| any |
Matter & Energy |
Fast & slow ice cube races. Variables affecting the rate of melting. |
This framework will aid students in organizing and communicating their thinking. |
| Biology-Sr |
Cells |
Teaching of phospholipids, proteins and all molecules and having students build models. |
Giving models to students and having them figure it out. |
| Biology-Sr |
Cells |
Diffusion & osmosis lab - give students material (some) and let them figure our what to do instead of giving them the notes & lab. |
Give students syrup, water, tubes, beakers and let them figure out what to do. |
| Biology-Sr |
Cells |
Macromolecule lab |
|
| Biology-Sr |
Cells |
Water lab - what's in the water; DNA - who's who |
Students bring in water samples, or go collect their own from puddles/ponds |
| Biology-Sr |
Ethology/Nervous System |
Effect of different factors on worm behaviour (e.g. pH, temp, ethanol, light, sound, touch, humidity) |
Student designed investigation where equipment & chemicals were available. Formal lab report handed in for evaluation. |
| Biology-Sr |
Evolution |
Proof for evolution - centre-type activity with pictures, replicas, etc. allowing students to discover the proof e.g. embryology, analogous structures, etc. |
| Biology-Sr |
Gen |
Beaker baby - create paper chromosomes based on own traits and pull randomly out of beaker to make kid |
Just give materials and see how they'd set it up to show random inheritance. |
| Biology-Sr |
Homeostasis |
Students measure body temp, heart rate, blood pressure to see effect of exercise, caffeine, temp, body position, etc. |
Students pick variable to test. |
| Biology-Sr |
Homeostasis |
Testing factors affecting body systems. |
Have students come up with ideas first. |
| Biology-Sr |
Met. Pro. |
Factors that infuence photosynthesis |
|
| Biology-Sr |
Met. Pro. |
Photosynthesis - modify the Hill Reaction to make more inquiry based. Cell Respiration - germinating seeds. |
Ask students to come up with conditions necessary for photosynthesis. |
| Biology-Sr |
Mol Gen |
Use gel electrophoresis lab by giving them a lab that they follow |
Use equipment and then give them a question to answer |
| Chemistry-Sr |
Atomic thoery |
VSEPR structures |
Use of magnetic connectors in kit |
| Chemistry-Sr |
Chem Rxn |
Ionic and Covalent bond analogy by using markers - ionic: a student has 9 markers, the other has 7, they come to have 8 each; covalent: one with missing red marker, the others with missing blue may share so that they both have a complete set. |
| Chemistry-Sr |
Equilibrium |
Round robin eq'm problem solving: groups of 3-4, each has a different coloured pen. A student starts off the problem, then passes it to the right or left, and so on… |
Have the students create equilibrium problems. |
| Chemistry-Sr |
Equilibrium |
Ka value - to calculate the value of acetic acid |
Don't give them procedure because they have titration in grade 11 |
| Chemistry-Sr |
Organic |
Extraction of essential oils from oranges. |
More choice of materials to extract from something elses. |
| Chemistry-Sr |
Organic |
Synthesizing Esters |
Different combinations of acid:alcohol; examine properties, successful rxns, etc. |
| Chemistry-Sr |
Organic |
"Burning Fat" - burning nuts, calorimetry, nutrition, calories, etc. |
Students could design expt to test as opposed to doing this as a demo. Test other foods, etc. |
| Chemistry-Sr |
Quantities |
Number of moles in a mouthful of water. How many moles of chalk does it take to write your name? |
Give them less tools for them to figure out. |
| Chemistry-Sr |
Quantities |
Rxn of CuSO4 + Al to apply limiting reagents & % yield concepts |
what factors affect the % yield of copper? (e.g. conc'n of sol'n, temp of rxn, etc.) |
| Chemistry-Sr |
Quantities |
Percent Composition - use of Zn & HCl lab to demo % composition |
Ask for factors that could be used to vary rxn but still obtain same %. |
| Chemistry-Sr |
Rates |
Clock lab |
Let them play with conc'n and temp (will take longer!). |
| Chemistry-Sr |
Solutions |
Film cannister with vinegar & Alka seltzer "rocket" demo |
Figure out specific conc'n to make cap pop at 15 seconds |
| Chemistry-Sr |
Solutions |
To determine the solubility of salt, they add salt to water until it stops dissolving. |
Students get to make their own procedure. |
| Chemistry-Sr |
Solutions |
Learning about solubility rules, precipitates, etc. |
Need to practice a concept first then ask "What factor affects the amount of precipitate formed?" |
| Chemistry-Sr |
Unit 2 |
Only introduce the title and the question, or maybe only give them the materials |
|
| Chemistry-Sr |
|
Double displacement lab |
Perhaps just have chemicals out with cookbook instructions? |
| Physics-Sr |
Elec |
Put the electrostatics items on the board, let the students play with them, and ask them to write a lab report using what they did and the new vocabulary |
| Physics-Sr |
Elec |
Ohm's law - pretty |
|
| Physics-Sr |
Elec/Mag |
factors affecting resistance |
|
| Physics-Sr |
Forces |
Demo: Get a t ray and place one or two styrofoam cups filled with water; swing in a vertical or horizontal circle; show centripetal force |
| Physics-Sr |
Hydraulics |
Pascal's Principle (syringes, tubing) |
Let students choose materials |
| Physics-Sr |
Optics |
Studying focal length on mirrors and lenses; difficult with small mirrors (i.e. small focal lengths) and the theory of real/virtual images and ray diagrams |
Have students try to bring their own lens example; think about WHAT affects the image; brainstorm (make own procedure for this) |
| Physics-Sr |
Waves |
"Front end" the pendulum lab with a context rich task |
|
| Physics-Sr |
Waves |
Determining temperature using resonance columns and tuning forks |
Have students determine the effects of the different frequencies, the meniscus, etc. |
| Physics-Sr |
Waves |
Ripple tank investigations - I would usually tell them what to change (e.g. frequency, depth of water, etc.) |
Have students identify the variables. |
| Science - Elementary |
Eco |
Exploring our ecosystems & biodiversity and food webs/chains. |
Have students explore a food chain or web. |
| Science - Elementary |
Air & Flight |
How can you throw a ball further/higher/longer etc. using forces of flight. Design a new playground ball/activity that flies. |
| Science - Elementary |
Air & Flight |
Do pop bottle rockets |
Allow students to do the design & implementation of the investigation. |
| Science - Elementary |
Electricity/Energy |
Making circuits - variables- length of wire, strength of battery, # of bulbs, etc. |
Have students make simple circuits, then go through smarter science steps. |
| Science - Elementary |
Flight |
Frisbee/paper airplanes |
Allow students to identify one aspect/variable to change & control others |
| Science - Elementary |
Light/Sound |
Using different length tub to create different sounds |
Same activity but initiated by students for length and maybe product |
| Science - Middle |
Air & Flight |
Make a glider. Launch it from a desktop using elastic energy. Measure length of flight (distance) with a 20cm elastic stretch. |
Choose 2 variables and test their effects on flight distance. |
| Science - Middle |
Chem |
Polymers - bouncy ball with borax and elmer's glue |
Students experiment with which mixtures create the bounciest ball. |
| Science - Middle |
Chem |
Design (IV/DV) lab with vinegar & baking soda for a rates of reaction lab |
|
| Science - Middle |
Chem |
Menthos in Coke - how can you make the coke fountain larger? |
|
| Science - Middle |
Chem |
Gak - How can you make the bounciest ball? |
|
| Science - Middle |
Chem |
Place a beaker of coloured water up front on desk. Ask students if this can go down the drain. Ask them to generate ideas about what info they would need to know (e.g. can it go down? Will it be toxic? Etc.) |
Students must design a procedure to test one of the above (ties into STSE) |
| Science - Middle |
Chem |
Density Lab - Make a foil boat - which will hold the most pennies & still float |
|
| Science - Middle |
Chem |
Create a lab using certain available materials that will investigate rate of reaction. |
|
| Science - Middle |
Chem |
Limewater demostration, to make CO2 gas |
Does an increase in CO2 in a container cause a faster increase in temp under a heat lamp? |
| Science - Middle |
Chem |
Phenolphthalein indicator to produce pink colour in acid/base reaction. |
|
| Science - Middle |
Chem/Bio |
Solve a crime including identifying def. chemical/physical change & DNA fingerprinting. |
|
| Science - Middle |
Eco |
Aquatic Ecosystems - Students design experiment to test how changes to ecosystem affect health of ecosystem. |
Allows students to generate experiment design, set-up, recording, etc. |
| Science - Middle |
Eco |
Apple Earth Demonstration for ecosystems |
Instead of a demo, adapt the POE model |
| Science - Middle |
Eco |
Hay infusion - how can you increase the pop'n of organisms in the hay infusion? |
|
| Science - Middle |
Eco |
Ecological succession study - timothy hay infusion - time continuum of succession |
Allow students to research activity to determine how to measure/understand ecological succession. |
| Science - Middle |
Elec |
Orange Juice Clock - what gives the most I or V? |
|
| Science - Middle |
Elec |
Static Electricity - students create a procedure, based on knowledge from the Electrostatic Series |
| Science - Middle |
Elec |
Investigating static electricity with no prior instruction by using plastic combs, their own hair, paper bits from a hole punch, water from a tap, etc. |
Have students create their own data table to keep track of observations and lead them to conclude parts (or all) of the Law of Attraction & Repulsion. |
| Science - Middle |
Interactions with the Environment |
Schoolyard Ecosystem search - Investing biotic/abiotic elements in the schoolyard; classifying these elements |
Investigating why certain abiotic/biotic factors exist in comparison to a 2nd ecosystem. Doing the sticky note charts and then discovering something to test in the schoolyard. |
| Science - Middle |
Optics |
Refraction lab - glass block - very structured |
Perhaps have them bring in materials from home? |
| Science - Middle |
Phys |
Share this with the "tech" community - not to add a "process" to that group but to learn more aobut how this process is often adopted by good teachers in that area. |
| Science - Middle |
Pure Substances/Mixtures |
Students given specific amt of water, allowed to add in one substance. Record observations. Determine if mech.mixture or solutions. |
Allowing students to mix as many substances, use as much water as they feel they want to. Keep track of variables and observations. Connect to what they know. |
| Science - Middle |
Acid/Base |
Acid/base identification |
Hands-on, test themselves, observe colours, etc. |
| Science - Middle |
Air & Flight |
Build a better airplane contest. Building paper airplanes & having a contest. |
Build a hot air balloon. Compare form & function of feathers, insect wings, butterfly wings, etc. |
| Science - Middle |
Gen |
Research projects & Science fair projects |
|
| Science - Middle |
Pure Substances/Mixtures |
Solubility (solute/solvent) rate of dissolving |
Identify variables to test that increase rate of dissolving |
| Science - Middle |
|
Extracting chlorophyll and other pigments from leaves & running chromatography. |
Variables - leaves of different species and colours, types of extractant, temp, length of grinding leaves |
| Science - Middle |
|
Factors affecting rate of dissolving. |
Use initiate & plan templates instead of following procedure components. |
