Activities
Activity 1 - Balancing Equations
The concepts in this activity include balancing equations, the law of conservation of matter, coefficients, subscripts and chemical formulas. More formulas and equations can be used than what are used here. This activity is in keeping with the spirit of the unit and formulas and equations should be limited to covalant compounds.
Materials include data tables 1 and 2 and bingo chips or colored candies.
Procedure:
1. Copy Table 1 or make your own list of chemical formulas.
2. For each chemical formula in the table, have students list each element that is in the compound. Students write both the element symbol and name. They may use the periodic table, if necessary.
3. Students write the number of atoms of each element present. The first example has been completed.
4. Copy Data Table 2 for the students or provide your own list of chemical equations.
5. For each reaction in the table, students follow steps 6-9 as outlined below.
6. Give students different colored chips or candies to represent each different atom.
7. Students build one molecule of each reactant on the left side of their desks and one molecule of each product on the right side of their desks. They may use pieces of paper labeled with a + and = to aid in the formation of the equations.
8. Students count all the atoms of each elecment on the reactants side and all the atoms on the products side.
9. If the number of each like atom is equal, the equation is balanced. If the numbers are not equal, students add additional molecules to the appropriate side(s) until the total numbers of like atoms are equal on the reactants side and the products side.
Table 1:
Data Table 2
Molecular representation:
Activity 2 – Types of Oil Formations
This is a group activity and will take two full 45-min class periods and part of a class period on the day of the assignment. Depending on how many groups are in the class, assign the following types of oil deposits: shale oil, tar sands, young-deep oil, old-deep oil, young-shallow oil, and old-shallow oil. Within groups, students should decide among themselves who will be responsible for which part of their presentation. One student should find where in the world a particular type of oil deposit is found. This should be shown on maps for the class. One student reports on how that type of oil deposit is recovered and the third student reports on how that type of deposit refined. If it is a large class and there are four students per group, the fourth student can report on how detrimental recovery of that type of oil is to the environment. Otherwise, the environmental aspect can be divided between the students who report on recovery and refining. One full class period should be set aside for research and another class period for the presentations.
Activity 3 – Refining
Using the five "How Stuff Works" websites found in Teacher Resources, students make group posters. The class should be divided into five groups and each group is assigned one of the websites. Students will be given large pieces of butcher paper in order to make their posters. This will take two class periods – one for research and drawing and one for presentations. My suggestion is that students are given the websites the day before the computer lab day so that they can become familiar with the processes at home.
Activity 4 – Final Essay
This will be the first essay of the year for chemistry and I always use one 45-minute class period to take them to the computer lab. They are given a preliminary assignment of finding at least five sources that would be considered unsuitable for use in a research paper. The next class period is then used to discuss why those sources would be bad choices for use in their essays.
Students must choose a problem related to this petroleum unit. They can either come up with an idea on their own or the teacher can compose a list of problems and allow the students to only choose from that list. Problems could include air pollution caused by the burning of a particular fossil fuel, environmental effects of drilling for oil, problems in transporting tar sands over long distances, or the amount of waste water produced when drilling for oil. The possibilities are endless. The essay must be between 700-1200 words, double-spaced and in Times New Roman font, size 12. The students are given two weeks to complete the assignment and must submit a hard-copy as well as an electronic copy via email. Students are not allowed to use wikipedia as a source, must have at least five sources and only 3 of those sources may be on-line sources. One block period or two regular class periods can be used to allow the students to begin their research in a computer lab, if your school is lucky enough have that luxury. The students must address how science can be used to solve the problem and whether or not science has been or is effective in solving that particular problem.
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