rearrangements of atoms into new molecules. (HS-PS1-

4), (HS-PS1-5)

o The fact that atoms are conserved, together with knowledge of the

chemical properties of the elements involved, can be used to describe and

predict chemical reactions. (HS-PS1-2), (HS-PS1-7)

Objective: The students will be able to

● describe evidence of chemical reactions

● write word equation for simple chemical reactions

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● convert word equation to skeletal equations

Content: Verify that a chemical reaction has occurred

Word to skeleton equations

Overarching question: How does a chemical equation show evidence of a chemical

change qualitatively and quantitatively?

Lesson introduction: In this lesson, students will learn about the evidence that indicate

the occurrence of a chemical reaction and how to represent reactions in both word and

skeleton equations. There are many visuals that show that chemical reactions are

occurring around us such as a rusted pipe, changing leaves color and many more.

Science, like other disciplines, has a specialized language that allows specific

information to be communicated in a uniform manner. “Equation” is the basic way of

describing chemical reactions and it shows the reactants and products in a chemical

change. Chemical equations are commonly written as word equations and later stated

as a skeletal equation using chemical formulas.

Rationale for Warm up questions: The warm activity is to focus students’ attention to

the molecule “glucose”, which they learned in other disciples (like Biology, Anatomy and

Physiology). They should be able to make a connection with this molecule, the process in

which it is consumed in the body system, and concept of chemical reaction they are now

learning in chemistry.

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Warm-up activity

Answer all questions

1. What is the chemical formula for “glucose”?

2. Why is glucose considered to be an important molecule in life of animals? Explain

your response.

3. What is the name for the biochemical process that is taking place this molecule inside

the body of the animal?

Engage

How can you establish the occurrence of chemical reactions?

1. Evidence of a chemical reaction activity.

The students are to establish a list for evidences of chemical reactions based on

observation of a chemical change. Have student do the followings:

Go to Figure 10-1 (page 278) and study the various photos that illustrate

evidence of chemical reaction.

Create a table of four compartments and make a list of all the chemical

substances that are identified on the four different photos. These substances

should include what they believe was the original component before and after

the chemical reaction has occurred. Example is a piece of wood that when

burned, will changed to charcoal. Items listed will be: wood, charcoal and

maybe ash.

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Separate items in each of the boxes into two categories- before and after

change. Disclose to them that they have formulated the two parts of an

equation, called reactants and products of a reaction.

2. Writing a reaction description activity

Have the students look at the photo and identify the chemical phenomenon that is

happening. Write down a statement in complete sentences that describe the

process. Then summarize it in form of word equation (as done on page 279).

Make sure you include symbols that are found in Table 10-1 (p. 278).

Explore

1 Review Homework Initiative Activity

Have students pull out their homework and you want to highlight some points before

collection. The homework article is on ChemTeam website and it is about Lavoisier and

the law of conservation of mass at the site:

(http://www.chemteam.info/Equations/Conserv-of-Mass.html).

Discuss Lavoisier and Law of Conservation of Mass (ChemTeam website).

Discuss both the evidence of these reactions and how there are conservation of

mass in the chemical reactions.

Tell students to write (and include) on the homework, all the chemical

equations mentioned in the article. These equations include:

CaCO3 → CaO + CO2; CaO + K2CO3 + K2O

Have students write the names next to each of the chemical substances that are

stated equations

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Reminder to the students: Make sure the homework includes the description in

the report that Lavoisier established “Law of Conservation of mass.”

2. Discovery lab “Observing a change” activity.

This is a demonstration lab that will be performed by the teacher only and observed by

students. The activity is described below is in the student textbook on page 277. This is to

expose the student to what chemist do in everyday life in food, pharmaceutical and

chemical industries to research, test, and manufacture goods and resources that we need

in life.

Have students write a report for what was observed in their lab journal, and

answer “analysis” questions for this Discovery lab (also on page 277). Remind the

students to turn in their work upon for grade.

Figure 9 Student Discovery Lab Activity.

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Learning Opportunity: The “Discovery lab” is a wet lab activity for students to

observe change taking place in a reaction in a fun way. A chemical change is when

two substances are mixed together to form something new. This activity provides a

learning opportunity for students to see how this change differs from physical change.

There is the potential misconception of changing physical states of matter (such as

either a dissolving salt or formation of precipitate) to be misinterpreted with a change

in the physical properties. Use this activity to reinforce the “main clues” that a

chemical change has occurred.

Students should continue to write word equations for all chemical reactions in this

lesson to get a solid understanding of the molecular interaction that is taking place in a

reacting system.

3. Smoke bomb reaction activity

This is a 2.5-minute video-activity to awaken students’ curiosity to be more interested in

learning the chemical reaction concepts. It is fun, easy and safe with sugar and potassium

nitrate (as the reaction materials).

Have students to watch the video “How to make a smoke bomb” at the site:

(http://chemistry.about.com/video/How-to-Make-a-Smoke-Bomb.htm). After

watching this video, the students will research to make a similar activity live by

identifying the materials, procedure, all the chemical reactions and equations that

take place, safety precautions, and will then write a detail report (for grade). The

class will agree on one method and when to do the experiment outside. The

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teacher will prepare the necessary materials for the experiment and have everyone

come watch, and complete their report for the activity.

Explain

1. Connecting evidence to word equation activity

Students will read the paragraph “Evidence of a chemical reaction” (in student textbook

p. 63) and closely study the chemical reactions expressed in both photos (of fig 3-9 p.

63). The students will work in small groups determined by the teacher and do the

following:

Write out (at least four per group) a descriptive statement for chemical reaction

observed in the photos.

Read again through all the statement established above and now write the word

equation for two of the reactions (that were earlier identified above). Share your

equation with the teacher and hand your completed work.

Still maintaining their group of four of group, have students complete the

worksheet below and write their final answers on the white board. Each student

will be responsible to answer a question each and check among themselves to

confirm the final answers are correct before sharing with the class. When all

groups are ready, the teacher will coordinate the process to share the various

group respond through a gallery walk-through in class.

Answer the following questions and provide evidence where necessary to support your answer.

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1. What reactant is always needed for a combustion reaction to take place? What are the two products that are always produced in the complete combustion of an organic fuel?

2. What three elements are produced in the decomposition of sodium sulfate? 3. What four elements are needed to run the synthesis reaction that forms the ionic

compound ammonium sulfate? 4. What does the activity series show? What is the rule of thumb that you should

remember when looking at the activity series?

2. Evidence Reinforcement activity

This activity provides students another way for students to reinforce understanding of

concept on evidence of chemical reaction. Students will visit the site “Quizlet” called

“5Evidence of chemical reaction” ( https://quizlet.com/33009844/5-evidence-of-a-

chemical-reaction-flash-cards/). Students will do the following:

Listen to the audio description the five evidences for chemical reactions and

take the multiple-choice quiz (https://quizlet.com/16780821/evidence-of-a-

chemical-reaction-flash-cards/). The quiz allows the learner to take their time to

take the test.

3. Review equation activity

This is an individual activity for students to review the concept of writing both ionic and

molecular compound. Students will do the following:

Complete worksheet below in small group of four. Each member is to complete

the entire question.

Share answers with other classmates and help each other correct their errors

Class discussion that will be coordinated by the teacher. Students will be called

randomly to explain to the class how they got the answer.

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Write the word equation for the following balanced reactions: 1) 2 Mg (s) + O2 (g) 2 MgO (s) 2) HCl (aq) + NaOH (aq) H2O (l) + NaCl (aq) 3) 2 NH4NO3 (s) 2 N2 (g) + O2 (g) + 4 H2O(g) 4) NaOH (aq)+ AgNO3 (aq) AgOH (s) + NaNO3

Challenges and misconception: When a chemical reaction is represented in word

equation form, it can be more difficult for students to check that the same elements are

represented before and after a reaction. Not all the names for the chemical reveal all

the detail elements that constitute the molecule. An example is methane, where the

molecular formula is CH4, hydroxide ion (as in sodium hydroxide) is OH-, and sulfuric

acid has the molecular formula H2SO4. It is always necessary to state the physical

states for the reacting substances- solid, liquid, gas, and aqueous. Students have

difficulties stating “aqueous” state and recollecting diatomic gas when writing the

skeletal equation. For example, the students will write O (and Cl) in a chemical

equation, instead of O2 (and Cl2) for oxygen (and chlorine) molecules respectively. It

is challenges for students to understand the charges for common ions based on their

groups on the periodic table and how they chemically bond to form new chemical

entities. Having the students to always have periodic tables on their desk for reference

when during this period of writing chemical equations will help to indirectly introduce

ions and bonding concepts in the instructional procedure in class.

Elaborate

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1. Baggie Chemistry activity

Have students visit the Concord Consortium website and locate “Baggie Chemistry” or

log onto site: (https://concord.org/stem-resources/baggie-chemistry). In this activity,

students are to mix household chemicals to produce dramatic results and experience the

process of the chemical reaction. These chemical reactions occur all around us and

include such examples in health care, cooking, cosmetics, automobiles, and other

complex chemical reactions that involve carbon-based molecules- in the body. There are

many types of these same chemical reactions, and with many results. In this experiment,

students will do the following:

Make a list of all the observable changes that are chemical in nature for chemical

reactions taking place. For material, safety and procedure see Baggie Chemistry

experiment at online site

(https://authoring.concord.org/activities/1021/single_page/3f7bef3f-bfa5-411c-

bb0a-2d46682cdac7).

Mix two chemicals that can be found around the house in a plastic baggie and

several chemical changes will be observed, using appropriate probes. The activity

runs entirely in a web browser, which include (but not limited) to the following:

Google Chrome (version 30 and above), Safari (version 7 and above), Firefox

(version 30 and above), Internet Explorer (version 10 or higher), and Microsoft’s

Edge.

Caution: Students data will not be saved, but there is the option to register the

activity and have the data saved. The portal for this project is located at

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Innovative Technology in Science Inquiry online site at

(https://itsi.portal.concord.org/itsi#high-school-chemistry). Below is an example

of a graph for temperature change over time for an experiment is being monitored.

Figure 10 Graph that Shows Display of Temperature vs. Time in for Baggie Reaction.

2. Write the chemical equation f or carbon burning in a pool of oxygen gas, to form

carbon dioxide.

(The teacher is recommended to visit online resource called “Sciencing” on “How to

write a chemical formula” for visual presentation of this question, that should help

reinforce students’ understanding- at website: http://sciencing.com/write-chemical-

formula-5395248.html).

Temperature Data Collector (Temperature vs. Time): It’s courtesy of The Concord Consortium (and special thanks to Paul Tiskus at Rhode Island College for this experiment).

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a) In words equation & then; b) Using symbols (skeletal) equation & then

c) Balance the equation. 2. Why is it important that a chemical reaction be balanced?

Learning Opportunity: The Baggie Chemistry activity is an initiative project of the

Technology in Science Inquiry that engages students in STEM activity in an exciting

way. It offers students a broad range of innovative learning opportunity where this

activity incorporates technologies that include modeling, computational thinking, and

real-time data acquisition. This is an inquiry-based science project and its

comprehensive nature of this activity will assist teacher in preparing diverse students

for STEM careers. Students will know from the Baggie Chemistry activity that

chemical reaction involve the change in electron configuration of molecules (that

learned from unit 2 for concepts on bonding and compounds). So, the same elements

can form different chemical substances.

Evaluate

The principal focus for the evaluation is to know whether students understand the concept

of describing an experiment using word equations. They should review concepts about

chemical formulas for compounds and getting ready to write skeleton equations.

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Assessment Activity Students are to answer all the questions 1. Write the word equation for the reaction of glucose (that takes place) inside the

muscle cell of an athlete (cross-country runner) before participating in a state tournament.

2. Identify the reactants vs. product of the reaction. 3. Why is this process of great importance to this participant? 4. Write the word equation for cesium metal burning in oxygen to produce cesium

oxide powder.

Closure

Emphasize the importance of writing correct formulas for all reactants and products in

the skeletal equation.

Homework activity

This activity is for student to go home and practice what was learned in class about

representing chemical reactions in word equations. It will also push students to go back

and review the concepts of chemical formulas and the properties of the periodic table.

Write the word equation for the following chemical reactions 1. Solid calcium carbonate reacts with hydrochloric acid [HCl(aq)] to yield aqueous

calcium chloride, carbon dioxide gas, and liquid water 2. Aqueous sodium chloride reacts with aqueous lead (II) nitrate to yield a lead (II)

chloride precipitate and aqueous sodium nitrate.

Write the word equation for the following chemical reactions 1. Solid calcium carbonate reacts with hydrochloric acid [HCl(aq)] to yield aqueous

calcium chloride, carbon dioxide gas, and liquid water 2. Aqueous sodium chloride reacts with aqueous lead (II) nitrate to yield a lead (II)

chloride precipitate and aqueous sodium nitrate.

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Teacher corner: Students often will perceive chemical changes as additive, rather

than interactive. After a chemical process, the original substances are perceived as

remaining, even though they are altered. The student’s textbook has good photos (on

page 278) that illustrate evidence of chemical reaction in variety of examples. All

students have access to a textbook in class and they may even share the textbook of

others to review evidence of chemical reaction, which is a fundamental concept in

this unit. There are real life experiences- such as burning a marshmallow, baking cake

in an oven and explosion that release smoke/ energy in ACS website under chemical

reaction section for students to explore. These photos are colorful, in varieties and

conspicuous show evidences of chemical reactions. It is a good activity to teach

evidence of chemical reaction, to also introduce word equations and further extension

for students to write and balance variety of equations.

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Lesson Plan #3: How are reactants and products of chemical reactions represented in equations?

Lesson indicator: 4.4.2: The students will show that chemical reactions can be

represented by symbolic or word equations that specify all reactants and products

involved

NGSS Performance Expectation:

HS-PS1-2. Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical

reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and

knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties.

MS-PS1-2. Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after

the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

NGSS Dimension 1: Scientific and Engineering Practices

Developing and Using Models

o The periodic table orders elements horizontally by the number of protons

in the atom’s nucleus and places those with similar chemical properties in

columns. The repeating patterns of this table reflect patterns of outer

electron states. (HS-PS1-2).

o Modeling chemical reactions to predict and show relationships among

variables between systems and their components in the natural and

designed worlds.

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking

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o Mathematical and computational thinking at the 9–12 level builds on K–8

and progresses to using algebraic thinking and analysis to write chemical

reactions and equations.

o Use mathematical representations of phenomena to support claims. (HS-

PS1-7)

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

o Constructing explanations and designing solutions that are supported by

multiple and independent student-generated sources of evidence consistent

with scientific ideas, principles, and theories.

o Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation of

phenomena (HS-PS1-5).

o Construct and revise an explanation based on valid and reliable evidence

obtained from a variety of sources (including students’ own investigations,

models, and simulations) as they did in the past and will continue to do so

in the future. (HS-PS1-2)

NGSS Dimension 2: Crosscutting Concepts

Patterns

o Different patterns may be observed at each of the scales at which a system

is studied and can provide evidence for causality in explanations of

phenomena. (HS-PS1-2), (HS-PS1-5)

Energy and Matter

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o Changes of energy and matter in a system can be described in terms of

energy and matter flows into, out of, and within that system. (HS-PS1-4)

Stability and Change

o Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things

change and how they remain stable. (HS-PS1-6)

NGSS Dimension 3: Disciplinary Core Ideas

PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter

o Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process,

the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped into different

molecules, and these new substances have different properties from those

of the reactants. (MS-PS1-2), (MS-PS1-5)

PS1.B: Chemical Reactions

o Chemical processes can be understood in terms of the collisions of

molecules and the rearrangements of atoms into new molecules. (HS-PS1-

4), (HS-PS1-5)

o The fact that atoms are conserved, together with knowledge of the

chemical properties of the elements involved, can be used to describe and

predict chemical reactions. (HS-PS1-2), (HS-PS1-7)

Objective: The students will be able to

convert word equations into skeletal equations

differentiate reactants from products as 2 parts of equations

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Write simple chemical equations

Balance simple chemical equations

Content: Write words to symbol equation

Balancing equations

Overarching question: How is a chemical reaction best written in the skeletal equation

form by using chemical formulae to replace word descriptions for the process?

Lesson Introduction: Chemists study matter on atomic and molecular level to

understand how chemical substances (say element) join during a process called

chemical reaction. This lesson is for students to learn how to describe this process of

how reactants change into products in simple, less words and succinic form that

chemist can read and understand the change. Students will learn how to convert word

equations (where statements are used in the description) to skeleton (also called

formulae) equation (where chemical formulas are used) to describe chemical reactions.

Students will start applying concepts they learned about the Law of conservation of

mass to balance simple chemical equations. With chemical equation, practice always

make perfect. So, students are to have so many opportunities to work in small group

settings, collaborate, and share their experiences in balancing so many chemical

equations in class. There are many interactive sites and simulations that students use to

practice either in class or at home and meet up with the learning trend of the lessons.

There is also a huge need for students to review the previous learned concepts on

writing chemical formulas for both ionic and molecular compounds.

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Rationale for warm up question: The questions included in this warm up activity is to

have students to start writing chemical equations, which often is scary intriguing for

students to do on their own. They have access to the periodic table and chemical formulas

at all time and can start thinking of what it takes to apply compounds they learned in the

previous unit. Practice is the secret to mastery of writing and balancing chemical

equations.

Warm-up activity

1. Iron is burn in a container of chlorine to produce iron III chloride.

a) Write the word equation for this reaction

b) Write the skeletal equation for this reaction

c) Write the balance equation for the reaction above and explain why it is now said to be

balanced.

Engage

1. Representing chemical reactions Practice Problem p. 279 #1, 2, & 3 activity

This activity is for students to practice on writing skeletal equations and

understanding how the mass of an equation must be conserved at the end of the

reaction process. Teacher is to assign students to work in small groups of three

and share their answers.

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Figure 11 Student Skeletal Equation Practice Activity.

2. Refresh writing chemical equation activity

This is activity is reiterating the features of a chemical equation and therefore laying the

fundamental for students now writing and balancing equations. Have students visit

ChemTeam site on “The meaning of a chemical equation”

(http://www.chemteam.info/Equations/Meaning-of-Equation.html). The students are to

do the following:

Read tutorial and write out all the chemical equations that are stated in this article,

complete the review, and answer the practice problems.

Watch the 4-minute video ChemTeam “Balancing Chemical Equation #1.” Write

out all the chemical equations that are stated in this video

Exploration

1. Writing Word Equations (class activity worksheet):

(http://www.gpb.org/files/pdfs/gpbclassroom/chemistry/wordEquationsWkst.pdf )

Complete this activity using helpful information from the periodic (p. 156),

common ions (p. 221-222), and polyatomic ions p.224) to complete the

Substitute symbols and formulas for words, and then balance each equation.

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1. sodium chloride + lead (II) nitrate → lead (II) chloride + sodium nitrate 2. iron + chlorine → iron (III) chloride 3. barium + water → barium hydroxide + hydrogen 4. When chlorine gas reacts with methane, carbon tetrachloride and hydrogen chloride are produced. 5. When sodium oxide is added to water, sodium hydroxide is produced. 6. In a blast furnace, iron (III) oxide and carbon monoxide gas produce carbon dioxide gas and iron. 7. Iodine crystals react with chlorine gas to produce iodine trichloride.

worksheet. This is an activity for students to convert seven word questions to

skeletal form of equations. They can also get help from similar examples in their

textbook on page 279.

2. Reaching Reaction Peak group activity- to research chemical concepts on the lesson

Students will be assigned to work on small groups of four members. Each group

will create 2 “authentic” chemical equations that is created from scratch, written

out in words, skeletal, and then balanced. Groups will provide proves that they

visited at least one of teachers recommended sites, which include: The Concord

Consortium- chemical reaction and stoichiometry (https://concord.org/stem-

resources/chemical-reactions-and-stoichiometry).

3. Mr. P Chemistry- chemical equations activity: a reading activity

Have student work individually to research on steps to balance chemical equation and

share their finding with other students on the same table. Teacher will work around to

check and check on their understanding of balancing equations. Then direct students to

log on to the site Mr. P Chemistry and complete the activity by logging on the site:

(http://www.sartep.com/chem/tutorials/tut.cfm?tutorial=Chemical%20Equations&chap=6

)

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This activity is to reinforce understanding for the parts of chemical reactions and

prepare students to now write equations. Students are to take about five minutes to

refresh writing formulas and symbols used in writing equations.

Explain

Write and balance equations

1. Introducing fun chemical reactions

Have students visit YouTube-chemical reaction and look for “Must watch

awesome chemical reactions- don't miss it at any chance” and log onto the site:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KFAoqODZok. This video consists of

motion pictures that show fun chemical reactions that occur with mixing two or

more chemical substances.

2. Writing skeleton equation practice

Have students work independently to complete this exercise. they are expected to

share their answer with the class. Write the balance equation for the

decomposition reaction of boron oxide to form boron and oxygen.

3. Student-student teaching moment

Call four students out randomly to write their answer on the board.

Use these examples to correct and then teach writing chemical equation concepts

to the class. Have the students complete and balance practice problem #5 & 6 (see

Figure 12).

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Figure 12 Student Chemical Equation Practice Activity.

Elaborate

These activities to have students practice using simulation at their pace to understand the

steps and self-check what they are not doing right when writing chemical equations. It is

arranged per level of challenges, and each of the levels has options to use provided

information to reinforce that concept knowledge.

1. PhET Interactive simulations: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/balancing-

chemical-equations (Balancing chemical equations-html5)

Student will visit this link using either class computer or their personal computer

devices and practice how to write/ balance chemical equations. The teacher will

stay proactive, walk around to help students on any arising technology issues,

have one-on-one meeting to guide them look for what will build on previous

understanding of chemical reactions.

2. Writing chemical equation video using TED Ed: http://ed.ted.com/on/rnKkXzJv

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This is a 10-minute video for the class. Students will listen and the teachers will

then wrap up with steps to write and balance chemical equations (see textbook p.

280 for more).

Evaluate

The focus for this assessment is to determine how students can write word equations and

how then can now start to balance simple chemical equations.

Assessment: Answer ALL the questions and show your work. 1a. Check if this reaction is possible per the activity series. Explain! __Cu(s) + __AgNO3(aq) ---> __Ag(s) + __Cu(NO3)2(aq). 1b. Balance the equation for the above reaction. 2. Write, balance, and state the reaction type for the equations for each of the reactions stated below: a. When sodium oxide is added to water, sodium hydroxide is produced. b. In a blast furnace, iron (III) oxide and carbon monoxide gas produce carbon dioxide gas and iron

Closure

The teacher is to hold a class discussion with students to know how they did with the

activities of the lesson, what could be done to help them understand the concept of

balancing chemical equations.

Homework

Reviewing chemical formulas activity

This is an activity for students to review how to write chemical formulas. An equation

can only be balanced when the chemical formula is correctly written. Students will need

the essential ionic sheet (that is in student textbook page 224) to work out the formulas.

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Write the chemical formulas for the compounds below Cesium bromide

Sodium hydrogen carbonate

Iron(II) sulphate

Aluminum nitrite

Hydrogen hydroxide

Potassium fluoride

Silver oxide Chromium hydroxide

Magnesium carbonate

Barium sulphate

Ammonium carbonate

Lithium hydroxide

Calcium oxide

Iron(III) sulphide

Chromium sulphate

Teacher’s Reflection: Students are getting more challenged with completing activities

on chemical reactions as the lesson progress from learning basic concepts like

evidence to now balancing simple equations. It is necessary that the teacher keeps

working smart (and if not harder) to prepare lessons that are meaningful and engaging.

Including innovative activities in the lessons that are fun is a great teaching strategy to

have students engage in the learning process. Encourage students to continue

practicing and proactively learning techniques to self-improve their understanding,

knowledge and skills in balancing new/ varieties of chemical equations. There are a lot

of these interactive activities and laboratory projects for students to complete in class

but are time consuming in class. Covering curricular items in the lessons and making it

meaningful is a significant pedagogic progress for the teacher and this is critical when

teaching the concept of balancing equations. Having students practice repeatedly is the

key for helping them learn how to balance chemical equations.

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Lesson Plan #4: How are chemical reactions classified?

Lesson indicator: 4.4.2: The students will show that chemical reactions can be

represented by symbolic or word equations that specify all reactants and products

involved

NGSS Performance Expectation:

HS-PS1-2. Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical

reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and

knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties.

MS-PS1-2. Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the

substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

NGSS Dimension 1: Scientific and Engineering Practices

Developing and Using Models

o The periodic table orders elements horizontally by the number of protons

in the atom’s nucleus and places those with similar chemical properties in

columns. The repeating patterns of this table reflect patterns of outer

electron states. (HS-PS1-2)

o Develop a model based on evidence to illustrate the relationships between

systems or between components of a system. (HS-PS1-4)

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking

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o Mathematical and computational thinking at the 9–12 level builds on K–8

and progresses to using algebraic thinking and analysis to write chemical

reactions and equations.

o Use mathematical representations of phenomena to support claims. (HS-

PS1-7)

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

o Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation of

phenomena (HS-PS1-5).

o Construct and revise an explanation based on valid and reliable evidence

obtained from a variety of sources (including students’ own investigations,

models, and simulations) as they did in the past and will continue to do so

in the future. (HS-PS1-2

NGSS Dimension 2: Crosscutting Concepts

Patterns

o Different patterns may be observed at each of the scales at which a system

is studied and can provide evidence for causality in explanations of

phenomena. (HS-PS1-2), (HS-PS1-5)

Energy and Matter

o Changes of energy and matter in a system can be described in terms of

energy and matter flows into, out of, and within that system.

(HS-PS1-4)

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NGSS Dimension 3: Disciplinary Core Ideas

PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter

o Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process,

the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped into different

molecules, and these new substances have different properties from those

of the reactants. (MS-PS1-2), (MS-PS1-5)

PS1.B: Chemical Reactions

o Chemical processes can be understood in terms of the collisions of

molecules and the rearrangements of atoms into new molecules. (HS-PS1-

4), (HS-PS1-5)

o The fact that atoms are conserved, together with knowledge of the

chemical properties of the elements involved, can be used to describe and

predict chemical reactions. (HS-PS1-2), (HS-PS1-7)

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

o Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation of

phenomena (HS-PS1-5).

o Construct and revise an explanation based on valid and reliable evidence

obtained from a variety of sources (including students’ own investigations,

models, and simulations) as they did in the past and will continue to do so

in the future. (HS-PS1-2

Objective: The students will be able to

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Describe the general types of chemical reactions

Identify the characteristics of each reaction type

Formulate examples for each reaction type

Write and balance all reaction types

Content: Differentiate types of reactions

Synthesis

Decomposition

Combustion

Single replacement

Double replacement

Neutralization

Overarching question: What are the different types of chemical reactions and what are the

general characteristics for each of these chemical reactions?

Lesson introduction: The lesson is to teach students the concept of chemical reaction

types and to continue practicing how to write and balance different types of chemical

equations. At this this stage of lessons about chemical reactions, students should be

comfortable to represent chemical reactions into equations, and balance all equation.

There are several interesting strategies (such as POGIL- shall we dance) and

meaningful examples to support teaching the students about the concept of reaction

classification. This lesson on chemical reaction types will refresh the students’ interest

to like the content because friendly interactive activities are used in the lesson to keep

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students up, and motivated to learn. The examples used to describe the various

reaction types are practical, real scenario, and full of illustration that students can

relate to. When students now learn the different classes for chemical reactions, it is

easy for them to connect the newly learned concept, to how complex chemical

equations are balanced. This lesson emphasizes on reviewing the concepts on

chemical ionic and covalent molecules that students should know well as the make

progress beyond this lesson.

Rationale for warm up questions: This warm up activity focuses on students balancing

chemical equations of different reaction types and naming of molecular formulas. As

students come into the classroom, these questions push them to reflect on what they

learned in the previous lessons, what they need to take out of their school-bags and put on

the desk (such as the periodic table and polyatomic ions chart).

Warm-up activity Chemical formulae and balancing equations Challenge students to complete the following activity by writing the name and then balance. 1. _____ MgBr2 (aq) + _____ KOH (aq) → _____ KBr (aq) + _____ Mg(OH)2 (s) (Balance) _______________ + _______________ __________ + _____________ (Name) 2. _____ Zn (s) + _____ S8 (s) → _____ ZnS (s) (Balance) ________________ + ___________ ___________________ (Name)

Engage

Characteristics of chemical equation activity

This activity is for students to completely understand the steps in writing and balancing

chemical equations

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1. Reading and discussing main ideas in “Representing Chemical Reactions”

Have students locate the passage in their textbook (on page 278) and read, write

down the main ideas, examples, create a challenging question based on the

content and be ready to share their notes in class with others in small group- as

allowed by classroom tables/desk settings. Teacher will have them use stump-

your-partner cooperative strategy, where each student will pose the question to the

person sitting next to them.

2. Identify the reactants and products of above equations

Look at the examples and create your own genuine reactants, product, and

chemical equations that will be shared with others in class.

3. Reinforce writing equations activity

This is activity on Chemteam website called ‘Six Solved “balanced by group” problems”

present a great introductory approach to balancing of groups/ polyatomic ions. Have

students visit this page (http://www.chemteam.info/Equations/WS-Balance-by-

groups.html) and write down all the balanced equations as the read through.

Ask students to write the charge of each of all the ions that are stated in the six

equations and justify that the equations are all balanced.

Explore

Classifying chemical reactions

1. Understanding reaction type activity

This activity is for students to explore and learn the concept for the different types of

chemical reaction. Have students use their textbook (on p. 284) to complete this activity.

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They can use other sources such as class computers and their personal computer devices

to access the school Wi-Fi.

Types of chemical reaction

Students will be using stump-your-partner and think-pair–share strategies.

Have students research and write summary notes (about unique

characteristics, examples, definitions and two equations each for a reaction

type) on the classification of chemical reactions in their journals. The

topics include: synthesis reaction, Combustion reaction, decomposition

reaction, single replacement reaction, double replacement, and

neutralization reaction.

Have students describe the activity series either using the class text book

(fig 10-10) on page 288 or computers to get information from an online

source and record the descriptions in their journals. Each student is to

create a challenging question to hand in to the teacher before getting into

groups. The teacher will pose a question that demand the students to

analyze and/ or synthesize - using the “think-pair-share” strategy.

Reiterate throughout this activity that the examples for each of the types of

reaction are to be written as a balanced equation.

2. Reaction-type practice activity

This activity is for students to use the understanding of the different types of chemical

reaction and review knowledge about chemical formulas that are part of writing chemical

equations. Have students to complete the following questions in a group of four and each

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member will be assigned at least equation each to balance. The group will discuss and

review all the questions and type the right answer on the white board to share with all in

class

Answer ALL the questions Balance the equations, write the names for the chemical formulas, and identify each of the reaction type for the chemical reactions. 1.___ Al2(CO3)3 (s) → _____ Al2O3 (s) + _____ CO2 (g) _________________ ____________ ________________ (Name) ________________________________________ Type of chemical reaction 2. _____ Ca (s) + _____ H2O (l) → _____ Ca(OH)2 (aq) + _____ H2 (g) ___________ + _____________ _______________ + ____________ (Name) ________________________________________ Type of chemical reaction 3. _____ LiHCO3 (s) → _____ Li2CO3 (s) + _____ H2O (g) + _____ CO2 (g) _________________ _____________ _________ + ________ (Name)

Explain

Classification of chemical reactions

1. “Shall we dance” POGIL activity

This is an activity to distinguish chemical reactions into categories for students to better

understand the reaction types based on how they interact in a dance scenario. Have

students to visit POGIL website and locate “Shall we dance” page at the site

(https://pogil.org/uploads/media_items/classifying-types-of-chemical-

reactions.original.pdf ). They will the read the analogy to classify the reactions as

instructed and complete the activity for each model.

Students will complete the problem questions at the end of the page as a group on

the whiteboard, share their answer and have a class discussion that will be

facilitated by the teacher.

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2. Interactive practice on naming ionic compound activity

This activity is to have students review concept of writing ionic compounds and located

at the site (http://www.chemistrywithmsdana.org/wp-

content/uploads/2012/07/ionic.html).

Students should refer to the periodic table (p. 157), common ions (p. 222-3) and

polyatomic ions (p. 224) to complete this online practice exercise of 18 questions.

Upon completing the practice exercise, the students are to complete the chart

below.

Ionic compound

Al2O3 NH4NO2

SrSO4

Ba(ClO3)2

Mg(OH)2

KHCO3

Hg2O Cu2O

Name Ionic compound

NH4HSO4

PbO2 NaCN

BeS CoCr2

O7 Ba(ClO)2

Na2C2H3

O2 KMnO4

Name

3. Have students build their own reaction by selecting any of two compounds from the

chart above and then predict the products.

Write the skeleton equation for the section

Have students balance equation created above- in #3.

Call for teacher’s attention when finished.

Elaborate

Balancing chemical equation

1. Balance chemical equations activity

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Students will visit Khan Academy site and search for video/simulation on “Balancing

equation from the site (https://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry/chemical-

reactions-stoichiome/balancing-chemical-equations/v/balancing-chemical-equations-

introduction). Watch the video and follow the instruction provided.

This video uses an example to define and explain the process of balancing

chemical equations in a way that that it is kept simple and short. Students will

easily understand the concept and apply this approach to practice wring more

equations

2. Balancing chemical equation Practice Problem activity.

Students will maintain group setting of their allocated desk to focus and complete

this activity (see below). The video and solved example for this problem should

be great asset to help them stay on task. The teacher will then facilitate a large

class discussion and students will self-correct their problems.

Balance the chemical equations and state the chemical formulas and the type chemical reaction 1. ____ SnO2 + ____ C ____ Sn + ____ CO ________ _____________ +________ __________ + _______________ 2. ____ Pb(NO3)2 + ____ H2S ____ PbS + ____ HNO3 ____ _______________ + ____________ ____________ + ____________ 3. ____ KClO3 ____ KCl + ____ O2 ______________ ________________ ____________ + _______________

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Evaluate

This activity is to assess student understanding of how to balance larger molecular

compounds. Students should be comfortable to write and balance all reaction types.

Remind students that they are allow to use the periodic table and polyatomic chart (p.

224) with all assessment and other class assignment.

Assessment: Answer ALL questions Write and balance the equation for the following reactions. 1. Solid Calcium oxide reacts with water to form aqueous calcium hydroxide solution. 2. Solid ammonium nitrate decomposing to form dinitrogen gas and steam 3. Silver nitrate(aq) + Copper(s) → __ + __ (Complete (if possible) and then balance the equation)

Closure

Call for class attention after completion of the assessment and ask students open-ended

questions to know exactly how the feel about the activities complete in class. During the

class discussion, have them to do much of talking about what they understood (about the

lesson) and the concepts that they want the teacher to re-teach in next lessons.

Homework

Concept reinforcement activity

Tell students to complete the worksheet below.

Students should complete activity in their journal and come the day prepare to

share answer and hand in assignment for grade.

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Balance the following reactions and be sure to copy them correctly into your problem set…

1) C2H6 (g) + O2 (g) CO2 (g) + H2O (g) 4. Cu (s) + S6 (g) CuS (s) 2) NaCl (aq) + Pb(NO3)2 (aq) NaNO3 (aq) + PbCl2 (s) 3) Ca (s) + H2O (l) Ca(OH)2 + H2 (g)

Teacher Reflection: Students get fascinated and are motivated to show more interest in class

when there is a lousy lab demonstration and they can choose and with group members that they

relate with for some reason. A teacher can turn such unproductive interaction and/ or choice to

something more productive and fun when both parties (teacher and student) get into a deal-

negotiation. Students finding chemical reaction to be challenging always look for flimsy

excuse to avoid completing their task. Having students to have it his/ her way under defined

condition, and not taking a disciplinary route, often helps to change things around for the

better. With these lessons, I usually negotiate with students to have their ways in certain aspect

that does not jeopardize their learning but will hold them accountable if otherwise. This

pedagogic strategy works to keep the class focused and the classroom teacher should realize

some gains with students’ attitude and grades. Keep the students busy and make effort to

include fun activities that student collaborates and (in safety) blow stuff.

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Lesson Plan #5: How do you write and balance simple chemical equations?

Lesson indicator: 4.4.2: The students will show that chemical reactions can be

represented by symbolic or word equations that specify all reactants and products

involved

NGSS Performance Expectation:

HS-PS1-2. Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical

reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and

knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties.

MS-PS1-2. Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after

the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

NGSS Dimension 1: Scientific and Engineering Practices

Developing and Using Models

o The periodic table orders elements horizontally by the number of protons

in the atom’s nucleus and places those with similar chemical properties in

columns. The repeating patterns of this table reflect patterns of outer

electron states. (HS-PS1-2) (Note: This Disciplinary Core Idea is also

addressed by HS-PS1-1.)

o Modeling chemical reactions to predict and show relationships among

variables between systems and their components in the natural and esigned

worlds.

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o Develop a model to describe unobservable mechanisms. (MS-PS3-2)

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking

o Mathematical and computational thinking at the 9–12 level builds on K–8

and progresses to using algebraic thinking and analysis to write chemical

reactions and equations.

o Use mathematical representations of phenomena to support claims. (HS-

PS1-7)

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

o Constructing explanations and designing solutions that are supported by

multiple and independent student-generated sources of evidence consistent

with scientific ideas, principles, and theories.

o Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation of

phenomena (HS-PS1-5).

o Construct and revise an explanation based on valid and reliable evidence

obtained from a variety of sources (including students’ own investigations,

models, and simulations) as they did in the past and will continue to do so

in the future. (HS-PS1-2)

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NGSS Dimension 2: Crosscutting Concepts

Patterns

o Different patterns may be observed at each of the scales at which a system

is studied and can provide evidence for causality in explanations of

phenomena. (HS-PS1-2), (HS-PS1-5)

Energy and Matter

o Changes of energy and matter in a system can be described in terms of

energy and matter flows into, out of, and within that system. (HS-PS1-4)

Stability and Change

o Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things

change and how they remain stable. (HS-PS1-6)

NGSS Dimension 3: Disciplinary Core Ideas

PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter

o Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process,

the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped into different

molecules, and these new substances have different properties from those

of the reactants. (MS-PS1-2), (MS-PS1-5)

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PS1.B: Chemical Reactions

o Chemical processes can be understood in terms of the collisions of

molecules and the rearrangements of atoms into new molecules. (HS-PS1-

4), (HS-PS1-5)

o The fact that atoms are conserved, together with knowledge of the

chemical properties of the elements involved, can be used to describe and

predict chemical reactions. (HS-PS1-2), (HS-PS1-7)

Objective: The students will be able to

write chemical reactions in both words and skeletal form

write simple and complex chemical equations

balance all types of chemical equations

Content: Write chemical equations

Balance chemical equations

Overarching question: What is the procedure to write and balance chemical equations?

Lesson introduction: The study of chemical reactions is at the core of chemistry

curriculum for high school as a course. This lesson focuses on learning about the

process of chemical reaction that leads to the formation of new substances. Students

will also learn basic way of describing a chemical reaction by using an essential part

of the common language of scientists to write chemical equations. Students had been

introduced to a common way of writing a chemical equation as word equations and

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formulae equations. With this background knowledge, students will continue to

practice, write formulae equation and check that no transmutation has been implied. In

this lesson, the students will be balancing the equation by seeing that the same

elements are represented on both sides of the equation. In some of the student

activities, they will still have to introduce word equations before developing the

formulae equations because the latter are more abstract.

Rationale for warm up questions: This activity focuses on students to reinforce their

understanding of the concept to balance chemical equations and continue to practice. It

also pushes students to recall the concept learned in previous lesson about types of

reactions and balancing of equations.

Warm-up activity

Answer all questions

1. 2Al2O3 → 6Al + 3O2

Describe the chemical reaction shown above for aluminum oxide. Check to see if it is

balanced, otherwise, balance the equation above.

2. What is missing in the equation above? Explain!

Engage

Writing and balancing chemical equations

1. Understanding double replacement activity

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This activity is for students to learn about the concept of double replacement reaction.

From this activity, students will learn how to predict the products from reacting species

when it is a double replacement reaction. Have students visit Chemteam resource website

and search for double replacement reaction at the site

(http://www.chemteam.info/Equations/DoubleReplacement.html) and follow the

instructions.

Read and take write down the main ideas in their journal. Students should

distinguish the reactions on the solubility of the products and compounds that will

decompose (such as H2CO3, H2SO3, or NH4OH.

Set up “agreement circles” to assess students as they actively think, engage in

explanation and argument. Example for such equation is as follows:

NH4Cl + NaOH → NaCl + NH3 + H2O is made up of “wrong products.”

Students then form mixed-small group that is comprised of those that agree and

those that disagree about the statement.

Complete Practice Problem (10 questions) at the bottom: write the correct

formulas for the products and balance the double replacement reactions.

On this page of the practice problem, CheamTeam has used (and solved) four

examples that you may want to look at them for help to complete the assignment.

Remember to predict the products for these reactants (in the practice problem) and

balance the chemical equations.

2. Chemical reactions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Bt6RPP2ANI

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This is a video of 10 most amazing chemical reactions for fun including single

replacement reaction of iron rod in a solution of copper sulfate. With a count,

down from ten is the fourth reaction that is directly related to reactivity concept

for the lesson, Teacher should stop the reaction and ask students to explain the

chemistry observed for the (single replacement) reaction.

Explore

Writing chemical formulas and equation

1. Chemical formula writing activity

This activity is refresh students understanding of how to write chemical formula, which

they need to know to write chemical equations. Have the students open the page of the

periodic table (p. 157) and visit “KentChemistry page” at site

(http://www.kentchemistry.com/links/naming/formulawriting.htm) to complete this

activity. Have the students do the following:

Watch a 5-minute video on how to write chemical formulas. If they are

comfortable with the presentation, then students should scroll down to the end of

the page and complete the online activity on writing ionic compounds. Otherwise,

this online side has descriptions, examples and completed activity to support (and/

or supplement) content information in the video.

Click “Naming of covalent compounds” activity which do will repeat same

approach as above- watch the 5-minute video and complete the chart at the end of

the page. This page on naming covalent compound can also be reached at this

website (http://www.kentchemistry.com/links/naming/NameCov.htm).

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2. Balancing equation activity

This activity is for students practice the concept of writing and balancing write equations

using the chemical formulae concept just complete above. Have students complete the

following questions.

Balance equation practice Write the skeleton equation and balance for the following chemical reactions: 1. When dissolved beryllium chloride reacts with dissolved silver nitrate in water,

aqueous beryllium nitrate and silver chloride powder are made. 2. When isopropanol (C3H8O) burns in oxygen, carbon dioxide, water, and heat are

produced. 3. When dissolved sodium hydroxide reacts with sulfuric acid (H2SO4), aqueous

sodium sulfate, water, and heat are formed. 4. When fluorine gas is put into contact with calcium metal at high temperatures,

calcium fluoride powder is created in an exothermic reaction. 5. When sodium metal reacts with iron (II) chloride, iron metal and sodium chloride

are formed.

Explain

Representing chemical reaction

1. Distinguishing reaction and equation activity

This is a 12-minute video to reiterate the concept on how to write and balance more high-

level chemical reactions. The activity is located at Coursera website in University of

Kentucky at site (https://www.coursera.org/learn/chemistry-1/lecture/WgXyU/4-01-

writing-balanced-chemical-equations). Have students to do the following:

Watch the video, record in their journal any three chemical reactions that are

mention and be ready to explain how the equation is said to be balanced.

2. Writing and balancing chemical equation

Complete activity below and answer all the questions.

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Equation practice activity Write the balanced equation to show the reactions 1. Solid ammonium nitrate decomposing to gaseous dinitrogen oxide and water vapor. 2. Liquid carbon disulfide reacts with oxygen gas, producing carbon dioxide gas and

sulfur dioxide gas. 3. Hydrogen reacting with chlorine.

3. Reinforcing balancing chemical equation

Steps for balancing equation activity

This is an activity for students to understand the steps for balancing chemical equations.

Students will open to their textbook on page 280 and do the following:

List and describe in their words, the steps for balancing chemical equations in

their journals.

Develop an example of a chemical reaction from scratch (that is not stated in the

textbook) and align it next to each of the six steps, to show how this equation is

balanced.

Then share your balanced equation with the teacher and other students in class.

Elaborate

Writing chemical equation activity

1. Is the following equation balanced? If not, correct the coefficients.

K2CrO4(aq) + Pb(NO3)2(aq) → PbCrO4(s) + 2KNO3(aq)

Name a) the reactants and b) the products for the reaction above

2. Balancing Chemical equation activity

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This activity is for students to practice balancing equations at all levels. The students

insert their answers in this simulation practice exercise and the program selves check the

answer before the student go to the next question.

To complete the practice simulation, students will either visit Khan Academy

website or locate “Balancing chemical equation 1” at the site

(https://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry/chemical-reactions-

stoichiome/balancing-chemical-equations/e/balancing_chemical_equations), This

exercise is problem to work cumulatively with the progress that reflect that you

are answering the questions. A great feature with this practice is that each

question has a video for students to get help- use, can go back and review the

concept and learn from their mistakes. They can the go back and make the right

selection.

3. Balancing chemical equation practice activity

Students will use their understanding of the concept to balance chemical reaction

complete this exercise in their journal. Have the students to do the following:

Read and describe the flowchart (fig 10-4) on page 283 for how it is helpful

information to complete the next practice below.

Complete the question below, write out the equation and show your work.

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Complete the questions and show your work When nitric acid (HNO3) is added to a solid piece of copper, a brown noxious gas called nitrogen dioxide is produced along with hydrogen gas and a solution of copper (II) nitrate.

1) Write the word equation for the statement above. 2) Write the unbalanced formula equation. 3) Count the atoms for each element as a reactant (make a table) 4) Count the atoms for each element as a product (make a table) 5) Balance the reaction

Evaluate

Balancing chemical equations Assessment

Students will complete this assessment on a separate sheet and leave their responses

being for teacher to know what the students learned. Students shall work independently

and answer all the questions.

Lesson Assessment 1. Balance the equation: __Na + __H2O → __NaOH + __H2 Write the balanced equation for the following chemical reactions 2. Boron burning in oxygen gas to produce boron oxide 3. Calcium reacting with iron (II) nitrate p288 4. Lithium reacting with magnesium sulfite. 5. Nickel (II) hydroxide decomposing to produce nickel (II) oxide and water

Closure

Teacher will end the lesson by reiterating the importance for students to continue

practicing how to write and balance as the best way to understand chemical reaction.

Remind students remember that to spend some time at home to go over the steps for

balancing chemical equation.

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Homework

Students will complete question below for homework. Bring work to class the next day

and drop in for grade.

Complete the questions and show your work Write a balanced chemical reaction for the following word equations.

1) Potassium chlorate decomposes to form potassium chloride and oxygen. 2) Aqueous solutions of copper (II) nitrate and sodium hydroxide react to form

solid copper (II) hydroxide and a solution of sodium nitrate. 3) Diphosphorous tetrabromide reacts with fluorine gas to produce diphosphorous

tetrafluoride and liquid bromine. 4) Octane (C8H12) and oxygen react to produce carbon dioxide and water.

Teacher Reflection: Teachers should be meticulous as they introduce and teach each

lesson writing and balancing equations. The lessons include several solved examples,

practice problems for students to complete and persistent presence of tools to assess

what the students know and do know at the end of the lesson. It is at this learning-

stage of the course where students finally conclude to either vision chemistry as course

that could be interesting to consider as possible life long career or give it up. More

often students are taking chemistry because they want to fulfill their graduation

science requirement and put in the interest to excel but just to survive at the end.

Students should be given the opportunity to discuss their struggles, motivate each

other, share helpful information and creating a learning environment where they feel

that the process of learning chemical reactions is nurtured and supported.

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Lesson Plan #6: How do you write and balance simple and complex chemical

equations?

Lesson indicator: 4.4.2: The students will show that chemical reactions can be

represented by symbolic or word equations that specify all reactants and products

involved

NGSS Performance Expectation:

HS-PS1-2. Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical

reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and

knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties.

MS-PS1-2. Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after

the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

NGSS Dimension 1: Scientific and Engineering Practices

Developing and Using Models

o The periodic table orders elements horizontally by the number of protons

in the atom’s nucleus and places those with similar chemical properties in

columns. The repeating patterns of this table reflect patterns of outer

electron states. (HS-PS1-2)

o Modeling chemical reactions to predict and show relationships among

variables between systems and their components in the natural and

designed worlds.

248

o Develop a model based on evidence to illustrate the relationships between

systems or between components of a system. (HS-PS1-4)

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking

o Mathematical and computational thinking at the 9–12 level builds on K–8

and progresses to using algebraic thinking and analysis to write chemical

reactions and equations.

o Use mathematical representations of phenomena to support claims. (HS-

PS1-7)

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

o Constructing explanations and designing solutions that are supported by

multiple and independent student-generated sources of evidence consistent

with scientific ideas, principles, and theories.

o Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation of

phenomena (HS-PS1-5).

o Construct and revise an explanation based on valid and reliable evidence

obtained from a variety of sources (including students’ own investigations,

models, and simulations) as they did in the past and will continue to do so

in the future. (HS-PS1-2)

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NGSS Dimension 2: Crosscutting Concepts

Patterns

o Different patterns may be observed at each of the scales at which a system

is studied and can provide evidence for causality in explanations of

phenomena. (HS-PS1-2), (HS-PS1-5)

Energy and Matter

o Changes of energy and matter in a system can be described in terms of

energy and matter flows into, out of, and within that system. (HS-PS1-4)

Stability and Change

o Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things

change and how they remain stable. (HS-PS1-6)

NGSS Dimension 3: Disciplinary Core Ideas

PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter

o Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process,

the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped into different

molecules, and these new substances have different properties from those

of the reactants. (MS-PS1-2), (MS-PS1-5)

PS1.B: Chemical Reactions

o Chemical processes can be understood in terms of the collisions of

molecules and the rearrangements of atoms into new molecules. (HS-PS1-

4), (HS-PS1-5)

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o The fact that atoms are conserved, together with knowledge of the

chemical properties of the elements involved, can be used to describe and

predict chemical reactions. (HS-PS1-2), (HS-PS1-7)

Objective: The students will be able to

write all simple and complex chemical equation

describe neutralization as an acid-base reaction

balance all types of chemical equations

Content: Write chemical equations

Balance chemical equations

Overarching question: How do you write and balance chemical equations?

Lesson Introduction: The principal focus of this lesson is for students to learn how to

write and balance all types of chemical equations. This is a challenging concept to

understand because there are so many types of chemical reactions and possible variety

of elements that show similar properties. For students to understand how to write and

balance these varieties of (simple and complex) equations they need a lot of practice.

It is a big learning jump for students to start balancing chemical equations and there is

algebraic-math experience that is needed to figure out the coefficients for both the

reactants and products. The students should have been taking reaction fundamentals

from the past lessons about chemical reactions (such as evidence, parts, and type of

chemical reactions) seriously because this is also needed to understand the lesson’s

objectives. Teacher will begin the lesson with reviewing chemical formulas and

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bonding and having students use the ionic charts for both single and polyatomic ions

to formulate compounds. Students had been introduced to write and balance simple

chemical equations and they are to apply the same principles to now more complex

equations. For students to know and be comfortable with how to write and balance

chemical equation, they must review what they learned about structure and

characteristics of the atom, electrons, molecular structure, elements, periodic table,

formulas and chemical bonding. Just everything about chemistry and a lot of review is

necessary to keep the successful in class.

Rationale for warm up questions: This warm up activity has students to write and

balance an equation from scratch. Students should now be comfortable to apply what they

haven practicing for the past lessons on evidence of chemical reactions, chemical

formulas, reaction types, to writing and balancing all types of chemical equations.

Warm-up activity

Answer the question

Some grey magnesium ribbon was added to colorless dilute hydrochloric acid. The metal

dissolves producing magnesium chloride and produces some hydrogen gas.

Write the word equation, skeleton equation and the balanced equation the chemical

reaction.

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Engage

Writing and balancing chemical equations

1. Balancing act activity

This is an activity to introduce students to balance a broad range of chemical equations. A

JavaScript enabled web browser is required to complete this activity and it let students

select the number of questions (of 5, 10 or 15) to work at a time and to choose a difficulty

level (as beginner, intermediate, or advanced). Ask students to get writing paper,

pen/pencil and open the textbook on fig 10-4, a flowchart of the summary on steps for

balancing chemical reactions. Students will do the following:

Visit Jefferson lab and navigate to “Balancing Chemical Equation” and select

“Balance Act” at site (http://education.jlab.org/elementbalancing/) to practice

balancing chemical equations. Jefferson lab (a US Department of Energy national

laboratory) has its primary mission to conduct basic research that builds a

comprehensive understanding of the atom’s nucleus. This website has a lot of

practical information that is relevant to witness chemical reactions at everyday

experience for real scientists.

2. Balancing chemical equation activity

This activity is to get exposed students to a broader variety of chemical equations. Have

students work in small group of four to balance all the equations

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Explore

1. Neutralization from acid-base reaction Video/ simulation activity

Get-Chemistry-Help (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtcE8TosEq4) is about

8.2 minute’s video.

This is an opportunity for students to learn about the unique properties of acid

and base as reactants for neutralization reaction. One of the characteristics that

distinguish reaction types is the uniqueness of products form by each of these

reaction types. Salt and water are the products of neutralization reaction and there

are a lot of implications (in science and human life) that are associated to both

chemical substances.

Students have tough times to understand neutralization as form of double

replacement reaction. This video emphasizes on the features and process where

students will understand and therefore make the connection that exist within the

different reaction types. Finally, watch this video reiterate the learning objective

to write and balance a variety of chemical equations.

Balance ALL the equations 1. _KI + _Cl2 → _ KCl + _ I2 2. _Pb(NO3)2 + _ HCl → _ PbCl2 + _ HNO3 3. _BaO2 → _BaO + _ O2 4. _Al + _ H2SO4 → _ Al2(SO4)3 + _ H2 5. _CH4 + _Cl2 → _CHCl3 + _ HCl

6. _MgCl2 + _NaOH → _Mg(OH)2 + _ NaCl 7. _AgNO3 + _CuCl2 → _AgCl + _ Cu(NO3)2 8. _ZnS + _ O2 → _ZnO + _ SO2 9. _Na + _H2O → _ H2 + NaOH 10. _ NaOH + _ H2SO4 → _ H2O + _ Na2SO4

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2. Balancing chemical equation practice activity Write the chemical equations using symbol and then balance the equations:

1. Iron metal + copper (II) sulfate → iron (II) sulfate + copper metal 2. Aluminum metal + copper (II) chloride → aluminum chloride + copper metal 3. Calcium carbonate → calcium oxide + carbon dioxide gas

Explain

1. Guidelines for “neutralization” reactions activity

This is an activity for students to demonstrate understanding of neutralization reaction

and to practice balancing chemical equations. It is an independent activity.

Students are to make up their own example and follow up the steps as described

on Table10-2 (p, 290). The will create a third and describe the guidelines that

apply applies to named reactants and products formed during the neutralization

reaction. The table for students to use and complete this activity looks like the

table 1 below.

Guidelines for “Neutralization” Reactions Steps Example (for neutralization

reactions) 1. Write the component of the reactant in a skeleton reaction.

2. Identify the cations and the anions in each compound.

3. Pair up each cation with the anion from the other compound

4. Write the formulas for the products using the pairs formed in step 3.

5. Write the complete equation for the neutralization reaction.

6. Balance the equation

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Challenges and misconception: Students will be assigned “Constructing chemical

formulae” and “Writing chemical equations” simulations on PhET website to practice

writing ionic/ molecule compounds. The teacher should use the reaction for calcium

hydroxide and hydrochloric acid solutions (as an example) to help students refresh on

how to apply common metal (textbook Table 8-4 & 8-5, p. 222-3) and polyatomic

(textbook table 8-6, p. 224) ions to write chemical equations. The equation is:

Ca(OH)2(aq) + 2HCl(aq) → CaCl2(aq) + 2H2O(l).

Teacher should emphasize the distinct charges for the all ions and how exchange

among these ions are obtained from the chart

Elaborate

1. Reactants, products and leftovers activity

This PhET Interactive Simulations is an activity for students to practice a broad range of

learning goals such for chemical reactions. The topic of emphasis for this activity will be

to predict the products formed from a reaction and practice writing and balancing

chemical equations. They will create their own chemical reactions that they will

determine a product they want from the reactants the select at the beginning of the

reaction process.

Have student to either log on to Pet simulation website and select the simulation

under chemistry called “Reactants, Products and Leftovers” or click the website

directly (https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/reactants-products-and-

leftovers). They will be building up about 10 chemical reactions and kept record

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in their journal of all equations that they created and balanced during this practice.

This simulation activity also provides students the opportunity to reinforce

previous concepts they just learned about chemical reactions such as to translate

from symbolic (chemical formula) to molecular (pictorial) representations of

matter.

2. Types of chemical reaction activity

The 13-minute video list and gives the description for all the different types of chemical

reactions. Have the students to do the following after watching video on the site

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMU1RaRulSo). It has the five major types of

chemical reactions and provided examples in the form of balanced equations.

Watch the video and then discuss with other students sitting on the same desk

(and call it a group). They are to write out the unique feature of each these

reaction types.

Hand to each desk is handed an envelope of cut paper-sheet with a reaction on

each strip. Students are to use above completed task (on the unique features of

each reaction type) to separate all the reactions into various classes and write a

comprehensive list.

Most of the equations were not balance. Ask the students to work as a team to

check and balance the chemical equations that were not balance.

3. Balancing world-reaction activity

This activity is for students to work in small group of four students, to practice balancing

a more challenging set of chemical reactions. Each member is given a question from

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worksheet (shown below), to balance and then share the answer with other members

before writing the final answer on the white board to share with the class.

Evaluate

This assessment activity focuses on writing and balancing of equations (from description

of the experiment) and types of reactions. Students at this point of the lessons (on

chemical reaction) should know about everything about the writing and balancing all

chemical equations.

Assessment Answer all the questions 1. Write the chemical equation for nickel (II) hydroxide decomposing to produce

nickel (II) oxide and water 2. What is the name for the reaction type that one substance breaks down into two or

more substances? 3. Complete and balance the equation: Fluorine (g) + Iron(s) → Iron (III) fluoride(s)

Closure

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Teacher will ask students what they have adequate time to finish in class and may need

time to complete at home. Tell students to go home and continue to practice balancing

more equations that are in the supplementary section of the appendix of their textbook.

Homework

Introduction to activity series

This homework activity is to introduce students to the activity series based on the ability

for a metal to be favored in a chemical reaction that is based on its position on the activity

series scale with respect to the other reactant metal. Students will need to refer to the

activity series to complete this task.

Activity Series questions I. Use your activity series to determine which reactants will react:

a) Na (s) + HCl (aq) or H2 (g) + NaCl (aq) b) Mg (s) + NaCl (aq) or Na (s) + MgCl2 (aq) c) Au (s) + FeCl3 (aq) or Fe (s) + AuCl (aq)

II. Why do gold occur native (uncombined) whereas zinc does not? III. Here is a list of metals in order of decreasing reactivity. Q and R are mystery metals.

K > Q > Ca > Mg > Al > Zn > R > Fe > Cu a) Will Q react with cold water? b) Will R react with cold water? b) Will R react with dilute hydrochloric acid? c) Will R displace copper from copper sulphate solution

Teacher Reflection: Students should be able to write and balance all types of chemical

reactions- simple and complex equation at this point. There are several reaction types

and all have been attended to with some detail attention. A good part of this lesson

was focused on a distinguished type of double reaction called neutralization reaction

because products from this reaction have unique properties. Neutralization reaction (is

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one of those of reaction types that) involve the use of large and complex molecules.

Students have difficulties in writing large molecular compounds and complex

chemical formulae. The reactants that are involved in neutralization reactions are large

ionic compounds that students have hard times understanding the concepts. Ionic

compounds are formed from positive and negative charge ions that students have

problems to know their respective charges. Acids and bases are both ionic compounds

that students will have the opportunity to recall writing chemical formulas and

applying them in chemical equations.

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Lesson Plan #7: How do investigate the activity series in chemical reactions?

Lesson indicator: 4.4.2: The students will show that chemical reactions can be

represented by symbolic or word equations that specify all reactants and products

involved

NGSS Performance Expectation:

HS-PS1-2. Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical

reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and

knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties.

MS-PS1-2. Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after

the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

NGSS Dimension 1: Scientific and Engineering Practices

Developing and Using Models

o The periodic table orders elements horizontally by the number of protons

in the atom’s nucleus and places those with similar chemical properties in

columns. The repeating patterns of this table reflect patterns of outer

electron states. (HS-PS1-2)

o Modeling chemical reactions to predict and show relationships among

variables between systems and their components in the natural and

designed worlds.

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Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking

o Mathematical and computational thinking at the 9–12 level builds on K–8

and progresses to using algebraic thinking and analysis to write chemical

reactions and equations.

o Use mathematical representations of phenomena to support claims. (HS-

PS1-7)

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

o Constructing explanations and designing solutions that are supported by

multiple and independent student-generated sources of evidence consistent

with scientific ideas, principles, and theories.

o Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation of

phenomena (HS-PS1-5).

NGSS Dimension 2: Crosscutting Concepts

Patterns

o Different patterns may be observed at each of the scales at which a system

is studied and can provide evidence for causality in explanations of

phenomena. (HS-PS1-2), (HS-PS1-5)

Energy and Matter

o Changes of energy and matter in a system can be described in terms of

energy and matter flows into, out of, and within that system. (HS-PS1-4)

Stability and Change

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o Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things

change and how they remain stable. (HS-PS1-6)

NGSS Dimension 3: Disciplinary Core Ideas

PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter

o Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process,

the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped into different

molecules, and these new substances have different properties from those

of the reactants. (MS-PS1-2), (MS-PS1-5)

PS1.B: Chemical Reactions

o Chemical processes can be understood in terms of the collisions of

molecules and the rearrangements of atoms into new molecules. (HS-PS1-

4), (HS-PS1-5)

o The fact that atoms are conserved, together with knowledge of the

chemical properties of the elements involved, can be used to describe and

predict chemical reactions. (HS-PS1-2), (HS-PS1-7)

Objective: The students will be able to

investigate the reactivity activity series

apply the activity series to how metal ions react

predict and write the balanced replacement equations

write and balance all types of chemical equations

Content: Activity series

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Predict occurrence of single replacement reactions

Single replacement reaction

Overarching question: How does a chemical equation show evidence of a chemical

change qualitatively and quantitatively?

Lesson Introduction: The activity series is a useful guide for predicting the product of

element (metal) displacement reactions. This lesson will have students to use the

activity series as an empirical tool to predict products in a displacement reaction. It is

used also to predict the reactivity of metals with water and acids and the products in

similar reactions involving different metal. This activity concept has practical

application in everyday life and students

Rationale for warm up questions: The focus on this warm up is on predicting the

occurrence and products of reactions based on the activity series. The activity series is a

concept that students will learn in this lesson an it has a lot of practical application in

everyday life.

Warm-up activity

Answer the questions 1. Predict if the chemical reaction will occur, balance and then explain to support your choice. __Ba(s) + __H2O(l) → _Ba(OH)2 (s) + __H2(g) _______ + _________ ___________ + ______ . Why/ why not? What is this type reaction called (and then balance the equation)? 2. Write the word equation for reaction above in #1

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Engage

Writing and balancing chemical Equation

1. Reinforcing equation activity

This activity is to continuously provide students with the opportunity to write and balance

equations. Students will be assigned to small group to complete the equation activity.

Each group will be provided with a white board to write their final answer.

Answer ALL the questions: write and balance the equations 1. Some zinc metal is added to copper (11) sulphate solution. The zinc becomes coated with copper and colorless zinc sulphate solution is produced. 2. Some colorless hydrogen gas is mixed with colorless oxygen gas. The mixture is sparked and it explodes producing steam which condenses to liquid water. 3. Magnesium ribbon is burnt in carbon dioxide gas. It burns splattering as it goes. Black carbon is produced and some magnesium oxide solid

Explore

1. Determining the activity series of metal activity

This video activity is for students to learn how activity series allow us to predict whether

a metal displacement reaction will occur.

Have students learn about metal activity series from Socratic-chemistry “What are

metal activity series at the site (https://socratic.org/questions/what-are-metal-

activity-series). This instruction page describes the activity series concept and

uses examples to explain how a metal can be determined to be more reactive. It

ends up with a 5minutes video (https://socratic.org/questions/what-is-the-metal-

activity-series-used-for) to better illustrate how to determine the activity series of

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metals. The video shows an experiment conducted to compare the activity of three

metals: zinc, copper and magnesium.

Students will watch a 4.75-minutes video from Socratic-chemistry website

(https://socratic.org/chemistry/electrochemistry/metal-activity-series). They will

watch a 5-minutes video and be introduced to key-question-and complete answer

activity, read about more-less reactive metals on the reactivity series of metal

chart. This site goes further to describe the activity series from using their

oxidation number to know if a chemical substance has been reduced or oxidized.

Learning opportunity: In this activity, students also are introduced to the learning

concept of how to use of oxidation number to determine the reactivity of metal.

During a chemical reaction, a chemical substance (say a metal), can either gain

electron(s) and is reduced or otherwise it is oxidized. Reduction and oxidation

reactions occur simultaneously and this type of reaction is called REDOX. REDOX is

a big topic in chemistry and it has a lot of practical application in everyday life- such

as car battery. REDOX is a unit concept where the instruction has a lot of calculation

and applied chemistry content that students find to be very challenging. It is a good

instructional practice to introduce the use of oxidation number it at this level of unit

lesson and have students relate the change of this oxidation number to the activity

series. Students should have learned about the oxidation number of metals in unit 2

when the periodic table was taught in class.

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Explain

Predicting products and writing equations replacement reactions

1. Applying activity series activity

This activity is for students to apply the understanding of the reactivity series and can

predict whether a reaction will occur or not and be able to support the choice with a

concrete explanation.

Teacher will re-explain the activity series for metal and halogen on fig 10-10

(p. 288), and how it is applied in chemical processes. Have students use two

examples each from the series to write out equations that demonstrate

understanding of how to apply the activity series for both metal and halogen

series. They will use the table below to predict this activity for activity series

and complete the activity.

Metal series Halogen series

Reasons for prediction

Teacher’s example

Ag + Cu(NO3)2 → NR

F2 +2NaBr → 2NaI + Br2

Metal: Ag is lower than Cu in the activity series Halogen: F is higher than Br in the activity series

Student’s example

Problem-solving lab activity.

In this activity, students will complete a problem-solving lab and then make

prediction of the reactivity of halogen. Have students to read the instructions,

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discuss the trend observed in the table and then answer the questions- analysis and

Thinking critically in their journals.

3. Tips and tricks for balancing chemical equations activity

This is an activity for students to refine their understanding of how to balance chemical

equations. Have students visit Scientific Tutor website- chemistry and select “Tips and

tricks for balancing chemical equations” or log onto the site

(http://scientifictutor.org/822/chem-tips-and-tricks-for-balancing-chemical-equations/ ).

This website is built from the perspective of teachers to help clear up all students’ science

learning frustrations. Students are to do the following:

Read the information on some tricks for balancing a chemical equation and watch

the series of videos that are provided to support these hints. Students should write

down interesting facts and be prepared to share with other class members and the

teacher. This site also uses a variety of example to illustrate steps for balancing

chemical equations.

Practice Problems: Have students complete the questions at the end of the page to

balancing chemical equations and hand in the completed activity for grade.

Elaborate

Class video and simulation activities

Teacher will assign, time and monitor students complete the following two ‘major’

activities as follows: first, whole class will watch a video for about 10 minutes and

immediately followed by a teacher-led discussion on scenes in the video. Secondly,

students are assigned into small groups to complete a simulation

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1 Video/ simulation: This is a video explaining the reactivity for variety of metals. The

teacher will have students get online individually and watch the 2:20 minutes video on

reactivity series at the site: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MawIDT5DFU. After

watching the video, the teacher will assist students to share what they learned from this

video using stump-your-partner group strategy. Students take a minute to create a

challenging question based on the lecture content up to that point. Students pose the

question to the person sitting next to them. They will record the questions and conclusion

in their class journal and hand in to the teacher.

2. Activity Series simulation practice

This activity is to provide students with a hands-on learning opportunity for students to

practice reactions that occur based on the metal position on the activity series chart. It is a

reaction of metal and metal ions experiment (simulation) called: Iowa State ChemEd

Research Group site that provides free interactive tools but it user needs software such as

“WinZip” to extract the and open the “html” files in the web browser. Teacher will direct

students to visit and log onto the site:

http://group.chem.iastate.edu/Greenbowe/sections/projectfolder/flashfiles/redox/home.ht

ml. This Department of Chemistry-Iowa State University managed website contains

several resourceful chemistry experimental simulations and conceptual computer

animations that students can use to learn through interactions, including tutorial.

Teacher will have students complete this activity in small groups of four and the

students are to use “write-pair-share” cooperative strategy to learn the “activity

series of metal” concept. This activity “Metals in aqueous solutions” simulation is

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for students to test several metals with different aqueous solutions. An example

includes: placing zinc metal in copper nitrate solution, Cu(NO3)2, to then observe

the behavior of the metal ions with respect to the activity series. Students will

write down ten equations in their journal as their group complete this activity.

Each group should call to the teacher’s attention to confirm completion when they

finish before logging of the class computer. This is to ensure that students stay on

task and completed the simulation activity.

Upon logging off, the teacher will hand out the worksheet (below) to the group to

discuss. Each student is to answer ALL the questions in their individual class

journal.

Real life metal activity series questions 1. The ancient Egyptians put gold and silver objects into tombs. a) Explain why people opening the tombs thousands of years later find the objects still in good condition. b) Explain why no iron objects are found in the tombs. 2. a) Which are attacked by acid rain more readily: (i) Lead gutters or (ii) Iron drain pipes? Explain your answer fully. b) Food cans are made of iron coated with tin. How does this help them to resist attack by the acids in food? 3. The following metals are listed in order of decreasing reactivity. X and Y are two unknown metals. K X Ca Mg Al Zn Y Fe Cu a) Will X reacts with cold water? b) Will Y reacts with cold water? c) Will Y react with dilute hydrochloric acid? Explain how you arrive at your answers.

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Evaluate

This assessment activity focuses on students to be able to predict the products of possible

reacting species, word equation, and balancing chemical equations. Students should know

about all the reaction types and the reactivity (also called activity) series.

Assessment: Complete and balance the reactions a) Magnesium bromide --> _________ + _________ (Write word equation) _________________ → ______________ + ___________ ( Write balanced equation) b) Potassium + aluminum nitrate → ________ + _________ (Write word equation) ___________ + _______ → _________ + ___________ (Write balanced equation) c) __F2(g) + __NaBr(aq) → _______ + __________ (Write balanced equation) ___________ + ___________ → _________ + ___________ (Write word equation)

Closure

Have a group discussion at the end and get feedback on what is going well and not at all

with the lessons. Encourage students to practice writing and balancing as many equations

as possible and collaborate with others outside the classroom to discuss and solve

chemical reaction problems together. Students should finish work that was not completed

in class and bring it to teacher for grades.

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Homework

Students are to complete this activity and bring it back to teacher for grade.

Homework Complete the products for the single replacement reaction below Cu + AgNO3 ---> _____ + _______ Fe + Cu(NO3)2 ---> ______ + ______ Ca + H2O ---> ________+ ______ Zn + HCl ---> ______ + _____ Zn + H2SO4 ---> Fe + CuSO4 ---> Cl2 + MgI2 --->

Al + Pb(NO3)2 ---> Cl2 + NaI ---> Fe + AgC2H3O2 ---> Al + CuCl2 ---> Br2 + CaI2 ---> Al + HCl ---> Mg + HCl --->

Teacher Reflection: Students are not reaching the point in class where much has been

said about chemical reactions, and they now like this topic or not. Usually, when

students are having fun completing the activities, they seldom get frustrated and bored

with learning the concept. The teacher should continue to encourage students to stay

on task in class and practice as much as possible when they get home. With learning of

chemical reaction, practice does make perfect. The concept of learning the activity

series is straightforward because the trend of the reaction is based off a chart to which

everyone has access. There is no need for students to study hard and memorize the

activity chart but they need to understand the phenomenon of which metal (or say a

halogen) is more reactive.

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Lesson Plan #8: How is the activity series applied to predict the products and write the equations for the single replacement reactions?

Lesson indicator: 4.4.2: The students will show that chemical reactions can be

represented by symbolic or word equations that specify all reactants and products

involved

NGSS Performance Expectation:

HS-PS1-2. Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical

reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and

knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties.

MS-PS1-2. Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the

substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

NGSS Dimension 1: Scientific and Engineering Practices

Developing and Using Models

o Modeling chemical reactions to predict and show relationships among

variables between systems and their components in the natural and

designed worlds.

o Develop a model based on evidence to illustrate the relationships between

systems or between components of a system. (HS-PS1-4)

o Develop a model to describe unobservable mechanisms. (MS-PS3-2)

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Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking

o Mathematical and computational thinking at the 9–12 level builds on K–8

and progresses to using algebraic thinking and analysis to write chemical

reactions and equations.

o Use mathematical representations of phenomena to support claims. (HS-

PS1-7)

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

o Constructing explanations and designing solutions that are supported by

multiple and independent student-generated sources of evidence consistent

with scientific ideas, principles, and theories.

o Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation of

phenomena (HS-PS1-5).

o Construct and revise an explanation based on valid and reliable evidence

obtained from a variety of sources (including students’ own investigations,

models, and simulations) as they did in the past and will continue to do so

in the future. (HS-PS1-2)

NGSS Dimension 2: Crosscutting Concepts

Patterns

o Different patterns may be observed at each of the scales at which a system

is studied and can provide evidence for causality in explanations of

phenomena. (HS-PS1-2), (HS-PS1-5)

274

Energy and Matter

o Changes of energy and matter in a system can be described in terms of

energy and matter flows into, out of, and within that system. (HS-PS1-4)

Stability and Change

o Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things

change and how they remain stable. (HS-PS1-6)

NGSS Dimension 3: Disciplinary Core Ideas

PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter

o The periodic table orders elements horizontally by the number of protons

in the atom’s nucleus and places those with similar chemical properties in

columns. The repeating patterns of this table reflect patterns of outer

electron states. (HS-PS1-2)

o Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process,

the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped into different

molecules, and these new substances have different properties from those

of the reactants. (MS-PS1-2), (MS-PS1-5)

PS1.B: Chemical Reactions

o Chemical processes can be understood in terms of the collisions of

molecules and the rearrangements of atoms into new molecules. (HS-PS1-

4), (HS-PS1-5)

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o The fact that atoms are conserved, together with knowledge of the

chemical properties of the elements involved, can be used to describe and

predict chemical reactions. (HS-PS1-2), (HS-PS1-7)

Objective: The students will be able to

perform the single replacement reaction lab

Applying the activity series

Content: Single replacement laboratory

Predict the position of metal on the activity series

Write lab report

Overarching question: How is the activity series for chemical substances determined?

Lesson Introduction: This lesson is almost entirely student driven and the teacher’s presence is

to facilitate smooth lab procedures and emphasis on safe operations. Students are to develop

the steps to conduct the lab and use their results to construct the activity series of metals. This

lesson is not only learning about the chemical reaction concept of single replacement

reactions. It includes predicting reactions, oxidation-reduction, and practical applications such

as galvanization. In the lab investigation, student will have seven different metals to determine

the relative reactivity through qualitative observations. The previous lesson built the

understanding of knowing the evidence of a reaction and what exactly is the concept of

reactivity series. The students have already studied in prior units and understand atomic

structure, the periodic table, bonding, and molecular structures.

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Rationale for warm up questions: This activity is to have students to think and recollect

what the learned from the previous class about the activity series. As a good learning

practice, the students are to continue writing and balancing equation.

Warm-up activity

Write the balanced equations and name the products for the reactions below

1. Potassium reacting with aqueous solution of calcium sulfite.

2. Silver reacting with aqueous solution of iron (II) nitrate

Engage

1. Quick concept review

General chemical knowledge activity

This activity is for student to reflect on certain chemical knowledge that will lead them

get ready for the single replacement lab activity.

Read and discuss the statement “Why it’s (chemical reaction) important” TB p.

276

Have each student to list 2 examples of chemical reactions.

Create a common list (on the board) from ALL students in class

Have students discuss and share why each is a chemical change.

2. Background knowledge for single replacement reaction

Have the students to read individual the paper provided about single replacement lab and

the teacher will pose questions to make sure that the class understand the process.

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Figure 13 Activity Series.

Exploration

Chemical reaction concept review activity

This activity is to have students prepare for the lab activity on single replacement lab.

1. Describe the processes observed on p. 62 Fig 3-8 (and discuss the “chemistry” with

other table members)

2. Symbols used in equations p. 278 (TB: Table 10.1). Create an equation that you to use

at least 2 symbols)

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3. Designing lab procedure for single replacement reaction.

Students will design the procedure to conduct the single replacement lab and

determine the activity for all the metals that were used for this lab. The

organization procedure for the lab will include access to materials they need and

necessary safety precautions.

4. Construction of chemical equations for the lab experiments

This lab entails students to conduct a series of lab experiments by mixing

different metals and solutions to then observe the change. Students should

develop a procedure that let them react all the six metals and the metal solutions

to determine which is either reactive.

Have students write out the word equations based on the different possibility of

reactions. This equation will only include the reactants since the outcome from

the reaction is unknown. An example is written as:

Lead + silver nitrate → _______ + ________

Have students to also write the skeletal equation for the reaction stated above.

From the example above, the equation will be as follows:

Pb(s) + AgNO3(aq) → ______ + _______

Ask the students to write both the word and symbol equations for all six

experiments that are to be performed in this lab.

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Challenges and misconception: In single replacement reaction, the atoms of one

element replace the atoms of another element in a compound. In this experiment

students add metal atoms (in solid physical state) into a test tube containing aqueous

solution of a compound that has the atoms that exist in solution as metallic ions.

Students often find it difficult to relate a metal atom of an element (that is in solid

state) to metal ion of an element (that is in the aqueous solution) for the reacting

species. There is a change in the physical state as the reaction proceeds (at the

macroscopic level), but the observed evidence is an appearance of different chemical

species. They have hard time deciphering what exactly the change is means in terms of

the reaction that has just occurred. Despite the direction of the observation (whether

the reaction occurred or did not occur), they find it challenging to write the chemical

equation especially when written in the form of an ionic equation. An example is Pb(s)

+ 2Ag+(aq) → Pb2+ +2 Ag(s). It is good practice to have lab activities like this single

replacement lab after teaching lessons that address “evidence of chemical reactions”,

“activity series”, and writing/ balancing chemical equations. Also, it is necessary to

emphasize the existence of atoms of an element in different forms of its physical state

and their chemical activities remaining the same.

Inquiry-based lab is a good teaching practice but it is time consuming and most

students try to take short-cuts and even manipulate their teammates to do most of the

work. It is therefore necessary to have them select and play distinct roles throughout

the experiment. Such roles include (but not limited to): a recorder, presenter, material

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handler, and a leader. They rotate and change their roles with new lab activities as a

way of have collective participation.

Explain

1. Performing single replacement lab activity

Students will be provided with all materials they need and to take all precaution to stay

safe throughout the process.

This is an inquiry-based lab. Students will follow the layout procedure to conduct

the lab. Students are reminded to use their conceptual understanding that illustrate

evidence of chemical reaction and taking recording of their observations very

seriously.

Lab materials

Figure 14 Materials for Single Replacement Lab.

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Data and Observations for lab activity: Students are to look for signs that a chemical

reaction is occurring:

Gas bubbles being produced

Temperature changes

Change in color

A solid precipitate forming

Solid disintegrating

Have students list out the all the experiments (preferably a chart) that were performed

and write their observations next to each other. This arrangement will present a visual

view to know whether the distinguished reactions did occur or not.

Reacting species Reaction Observations- indication of a chemical reaction

1 Pb(s) + AgNO3(aq)

White solution turns clear and turn to colorless solution

2 3 4 5 6

Inferencing from lab results: based on the observation it possible for students to know

whether there was a reaction in the test tube.

Ask students to construct a chart that list on the left side the equation and on the

right side are inferences from the observation. If no observation, it means no

reaction and then writes next to the equation “No reaction.” If a change was

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observed, it implies that there was a reaction and then writes next to it the

products that produced (based on your conceptual understanding of reaction).

Reacting species Reaction outcomes 1 Pb(s) + AgNO3(aq) Pb(NO3)2(aq) + Ag(s) 2 3 4 5 6

Data table: Analyzing Reactants vs. Product

Balance the chemical equations: those experimental settings with evidence of chemical

reaction.

Asked the students to complete and write complete balanced chemical equations

for all the lab results that showed evidences of chemical reaction to have

occurred. Example of the balanced equation will be as follows:

Reacting species Reaction outcomes 1 2Pb(s) + 2AgNO3(aq) Pb(NO3)2(aq) + 2Ag(s) 2 3 4 5 6

Data Table 4: Concluding Chemical Equation

Elaborate

Creating metal activity series for lab

1. Reactivity trend activity

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The students will thoroughly look at the series of experiments that were performed and

deduct from the trend to know which is most reactive among all the metals.

Ask students to construct a chart and go through the list of reacting species and

select the metal or metal ion that showed to be displaying all the other species.

Then continue to the look for the second metal or metal ion and go down the least

to the least reactive species. The chart will specify the reactant species and which

of the species was more reactive. The chart below shows how the reaction should

be organized.

Reacting species Symbol of more reactive species

Symbol of less reactive species

1 Pb(s) + AgNO3(aq) Pb Ag 2 3 4 5 6

Data table 5: Observing and Inferring

Writing a lab report activity: a lab experiment is accompanied by a lab report.

Have students follow the standard lab report form and write a lab report for the

experiment they just performed. The chemical equations included in the report

should be balanced and include the physical states of the chemical substances.

Comprehensive lab questions activity

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Students will be provided a worksheet that has “critical thinking” questions about

the lab to be completed in class. They are to attach the completed worksheet to

their completed lab report and turn it in for grade.

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Figure 15 Analysis Questions from Lab Performance.

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Evaluate

This is assessment focuses on the lesson activity that students just learned in last class but

it is also checking on writing and balancing chemical equations.

Assessment Answer all questions 1. Balance the equation and then name the chemical components in the reaction. ___Mg(s) +___AlCl3 (aq) → ___Al(s) + ___MgCl2(aq) __________ + __________ → __________ + _____________ (Names ) Write the balanced equations and name the products for the reactions below 2. Hydrochloric acid reacts with magnesium hydroxide solution 3. Complete and then explain the trend of the reaction: 4. Li(s) + ZnSO4(aq) → _________ + _______. 5. What are the types of reaction are taking place for question 1-4

Closure

Remind students to clean up after their mess, wash and secure the glassware and have

everything organized. Students are to complete activities they did not finish in class the

next day. Also, include interesting facts of the day: 10 things you don’t know about

Albert Einstein (https://goo.gl/am4yPQ). Have students visit this website and have

discussion on why they are relevant.

Homework

Single replacement wrap-up activity

This is activity that gives student the opportunity to practice a great portion of concepts

they learned about chemical reactions. In completing this homework, students will write

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the word equations for the products, write out the complete skeleton equations, balance

(by applying the law of conservation of mass), and determining the activity series of the

metals. Students will hand in the completed activity to the teacher in the next class for

grade. Also, remind the students to complete any missing activities, including the lab

report for the single replacement lab to hand to the teacher at the next class.

Single-Replacement Reactions: answer ALL question Step 1 - Write the formulas of the reactants on the left of the yield sign Step 2 - Look at the Activity Series (student textbook on page 288) to determine if the replacement can happen Step 3 - If the replacement can occur, complete the reaction and balance it. If the reaction cannot happen, write N.R. (no reaction) on the product side. 1. iron + aluminum oxide → 2. silver nitrate + nickel → 3. sodium bromide + iodine → 4. sodium iodide + bromine → 5. calcium + hydrochloric acid →

6. magnesium + nitric acid → 7. silver + sulfuric acid → 8. potassium + water → 9. sodium + water → 10. lead + zinc acetate → 11. aluminum bromide + chlorine →

Teacher Reflection: This lab experiment provides an opportunity for students to

appreciate learning chemical concept from the perspective of a scientist. There is more

collaboration as the students’ research and discuss the procedure, have conversations

on what they observed, and what that meant to what they are learning. After

performing this lab, students will leave the class with a better understanding of writing

and balancing chemical equations. The students are working with each other and

building an understanding for each other in the classroom. It also provides them to

perfect skills to be successful in real world that scientist experience. Concluding the

lab with section for critical thinking questions is great instructional strategy. The

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teacher can use this activity to know how the students understood the concept of single

replacement and how this is connected to other processes and systems. Metal activity

series has a lot of practical applications and it will establish the reason and implicitly

the importance for learning about chemical reaction.

What’s next- beyond chemical reactions?

Chemical reaction is one of the concepts in chemistry that students must

continuously practice how to write and balance equations. The past eight lessons have

focused on students learning about the qualitative aspect of chemical reaction which

includes the evidence, representation, and types of reactions, and writing and balancing

of equations. After accomplishing delivery for lessons on chemical reaction concept, the

next lessons will be about “mole- the mole relationship” concept and “stoichiometry”-the

last concept for unit three. There is a unit test that will assess students’ understanding of

the three major concepts that constitute what students are to know at the end of all the

lessons. To keep students connected to what they had learned on chemical reaction, it will

be a recommended practice for the teacher to include a few questions about chemical

reactions alongside other current concepts that students are learning in their homework

activity- throughout the rest of the lessons. The next subsequent concepts for unit three

(about Mole and stoichiometry) are directly related to chemical reactions and included

questions on chemical reaction concepts that will fit in with other questions on what they

are currently learning. The students will not see these questions on chemical reactions to

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be out of order but accept the reinforcement especially when the teacher had

communicated the reason.

Mole is a unit of measurement to supplement the use of grams for chemical

reactions while mole ratio (relationship) is relating two substances in a chemical

equation. Have students do activities that they begin by writing the word equation before

using their newly acquired knowledge on mole relationship. Stoichiometry is the

measurement unit for elements. It is the study of chemical quantities consumed or

produced in a chemical reaction. When teaching stoichiometry, include activities in the

lessons that the students will first have to balance the equation before finding the

quantitative values (which is the stoichiometry) for the chemical equation. For the

students to solve stoichiometric problem, they should first balance the equation before

finding the mole ratio and applying them to get the stoichiometric value for the chemical

equations. The teacher may plan for a total of twelve lessons to cover both mole and

stoichiometry concepts, then cover two more lessons to review and take the final unit test

assessment.

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REFERENCES

Bybee, R. W. (2013). Translating the NGSS for classroom instruction. 81(3), 82

Dingrando, L. (2002). Glencoe chemistry: Matter and change. New York, N.Y: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.

Houseal, A. K. (2016). A visual representation of three dimensional learning: A model for understanding the power of the framework and the NGSS. Electronic Journal of Science Education, 20(9), 1-7.

Januszyk, R., Miller, E., & Lee, O. (2014). NGSS case studies: Economically disadvantaged students developing conceptual models.

Miller, E., Januszyk, R., & Lee, O. (2015). NGSS IN ACTION. Science and Children, 53(2), 64-70. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1720442249?accountid=10457

Next Generation Science Standards for States, By States. (2013). Appendix D- "All Standards, All Students”: Making the Next Generation Science Standards Accessible to All Students. NGSS Release. () Retrieved from https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/Appendix%20D%20Diversity%20and%20Equity%206-14-13.pdf

Next Generation Science Standards for States, By States. (2013). Appendix I- Engineering Design in the NGSS. NGSS Release (PDF document). Retrieved from https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/Appendix%20I%20-%20Engineering%20Design%20in%20NGSS%20-%20FINAL_V2.pdf

School Improvement in Maryland. (2003). Using the Core Learning Goals: Science- Goal 4: Concepts of Chemistry (PDF document). Retrieved from http://mdk12.msde.maryland.gov/instruction/clg/chemistry/goal4.html

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Appendix F

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

This article focuses on developing formative assessments for chemical reaction

concepts and it is a process that teachers and students use during instruction to provide

feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning. It is used to improve students’

achievement and to make instructional decisions based on gains in class. The U.S.

Department of Education (2011) and others organizations suggested “Teachers use results

of assessment to determine whether they should move forward or recover, reteach,

review, or in general allocate more time to the content found to challenge students” (as

cited in Harshman & Yezierski, 2017, p. 103). The formative assessment is incorporated

in the lessons, alongside the right tools, resources, and pedagogy in the revised chemistry

curriculum to help achieve student learning outcomes. An accomplished teacher should

be able to identify the students’ current levels of achievement and attainment, and draft

instruction that best suit to build on students’ current capability (Brown, Afflerbach, &

Croninger, 2014). In completing this project, the formative assessment was perceived as

an active and intentional learning process that allows both the teacher and the students to

continuously and systematically gather evidence of learning with the goal of improving

student achievement.

Formative assessment sheds light on what the students know after the lesson but

does not provide information on how to reteach the concepts that were missed in the

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learning process. With a good understanding of what the students know and do not know

(with the use of formation assessment), the teacher is able to scaffold to new areas of

learning. Formative assessment leads to students’ improvement in curricular

understanding, when the challenges of the students are immediately highlighted and not

kept to be revealed at the end of the unit by summative assessment, long after

opportunities for improvement (Keller, 2017). Each assessment task in the chemical

reaction lessons is focused on a specific context with components that work together, to

either partially or fully assess a group of related standards. As stated in NCR, 2012b, the

use of these practices provide students the opportunity to apply skills and content of the

standards to the learning process. These assessment tasks provide an authentic check for

students’ understanding as they engage with content materials in practical and novel

learning opportunities in a cross-disciplinary approach (Achieve, Developing NGSS

Assessments, 2014). The teacher uses the criteria of the formative assessment to critique

the questions and plan better for next lessons to address students’ misconceptions. The

results from the assessment help teachers to spot both the strengths and weaknesses in

students’ understanding and thereafter modify their instruction accordingly.

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Inclusion of 3D Framework in lesson plans

The three dimensional (3D) framework of the Next Generation Science Standard

(NGSS) used in the chemistry lessons include: Science and Engineering Practices (SEP),

Crosscutting Concepts (CCC), and the Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI). The formative

assessment is either informally embedded in teachers’ daily practice or specifically

developed as formal written assessment to surface student engagement in 3D learning. In

order to make the goals of the NGSS a reality for our students, there should be a way to

assess whether students know and can do what is described in the NGSS (Sherdan et al,

2014). The NGSS originates from the document of the National Research Council (2013)

Framework for Science Education thrives from scientific investigations, and the models

and theories that scientists propose to explain scientific practices (Brown et al., 2014).

These standards have the potential to transform science education and produce students

who are not only college ready but have the skills and knowledge prepared for STEM

careers and are informed citizens.

The formative assessment opportunities are aligned with ideas of the 3D

framework of NGSS for chemistry, to demonstrate evidence of what students are

learning. This assessment provides a coherent picture of student understanding of DCIs,

CCCs, and SEPs, and it also guides the teacher to make better decision about the next

steps in instruction. There are many criteria that affect students’ performance on an item

in the assessment, such as the teacher’s lack of unclear illustrations or unfamiliar

language (DeBarger, Penuel, Harris, & Kennedy, 2016). One of the eight NGSS

practices, using mathematics and computational thinking, that is used in chemical

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reactions’ lessons has a greater depth of understanding for mathematics, science and

engineering that is integrated in these chemical reactions’ concepts.

Figure 16 Framework for Selective Assessment.

The three dimensional learning emphasized in National Research Council’s

(NRC, 2012) framework was used as a guide to select tasks for the formative assessment

in the lessons. The tasks for the assessment used in the lessons, were carefully selected

from a variety of sources based on guidelines that are emphasized in the research on the

3D framework of the NGSS to support active learning process. The formative assessment

include the following elements: Shared learning targets and criteria for success; Feedback

that feeds forward; Student self-assessment; Strategic teacher questions; and Student

engagement in asking effective questions (Smith, 2011). The tasks for students to

complete include: interactive online simulations; videos; research and presentation;

interactive worksheets; direct questions that are initiated, created and posed by students

to other students; and though- provoking questions from the teacher as curricular

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challenges present themselves. The elements in the assessment are solely for the learning

of the lesson’s objective and to engage students in the learning process.

The lessons’ formative assessment is presented below. Each lesson has a set of

performance tasks and direct question-activities for students to complete. The assessment

was embedded into warm-ups, instructions, teacher and/ or student-initiated discussions,

and a variety of curricular activities that students complete in class and extended

activities for homework. The components for the formative assessment focus on the

lesson’s objectives and are arranged in a progressive manner, using the 5E lesson model.

In a lesson, the performance tasks and formative assessment under each of the 5E

model’s phases (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate) are analyzed for how

they meet up with the 3D framework. Students have access to online activities and are

often working in groups, investigating, exploring, discussing, providing explanation to

support their research, sharing ideas and presenting their projects to others in class.

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Lesson 1: What is a chemical reaction?

Objectives: The students will be able to

● define a chemical reaction ● represent chemical reaction in word equations ● describe law of conservation of mass (during chemical reactions) ● formulate the parts of a chemical reaction

Overarching question: How does a chemical equation show evidence of a chemical change qualitatively and quantitatively?

5E Phase

Performance Tasks Formative Assessment NGSS 3D Framework

Warm-up

What is a chemical reaction activity?

To investigate the parts of photosynthesis reaction as an example of a chemical process

Answer all questions

1. Use an example to describe a chemical change.

2. Write the word equation for the process of photosynthesis

3. Why is “the process photosynthesis” considered to a chemical reaction?

SEP:

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

DCI:

Interpret the part of an equation

Explore

Law of conservation of mass activity.

Conservation of mass models to investigate Law of

A&D Statements to elicit students ideas like:

Mass is lost during chemical reactions.

SEP:

Developing and using models; Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking.

DCI:

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Conservation of mass.

Group of four construct poster on scientific contributions to Law of Conservation of mass.

_agree_/_disagree_/_not sure_/_It depends on_

Chemical reactions

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Explain Using equation symbol practice activity

Using “make meaning” vocabulary strategy to understand chemical key terms.

Guided practice to write chemical equations.

Using the Whiteboarding Technique.

Small group of three students.

Write the skeleton equations for each of the following chemical reactions:

1. When fluorine gas is heated with calcium metal at high temperature to calcium fluoride powder.

2. When sodium metal reacts with iron (II) chloride, iron metal and sodium chloride are formed.

3. Aluminum reacts with oxygen to produce aluminum oxide.

4. When isopropanol (C3H8O) burns in oxygen, carbon dioxide and water are produced.

I. Teacher to ask each group to write the answer for only question 3 on the whiteboard, present and explain the equation.

II. Use response from I above, discuss and answer the question: Why is question 3 considered a chemical reaction?

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

CCC:

Energy and Matter;

Stability and Change.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical reaction

Evaluate

Characteristics of chemical reaction Activity

Atoms and molecules reacting models.

Answer all the questions.

1. Explain the difference between reactant and products.

2. Write the skeletal equation for carbon and sulfur reacting.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

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Establishing mathematical relationship for masses of reactants vs. products of chemical reactions.

Exit Slip technique

3. Is water running down a fall a chemical reaction? Explain!

4. Calculate the mass of the product of 7.40 g of calcium with 1.32 g of oxygen.

5. Compare a skeleton equation and a chemical equation.

Ask each student to define/describe chemical equation using their own words (class debriefs).

CCC:

Patterns;

Energy and Matter

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical reactions

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Lesson 2: What is the evidence of a chemical reaction?

Objective: The students will be able to

● describe evidence of chemical reactions ● write word equation for simple chemical reactions

convert word equation to skeletal equations

Overarching question: How does a chemical equation show evidence of a chemical change qualitatively and quantitatively?

5E Phase Content Activities Formative Assessment NGSS #D Framework

Warm-up Evidence of a chemical reaction activity.

Illustrating phenomenon of chemical changes in our everyday life.

Answer all questions

1. What is the chemical formula for “glucose”?

2. Why is glucose considered to be an important molecule in life of animals? Explain your response.

3. What is the name for the biochemical process that is taking place this molecule inside the body of the animal?

SEP:

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical Reactions.

Explain Connecting evidence to word equation activity

Use presented samples and the internet to research and discuss photos/ visuals for evidence of chemical

Answer the following questions and provide evidence where necessary to support your answer.

5. What reactant is always needed for a combustion reaction to take place? What are the two products that are

SEP:

Developing and building Models;

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

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reactions in the local community.

Group presentation for findings on evidence of chemical reactions.

Building word equation models for chemical reactions and sharing examples with class/ teacher.

always produced in the complete combustion of an organic fuel?

6. What three elements are produced in the decomposition of sodium sulfate?

7. What four elements are needed to run the synthesis reaction that forms the ionic compound ammonium sulfate?

8. What does the activity series show? What is the rule of thumb that you should remember when looking at the activity series?

CCC:

Energy and matter.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical Reactions.

Explain Review equation activity

Using audio learning approach on evidence of chemical reactions.

Online practice exercise to identify occurrence of a chemical reaction.

Write the word equation for the following balanced reactions:

5) 2 Mg (s) + O2 (g) 2 MgO (s)

6) HCl (aq) + NaOH (aq) H2O (l) + NaCl (aq)

7) 2 NH4NO3 (s) 2 N2 (g) + O2 (g) + 4 H2O(g)

8) NaOH (aq) + AgNO3 (aq) AgOH (s) + NaNO3

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking.

DCI:

Chemical Reactions.

Elaborate Household chemical reaction activity.

Complete the activity below: SEP:

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Perform visual laboratory practice for household chemical reactions called the “Baggie Chemistry.”

Use web browser software to collect experiment data.

Write the chemical equation for carbon burning in a pool of oxygen gas, to form carbon dioxide.

a) In words equation.

b) Using symbols (skeleton) equation.

c) Balance the equation.

2. Why is it important that a chemical reaction be balanced?

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

CCC:

Pattern;

Energy and Matter;

Stability and Change

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter

Chemical Reactions

Evaluate Writing word equation activity

Modeling the process and parts of chemical reactions.

The bio-chemical relationship of the human body and chemical reactions.

Answer all the questions below

1. Write the word equation for the reaction of glucose (that takes place) inside the muscle cell of an athlete (cross-country runner) before participating in a state tournament.

2. Identify the reactants vs. product of the reaction.

3. Why is this process of great importance to this participant?

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

CCC:

Energy and Matter;

Stability and Change.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter

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Inferences chemical representations and systemic processes.

Collaborative Clued Corrections Technique

All students sitting on their assign seats in class.

4. Write the word equation for cesium metal burning in oxygen to produce cesium oxide powder.

I. Teacher review sample collected at the end (and this assessment is limited to just questions 1 & 2 above).

II. Explain the “Evidence of chemical reaction” in question 1.

Chemical Reactions.

Home-work

Extension: writing word equation activity.

Using symbols of chemical equations.

Reinforce writing word equations.

Write the word equation for the following chemical reactions

1. Solid calcium carbonate reacts with hydrochloric acid [HCl(aq)] to yield aqueous calcium chloride, carbon dioxide gas, and liquid water

2. Aqueous sodium chloride reacts with aqueous lead (II) nitrate to yield a lead (II) chloride precipitate and aqueous sodium nitrate.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

CCC:

Stability and Change

DCI:

Chemical Reactions

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Lesson 3: How are reactants and products of chemical reactions represented in equations?

Objective: The students will be able to

convert word equations into skeletal equations

differentiate reactants from products as 2 parts of equations

Write simple chemical equations

Balance simple chemical equations

Overarching question: How is a chemical reaction best written in the skeletal equation form by using chemical formulae to replace word descriptions for the process?

5E Phase Content Activities Formative Assessment NGSS 3D Framework

Warm-up Writing word & skeletal equations activity.

Representing chemical reactions in word form of equations.

Applying the concept of balancing an equation.

Answer all questions

1. Iron is burn in a container of chlorine to produce iron III chloride.

a) Write the word equation for this reaction

b) Write the skeletal equation for this reaction

c) Write the balance equation for the reaction above and explain why it is now said to be balanced.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical Reactions.

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Engage Representing chemical reaction practice activity.

Guided practice of writing chemical reactions.

The Agreement circles technique: in small group of three students.

Each member in the group of three answer one question (from Practice Problem above), share and discuss answer to either agree or disagree.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

DCI:

Chemical Reactions

Explore Writing word equation activity.

Use knowledge of the chemical properties for elements to write skeletal equations.

Applying the Law of Conservation of Mass to balance chemical equations.

Substitute symbols and formulas for words, and then balance each equation.

1. sodium chloride + lead (II) nitrate → lead (II) chloride + sodium nitrate

2. iron + chlorine → iron (III) chloride

3. barium + water → barium hydroxide + hydrogen

4. When chlorine gas reacts with methane, carbon tetrachloride and hydrogen chloride are produced.

5. When sodium oxide is added to water, sodium hydroxide is produced.

6. In a blast furnace, iron (III) oxide and carbon monoxide gas produce carbon dioxide gas and iron.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking.

CCC:

Energy and Matter.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical Reactions.

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7. Iodine crystals react with chlorine gas to produce iodine trichloride.

Explain Write & balance chemical equation activity.

Watching online visuals on variety of chemical reactions to generate group discussions.

Independent practice on writing and balancing equations.

Familiar Phenomenon Probes Technique

Small group collaboration to solve practice problem.

I. All group members to discuss, answer question 5 above, and present solution on the white board. II. What features used to represent a chemical equation?

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

CCC:

Energy and Matter;

Stability and Change.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter.

Chemical Reactions.

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Evaluate

Writing skeleton equation practice Activity.

PhET simulation practice on balancing chemical equations.

Whole class watching TED Ed video on chemical equations and followed by teacher-moderated discussion.

Answer ALL the questions and show your work. 1a. Check if this reaction is possible per the activity series. Explain! __Cu(s) + __AgNO3(aq) ---> __Ag(s) + __Cu(NO3)2(aq).

1b. Balance the equation for the above reaction.

2. Write, balance, and state the reaction type for the equations for each of the reactions stated below:

a. When sodium oxide is added to water, sodium hydroxide is produced.

b. In a blast furnace, iron (III) oxide and carbon monoxide gas produce carbon dioxide gas and iron.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

CCC:

Energy and Matter;

Stability and Change.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical Reactions.

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Home-work

Extension: Writing chemical formula practice activity.

Review the electron structure, common ions and chemical bonds for ionic compounds.

Combination of oppositely charged particles and neutral compounds models.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

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Lesson 4: How are chemical reactions classified?

Objective: The students will be able to

Describe the general types of chemical reactions

Identify the characteristics of each reaction type

Formulate examples for each reaction type

Write and balance all reaction types

Overarching question: What are the different types of chemical reactions and what are the general characteristics for each of these chemical reactions?

5E Phase Content Activities Formative Assessment NGSS 3D Framework

Warm-up Chemical formulae and balancing equations activity.

Application of Law of Conservation of mass.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical Reactions.

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Explore Reaction-type practice activity.

Investigating the characteristic of chemical equation and generating group discussions on how to balance equations.

Apply the algebraic coefficient model to balance chemical equations.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking.

CCC:

Stability and Change.

DCI:

Chemical Reactions.

Explain Naming ionic compound activity.

Initiate using the Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) approach to classify chemical reactions.

Independent interactive online practice to use polyatomic ions to build up and name ionic compounds.

Name the compounds below

Have students work with other group members to check the answers of other members for the compound PbO2 only and will provide feedback for on their paper. This

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking.

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Explanation analysis Technique

In small group of three students.

is a teacher-led feedback activity on how to name compounds.

Elaborate .Balancing equation and stating reaction types activity

Using video simulation on balancing chemical equations.

Applying the “Shall we dance” POGIL model to demonstrate types of chemical reactions.

Have small group settings to discuss and use video examples to solve balancing problems.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical Reactions.

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Evaluate Balancing chemical equation Practice Problem activity.

Independent online practice to write chemical formulae for a variety of ionic compounds.

Predicting products of reacting systems based on oxidations state model and rearrangement patterns for ions.

Think-Pair-Share Technique.

Small group of three

Write and balance the equation for the following reactions.

1. Solid Calcium oxide reacts with water to form aqueous calcium hydroxide solution.

2. Solid ammonium nitrate decomposing to form dinitrogen gas and steam.

3. Silver nitrate(aq) + Copper(s) → __ + __ (Complete if possible, and then balance the equation)

I. Group members will discuss and answer question 2 above only (on a sheet of paper). II. What type of reaction is question 3? Explain!

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

CCC:

Energy and Matter;

Stability and Change.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical Reactions.

Home-work

Write & balance chemical equation activity

Extension practice on balancing chemical equations.

Balance the following reactions – be sure to copy them correctly into your problem set…

1. C2H6 (g) + O2 (g) CO2 (g) + H2O (g) .2. NaCl (aq) + Pb(NO3)2 (aq) NaNO3 (aq) + PbCl2 (s)

Ca (s) + H2O (l) Ca(OH)2 + H2 (g)

Cu (s) + S6 (g) CuS (s)

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical Reactions.

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Lesson 5: How do you write and balance simple chemical equations?

Objective: The students will be able to

write chemical reactions in both words and skeletal form

write simple and complex chemical equations

balance all types of chemical equations

Overarching question: What is the procedure to write and balance chemical equations?

5E Phase Performance Activities Formative Assessment NGSS 3D Framework

Warm-up

&

Engage

Descriptive chemical equation activity.

Reviewing practice on placing coefficients and balancing chemical equation.

Understanding chemical reactions activity.

Answer all questions

1. 2Al2O3 → 6Al + 3O2

Describe the chemical reaction shown above for aluminum oxide. Check to see if it is balanced, otherwise, balance the equation above.

2. What is missing in the equation above? Explain!

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter

Chemical Reactions

315

Explore Balance equation practice activity.

Online practice on how to predict products for reacting systems.

Watch video on naming covalent compounds and balance equations.

The “Partner Speak” technique in a small group of four.

Ask students to each answer only question 4 above, then pair up, and later the pair share their partner’s idea with all members in the small group.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

CCC:

Energy and Matter;

Stability and Change.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter

Chemical Reactions.

Explain Equation practice activity.

Watch video on how to write and balance chemical reactions.

Students work in small groups to develop steps

Write the balanced equation to show the reactions

1. Solid ammonium nitrate decomposing to gaseous dinitrogen oxide and water vapor.

2. Liquid carbon disulfide reacts with oxygen gas, producing carbon dioxide gas and sulfur dioxide gas.

3. Hydrogen reacting with chlorine.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

316

on how to balance chemical equations.

Groups apply developed steps to balance equations activity and later share with other groups.

The “Juicy questions” technique.

I. Ask each small group team to use the “Juicy questions” technique to discuss and to list all concepts that will help group to answer question 2 above.

II. Write the balanced equation for question 2 above.

CCC:

Pattern;

Energy and Matter;

Stability and Change.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter

Chemical Reactions.

Elaborate Writing chemical equation activity.

Teacher moderated class discussion on “Steps to balance” chemical equations.

“I think-we think” technique

1. Is the following equation balanced? If not, correct the coefficients.

K2CrO4(aq) + Pb(NO3)2(aq) → PbCrO4(s) + 2KNO3(aq)

Name a) the reactants and b) the products for the reaction above

I. Have each student create two-column sheet of paper and record ideas to answer question 1 above.

II. Record ideas from discussion as the whole class group discuss how to balance the equation for question 1.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

Constructing Explanation and Designing Solutions.

CCC:

Stability and Change.

DCI:

317

Structure and Properties of Matter

Chemical Reactions.

Elaborate Tracing reaction pathway activity.

Complete simulation on chemical equation using the Khan Academy online interactivity site.

Complete the questions and show your work

When nitric acid (HNO3) is added to a solid piece of copper, a brown noxious gas called nitrogen dioxide is produced along with hydrogen gas and a solution of copper (II) nitrate.

6) Write the word equation for the statement above.

7) Write the unbalanced formula equation.

8) Count the atoms for each element as a reactant (make a table)

9) Count the atoms for each element as a product (make a table)

10) Balance the reaction.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking.

CCC:

Stability and Change.

DCI:

Chemical Reactions.

Evaluate Writing & balancing chemical equations activity.

Group practice writing and balancing equations and sharing of the methods used on the

Answer all questions

1. Balance the equation: __Na + __H2O → __NaOH + __H2

Write the balanced equation for the following chemical reactions

2. Boron burning in oxygen gas to produce boron oxide

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

CCC:

318

problems with the class and teacher.

Individual simulation practice to decipher products from reactants in reacting systems, based on valence-electrons model

Points of Most Significance (POMS) Technique.

3. Calcium reacting with iron (II) nitrate.

4. Lithium reacting with magnesium sulfite.

5. Nickel (II) hydroxide decomposing to produce nickel (II) oxide and water

I. Each student to write three ideas (or steps) used to balance the equation for question 4 above.

II. Write the balanced equation for question 4.

Energy and Matter;

Stability and Change.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical Reactions.

Home-work

Writing balanced equation activity.

Review practice to reinforce word equations continuation to balance chemical equations.

Complete the questions and show your work

Write a balanced chemical reaction for the following word equations.

1) Potassium chlorate decomposes to form potassium chloride and oxygen.

2) Aqueous solutions of copper (II) nitrate and sodium hydroxide react to form solid copper (II) hydroxide and a solution of sodium nitrate.

3) Diphosphorous tetrabromide reacts with fluorine gas to produce diphosphorous tetrafluoride and liquid bromine.

4) Octane (C8H12) and oxygen react to produce carbon dioxide and water.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

CCC:

Energy and Matter;

Stability and Change.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical Reactions.

319

320

Lesson 6: How do you write and balance simple and complex chemical equations?

Objective: The students will be able to

write all simple and complex chemical equation

describe neutralization as an acid-base reaction

balance all types of chemical equations

Overarching question: Which are the steps you will use to write and balance chemical equations?

5E Phase Performance Activities Formative Assessment NGSS Framework

Warm-up Writing and balancing chemical equations activity.

Discuss evidence of chemical reactions and its representations using word/skeletal equation models.

Apply coefficient role for both reactants vs. products to balance chemical equations.

Answer the question

Some grey magnesium ribbon was added to colorless dilute hydrochloric acid. The metal dissolves producing magnesium chloride and produces some hydrogen gas.

Write the word equation, skeleton equation and the balanced equation the chemical reaction.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

CCC:

Stability and Change.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical Reactions.

321

Engage

Balancing chemical equation activity.

Using a JavaScript enabled web browser to practice balancing chemical equations.

Applying coefficient ratio model to balance reacting “reactants vs. products” components.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking.

DCI:

Chemical Reactions.

Explore Balancing chemical equation activity.

Students watch online video on reaction types basing distinction on reaction’s products.

Small group practice and discussion on using chemical formulae in equations.

Focused Listing Technique in a small group of 3.

I. Ask group members to list concepts, scientific terminology, ideas, skills, procedures to use in completing question 2. II. Write the chemical equation for question 2.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

CCC:

Stability and Change.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical Reactions.

322

Explain Modeling “neutralization” reactions activity.

Small groups’ discussion on reactions’ steps and create practical approach to write balanced chemical equations.

No-Hands Questioning Technique.

The teacher poses a question from the table above (on neutralization reaction) and call on students randomly. Everyone needs to be ready to share his or her ideas.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

CCC:

Patterns;

Energy and Matter;

Stability and Change.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical Reactions.

323

Elaborate Balancing world-reaction activity.

Complete PhET simulation practice to practice writing chemical formulae and equations and to balance equations.

Guide Reciprocal Peer Questioning technique.

Ask the students to question each other about the content on writing and balancing equations for question 2 above.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical reactions.

Evaluate Write & balance chemical equations activity.

Watch video on the different reaction types and unique features for each of the chemical reactions.

Answer all the questions

1. Write the chemical equation for nickel (II) hydroxide decomposing to produce nickel (II) oxide and water

2. What is the name for the reaction type that one substance breaks down into two or more substances?

3. Complete and balance the equation: Fluorine (g) + Iron(s) → Iron (III) fluoride(s)

Ask the small group of three use similar aspect of iron rust to write and balance chemical equations for question 3 above.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

CCC:

Energy and Matter

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

324

Familiar phenomenon probes technique

Chemical reactions

Home-work

Intro to Metal Activity Series activity.

Independence practice to further write and balance chemical equations.

Research basis of the activity series and how to predict products of reactions.

I. Use your activity series to determine which reactants will react:

d) Na (s) + HCl (aq) or H2 (g) + NaCl (aq)

e) Mg (s) + NaCl (aq) or Na (s) + MgCl2 (aq)

f) Au (s) + FeCl3 (aq) or Fe (s) + AuCl (aq)

II. Why do gold occur native (uncombined) whereas zinc does not?

III. Here is a list of metals in order of decreasing reactivity. Q and R are mystery metals.

K > Q > Ca > Mg > Al > Zn > R > Fe > Cu

d) Will Q react with cold water? d) Will R react with cold water?

e) Will R react with dilute hydrochloric acid?

f) Will R displace copper from copper sulphate solution?

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

CCC:

Patterns;

Energy and Matter.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical reactions.

325

Lesson 7: How do you investigate the activity series in chemical reactions?

Objective: The students will be able to

investigate the reactivity activity series

apply the activity series to how metal ions react

predict and write the balanced replacement equations

write and balance all types of chemical equations

Overarching question: How does a chemical equation show evidence of a chemical change qualitatively and quantitatively?

5E Phase Performance Activities Formative Assessment NGSS 3D Framework

Warm-up Predicting chemical reaction activity.

Research to understand the concept of activity series.

Answer the questions

1. Predict if the chemical reaction will occur, balance and then explain to support your choice. __Ba(s) + __H2O(l) → _Ba(OH)2 (s) + __H2(g) _______ + _________ ___________ + ______ . Why/ why not? What is this type reaction called (and then balance the equation)? 2. Write the word equation for reaction above in #1

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

CCC:

Energy and Matter.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical reactions.

326

Engage Writing chemical equation activity.

Small group discussion on writing and balancing chemical equations.

Group presentation and sharing of completed activity.

Answer ALL the questions: write and balance the equations

1. Some zinc metal is added to copper (11) sulphate solution. The zinc becomes coated with copper and colorless zinc sulphate solution is produced.

2. Some colorless hydrogen gas is mixed with colorless oxygen gas. The mixture is sparked and it explodes producing steam which condenses to liquid water.

3. Magnesium ribbon is burnt in carbon dioxide gas. It burns splattering as it goes. Black carbon is produced and some magnesium oxide solid

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

CCC:

Energy and Matter.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical reactions.

Explain Applying activity series activity.

Watch video on activity series and have a discussion on how metals behave on the activity chart.

SEP:

Using Mathematics Explanations and Computational Thinking..

CCC:

Patterns;

Energy and Matter.

DCI:

327

Fact first questioning technique (to grow knowledge base).

Have group members to develop higher order question of “what”, “how” or “why” about concepts in the table above.

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical reactions.

Elaborate Activity Series simulation practice.

Video simulation on reactivity series for variety of metal and use the stump-your-partner group strategy.

Have each group member create one challenging question to generate group discussion with other members in the group.

Each small group applies the concept of the activity series to an interactive online practice problem.

Real life metal activity series questions

1. The ancient Egyptians put gold and silver objects into tombs.

a) Explain why people opening the tombs thousands of years later find the objects still in good condition.

b) Explain why no iron objects are found in the tombs.

2. a) Which are attacked by acid rain more readily:

(i) Lead gutters or (ii) Iron drain pipes? Explain your answer fully.

b) Food cans are made of iron coated with tin. How does this help them to resist attack by the acids in food?

3. The following metals are listed in order of decreasing reactivity. X and Y are two unknown metals.

K X Ca Mg Al Zn Y Fe Cu a) Will X reacts with cold water?

SEP: Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

CCC:

Patterns;

Energy and Matter.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical reactions.

328

b) Will Y reacts with cold water?

c) Will Y react with dilute hydrochloric acid? Explain how you arrive at your answers.

Evaluate Predict chemical reaction activity.

Independence practice simulation to predict products of chemical reacting system.

Muddiest Point Technique.

Complete the reactions and balance the equations.

Ask students to jot down what is the most difficult or confusing part of questions in above assessment activity.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

CCC:

Patterns;

Energy and Matter.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical reactions.

Home-work

Writing Single Replacement activity.

Extended individual practice on how to predict products based on the activity series.

Complete the products for the single replacement reaction below

Cu + AgNO3 ---> _____ + _______ Fe + Cu(NO3)2 ---> ______ + ______ Ca + H2O ---> ________+ ______

Al + Pb(NO3)2 --->

Cl2 + NaI --->

Fe + AgC2H3O2 --->

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

CCC:

329

Lesson 8: How is the activity series applied to predict the products and write the equations for the single replacement reactions?

Objective: The students will be able to

perform the single replacement reaction lab

Applying the activity series

Overarching question: How is the activity series for chemical substances determined?

5E Phase Performance Activities

Formative Assessment NGSS Framework

Warm-up General chemical knowledge activity.

Investigate the chemical formulae model and how it is

Write the balanced equations and name the products for the reactions below

1. Potassium reacting with aqueous solution of calcium sulfite.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking.

DCI:

Zn + HCl ---> ______ + _____

Zn + H2SO4 --->

Fe + CuSO4 --->

Cl2 + MgI2 --->

Al + CuCl2 --->

Br2 + CaI2 --->

Al + HCl --->

Mg + HCl --->

Patterns;

Energy and Matter.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical reactions.

330

applied to complex ionic compounds.

2. Silver reacting with aqueous solution of iron (II) nitrate

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical reactions.

Explain Performing single replacement lab- observation activity.

Each small group discusses and produces a list for evidence of chemical reactions.

SEP:

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

CCC:

Patterns.

DCI:

Chemical reactions.

Explain Performing single replacement lab- writing reaction outcomes activity.

Apply clues from experimental observations to predict products based on the activity series chart.

SEP:

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

CCC:

Patterns;

Energy and Matter.

DCI:

331

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical reactions.

Explain Balance the chemical equations activity.

Group members discuss and apply the coefficient ratios for both the reactants and products to get equation balanced.

Traffic Light Cups Technique

I. Ask student to individually complete question 2 above. II. Ask student to individually complete question 3 above

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

CCC:

Patterns;

Energy and Matter.

DCI:

Chemical reactions.

332

Elaborate Performing single replacement lab- predicting activity series.

Apply inferences from reaction results to create a reactivity chart for the lab experiment.

Use concept card mapping assessment- to think and connect.

SEP:

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

CCC:

Patterns;

Energy and Matter.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical reactions.

333

Comprehensive lab questions activity.

Apply knowledge of both the activity series for metal and position of metal on the Periodic Table to answer questions about the performed lab.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

CCC:

Patterns;

Energy and Matter.

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical reactions.

Real world application activity

334

Evaluate Activity Series for chemical reaction activity.

Group discussion on generated conclusion and how the generated ideas help to guide solve problems.

Collaborative clued corrections technique.

Small group of three students.

I. Ask group to review selected sample-assignment for above questions (worksheet) that include common errors from students but contain teacher’s comments. II. Make corrections and then provide the answers.

SEP:

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking;

Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions.

CCC:

Patterns;

Energy and Matter

DCI:

Structure and Properties of Matter;

Chemical reactions

335

Home-work

Extension: Single-Replacement Reactions activity.

Extended individual activity on how to use the activity series, write and balance variety of chemical equations.

336

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Brown, N., Afflerbach, P., & Croninger, R. (2014). Assessment of critical-analytic thinking. Educational Psychology Review, 26(4), 543-560. doi:10.1007/s10648-014-9280-4

Brownstein, E. M., & Horvath, L. (2016). Next generation science standards and edTPA: Evidence of science and engineering practices. Electronic Journal of Science Education, 20(4), 44-62.

Bryce, C. M., Baliga, V. B., Nesnera, K. L. D., Fiack, D., Goetz, K., Tarjan, L. M., . . . Gilbert, G. S. (2016). Exploring models in the biology classroom. American Biology Teacher (University of California Press), 78(1), 35-42.

DeBarger, A. H., Penuel, W. R., Harris, C. J., & Kennedy, C. A. (2016). Building an assessment argument to design and use next generation science assessments in efficacy studies of curriculum interventions. American Journal of Evaluation, 37(2), 174-192. doi:10.1177/1098214015581707

Developing assessments for NGSS--new publication from national academies press. (2014). NSTA Express.

Fumagalli, M. (2016). Crafting a masterpiece. Science Teacher, 83(5), 59-60.

Gupta, K. (2016). Assessment as learning. Science Teacher, 83(1), 43-47.

Harshman, J., & Yezierski, E. (2017). Assessment data-driven inquiry: A review of how to use assessment results to inform chemistry teaching. Science Educator, 25(2), 97-107.

Hartmeyer, R., Stevenson, M. P., & Bentsen, P. (2016). Evaluating design-based formative assessment practices in outdoor science teaching. Educational Research, 58(4), 420-441. doi:10.1080/00131881.2016.1237857

Keeley, P. (2016). Science formative assessment: 75 practical strategies for linking assessment, instruction, and learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

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Keller, C. (2017). Using formative assessment to improve microscope skills among urban community college general biology I lab students. Journal of College Science Teaching, 46(3), 11-18.

LaDue, N., Libarkin, J., & Thomas, S. (2015). Visual representations on high school biology, chemistry, earth science, and physics assessments. Journal of Science Education & Technology, 24(6), 818-834. doi:10.1007/s10956-015-9566-4

National Research Council (U.S.)., Committee on a Conceptual Framework for New K-12 Science Education Standards,,. (2012). A framework for K-12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas.

Schultz, E. (2008). Dynamic reaction figures: An integrative vehicle for understanding chemical reactions. Journal of Chemical Education, 85(3), 386-392. doi:10.1021/ed085p386

Sherdan, D., Anderson, A., Rouby, A., LaMee, A., Gilmer, P. J., & Oosterhof, A. (2014). Including often-missed knowledge and skills in science assessments. Science Scope, 38(1), 56-62.

Smith, L. G. (2011). Advancing formative assessment in every classroom: A guide for instructional leaders. School Administrator, 68(6), 49-49.

Vachliotis, T., Salta, K., & Vasiliou, P. (2011). Exploring novel tools for assessing high school students' meaningful understanding of organic reactions. Journal of Chemical Education, 88(3), 337-345. doi:10.1021/ed9000415

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Appendix G

PROFESSIONAL FEEDBACK ON DEVELOPED UNIT

The purpose of this paper is to report on feedback solicited from teachers who

teach chemistry in Cecil County Public Schools on the newly revised chemical reactions

lessons. The voluntary participants had spent many years in this school district. They

knew the district content material for chemistry and were familiar with the needs of

students in chemistry classrooms. Obtaining feedback from this group of participants on

the revised lessons was important because these chemistry teachers could influence the

adoption of the revised unit on chemical reactions and were potential users of unit.

Calkins and Ehrenworth (2016) emphasized the importance of teacher collaboration and

noted, “Standards provide a starting place for schoolwide conversation about an

alignment of expectations and curriculum” (p. 12). It was likely that the participation of

chemistry teachers in reviewing the lessons on chemical reactions would promote a

discussion on the progression of skill development and on the way the process of

teaching and learning chemistry builds across all the units. The analyzed data from the

teacher survey were used to refine the chemical reactions lesson. Upon completion, the

final document will be presented to the science coordinator and back again to all the

chemistry teachers to pilot the lessons with students in their respective classrooms.

339

Method

Participants

In early spring of the 2017 academic year, and with approval from the school

districts, this ELP project was presented to science teachers in an all-county in-service

professional development. During this professional development session, I had the

opportunity to meet face to face with my colleagues to address issues of concern for

chemistry (and non-chemistry) teachers, including both middle school and high school

teachers. A productive discussion addressed the flow of curricular concepts as students’

transit from middle school science to chemistry in high school, with a significant focus

on the components of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) that have to be

included in the lessons. Teachers were informed that the eight lessons and six open-ended

questions were to be displayed on the district Science Blackboard website for group

discussion. The eight lessons were shared on a voluntary basis with the district’s nine

chemistry teachers to determine who would be asked to work on separate sections. The

distribution of the review task was intended to lessen the burden on teachers given their

already busy schedules. Distinctive combinations of lessons were then sent to all

chemistry teachers using the district e-mail system to individually review and provide

their feedback through the Qualtrics Software system.

Survey Questions

The following questions were shared with teachers to guide their review of the

chemical reactions lessons:

340

1. Do you foresee your students being engaged in completing the suggested

activities as envisioned in this lesson or not? Explain your answer.

2. Consider the lesson’s suggested activities and comment on whether there are

too many, or appropriate for a daily chemistry lesson? Based on your response, describe

what could be added, reinforced or eliminated.

3. What do you like most about the suggested activities and the lesson as a whole?

4. What tools, resources and/or teaching strategy you would like to see changed

and/or revised in this lesson plan.

5. In your view, does this lesson include the styles and features (tools, resources,

and education principles) of the 21st century that teachers are expected to address in their

lesson plans?

6. If this lesson is implemented as planned, do you think it will affect student

performance in or attitude towards chemistry? In what way(s) - explain.

Responses provided by each teacher were limited to the lessons they had

volunteered to review. Their comments for each of the questions were compiled and

analyzed using qualitative analysis techniques, as shown in the next section. Kepenekci

and Aslan contended that content analysis is the most rapidly developing qualitative

method and is more useful when participants have diverse thoughts, intentions, mental

perceptions, and comments (as cited in Memduhoglu, 2016). The analyzed data for the

feedback were presented in a table format of three columns that highlighted tools,

resources, best practices, and teaching and learning strategies that were perceived to be

(a) strengths, (b) weaknesses, and (c) what needs to be improved/changed. To analyze the

341

data, words, phrases, sentences, and views were placed into categories based on their

content similarities and then taken as positive, negative, or unbiased according to the

qualities (Memduhoglu, 2016).

Data Analysis and Commentary

Nine chemistry teachers and the coordinator for the Science & STEM program for

the district voluntarily participated by accepting to read and provide professional

feedback for the lessons. The generated feedback data collected using the Qualtrics

software was qualitatively analyzed by identifying, examining, and interpreting observed

patterns. Collins, as well as Jordan and Lynch, stated that the findings and descriptions

reported by the authors in data analysis are often insufficient in hard sciences to allow

investigations to be reproduced in other contexts, but it is an integral and defining aspect

of science (as cited in Roth, 2015). The textual data were processed for themes that

emerged to help answer the research questions based on how the documents were

categorized and interpreted. The analyzed data from the feedback on how the teachers

each read and interpreted all the eight lessons are presented in tables below.

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Table 14 Lesson Plan 1: What Is a Chemical Reaction?

Strengths Weaknesses Implications for improvement

Variety is included in the activities, such as online, in-class writing, reflection, discussion.

The TED video “was cool.”

Anesthesia video “was cool.”

“Final Comments” section ties into the Nature of Science ideals.

Nice mix of technology in class.

Emphasis on working in small groups.

Limited time allocation to do the activities.

Too much for students to do.

The Prentice Hall video stooped midway and insisted for registration before proceeding.

A lot of review of middle school science.

Demos often hard for a class to see.

Two labs in a period/ (lesson) is too much especially as an inquiry-based setting.

Reconsider the workload to do in the lesson.

Instead use Equation Quiz activity as a review activity.

The history behind law of conservation of mass was unnecessary.

Possibly allow students to do the engage lab activity- including weighing before and after.

Choose among the videos and simulations

Commentary: A teacher said, “I have found a couple of things on challenges and misconceptions- that I will incorporate into my class.”

A teacher noted, “As always, learning is dependent not on what and how something is presented, but upon the student’s desire to learn.”

A teacher said, “Lots of resources offered” in the lesson.

A teacher suggested combining Lesson 1 and 2 because students have seen equations in middle school and biology.

Participants noted that this lesson included cool activities such as the TED talk

and anesthesia videos, which students will like as they are introduced to new concepts on

chemical reactions. Three of the participants stated that the fun activities would keep the

students engaged throughout the learning process but students should be allowed to do

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the demonstration lab themselves, including weighing the mass before and after the

experiment. Participants also stated that there were too many activities for students to do

in one class lesson, and as such, they may have to do some and not all of them. Another

point made by the participants was that Lesson 1 offered students opportunities to use a

variety of technology to complete class activities in both individual and group settings.

Table 15 Lesson Plan 2: What Is the Evidence of a Chemical Reaction?

Strengths Weaknesses Implications for improvement

A great focus of the students’ activities on the stated objectives for the lesson all relating to writing and balancing equations.

Lots of resources offered

No clear guidance for students) in how the activities are presented in the lesson.

Activities not tied together in a coherent sequence.

Establishing a clear introductory activity on how to write and balance equations.

Writing and balancing chemical equations using one of the POGIL activities.

Commentary: A teacher recommended getting “close reading models” of POGIL from the high school chemistry book (in Flinn), and this gives students the responsibility to construct the reading model and have a clear understanding on how to write and balance chemical equations.

Table 16 contains the analysis on how students will learn to identify evidence that

indicates the occurrence of chemical reactions. This process is often confused with

physical changes, but the inclusion of well-selected activities, resources, and tools will

guide how the students explore the differences in both physical and chemical processes.

One participant strongly encouraged using the process-oriented guided inquiry learning

(POGIL) strategy to introduce writing and balancing equations alongside certain

344

activities already located in the class textbook. Participants also recommended using

reading models and having students construct models to explain and predict phenomena

when learning chemical reaction concepts is a recommended practice in NGSS.

Researchers at the National Research Council stated, “Models provide scientists and

engineers with tools for thinking, to visualize and make sense of phenomena and

experience, or develop possible solutions to design problems” (as cited in Krajcik &

Merritt, 2012, p. 38). In both the Evidence of Chemical Reaction and the Smoke Bomb

Reaction activities, students work in small groups to explore the chemical processes and

construct their own models, support their claims, and explain the phenomena to the class.

Table 16 Lesson Plan 3: How Are Reactants and Products of Chemical Reactions Represented in Equations?

Strengths Weaknesses Implications for improvement

Great activities for students.

Good flow of the activities.

Resources to support learning.

Activities are too long.

A lot for student to learn in a single lesson.

Inclusion of activity series questions in the assessment piece may be too early.

Commentary: A participant strongly expressed the need for vigilance on neither duplicating students’ activities nor using class time to review materials on which students need little or no help and could therefore complete as homework.

The chemical reaction concepts in Lesson 3 are delicate and challenging, and it is

here that the students are fully introduced to writing and balancing chemical equations.

Students are expected to apply their understanding of what they have learned about the

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periodic table, chemical bonds, the electronic structure, and most recently learned

concepts on both the law of conservation of mass and evidence of chemical reactions.

Students will need a lot of support, guidance, tools, resources, and carefully selected

learning strategies to navigate through the learning process. Visual activities such as the

Writing Chemical Equation video using TED Ed and interactive activities such as PhET

Interactive Simulation are included in the lessons, as well as lots of group settings,

discussions, and sharing that will steer student engagement and maintain a deep interest

to stay on task.

Table 17 Lesson Plan 4: How Are Chemical Reactions Classified?

Strengths Weaknesses Implications for improvement

More than enough activities to keep students on task.

Great technology.

Duplication of activity in the “Elaborate” phase from previous lesson.

Too much to do in one lesson.

Make any similar or duplicate activity to be optional for students to complete.

Instead review and practice “formula writing” for equation than doing “naming of compounds.”

Commentary: Participants commended the fact that students were provided with a variety of resources in the lesson to help learners of all groups to stay on task.

This lesson on classifying chemical reactions is easy for students to learn when

the crosscutting concept on patterns is used to guide the organization and classification of

chemical processes. In the Understanding Reaction Type activity, students are to use the

stump-your-partner and think-pair-share strategies to explore a variety of chemical

reactions in group settings. Students are also advancing their understanding on how to

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write and balance chemical equations, and they have access to technology that supports

their learning curiosity to research and to seek more understanding on what is taught in

this lesson. The participants expressed that they would like to see a better structure in the

organization of the activities for students to complete and better time management. The

emphasis for students to use patterns to prompt questions about relationships and causes

underlying these reaction types should address some of the misconceptions. It would also

be a great practice to include more inquiry-based activities so that students can develop

and use models in completing tasks on classifying chemical reactions such as in the Shall

We Dance POGIL activity.

Table 18 Lesson Plan 5: How Do You Write and Balance Simple Chemical Equations?

Strengths Weaknesses Implications for improvement

Access to great tools and resources.

Duplication of activities from previous lesson.

Including other chemical concepts that are not part of the lesson’s objectives.

May want to do more “naming of compounds” and “balancing of equations” during a revisit class.

Commentary: A few participants expressed that time in class should strictly be focused on writing and balancing equations, and other related/review topics like naming of compounds should be done as homework or during a revisit period.

Students need to spend a great deal of time practicing and practicing the steps of

how to write equations and balance equations. This lesson has lots of activities for

students to work with others in class to learn and teach each other the techniques to

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properly write the correct formulas for both the reactants and the product ends of a

reaction equation first and then use the law of conservation of mass to balance an

equation. The Balancing Chemical Equation activity has an interactive simulation for

students to use technology; work in small groups; and practice how to create, write, and

balance chemical reactions. There are some activities included in this lesson that students

can instead spend some time at home to complete and come to class with the background

that they need to move ahead, but this often does not happen, and students struggle in

class just to understand the basis of chemical reactions.

Table 19 Lesson Plan 6: How Do You Write and Balance Simple and Complex Chemical Equations?

Strengths Weaknesses Implications for improvement

Good combination of online simulations, problems, and videos.

Numerous problems to engage students.

Variety of task and resources for different learners.

Repetitive activities from previous lesson.

One student researching on “neutralization reaction” by him/herself is too much to accomplish alone.

Too much work to accomplish for just one day’s lesson.

No time allocated for teacher to work together with students and go over problems and/or questions.

Activities in the lesson do not meet up with the stated performance expectations of

Not introduce activity series by having students do as homework.

The use of small group size of 4 students to do online assignment is too large.

Lesson goes beyond lesson’s objective on “writing and balancing equations” to include “neutralization reactions.”

Assign and have each student to perform specific roles when having the students work in group settings and rotate roles with different activities accordingly.

Provide students with the time and opportunity to ask questions

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to “Construct and Revise” and “Analyze and Interpret.”

and include time to review activities/lesson.

Commentary: A teacher insisted, “Writing and balancing equations can be very difficult for students to do and I will not try and teach any other concepts at this time.” A teacher suggested changing the overarching question to be “stated based on the Law of Conservation of Matter and Energy.”

At the end of this lesson, students should be comfortable writing all kinds of

reactions and be able to balance all types of chemical equations, which is a challenging

objective. Participants complained about the repetition of activities that students may find

to be boring and lack the enthusiasm to learn, but many participants also emphasized that

teachers have to create many opportunities for students to practice and practice writing

and balancing chemical equations in both individual and group settings. To elicit how

successes are achieved in the classroom, McAdams (1998) suggested that repetitive

practice will help students to master new skills in a warm and nonjudgmental learning

environment (McAdam, 1998). In the lesson, students had to complete a video/simulation

activity called Neutralization From Acid–Base Reaction, which included writing and

balancing chemical equations, but the equations in this activity are limited to only acid

versus base reactions (discussed in previous lesson) and not all the reaction types. Having

students work in small groups is great, but it is important that the teacher ensure the

active participation of all members in the group by assigning distinctive roles to team

members. As teachers, it is necessary to find a balance where students will practice new

phenomena in the lesson by using a previous skill they learned and including activities

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that they repetitively practice and demonstrate that they understand this chemical reaction

concept. In this lesson, as in the other lessons, students will be assigned a lot to complete

in a single day and therefore it is important to prioritize the activities that students will be

completing in class to meet up with the learning outcomes. For example, the number of

questions in the Balancing Chemical Equations activity worksheet that students are to

work in a group of four could be reduced to balancing just four equations and not 10 (as

stated in the lesson). This reduction in the quantity of assigned activity will help reduce

the workload for this lesson, which was a persistent complaint from many participants

who stated that there is too much work in the lesson.

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Table 20 Lesson Plan 7: How Do You Investigate the Activity Series in Chemical Reactions?

Strengths Weaknesses Implications for improvement

Great variety of activities for students.

Stump-your-partner activity “sounds like fun” if students are willing.

The use of simulation “is cool.”

Demonstration video.

Good activities and great tools, including the one from Iowa State.

Good worksheet activities for students who enjoy “pen and paper” learning approach.

Activities are aligned with the lesson objectives and this facilitates students understanding.

Too much for students to do in a lesson.

Including questions on “Activity series” in the warm-up activity for students to complete, when they have not been taught the concept.

Mentioning oxidation-reduction and how the number change is too much for the lesson.

Not assigning of more than two students to work in an online group activity.

No inclusion of investigative type of simulation with activity series.

No provision of class-time during the lesson for students to ask the teacher questions and groups to share ideas/findings and challenge each other as both in a group or individual settings.

No real world application of the activity series as emphasized in NGSS.

No demo activity in the lesson, for example, introduction of “copper wire in a silver nitrate” solution

Take away the REDOX reaction activity which is found in later Unit 4.

Focus lesson on just the reactivity series and how to use it to predict the occurrence of a reaction.

Do not teach students the oxidation-reduction reactions’ concept in this lesson.

Substitute some of the student’s activities in the lesson with “actual hands-on lab activities.”

Have students do actual work with chemicals and make predictions for the occurrence of chemical reactions.

Have students do review of different reactions at the end of the lesson as a closure activity.

Revise overarching question to reflect the lesson objective- reactivity.

Change the questions presented in the warm-up activity to instead gear students towards the activity series such as “Having them list the order of operations in math.”

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but the reverse is not possible.

Commentary: To have students engage in the lesson, a teacher stated, “I would start the lesson having students do several perform several experiments where some reactions occur and some did not.” Then “ask the question ‘Why did some reactions occur and others did not?’” to students as a way to set the phenomena for the lesson.

A teacher noted, “Combining hands-on activities with technology based activities would make the lesson more interesting and allow for variety.”

One of the teachers did strongly recommend the need to “either search or create an investigative simulation on activity series” to include in the lesson and further relate it to a practical “crime scene.”

A teacher suggested, “Additional online simulations would be beneficial to students” and students are to be assigned distinctive roles when working in group settings. Their roles should be persistently interchanged among members as activities change over time in the learning process.

This lesson contains a variety of activities that reach all learners and are focused

on the objectives for students to learn the reactivity series for metal and nonmetal atoms.

This lesson is the centerpiece on how single replacement reaction is determined to occur,

and the next lesson is mainly focused on students performing a lab activity on single

replacement for metal atoms. It is the last lesson on chemical reactions, and students are

to apply every concept that they had learned on how to write and balance chemical

equations. Participants acknowledged the inclusion of great interactive activities such as

“Socratic chemistry” activity, videos, and worksheets for students to explore the metal

activity series. The use of the stump-your-partner learning strategy and other forms of

cooperative learning keep the students engaged throughout the lesson, but establishing

more rigor in the group work will yield better outcomes. Some participants noted that

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student learning will be enhanced more if some of the activities were converted to actual

hands-on lab activities and the presence of technology that is meaningful and simple.

Table 21 Lesson Plan 8: How Is the Activity Series Applied to Predict the Products and to Write Equations for Single Replacement Reactions?

Strengths Weaknesses Implications for

improvement

Good lesson, combination of doing chemistry and equation writing.

Engaging students with hands-on activities that they are seeing reactions occur.

Combination of hands-on, lab, simulation, and problem solving that should keep students on task.

Students working in group settings and having each of them play distinct roles thus presents the experience of a real business environment.

Lesson will have a positive effect on student’s attitudes toward chemistry.

Good lab activity and good questioning/problems for students to solve.

Too much to do—time for lesson is short.

Introducing writing oxidation-reduction reaction in this lesson will be confusing.

Establish each individual student’s role in the group.

Emphasize lab safety through the lab process.

Lesson will take 2 days and not 1 day to complete, and possibly 3.

Recommend a group setting for the lab activity, with each member assigned a role to play throughout the lab session.

The visual of these reactions provide a great opportunity to introduce the concept of oxidation/reduction reactions.

To combine Lesson 7 and Lesson 8 into one multiple-day lesson.

Have students do predictions of reactions and understand the explanation for each reaction’ outcome before they do the lab investigation.

Commentary: A teacher stated, “The combining of visual learning and written work will make the lesson more meaningful and students will remember it for a long period of time.”

A teacher stated, “The pre-lab, actual lab and lab write-up will take time but overall, it will be a good learning experience.”

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Students are doing hands-on activities throughout in this lesson and working in

small groups to perform a single replacement lab. During this experiment, they carry out

a series of chemical reactions, observe the reactions, record the changes, analyze the data,

and conclude on the reactivity series for six known metals. The students’ understanding

of concepts learned in the previous seven lessons should guide them to write the reactions

for those reactions that occurred (based on what they observe), infer from the

experimental results, and then arrange a set of six metals in a list based on the trend

reaction, and finally apply their understanding to solve real-world problems. Most of the

participants suggested that the workload was too much for students to complete in a

single lesson and may be necessary to split it up into two or more lessons.

Discussion of Findings

Analyzing the data provided good insight from the participants on ways to

improve the quality of the lessons on chemical reactions. Almost all the teachers noted

the inclusion of a variety of curricular activities for students to do in class and stay on

task. Learning the concepts on chemical equations generally presents a challenge because

a lot of content materials that students are taught in previous science courses in high

school and middle school science are needed at this point to write and balance chemical

equations effectively. The lessons were constructed to be student-centered and to include

visuals and interactivity software. This is important because of the need to address

common misconceptions that students have on chemical reactions (Ochterski, 2014). In

all these lessons, the students are provided access to curricular materials, tools, and

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resources they will need as they collaborate to complete activities, and in the process,

they have to learn new skills. The teacher is to find a balance between including many

review practice activities and introducing new concepts to improve student understanding

of the daily lesson objectives. It is therefore important to incorporate meaningful

chemical reaction activities to reach all types of learners in the classroom.

The participants noted that all eight lessons had activities that maintained the

adequate use of innovative tools and updated resources in class. Students have the

opportunity to use recent technology and research-based strategies to explore phenomena,

collaborate with each other in small-group settings, share findings, and solve chemical

problems in teams. Most teachers thought it was neat (“cool”) to include activities that

require students to use their personal computer devices to complete classwork. There are

several software tools that teachers and students can interact with on their cell phone

devices to do work in class. Students take pride in using their own personal devices in a

constructive way that they like, such as playing games or puzzles to learn chemical

reaction concepts (Russell, 1999). Most teachers liked the emphasis on group-work

settings for students in class but also recommended that each student in a group should be

assigned a distinctive role for a particular project and role-functions should be rotated

among members in subsequent assignments.

The teachers also noted that there were too many activities included that students

could not complete in a single day’s lesson and risked becoming overwhelmed and

frustrated during the lesson. Some of the lesson activities required the students to have

prior knowledge to initiate the process and complete the project, but the students had no

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idea on how to solve the problem. Introducing new concepts in homework and warm-up

activities was strongly discouraged because students may feel discouraged at the

beginning of the lesson and risk being disengaged throughout the class period. Some of

the activities were considered duplicates from previous lessons and activities such as

writing chemical formulae and balancing equations were perceived to be repetitive, a

waste of time, and redundant. Most teachers stated that they would like to have some

videos in the lessons replaced with hands-on activities that expose students to inquiry-

based labs in which they use chemicals and that students should be provided scenarios to

function like real scientists.

One of the issues raised by teachers was that some of the web-based tools and

resources were reported to have technical problems. Some stopped working midway into

usage, and some others required subscriptions or the project would stop. The level of

some activities (such as naming basic ionic compounds) was considered to be low

because students in high school chemistry have been exposed to chemical formulae and

balancing simple equations in both middle school science and biology. A participant

stated that not enough was done in the lessons to address the three dimensions of the

NGSS and suggested that it would be a great practice to have computer activities that

students use in a meaningful way to solve problems and to stay focused on the lesson

objectives. Some use of technology will be best suited for students to use for online

homework services such as CALM, offered by University of Indiana, or QUEST, offered

by University of Texas at Austin.

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Addressing Concerns Expressed in the Feedback

I felt professionally humbled to have teachers volunteer to provide feedback for

the reconstructed lessons and raise issues about the lessons I used to improve the quality

of the activities that students do in class. To address these issues, I had to retry the

technology components for which they had technical issues to understand the problem

better. A few of the technologies could not be used with the district’s Wi-Fi based on

educational policies for online usage and security. Some of these technologies needed

administrative or parental approval before being used to complete work in class. To

address such issues, I had to replace some software with different software, change to

another kind of technology that provided the same learning experience, or get rid of the

technology from the lesson. For some activities, I added side-comments for the teacher to

either download the program for students to use or see school administration to override

the software block and grant access to the students.

However, the selection and use of any technology, tool, resource, and activity is

left to the discretion of the classroom teacher, especially as the lesson itself served as a

module. Teachers are careful with what they include as technology, tools, and resources

in a lesson because they have to feel comfortable handling the technology themselves

before introducing it to their students in class. I had to state that clearly on some of the

activities included in the lesson to help teachers understand that there are certain

activities in the reconstructed lessons that were more of a review for students to catch up

and they are not necessarily new concepts that students will be seeing for the first time.

Chemical reaction concepts need a lot of review to help students connect with other

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content that they learned in the past but that is vital to understand how to write chemical

reactions and balance chemical equations.

I had to revise my approach of integrating the 3D framework with the lesson so

that students had a sense-making opportunity to do the science and engineering practices

by doing hands-on group work and applying crosscutting concepts to deepen their

understanding of the core ideas on chemical reactions. I changed the lesson activities to

have students not only know the observations and inferences but to experience them and

understand the importance of the observations in understanding the world and in

practicing science. The broad nature of these curricular materials may be overwhelming

to students, but teachers should be meticulous in having students learn new concepts and

at the same time make connections to old concepts and in having a lot of independent

practice to reinforce class work.

Conclusion

The lessons contained a variety of activities that are engaging to students with

diverse learning abilities to learn the concepts for chemical reactions. However, most of

the participants stated that each of the eight lessons contained too many activities for

students to complete within the stipulated time frame for a daily lesson. The lessons had a

mix of technology, small group activities, and lab exposures throughout that should help

develop the skills that students need to be successful in the workplace. Most of the

participants recommended reducing the number of activities, increasing the number of

labs with chemicals, and making the lesson activities more interactive.

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The technology must be tried and confirmed to work in similar classroom settings

before it is introduced to students to use in a meaningful way. Students should be

assigned distinctive roles in group settings so that they all have the opportunity to learn

new skills that are part of the curricular content. There must be a provision in the lessons

where students can ask questions and review new concepts that they just learned. There

also needs to be class moments when the teacher has to stop and check for student

understanding, assess progress, and make adjustments. Finally, I made sure that the

overarching questions stated in the reconstructed lessons were tied to the learning

objectives and outcomes of each lesson, student activities, and best practices involved in

teaching the lessons.

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Appendix H

INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD (IRB) APPROVAL FORM