Science 8

Learning Intentions

• To demonstrate your knowledge of saturated solutions and associated vocabulary
• To demonstrate your ability to use lab equipment properly
• To analyze an experiment scientifically, and determine how to improve it.
  

Notes

The Solution Song - Mr. Edmonds (3:53)

As a class, we have created crystals from a super-saturated solution, chosen the best seed crystals, and grown the seed crystal over a period of a week.

For the next 2 weeks, you will work in groups of 2 to produce the best crystal possible based on the 4 C's of diamonds - cut, colour, clarity, and carats.

For 20-30 minutes every class, you will have the chance to work on your crystals, and document how they are progressing.

You are allowed to try growing as many crystals as you want, within the limits of your materials.

You need to write your own procedure for creating the crystal, after which you will get a kit with many of the materials you will need. You are not allowed to use any more beakers, Petri dishes, or other containers to hold the potash alum solution.

By the end of the first day, you should have your procedures complete, and you should be starting to produce your seed crystals.

At the end of every day, your workspace must be clean, and all your materials must be stored in the back room.

Part 1 - Pre-Lab

1. Create a new Microsoft Word document and share it with your partner.
2. In your document, create a section titled "Materials". Be sure to include coffee filters and 2 Petri dishes.
3. Add any other materials you will be using. You cannot use more Petri dishes.
4. Create a section titled "Procedure", and write out the procedure you will use to create your seed crystal, and then grow it larger.
5. Create a section titled "Pictures". Take a picture with your phone and insert it into the word document.
   

Show your work to the teacher to be approved. They will give you the materials to begin running the experiment.

Part 2 - Growing Your Crystal

Follow your procedures, and try to grow your crystal.

If the crystal is not as good as you want, try to grow another crystal. Ask your classmates for advice, tweak your procedures, and see if the next crystal grows larger.

Document your procedures using pictures that you paste into your Word document, under the heading "Pictures".

Part 3 - Analyzing Your Results

On the last day of the project, you will have an entire class to analyze the data from your pictures.

Create 2 sections in your Word document, "Analysis" and "Future Work".

In the "Analysis" section, describe how your procedure changed from the original procedure, and why. Try to relate your data from the pictures to scientific theories and vocabulary we discuss in class, such as atoms, solutions, and kinetic molecular theory.

Part 4 - Present Your Pictures and Your Crystals

Every group will get in front of the class and give a brief presentation describing the procedures they followed, using the pictures in their Word document as the main communication tool.

Assessment

• Required Parts
  
• All questions are answered
• Clean-up after every class
  
• Quality
• Carats: mass (in grams)
• Clarity: lack of blemishes or internal cracks
• Colour: the crystal should be colourless
• Cut: symmetry of the shape
• Presentation
• Pictures are high quality
• Pictures are the primary method of communicating the content (from the pictures alone, the audience should have a pretty good idea of what you did)
• Analysis and Future Work
• Uses proper vocabulary
  
• Tied to scientific theories and concepts
• Shows that you attempted to solve problems that occurred while growing the crystal

	Required Parts	Quality	Presentation	Analysis and Future Work
1. Beginning	Some	Okay	Problems	Simple
2. Developing	Almost all	Good	Boring	Some mistakes
3. Applying	✓	✓	✓	✓
4. Extending	✓	Excellent	Engaging	Sophisticated