Chemistry Unit 1 Done

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 I got Unit 1 laid out yesterday for chemistry. Nice. The problem I'm having is how much time to spend on the basics? I want them to use their brains and really think in this class, so how long will that take? 

For example, I have a couple of things I want them to be able to do in this class. 

  1. Keep track of the things they actually do so they can go back and understand what they did at the time. Like in a lab. They can't just write down the results, they need to write down what was done and anything they saw. 
  2. Be able to think of reasons for things. I don't know is not acceptable at all in my class. 
  3. Work together collaboratively to develop ideas and understandings. 
I think those are the broad things, now what is the best way to accomplish this? I know that I should spend a few days on it, but how long and what activities work best? 

A couple of activities that I have in mind: 
  • Build a boat. This is a group activity that requires them to work together to build the best boat possible. They have to keep track of everything they discuss and track the 'expenses' for the boat. Then they have to present their ideas to the class. They have a time limit. This teaches them how to work together. How to collaborate on things. How to keep track of things. Many of the things I want them to be able to do in class. 
  • Polar Bear Inquiry. This is a 'game' where they don't know the rules, only I do. They roll the dice and I move around and tell them how many polar bears there are around a hole and how many fish are in the hole. They have to work together to figure out the rules and how I am coming up with those numbers. I like this one a lot because it forces them to think and apply logic and reasoning. Love it. 
  • C-E-R:  claim, evidence, reasoning. This is a tried and true method that they will be able to use all year long on their labs. I give them a question, they perform the lab and come up with a claim to answer that question. The evidence to support that claim has to come from the lab, and their reasoning on why that evidence supports that claim has to be sound and scientific. 
  • Questioning: they need to learn how to ask questions and how to respond appropriately. Also, how to listen to both questions and answers. 
I was also going to do a 'Would you rather' activity just to get them moving and getting to know each other, but I think I'm going to cancel that. I also think I'm going to take 3 days to get through all the housekeeping items that I want to get through. I hate hitting them with the boring syllabus the first day. 

I think I'm going to sit down today and lay out all the units for the first semester. I'm going to split them up and provide time to do all these things regularly. Like the first lab, I will provide time so we can do C-E-R in our notebooks on it and show them how it will go. I like this. I have generally never taken 3 days to lay all the groundwork for how I want the class to go and I think it will be worth it in the end. If I take a couple of days up front we should be able to move quicker on the end. 
I just found a great syllabus activity also. I will incorporate that into my plan. I think I will do something similar with the lab safety contract also. Yes, it's going to be an amazing year. 

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