Nanotechnology and Human Health

Class Activities

Prior to the introduction of the unit students will have learned about the structure of atoms. They will use this knowledge to help them understand size and the properties of matter. A pre-assessment will be given entitled " Fact or Fiction Extreme Size Card" from the book Extreme Science: From Nano to Galactic to determine what students know, understand, and believe about size and scale. The pre-assessment will help to uncover any misconceptions students may have about size and scale so these areas can be addressed as the unit is taught. Once the unit opener is complete, a discussion and review of the fact sheet answers will occur.

Activity One: Size and Scale of Objects

The activity will use the three-part lesson format. The opening activity entitled "How Small are Atoms" will connect to student's prior knowledge of atoms and introduce the concept of nano scale and atomic scale objects. The activity requires students to cut a strip of paper in half and discard one-half of their remaining strips each time they fold the paper to try and achieve thirty-one cuts. Students quickly discover as they fold and cut their sheet that each fold makes it harder to cut the paper. Most students will make 10 cuts before they can no longer cut the strip. The activity gives students a good visual picture of how small a nano meter is. The activity can be obtained by visiting the Molecularium website: http://molecularium.com/documents/teachers_guide.pdf

The Work period will start the second part of the lesson. Students will be assigned a Think-Share partner to work with. Each pair will be given an activity sheet with 20 items on it that they must rank according to size. They will only be allowed to work with their partner and will have 25 twenty minutes to complete the activity. Students will have to write a brief explanation for each choice they make based upon the key provided with the activity. Once groups have finished or the allotted time has elapsed, a review of the responses will be conducted. The review will prepare students for the closing activity. The closing will involve a Zoom Activity. Upon entering the classroom, each student will receive a numbered picture. The students will have 20 minutes to work with their assigned cooperative group once the activity timer starts. The goal is for students to sequence the pictures in the correct order based on the size of the objects. The challenge is that students may only look at their picture and cannot share it with their group. The group must figure out how to sequence the pictures without looking at one another's pictures. Once they feel they have all the pictures in order they can remove their individual pictures from the envelopes. A discussion that includes seven questions will be completed. Each student will complete the questions and submit them at the end of class along with a closing quiz on the Scale of Objects. The Zoom Activity can be obtained by visiting the wilderdom website:

http://wilderdom.com/games/descritions/Zoom.html

Activity Two: One in a Billion

This activity is designed to help students understand and build a mental visual of one-billionth. Students will be conducting hands- on dilution exploration to learn about parts per billion. Game cards that match the activity will be provided to help students understand concepts. The opening activity will involve students visiting the following website "Cell Size and Scale" via the mobile laptops lab. This activity will provide students with a good visual tool that can be scaled up or down for comparisons of objects at different scales. The purpose of the activity is for students to acquire a visual concept of size as we move from one scale to another. Students will be able to manipulate the program with a partner to discover how tiny nano scale and atomic scale items are. The website for the activity is: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/scale/

Once students have completed the opening activity, a review of the lab will be occur and lab materials reviewed to ensure each group has their required materials and understands safety precautions to be followed. A tutorial using an online video will review powers of ten. The video will help students compare and understand the size of materials in the macro world, micro world and atomic world. The classroom promethean board will provide access to the video. The power of ten video website is: http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/scienceopticssu/powersof10/index.htm

The following questions will provide an introduction to encourage students to think about size. Which number is larger: one billion or one million? Which quantity is bigger: one part per million or one part per billion? Students will be asked to create a chart that has five to six examples of items they think represent one billion and one billionth. A short review on parts per billion and percent will be providing students with background information for the activity. Students will work in pairs to set up and conduct the lab. The problem provided for the students is, at what concentration, will the solution appear colorless? Students must complete their individual data sheets and questions that relate to the observations from the lab. The source for this activity can be found in "Nanoscale Science: Activities for Grades 6-12.

Activity Three: Unique Properties at the Nanoscale

This activity will provide students with an opportunity to perform several different labs to discover how size affects various properties of matter. The activity will be set up using five different lab stations. Safety precautions will be at each station. All materials will be at the stations prior to the students' arrival. Written instructions should be at each station to help students with the lab.

The teacher should function as a facilitator to help students who may experience challenges. The topic for the labs will be surface area.

The opening activity will require students to read and take Cornell notes using the student-reading guide provided with the lab. Students will be encouraged to use their notes to help them accurately explain their observations once they have finished the lab rotations. Questions will be entertained once students complete the student reading activity to ensure all students understand the information. The work period will involve students rotating from station to station at fifteen-minute intervals.

Station One: Provides students with an opportunity to compare varying surface area to volume ratios for two samples of the same substance and mass, but different particle size. Students will write the lab in their science lab books and include diagrams and explanations of their observation. Students will develop data tables to record their observations.

Station Two: Provides students with an opportunity to see how surface area can affect the speed at which a reaction occurs. Students must wear safety glasses to conduct this activity. Once students complete the activity they must record their data and complete the questions for the lab before moving to the next station.

Station Three: Allows students to observe how surface area affects the speed of boiling when the volume is the same but the surface area changes. Students will complete lab sheets after observations are completed. (Teacher Reminder) The teacher needs to remind students to record the time it takes for their substance to boil.

Station Four: This station demonstrates the effects of increased surface area to volume ratio on the rate of combustion (burning). The teacher needs to instruct students not to pickup hot items with their hands or paper towels, and to tie their hair tied back for this activity as a safety precaution.

Station Five: Demonstrates the effect of varying surface area to volume ratios of the same material on the rate of reaction.

Each activity requires the students to complete a lab activity sheet that they will place in their interactive science notebook. Once students have completed all the lab rotations, a brief discussion of the observations will ensue. The closing for this activity will be students' completion of the lab report. Students should complete all rotations within a fifty-minute period.

Activity Four: Culminating Reading Across the Curriculum Activity

The final activity for the unit will involve students selecting a science fiction book from the approved library list for nanotechnology. All books have something to do with nanotechnology or size. Students will select their books at the beginning of the unit. Daily reading time will occur during the morning flex period for students to complete class assigned reading materials. The reading component connects to our school-wide 25-book campaign that is spear headed by the English department. Once students have completed their book they must complete a written report by the assigned due date for the activity. All students must complete a reading worksheet and create some type visual to depict something about size discussed in the book. As a group, we will discuss information from the books to see if the books ideas were more facts or fiction. Students will have to explain why some ideas expressed in their books could be factual, while others would lend themselves to fiction in regards to the size, function, and properties of matter. Once we have concluded the activity students will need to think about how nanotechnology will influence them in the future and write a future impact statement. Their future impact statement should include their position on nanotechnology from the standpoint of pro nanotechnology or against nanotechnology. An explanation that provides support for the students' position regarding nanotechnology (pro or con) should be included in the impact statement. A special bulletin board that displays the book visuals, book reports, and impact statements will be created to share information with the entire school.