A

CLEAN THE SCENE

E X P L O R I N G C H E M I C A L , E C O L O G I C A L , A N D T R A N S P O RTAT I O N S Y S T E M S

This problem-based learning unit introduced students to acid/base chemistry in an engaging fashion. Students learned about the concept of systems, understood and applied the principles of basic experimental design, and developed reasoning skills with an application to science.

HELP! THERE HAS BEEN A SPILL!

Students began this unit with the following problem statement: There has been an accident on I-35E over Lake Lewisville that has resulted in a chemical spill. We need your help in determining what type of chemical has spilled out and making sure that the public is safe!. The students began the unit by rerouting trafc. They used Google Maps to nd an alternate route. The students discovered all of the aspects of a detour -- neighborhoods, busy roads, and possible road rage! Ask your student what surprised them the most about the detour. We then experimented with pH paper by determining the pH of common household items such as baking soda, dish soap, and lemon juice. We then talked about neutralization and dilution. First, we tried diluting the lemon juice to bring the pH up from a 2 to a 7. The kids were shocked at how much water it took! Ask them to tell you the ratio. Then we tried neutralizing the lemon juice - the result resembled a zzy mess. We concluded from the experiment that dilution was going to be our best bet for this particular incident. Next, the kids transferred their knowledge about the pH scale to gure out the pH of the mystery chemical - they discovered that it was an acid. Once that discovery was made, the students broke up into interest groups (mathematicians -- how much water it will take to dilute the acid?; innovators -- how will we clean up what is on the road?; PR-- how do we address the public?)

The students used on online bulletin board to discuss what we knew, what we wanted to know, and what we had learned.

Collaborating

Fifth Grade Theme: Relationships

Relationships exist all over the world.

Relationships exist within Relationships can be positive systems to create a cause and or negative. effect situation.

The interest groups were a huge success! The kids loved being able to do what they love most. Our mathematicians discovered (after intense calculation and research) that Lake Lewisville was big enough to handle the small amount of the chemical that leaked into the lake. Our PR, or social media group, was able to effectively address

Experimenting with pH strips

the public through a Twitter message and a proposed town meeting to calm down any frantic community members. Finally, the innovators group set up an experiment for us to see what would work best to soak up the chemical on the road: bread, sand, or Super-Sorb (what is used at school when someone gets sick on the carpet).

LEARNING GOALS
Explore the scientic topic of acid/base chemistry Identify meaningful scientic problems for investigation Draw the pH scale and correctly indicate scale positions for acid, base, and neutral List common household acids and bases Design a safe method to determine the pH of an unknown substance Describe the effect of progressive dilution of an acid in terms of pH Develop a safe method to neutralize an acid Apply problem solving strategies to reroute trafc Analyze experimental data and evaluate results Transfer knowledge to make predictions about similar problems Students will be able to state a purpose for all modes of communication, their own as well as those of others State assumptions behind a line of reasoning Formulate multiple perspectives (at least two) about a given issue. Understand that effective experimental design is crucial to nding answers to a problem. Synthesize information to create a presentation to the public over the effects of the acid spill

As you can imagine, bread was not the best choice as it turned to a soppy mess. We also discussed how it would bring birds to the scene, and that was the last thing we needed! The Super-Sorb worked the best; however, after looking up the price and the chemicals that when into making the product, we decided it would not be the best choice for our budget or the environment. The sand then became the winning solution. Environmentally friendly, cost efcient, and onhand, the students knew that they had found a solution for the spill on the road! At the conclusion of the project, the kids put together a presentation that would be viewed by the public. They summarized their ndings from beginning to end and did a fantastic job of presenting the information. I am beyond proud of the kids during this unit - it was not an easy task! They learned an abundance of material and applied it brilliantly to the presented problem! ! !

WAY TO GO!

PORTFOLIOS
The kids should have brought home their portfolios yesterday -- please look them over and return them to school by Monday, April 28, so I can keep them in their ongoing QUEST portfolio.

NExt Unit
Our next unit is titled, Space Vacation. The kids will be acting as travel agents to plan a trip to one of the planets. In order to be an effective travel agent, you have to be in-the-know about the destination. We started our research Monday!