SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT

Inquiry Based Lesson Plan

Teachers: Meghan Montoya

Subject: 9th grade AP Chemistry

Katie Chance (IMT)

Standard:

Strand 5: Physical Science, Concept 1: Structure and Properties of Matter, PO 1: Describe matter
based on its physical properties.
ISTE Technology Standards for Students:
1. Creativity and innovation
a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes
2. Communication and collaboration
d. Contribute to project teams to produce original works of solve problems
3. Research and information fluency
a. Plan strategies to guide inquiry
b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety
of sources and media
c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to
specific tasks
d. Process data and report results
4. Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making
b. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project
c. Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions
5. Digital citizenship
a. Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology
b. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and
productivity
d. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship
6. Technology operations and concepts
a. Understand and use technology systems

Objective (Explicit): By heating ice on a hot plate and gauging temperature with the Vernier temperature probe,
SWBAT identify the three phase changes occurring by observing the graph formed in the Vernier software, allowing
them to form a conclusion in their notebook.
Evidence of Mastery (Measurable): Post-lab questions completed with 80% mastery
Sub-objectives, SWBAT (Sequenced from basic to complex): understand properties of matter, understand different
phases of matter and how they can transfer between each phase, know exact properties of water specifically freezing,
melting, and boiling point, comprehend a phase change graph of water.
Key vocabulary: matter, properties, solid, liquid, gas, freezing
point, melting point, boiling point, water, temperature

Materials/Technology Resources to be used: 600

mL beaker, hot plate, Vernier software with
temperature probe, stirring rod, ice, iMac computer

SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT
Engage (Make content and learning relevant to real life and connect to student interest) Talk to the students
about how water is one of the easiest compounds of matter to transfer between the three different phases. Start with a
bell work question related to a specific situation related to boiling or freezing water.

Explore

Teacher Will: Ask the students the following prelab questions in order for them to hypothesize what
will happen during the laboratory experiment. These
questions will be written on a PowerPoint slide, and
presented to the students during this time. Ask the
students to work on these questions individually.

Student Will: Hypothesize what will happen during

the laboratory experiment by answering the three
pre-lab questions presented by the teacher. Each
student should answer these questions individually.

1. In a scenario where ice is being heated,

what are some quantities that can be
measured?
2. From what you listed in Question 1,
determine what could be the
independent and dependent variables.
3. What would this graph look like? Draw
a sketch.
Co-Teaching Strategy: One teacher can present the pre-lab questions for the students to begin working on.
The other teacher can walk around the class to view that students are working individually on the questions.
One teacher can be present in the front of the room, while the other can be present in the back of the room
in order to view that the students are working individually on the questions.

Explain

Differentiation: Students that are having trouble understanding the phase changes of water will be
provided with a facts sheet that provides the information that is needed for this experiment and to
successfully complete the pre-lab questions. This will already be made, so that it is readily available when
needed.
Teacher Will: Explain the laboratory procedure to
the students while they are still seated in their
individual desks. Once the procedure has been
explained, TW ask students if there are any
questions on what is to be completed. Once all of
the above has been completed, then each student
will be handed a copy of the lab procedure. TW
remind the students that this copy is a class-set that
must not be written on. Instead everything should be
written in their laboratory notebook. TW then allow
students to get into their lab groups that were picked
at the beginning of the year.

Student Will: Listen to the teacher explain the

procedures of the lab experiment. They are allowed
to take notes in their laboratory notebook if needed.
SW ask questions if needed once the teacher has
finished explaining the procedures. SW obtain a
copy of the experiment and will write the necessary
items in the appropriate section of their laboratory
notebook. SW then get into their lab groups.

Co-Teaching Strategy: One teacher can verbally explain the experiment and the other teacher can follow
along pointing to the corresponding lab equipment being used.
Differentiation: Students that have a difficult time with understanding/following laboratory procedures
will be provided with a copy of the experiment the day before. This will allow the student to review the lab
the day/night before in order to obtain a better understanding of what they will be doing. In some cases if
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SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT
the student is comfortable with it, the teacher may ask the student to verbally explain the lab procedure to
the class. This will better help the student fully understand what is to be completed, and act as a check for
the teacher.
Teacher Will: Walk to each lab group asking
questions about what is going on during the lab to
spark more thoughts for the student. TW make sure
that students are recording observations and
properly using the laboratory equipment.

Student Will: Complete the lab and record

observations and data correctly. SW answer the
questions proposed by the teacher throughout the lab
to gain a better understanding of what is going on.

Elaborate

Co-Teaching Strategy: Both teachers can walk around to the different lab groups and ask the appropriate
questions about what is going on during the experiment.
If there is one group continually struggling, one teacher may join that group to help guide them along in
order to finish the experiment in the given time.
Differentiation: If students struggle with the performance of the lab the teacher will assign different lab
groups. These lab groups will consist of students that have troubles and students that can perform labs well.
These students will then be asked to help guide the struggling students and help them when needed, rather
then completing the experiment entirely for everyone in the group.

Evaluate
Once the lab has been completed the students will form a conclusion on the findings of the lab in their laboratory
notebook. At the end of the unit, TW then collect the notebooks and review the conclusions formed by students to
ensure that they are obtaining accurate results, as well as understanding how to properly analyze data and graphs.

The technology I am asking for in my proposal is the Vernier technology. This is a

computer technology that comes with many different lab probes (temperature, pH, conductivity,
etc.) that connect to the computer by USB. This technology makes recording data and creating
graphs easier for the students. Not only does it spare a massive amount of class time, it also
provides more accurate data. This will provide a better opportunity for my students to properly
analyze data, which is crucial in any lab-based science course. This will prepare them for future
classes that they might take throughout the rest of their high school years, or even into their
college education.