COURSE SYLLABUS

Lewis & Clark College

Graduate School of Education and Counseling

 

Please attach completed Course Syllabus Cover Sheet to course syllabus.

 

 

Course Name

Physical Science

Course Number

SCI 595-03

Term

Summer 2009

Department

Graduate School of Education

Required Textbook

Investigating Safely: A Guide for High School Teachers

Faculty Name

Julie McDevitt

Faculty Phone/E-mail

503-805-8584/mcdevitj@wlwv.k12.or.us

Faculty Office

503-768-6100

 

Catalogue Description (copy from current catalogue):

Imaginative inquiry in physics and chemistry with careful attention to laboratory safety and intriguing connections among everyday experiences will be the main focus of this course.  Topics may include motion, forces and Newton’s Laws, energy, sound and vibration, light and color, electrostatics, pressure, factors affecting reaction rates, chemical and physical changes and properties, corrosion, and acids and bases.  Provides guidance in preparing classroom science activities and emphasizes the joy of science.  Teacher content knowledge, modeling of teaching strategies, and availability of educational resources fundamental to successful instruction in physical science will be provided. 

 

 

Course Goals and Objectives:

The objective of this course is to provide you with a toolkit of demonstrations and activities that may be adjusted to middle school through high school level physical science classrooms.  (These demonstrations and activities are just a few of my favorites, not meant to be exhaustive, instead a foundation for you to build upon.)   You will have experienced the activities and demonstrations through both the “eyes” of a student and a teacher.  For each activity and demonstration, you will have discussed the key concepts and applications to the real world, and emphasized the safety procedures to be followed for both students and teacher.  Most of all, you will have experienced how to keep the joy in science!  

 

 

Course Calendar:

Day One, 7/20, 11:15am - 1:45pm:

Physical and Chemical Changes:

  • Introductions
  • Make Journals
  • Making Sound Observations Activity: How well do you listen?  How well do you record observations?
  • Physical & Chemical Changes Demonstrations: Which changes are physical and which are chemical?
  • Making Gold Pennies Activity: Can you make gold?  What parts of this change are physical and which are chemical?

 

Day Two, 7/21, 11:15am - 1:45pm:

 

Physical and Chemical Changes: continued

  • Penny in Acid Demonstration
  • Jumping Flame Demonstration

What are the factors affecting reaction rates?

  • Factors Affecting Reaction Rates Demonstrations: Alka-seltzer and water in film canister; light sticks at warm, room, cold temperatures; granulated sugar versus cubes of sugar; and catalyst demonstrations (see below).
  • Effects of a Catalyst on a Chemical Reaction Demonstrations:  Elephant’s toothpaste, Genie in a Bottle, Diet Dr. Pepper and Mentos, Pink Catalyst.
  • Factors Affecting Reaction Rates Activity

 

Day Three, 7/22, 11:15am – 1:45pm:

Energy:

  • Energy Activity: How much energy is contained in a snack?
  • Liquid Nitrogen Demonstrations: balloon, flower, racquet ball, banana, “finger,” making ice cream
  • Flame Test Activity
  • Making Water and Energy Activity!  What proper proportion of hydrogen and oxygen gas yields the best explosion?

 

Day Four, 7/23, 11:15am – 1:45pm:

Gases and Nuts & Bolts:

  • Boyle’s Law Demonstrations: vacuum pump & balloon, marshmallows, shaving cream.
  • Boyle’s Law Activity: What is the effect of pressure on volume?
  • How big is a mole of M&M’s? Activity: Mole amount related to M&M’s
  • Making Aqueous Molar Solutions Activity: 1 M HCl and 1 M NaCl
  • Look at Science Demonstration Books and Science Catalogs

 

Day Five, 7/24, 8:30am – 2:30pm:

Gases and Acids-Bases:

  • Atmospheric Pressure Demonstrations:  “Science Never Sucks,” and balloon in a bottle.
  • Pressure Activity: What are some of the properties of air?
  • Charles’ Law Activity: What is the effect of temperature on volume?
  • Water to Grape Juice to Milk Demonstration
  • White Wine or Grape Juice? Demonstration
  • Alka-Seltzer Rainbow Demonstration
  • Acid-Base Activity/Demonstration: What is the acidity of some common household chemicals?
  • Making and Testing a Carbonated Solution Activity: What does carbonation cause in a beverage?
  • Acid in Eye Simulation Demonstration

 

Day Six, 7/27, 11:15am – 1:45pm:

Displacement, Velocity and Acceleration:

  • Graph Matching using CBL with calculator and Motion Detector Activity
  • Can with hole and water Demonstration
  • Constant velocity car with ticker timer Activity
  • Mass drop with ticker timer Activity

 

Day Seven, 7/28, 11:15am – 1:45pm:

Newton’s Laws:

  • Newton’s Laws, Projectile Motion & Circular Motion Demonstrations
  • Net Force versus Acceleration Activity
  • Mass versus Acceleration Activity (no procedures!)

 

Day Eight, 7/29, 11:15am – 1:45pm:

Energy:

  • Horsepower Activity
  • Pop-Up Toy Activity
  • “Pirate Race” Toy Demonstration

 

Day Nine, 7/30, 11:15am – 1:45pm:

Waves and Sound:

  • Slinky Activity
  • Pendulum Activity
  • Sound Demonstrations

 

Day Ten, 7/31, 8:30am – 2:30pm:

Electrostatics, Light and Color:

  • Electrostatics Demonstrations and Activity
  • Reflection and Refraction of Light Demonstrations
  • Color Discussion and Demonstrations
  • Tie-Dye T-Shirts Activity

 

Course Requirements:

Students will be expected to participate daily in activities and discussions as well as having a complete journal. 

 

 

Evaluation and Assessment:

Students will be expected to participate daily in activities and discussions as well as having a complete journal.  An A grade will be earned if the above is achieved.

 

 

Authorization Levels:

Middle Level & High School