Uncovering Student Ideas in Physical Science, Volume 3 : Matter and Energy Formative Assessment Probes [1 ed.] 9781681406053, 9781681406046

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VOL. 3

Uncovering Student Ideas IN PHYSICAL SCIENCE 32

NEW Matter and Energy Formative Assessment Probes

PAGE KEELEY SUSAN COOPER

Copyright © 2019 NSTA. All rights reserved. For more information, go to www.nsta.org/permissions. TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK, please visit www.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781681406046

VOL. 3

Uncovering Student Ideas IN PHYSICAL SCIENCE 32

NEW Matter and Energy Formative Assessment Probes

PAGE KEELEY SUSAN COOPER

Copyright © 2019 NSTA. All rights reserved. For more information, go to www.nsta.org/permissions. TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK, please visit www.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781681406046

Copyright © 2019 NSTA. All rights reserved. For more information, go to www.nsta.org/permissions. TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK, please visit www.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781681406046

VOL. 3

Uncovering Student Ideas IN PHYSICAL SCIENCE 32

NEW Matter and Energy Formative Assessment Probes

PAGE KEELEY SUSAN COOPER

Arlington, Virginia Copyright © 2019 NSTA. All rights reserved. For more information, go to www.nsta.org/permissions. TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK, please visit www.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781681406046

Claire Reinburg, Director Rachel Ledbetter, Managing Editor Andrea Silen, Associate Editor Jennifer Thompson, Associate Editor Donna Yudkin, Book Acquisitions Manager

Art and Design

Will Thomas Jr., Director Cover, Interior Design, and Illustrations by Linda Olliver

Printing and Production Catherine Lorrain, Director

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1840 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201 www.nsta.org/store For customer service inquiries, please call 800-277-5300. Copyright © 2019 by the National Science Teachers Association. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. 22 21 20 19    4 3 2 1 NSTA is committed to publishing material that promotes the best in inquiry-based science education. However, conditions of actual use may vary, and the safety procedures and practices described in this book are intended to serve only as a guide. Additional precautionary measures may be required. NSTA and the authors do not warrant or represent that the procedures and practices in this book meet any safety code or standard of federal, state, or local regulations. NSTA and the authors disclaim any liability for personal injury or damage to property arising out of or relating to the use of this book, including any of the recommendations, instructions, or materials contained therein.

Permissions

Book purchasers may photocopy, print, or e-mail up to five copies of an NSTA book chapter for personal use only; this does not include display or promotional use. Elementary, middle, and high school teachers may reproduce forms, sample documents, and single NSTA book chapters needed for classroom or noncommercial, professional-development use only. E-book buyers may download files to multiple personal devices but are prohibited from posting the files to third-party servers or websites, or from passing files to non-buyers. For additional permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this NSTA Press book, please contact the Copyright Clearance Center (CCC) (www.copyright.com; 978-750-8400). Please access www.nsta.org/permissions for further information about NSTA’s rights and permissions policies. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Keeley, Page. 45 new force and motion assessment probes / by Page Keeley and Rand Harrington. p. cm. -- (Uncovering student ideas in physical science ; v. 1) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-935155-18-8 1. Force and energy--Study and teaching. 2. Motion--Study and teaching. 3. Educational evaluation. I. Harrington, Rand. II. Title. III. Title: Forty-five new force and motion assessment probes. QC73.6.K44 2010 530.071--dc22 2010010354 eISBN 978-1-936137-70-1 The ISBN for this title is 978-1-68140-604-6 and the e-ISBN is 978-1-68140-605-3.

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Contents Preface ................................................................................................... vii Acknowledgments .............................................................................. xiii About the Authors ................................................................................ xv Introduction ............................................................................................ 1

Section 1: Concept of Matter and Particle Model of Matter

Concept Matrix ......................................................................................................14

Related NGSS Performance Expectations ........................................................15

Related NSTA Resources ......................................................................................15

1

Matter or Not Matter? ..........................................................................................17

2

Solids, Liquids, and Gases ...................................................................................23

3

What Do You Know About Atoms and Molecules? ..........................................29

4

Atoms and Apples ..................................................................................................37

5

Model of Air Inside a Jar .......................................................................................43

6

What If You Could Remove All the Atoms? .......................................................49

Section 2: Properties of Matter

Concept Matrix ......................................................................................................56

Related NGSS Performance Expectations .........................................................57

Related NSTA Resources ......................................................................................57

7

Do They Have Weight and Take Up Space? ......................................................59

8

What Does “Conservation of Matter” Mean? ...................................................65

9

Salt in Water ...........................................................................................................71

10

Squished Bread ..................................................................................................... 77

11

Mass, Volume, and Density .................................................................................83

12

Measuring Mass ....................................................................................................89

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13

Do They Have the Same Properties? ..................................................................93

14

Are They the Same Substance? ..........................................................................99

Section 3: Classifying Matter, Chemical Properties, and Chemical Reactions

Concept Matrix ....................................................................................................106

Related NGSS Performance Expectations ......................................................107

Related NSTA Resources ....................................................................................107

15

Classifying Water .................................................................................................109

16

Graphite and Diamonds ...................................................................................... 113

17

Neutral Atoms ...................................................................................................... 119

18

What Is a Substance? .........................................................................................125

19

Will It Form a New Substance? .........................................................................131

20

What Is the Result of a Chemical Change? ....................................................137

21

What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction? ...............................143

22

Is It a Chemical Change? ...................................................................................149

23

Does It Have New Properties? ........................................................................... 155

Section 4: Nuclear Processes and Energy

Concept Matrix ....................................................................................................162

Related NGSS Performance Expectations ......................................................163

Related NSTA Resources ....................................................................................163

24

Are They Safe to Eat? ......................................................................................... 165

25

Radish Seeds ........................................................................................................171

26

Describing Energy ................................................................................................177

27

Matter and Energy ...............................................................................................183

28

Energy and Chemical Bonds ..............................................................................189

29

Hot Soup ................................................................................................................195

30

Cold Spoons ..........................................................................................................201

31

How Can I Keep It Cold? ....................................................................................207

32

Which Has More Energy? ...................................................................................213

Index ..................................................................................................... 219 Copyright © 2019 NSTA. All rights reserved. For more information, go to www.nsta.org/permissions. TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK, please visit www.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781681406046

Preface

This is the 11th book in the Uncovering Student Ideas series and the third volume in the physical science collection, which includes Uncovering Student Ideas in Physical Science, Volume 1: 45 New Force and Motion Assessment Probes (Keeley and Harrington 2010) and Uncovering Student Ideas in Physical Science, Volume 2: 39 New Electricity and Magnetism Formative Assessment Probes (Keeley and Harrington 2014). Like the preceding volumes in this series, this book provides a collection of unique questions, called formative assessment probes, designed to uncover ideas students bring to their learning and identify misunderstandings students develop during instruction that may go unnoticed by the teacher. Each probe is carefully researched to identify commonly held ideas students have about the phenomenon or scientific concept targeted by the probe. Each probe includes one scientifically best answer along with distracters selected to reveal research-identified alternative conceptions commonly held by children and sometimes adults.

The 32 probes in this book uncover students’ thinking about several important ideas regarding matter and energy. Many of the probes are designed to uncover pre-existing ideas that often develop before the concept is even taught. The use of technical terminology is intentionally avoided in most of the probes. Familiar, everyday language is used instead to uncover conceptual understanding, especially since students will sometimes use scientific words without understanding. It is impossible to cover all matter and energy ideas in one book. For this book, probes were included that focus primarily on concepts and ideas associated with strongly held alternative ideas that can follow students from one grade level to the next and often into adulthood if they have never been surfaced and challenged. Since matter and energy is also a crosscutting concept, there are probes in other books in this series that address matter and energy ideas across the traditional disciplinary content of physics, life, and Earth science. The energy probes in this book focus on energy as it relates

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Preface to matter. Other books in this series address energy as it relates to forces and motion and energy resources.

Other Uncovering Student Ideas in Science Books That Include Matter and Energy–Related Probes

The following is a description of the other books in the Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series as of December 2018 that include probes related to matter and energy. Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volume 1 (Keeley, Eberle, and Farrin 2005; Keeley 2018): This first book in the series and its updated second edition, which includes Spanish versions of each student page, contain 25 formative assessment probes in physical, life, Earth, and space science. The introductory chapter of the book provides an overview of what formative assessment is and how it is used. Matter and energy probes in this book, along with suggested grade levels and related concepts, include the following: •

•

• •

•

• • •

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“Ice Cubes in a Bag” (grades 3–12): conservation of matter, mass, matter, change in state, physical change, closed system “Lemonade” (grades 3–12): conservation of matter, weight, mass, matter, physical change, dissolving “Cookie Crumbles” (grades K–5): conservation of matter, weight, physical change “Seedlings in a Jar” (grades 6–12): conservation of matter, mass, chemical change, closed system “Is It Melting?” (grades 3–8): melting, dissolving, physical change, change in state, heat “Is It Matter?” (grades 3–12): matter “Is It Made of Molecules?” (grades 6–12): molecules, atoms, matter “The Rusty Nails” (grades 6–12): rusting, chemical change, oxidation, corrosion, mass, open system

“The Mitten Problem” (grades 3–12): heat, energy, thermal energy, temperature, energy transfer, insulator • “Objects and Temperature” (grades 6–12): temperature, energy, thermal energy, thermal equilibrium • “Wet Jeans” (grades 3–12): water cycle, evaporation, water vapor •

Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volume 2 (Keeley, Eberle, and Tugel 2007): This second book in the series contains 25 formative assessment probes in physical, life, and Earth and space science. The introductory chapter of this book describes the link between formative assessment and instruction. Matter and energy probes in this book, along with suggested grade levels and related concepts, include the following: •

•

•

•

•

•

“Comparing Cubes” (grades 6–12): atoms or molecules, characteristic properties, density, extensive properties of matter, intensive properties of matter, mass, melting point, sinking and floating, weight “Floating Logs” (grades 5–12): characteristic properties, density, intensive properties of matter, sinking and floating “Floating High and Low” (grades 5–8): buoyancy, characteristic properties, density, intensive properties of matter, sinking and floating “Solids and Holes” (grades 6–12): Characteristic properties, density, intensive properties of matter, sinking and floating “Turning the Dial” (grades 5–12): boiling and boiling point, characteristic properties, change in state, energy, heat, intensive properties of matter, temperature “Boiling Time and Temperature” (grades 5–12): boiling and boiling point, change in state, characteristic properties, energy, heat, intensive properties of matter, temperature

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Preface •

•

• • •

“Freezing Ice” (grades 5–12): characteristic properties, energy, freezing point, intensive properties of matter, temperature “What’s in the Bubbles?” (grades 3–12): atoms or molecules, boiling and boiling point, change in state, energy “Chemical Bonds” (grades 6–12): atoms or molecules, chemical bonds “Ice-Cold Lemonade” (grades 6 –12): conduction, energy, energy transfer, heat “Mixing Water” (grades 5–12): conduction, energy, energy transfer, heat, temperature

Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volume 3 (Keeley, Eberle, and Dorsey 2008): This third book in the series contains 22 formative assessment probes in physical, life, Earth, and space science and 3 nature of science probes on hypotheses, theories, and how scientists do their work. The introductory chapter of this book describes ways to use the probes for professional learning. Matter and energy probes in this book, along with suggested grade levels and related concepts, include the following: • • •

•

•

•

•

“Pennies” (grades 8–12): atom, properties of matter “Is It a Solid?” (grades K–5): liquid, properties of matter, solid “Thermometer” (grades 6–12): kinetic molecular theory, thermal expansion, thermometer “Floating Balloon” (grades 3–12): density, gas, kinetic molecular theory, mass, properties of matter, weight “Hot and Cold Balloons” (grades 6–12): conservation of matter, gas, kinetic molecular theory, mass, properties of matter, weight “Earth’s Mass” (grades 6–12): closed system, conservation of matter, cycling of matter, decay, transformation of matter “Where Did the Water Come From?” (grades 3–12): condensation, evaporation, water cycle, water vapor

Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volume 4 (Keeley and Tugel 2009): This fourth book in the series contains 23 formative assessment probes in physical, life, Earth, and space science and 2 probes about models and systems. The introductory chapter of this book describes the link between formative and summative assessment. Matter and energy probes in this book, along with suggested grade levels and related concepts, include the following: • “Sugar Water” (grades 6–12): dissolving, mixture, physical change • “Iron Bar” (grades 6–12): atoms, thermal expansion • “Burning Paper” (grades 6–12): chemical change, closed system, combustion, conservation of matter • “Nails in a Jar” (grades 6–12): chemical change, closed system, conservation of matter, oxidation • “Salt Crystals” (grades 6–12): atoms, crystal, crystalline lattice, ionic bond • “Ice Water” (grades 6–12): energy, phase change, phases of matter, temperature, transfer of energy • “Warming Water” (grades 6–12): energy, heat, temperature, thermal energy, transfer of energy • “Is It Food?” (grades 6–12): food, nutrients • “Camping Trip” (grades 5–12): heat transfer, solar radiation, temperature, weather Uncovering Student Ideas in Physical Science, Volume 1 (Keeley and Harrington 2010): This fifth book in the series contains 45 probes that address force, motion, weight, and mass ideas. One probe in this book (listed below along with suggested grade levels and related concepts) addresses the difference between weight and mass: •

“Pizza Dough” (grades 6–12): conservation of mass, mass, weight

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Preface Uncovering Student Ideas in Life Science, Volume 1 (Keeley 2011): This sixth book in the series contains 25 life science formative assessment probes. The introductory chapter of this book describes how formative assessment probes are used in a life science context. Although this book focuses on life science concepts, three probes (listed below along with suggested grade levels and related concepts) are related to matter and energy: “Atoms and Cells” (grades 6–12): cells, atom, living • “Food Chain Energy” (grades 6–12): food, f low of energy, food chain, food web, consumer, producer • “Ecosystem Cycles” (grades 6–12): ecosystem, cycling of matter, flow of energy •

Uncovering Student Ideas in Primary Science, Volume 1 (Keeley 2013): This eighth book in the series contains 25 formative assessment probes for K–2 students. The probes are designed for emerging readers as well as English language learners. They can also be used in grades 3–5 to check on students’ understanding of precursor ideas. The probes are visual in nature and designed to be used in a talk format. The introductory chapter focuses on how to use the probes to support science talk and how science talk supports students’ thinking. Energy is not addressed at the K–2 level in the NGSS; therefore, energy probes are not included in this book. Matter probes in this book, along with suggested grade levels and related concepts, include the following: “Sink or Float?” (grades K–2): sinking and floating, physical properties • “Watermelon and Grape” (grades K–2): sinking and floating, physical properties • “Is It Matter?” (grades K–2): matter, states of matter, solids, liquids, gases •

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“Snap Blocks” (grades K–2): weight, conservation of matter, parts and wholes • “Back and Forth” (grades K–2): physical change, chemical change •

Formative Assessment Probes in the Elementary Classroom

Formative assessment is an essential feature of a learning-focused elementary science environment. To help teachers learn more about using formative assessment probes with elementary students to inform instruction and promote learning, NSTA’s elementary science journal, Science and Children, publishes a monthly column by Page Keeley titled “Formative Assessment Probes: Promoting Learning Through Assessment.” Your NSTA membership provides you with access to all of those journal articles, which NSTA has archived electronically. Go to the Science and Children web page at www.nsta.org/elementaryschool. Scroll down to the journal archives and enter “formative assessment probes” in the keyword search box. This will pull up a listing of all of Keeley’s column articles. You can save the articles in your library in the NSTA Learning Center or download them as a PDF. Table 1 lists the journal issue date, title of the column, and topic of the column for the articles that have been published to date related to matter and energy. Professional developers, facilitators of professional learning communities, and preservice instructors can also use these articles to engage teachers in discussions about teaching and learning related to the probes and the content they teach. In addition, several of the articles are provided in chapter form, along with a link to the probe and discussion questions for professional learning groups in the book What Are They Thinking? (Keeley 2014). Finally, the transformational nature of these formative assessment probes helps teachers break away from teaching and assessing disconnected

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Preface Table 1. Matter and Energy Formative Assessment Probes: Promoting Learning Through Assessment (Articles in Science and Children) Issue Date

Article Title and Related Probe

Topic

October 2010

“‘More A—More B’ Rule” Probe: Floating Logs

Floating and sinking; use of intuitive rules to reason about floating and sinking

March 2011

“The Mitten Problem” Probe: The Mitten Problem

Energy transfer, insulators; teaching for conceptual change and how children’s everyday experience affects their thinking

April/May 2012

“Food for Plants: A Bridging Concept” Probe: Is It Food for Plants?

Food, photosynthesis, needs of plants; using bridging concepts to address gaps in learning goals, understanding students’ common sense ideas

July 2012

“Where Did the Water Go?” Probe: Where Did the Water Come From?

Using the water cycle to show how a probe can be used to link a core content idea, scientific practice, and a crosscutting concept

January 2013

“Using the P-E-O Technique” Probe: Solids and Holes

Floating and sinking, density; students predict, provide initial explanations for their predictions, then observe the phenomenon and develop a new explanation

July 2013

“Is It a Solid? Claim Cards and Argumentation” Probe: Is It a Solid?

Solids, liquids; technique of claim cards is used to surface students’ ideas and engage them in the practice of argumentation using claims and evidence

November 2013

“Is It Melting? Formative Assessment for Teacher Learning” Probe: Is It Melting?

Melting, dissolving; how formative assessment probes can be used in a professional development setting to challenge and address teachers’ ideas

December 2014

“Watermelon and Grape: An Intuitive Rule of Quantity and Proportion” Probe: Watermelon and Grape

Sink and float; how the “More A–More B” intuitive rule affects children’s ideas about sinking and floating

January 2015

“Ice Cubes in a Bag” Probe: Ice Cubes in a Bag

States of matter, phase change, conservation of matter; uncovering students’ ideas about change in state in a closed system

July 2015

“Snap Blocks” Probe: Snap Blocks

Parts and wholes, conservation of matter; do students recognize that an object made of pieces weighs the same as the whole object when it is taken apart?

October 2015

“Wet Jeans” Probe: Wet Jeans

Evaporation, water cycle; using familiar phenomena to uncover students’ thinking about evaporation and water vapor

November 2015

“Constructing Cl-Ev-R Explanations to Formative Assessment Probes” Probe: Lemonade

Conservation of matter, dissolving; using claims, evidence, and reasoning to explain what happens to the weight when sugar is dissolved in water

January 2016

“Uncovering Students’ Concept of Matter” Probe: Is It Matter?

Matter; uncovering young children’s ideas about the types of objects, materials, and substances they consider to be matter

April/May 2016

“Talk Moves” Probe: Watermelon and Grape

Sinking and floating; using talk moves with probes to engage students in productive science discussions

December 2017

“Embedding Formative Assessment Into the 5E Instructional Model” Probe: Lemonade

Conservation of matter, dissolving; how different formative assessment classroom techniques (FACTs) are used throughout an instructional cycle

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Preface facts and vocabulary and support conceptual learning of science. Because conceptual change underlies the Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series, we highly recommend the book Teaching for Conceptual Understanding in Science, which includes chapters on understanding the nature of students’ thinking; instructional strategies that support conceptual change; and the link between assessment, instruction, and learning (Konicek-Moran and Keeley 2015).

References Keeley, P. 2011. Uncovering student ideas in life science, volume 1: 25 new formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Keeley, P. 2013. Uncovering student ideas in primary science, volume 1: 25 new formative assessment probes for grades K–2. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Keeley, P. 2014. What are they thinking? Promoting elementary learning through formative assessment. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

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Keeley, P. 2018. Uncovering student ideas in science, volume 1: 25 formative assessment probes. 2nd ed. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Keeley, P., and J. Tugel. 2009. Uncovering student ideas in science, volume 4: 25 new formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Keeley, P., and R. Harrington. 2010. Uncovering student ideas in physical science, volume 1: 45 new force and motion formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Keeley, P., F. Eberle, and C. Dorsey. 2008. Uncovering student ideas in science, volume 3: Another 25 formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Keeley, P., F. Eberle, and J. Tugel. 2007. Uncovering student ideas in science, volume 2: 25 more formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Keeley, P., F. Eberle, and L. Farrin. 2005. Uncovering student ideas in science, volume 1: 25 formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Konicek-Moran, R., and P. Keeley. 2015. Teaching for conceptual understanding in science. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

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Acknowledgments We would like to thank all the teachers, science coordinators, and preservice instructors who have tried out the drafts of these probes, provided feedback and student data, and contributed ideas for assessment probe development. Thank you to the students at Florida Gulf Coast University for giving us the opportunity to examine your ideas about matter and energy. We would especially like to thank Linda Olliver, the extraordinarily talented artist who creatively transforms our ideas into the visual representations seen on

the student pages. Thank you to our reviewers for your constructive comments. We also give a special thank you to Jose Rivas, an outstanding teacher at Lennox Academy in Inglewood, California, and Dr. Erika Venzor, a research psychologist at Momentous Institute in Dallas, Texas, for checking and refining the Spanish translations. And our deepest appreciation goes to Claire Reinburg and all the dedicated staff at NSTA Press who continue to support formative assessment and publish the best books in K–12 science education.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to Luiza Holtzberg and Susan German, two outstanding middle school science teachers who model what it means to uncover students’ ideas and use them as springboards for learning. Thank you for all the times you tried out draft probes, provided feedback, and shared student data. And most of all, thank for all you do to support students’ and your fellow teachers’ learning!

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About the Authors Page Keeley is the primary author of the Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series. She is retired from the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance where she was the senior science program director for 16 years, directing projects and developing resources in the areas of leadership, professional development, linking standards, and research on learning, formative assessment, and mentoring and coaching. She has been the principal investigator and project director of three National Science Foundation (NSF)– funded projects including the Northern New England Co-Mentoring Network, Phenomena and Representations for Instruction of Science in Middle School (PRISMS), and Curriculum Topic Study: A Systematic Approach to Utilizing National Standards and Cognitive Research. In addition to the NSF projects, she has developed and directed statewide projects including Linking Science, Inquiry, and Language Literacy (L-SILL), Teachers Integrating Engineering into Science (TIES), and Science Content, Collaboration, and Conceptual Change (SC4). She also founded and directed the Maine Governor’s Academy for Science and Mathematics Education Leadership, a replication of the National Academy for Science and Mathematics Education Leadership of which she is a Cohort 1 Fellow. Page is the author of 21 national bestselling and award-winning books on formative

assessment, curriculum topic study, and teaching for conceptual understanding. Several of her books have been translated and used in countries throughout the world. Currently, she provides consulting services to school districts and organizations throughout the United States and internationally on building teachers’ and school districts’ capacity to use diagnostic and formative assessment. She is a frequent invited speaker on formative assessment and understanding students’ thinking. She also develops formative assessment probes for McGraw-Hill’s elementary and middle school science programs. Page taught middle and high school science for 15 years before leaving the classroom in 1996. At that time, she was an active teacherleader at the state and national level. She served two terms as president of the Maine Science Teachers Association, was a director of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) District II, and served as the 63rd president of the NSTA in 2008–2009. She received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Secondary Science Teaching in 1992, the Milken National Distinguished Educator Award in 1993, the AT&T Maine Governor’s Fellow in 1994, the National Staff Development Council’s (now Learning Forward) Susan Loucks-Horsley Award for Leadership in Science and Mathematics Professional Development in 2009, the National Science Education Leadership Association’s Outstanding Leadership in Science Education Award in 2013, and NSTA’s Distinguished Service to Science Education Award in 2018. She has taught as an adjunct instructor at the University of Maine, was a

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About the Authors science literacy leader for the AAAS/Project 2061 Professional Development Program, and served on several national advisory boards for NSF-funded projects. She has a strong interest in global science education and has led science education trips to South Africa in 2009, China in 2010, India in 2011, Cuba in 2014, Peru in 2015, Iceland in 2017, and Panama in 2018. Prior to teaching, she was a research assistant in immunogenetics at the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine. She received her BS in life sciences from the University of New Hampshire and her MEd in science education from the University of Maine. She currently divides her time between homes in Fort Myers, Florida, and Wickford, Rhode Island, where in her spare time she dabbles in photography, knitting, and culinary arts. Dr. Susan Cooper is an assistant professor at Florida Gulf Coast University where she has taught science education as well as other courses for graduate and undergraduate students in curriculum and instruction since 2007. Prior to joining the faculty at Florida Gulf Coast University, Susan taught high school chemistry and physics at LaBelle High School in rural Hendry County, Florida, for 27 years. Susan began her career teaching chemistry and mathematics as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ghana after completing her BS

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in chemistry from Stetson University and her MA in science education from the University of South Florida. She earned her EdD in curriculum and instruction with a focus on science education from the University of Central Florida. Since 2002, Susan has authored the content reading guides for ChemMatters, a publication of the American Chemical Society. She also wrote the lesson plans for The Best of ChemMatters: Connecting Science and Literacy (2016), published by the American Chemical Society. She has made numerous presentations related to reading, writing, and inquiry-based science teaching at national and regional NSTA conferences, the School Science and Mathematics Association annual conventions, Florida Association of Science Teachers annual conferences, and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics annual conference. Since 2013, Susan has worked with a faculty team from Florida Gulf Coast University to facilitate week-long Summer STEM Institutes for K–12 Teachers, where many of the formative assessment probes developed by Page Keeley have been implemented. She is a co-principal investigator on a National Science Foundation–Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program grant, “Giving Back and Looking Forward: Enhancing and Diversifying STEM Teaching in Southwest Florida Through Recruitment and Mentorship of Homegrown Talent.” Susan lives in LaBelle, Florida, where she enjoys bird-watching, kayaking, and other outdoor activities when she is not traveling to foreign destinations to learn more about the natural world.

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Introduction If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and only one sentence passed on to the next generation of creatures, what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words? I believe it is the atomic hypothesis (or the atomic fact, or whatever you wish to call it) that all things are made of atoms—little particles that move around in perpetual motion, attracting each other when they are a little distance apart, but repelling upon being squeezed into one another. In that one sentence, you will see, there is an enormous amount of information about the world, if just a little imagination and thinking are applied. —Richard Feynman (Feynman, Leighton, and Sands 2011, p. 4)

Introduction to the Format of This Book

If this is your first time using formative assessment probes in the Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series, start off by becoming familiar with the content and format of this book. This book contains 32 probes for grades 3–12, organized in four sections. The format is similar to the other 10 volumes in the Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series. Each section of probes begins with a concept matrix that lists the major concepts each probe addresses and suggested grade levels they can be used with. After the matrix page, each section also lists the related performance expectations from the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS; NGSS Lead States 2013) by grade level. Related is different from aligned. Related means that the probe addresses ideas that can support students’ achievement of the performance expectation, either directly or indirectly, even if it is not an exact match. Resources from the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), such as journal articles,

books, science objects, and webinars, are listed at the start of each section for teachers who wish to extend their learning as they use the probes. Each of the four sections contains a collection of probes related to the section topic(s). The English-language version of each probe is followed on the reverse side by a Spanish version. Detailed background information for teachers (the “Teacher Notes”) are provided for each of the probes. The Teacher Notes are one of the most important components of the book and should always be read before using a probe. The subsections that follow describe the components of the Teacher Notes. Purpose The first section of the Teacher Notes describes the purpose of the probe—that is, what you will learn about your students’ ideas if you use the probe. It begins by describing the overarching concept the probe elicits, followed by the specific idea the probe targets. Before choosing a probe, it is important to understand what

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Introduction the probe is intended to reveal about students’ thinking. Taking the time to read the purpose will help you decide if the probe will elicit the evidence you need to collect to understand your students’ thinking and how their ideas may change throughout a cycle of instruction. Type of Probe The Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series uses 12 different probe types. This book uses 10 of those types: justified list probes; friendly talk probes; P-E-O (predict-explain-observe) probes; representation analysis probes; concept cartoon probes; opposing views probes; word use probes; data analysis probes; idea choice probes; and thought experiment probes. The type of probe is related to how it is used. For more information about these types of probes, refer to Science Formative Assessment, Volume 1 and Volume 2 (Keeley 2016; Keeley 2015). Related Concepts Each probe is designed to address one or more concepts that build from one grade span to the next. A concept is a one-, two-, or three-word mental construct used to represent ideas. For example, the concept of matter represents how we think about physical objects, materials, and substances. Most concepts addressed by a probe are embedded within the disciplinary core ideas. The concepts are also listed on the matrix charts that precede the probes for each section. Explanation The best answer choice is provided in this section. Best answer is used rather than correct or right answer because the probes are not graded or intended to pass judgment. Answers are not always black and white. Probes should be used to encourage students to reveal and share their thinking without the worry of being “wrong.” Sometimes there is no single “right” answer because probes often uncover different ways

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of thinking about a phenomenon or concept that can be legitimate. What is most important is that students feel free to get all ideas out in the open so that they can be considered, eventually discarding ideas that evidence no longer supports. Using the probes in this way mirrors the nature of science. Scientists propose different ideas, eventually discarding the ones that evidence does not support until they agree on a claim and explanation that is best supported by their observations, data, and valid information sources. The best answer to a probe is the one that is supported by evidence and scientific facts, theories, or laws. A brief scientific explanation is given for the best answer choice. The explanations are designed to help you understand why the best answer is the most scientifically acceptable choice. The explanations are for teachers; however, in some instances, they can be shared as written with upper middle and high school students. Some teachers, especially at the elementary and middle school level, are generalists, with a minimal background in science. Therefore, the explanations are carefully written to avoid highly technical terminology and detailed descriptions. At the same time, care is taken to not oversimplify the science. Rather, the explanations provide the concise information a science novice would need to understand the content related to the probe. If you need additional background information regarding the content of the probe, refer to the NSTA resources listed at the beginning of each section to build or enhance your content knowledge. Administering the Probe Suggestions are provided for administering the probe to students, including response methods, ways to use props or artifacts, clarification of the probe scenario, modifications for different learners, or use of different formative assessment classroom techniques (FACTs). Recommended grade levels are also included.

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Introduction Related Disciplinary Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts From the Framework (NRC 2012) This section identifies the goals for learning that are related to the probe. These learning goals come from the disciplinary core ideas described in A Framework for K–12 Science Education (the Framework; NRC 2012). Some probes also include a crosscutting concept. These two dimensions, along with the scientific and engineering practices, make up the NGSS, which are listed as three-dimensional performance expectations at the beginning of each section. Whether states adopt the NGSS or revise their standards based on the Framework, this section shows the relationship between the probe and the disciplinary content in the two dimensions. Since the probes are not designed to be summative assessments, the listed learning goals are not considered to be alignments but rather ideas and concepts from the two dimensions that are related in an important way to the probe. Because it is important to assess a learning goal in more than one way, several probes may target the same disciplinary core idea. Disciplinary core ideas that cut across grade spans are identified for each probe. Although a suggested grade level is provided, the probes are not grade-specific. They can be used within a grade span or across multiple grade spans. It is useful to see the related core idea that precedes your grade level when using the probe as well as seeing the core idea that builds on the probe at the next grade level. In other words, teachers can see how the foundation they are laying relates to a spiraling progression of ideas as students move from one grade level to the next. You may find that a probe targets an idea at a lower grade span than the one you teach. Often it is necessary to check whether students have sufficient conceptual understanding of prior grade level ideas before introducing

new ideas. The nature of misconceptions is such that often a misconception held by students in the elementary grades will follow them into middle school if not surfaced and addressed. That same misconception may then follow students into high school and even into adulthood if teachers are unaware of it and students lack the opportunity to work through and resolve it. Related Research Each probe is informed by related research when studies have been conducted and are available through selected professional journals. When available, recent studies are included; however, many of the research citations in this book and others describe studies that have been conducted in past decades. Sometimes the researchers studied children not only in the United States but in other countries. Regardless of when and with whom the research was conducted, most of these studies are considered timeless and universal. Commonly held ideas identified in the research are pervasive regardless of geographic boundaries and societal and cultural influences. Some probes may target the same concept. If so, some research findings may be repeated in the Teacher Notes for different probes. Although your students may have different backgrounds and experienced different contexts for learning, the descriptions from the research can help you better understand the intent of the probe and the kinds of thinking your students are likely to reveal when they respond to the probe. The research also helps you understand why the distracters are written a certain way. As you use the probes, you are encouraged to seek new and additional published research, engage in your own action research to learn more about students’ thinking, and share your results with other teachers to extend and build on the research summaries in the Teacher Notes. To learn more about conducting action

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Introduction research using the probes, read the Science and Children article “Formative Assessment Probes: Teachers as Classroom Researchers” (Keeley 2011) or read Chapter 12 in the book What Are They Thinking? (Keeley 2014). Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment Uncovering and examining the ideas children bring to their learning is considered diagnostic assessment. Diagnostic assessment becomes formative assessment when the teacher uses the assessment data to make decisions about instruction that will move students toward the intended learning target. Thus, for the probe to be considered a formative assessment probe, the teacher needs to think about how to design, choose, or modify a lesson or activity to best address the ideas students bring to their learning or misunderstandings that might surface or develop during instruction. As you carefully listen to and analyze your students’ responses, the most important next step is to choose the instructional path that would work best in your particular context according to the learning goal, your students’ ideas, the materials you have available, and the diverse learners you have in your classroom. The suggestions provided in this section have been gathered from the wisdom of teachers, the knowledge base on effective science teaching, and research on specific strategies used to address commonly held ideas and conceptual difficulties. These suggestions are not lesson plans, but rather brief recommendations that may help you plan or modify your curriculum or instruction to help students replace or revise their initial ideas and move toward a more scientific or deeper understanding. It may be as simple as realizing that you need to provide a relevant, familiar context or phenomenon, or there may be a specific strategy, resource, or

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activity that you could use with your students. For probes that target a similar concept or idea, some of the instructional suggestions may be repeated in the Teacher Notes for those probes. Learning is a complex process and most likely no single suggestion will help all students learn. But that is what formative assessment encourages—thinking carefully about the instructional strategies, resources, and experiences needed to help students learn scientific ideas. As you become more familiar with the ideas your students have and the multifaceted factors that may have contributed to their misunderstandings, you will identify additional strategies that you can use to teach for conceptual change and understanding. In addition, this section points out other probes in the Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series that can be used or modified to further assess students’ conceptual understanding and gather additional evidence for making instructional decisions. This section also includes suggestions that help support three-dimensional teaching and learning. To conceptually understand the disciplinary content the probe targets, students use scientific practices combined with crosscutting concepts. Every probe has a two-tiered structure that supports the use of the scientific practice of constructing explanations. The second part of every probe asks students to explain their thinking either in writing or through talk and discussion. Other scientific practices may also be used with the probes and are suggested in the Teacher Notes when appropriate. For example, students may be encouraged to draw a picture to explain what happens when sugar dissolves in water. Drawing pictures to support an explanation is an example of using a model. Table 2 shows how the formative assessment probes can be used to support the scientific and engineering practices.

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Introduction Table 2. Probes and Practices Scientific and Engineering Practice Asking Questions and Defining Problems

When presented with a probe, students will … • Ask further questions about the phenomenon or concept • Turn the probe into a question for investigation • Turn the probe into a question for obtaining information • Turn the probe into a problem to be solved

Developing and Using Models

• Use drawings to support their explanation • Describe a model they could use to explain the concept or phenomenon to someone • Critique models used to explain the concept or phenomenon

Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

• Make predictions or hypotheses and launch into an investigation to observe the outcome • Design and carry out an investigation to test predictions or hypotheses

Analyzing and Interpreting Data

• Compare predictions or hypotheses to what is actually observed

Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking

• Use mathematics to describe a pattern or explain an answer choice

• Look for patterns or relationships in data to answer the probe question

• Use measurement or number sense to choose the best answer choice Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

• Explain initial answer choice based on experiences or prior knowledge • Revise answer choice and initial explanation and construct new (scientific) explanation using evidence from investigation or valid information sources • Use knowledge of science concepts and principles to design a solution to a problem posed by the probe

Engaging in Argument From Evidence

• Construct an argument with evidence to explain and defend an answer choice • Evaluate the arguments of others as they defend their answer choices

Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

• Use text or other information sources to support or construct an explanation or solution to a probe • Use tables, charts, and graphs to support or construct an explanation or solution to a probe • Describe what type of information is needed to explain the phenomenon or solve the problem

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Introduction The probes are two-dimensional as designed. To make them three-dimensional, teachers can encourage students to use crosscutting concepts in their explanation. Suggestions for using crosscutting concepts are provided for some of the probes. For example, teachers may ask students to use proportional relationships in their explanation of a density-related phenomenon as part of the crosscutting concept of scale, proportion, and reasoning. References The final section of the Teacher Notes is the list of references. References are provided for the information cited in the Teacher Notes, including the original article cited in the research summaries.

Matter and Energy Topics

There is little doubt that matter and energy topics present difficulties for both students and their teachers. Students have daily interactions with matter and energy both in and outside of school. Ideas about matter and energy form from their everyday experiences in the natural world; conversations with their family and friends; and interpretations of things they see, hear, or read in books, television, and other media. No wonder teaching science is challenging! Students often come to class with fully or partially formed ideas about matter and energy that may not be consistent with scientific ideas. These ideas are described in the research as naive ideas, alternative conceptions, partially formed ideas, facets of understanding, and misconceptions. Regardless of how they are labeled, these are ideas that make sense to students and therefore it is important for teachers to be aware of them. When teachers take the time to uncover these ideas, understand where they came from, and make instructional decisions that will help students give up their strongly held ideas in favor of scientific ways of thinking, they are taking an

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important first step in teaching for conceptual understanding. There are too many matter and energy–related concepts to include in one book. For this book, we decided to focus on topics that students may have already formed initial ideas about before being introduced to them in school. For example, students have already formed ideas about heat long before they are introduced to the concept of transfer of energy; therefore, probes have been included that will uncover these ideas. The periodic table is something that students do not encounter during their everyday experiences; therefore, probes about the periodic table are not included in this book. Some probes address ideas developed in middle school that research indicates are not well understood by students or may be interpreted through students’ own conceptual lens. For example, when the idea of molecules is introduced, students may form their own alternative ideas about molecules. Probes that address concepts introduced in school are provided when it is important for teachers to check on prior understanding of concepts and ideas that were part of the taught curriculum. Topics chosen for this book are organized in four sections: Section 1: Concept of Matter and Particle Model of Matter (six probes) • Section 2: Properties of Matter (eight probes) • Section 3: Classifying Matter, Chemical Properties, and Chemical Reactions (nine probes) • Section 4: Nuclear Processes and Energy (nine probes) •

Section 1: Concept of Matter and Particle Model of Matter “Often in the course of science teaching, we tend not to pay enough attention to the very basic and fundamental concepts or ideas” (Stavy 1991, p. 244). Matter is one of the

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Introduction broadest concepts in the K–12 physical science curriculum. As a basic concept, it seems selfevident that students understand the matter concept. However, this is often not the case. Leaving this basic concept unattended may have consequences for understanding more advanced concepts, theories, and laws related to matter. The concept of matter appears in numerous places throughout standards and the K–12 curriculum. Disciplinary core idea “PS1: Matter and Its Interactions” appears in the Framework and the NGSS. Students learn about states of matter, properties of matter, and conservation of matter. A keyword search for matter in the NSTA NGSS Hub Keyword Search Engine at https://ngss.nsta.org/keywordSearchResults. aspx reveals the word appears 17 times in the performance expectations, 52 times in the disciplinary core ideas, 15 times in the crosscutting concepts, and 50 times in the related resources. Clearly it is a central concept. Even though the concept of matter by itself,is not explicitly addressed in standards, it is important to understand how students think about this concept when they encounter the word matter. Therefore, probes are included in this section that reveal strongly held ideas students have about this concept and how sensory experiences tend to dominate students’ thinking about matter, especially matter that is not visible or tangible. For example, in phenomena where a liquid changes to a gas, some students fail to recognize that the matter still exists since they can no longer see or feel it. Stavy (1991) suggests that prior to teaching the particulate nature of matter, teachers should discuss and clarify the meaning of the concept of matter with their students. The particle model of matter is central to understanding physical and chemical phenomena. Probes that elicit students’ ideas about particles and the models they use to explain phenomena are included in this section. Five

basic ideas about particulate matter compose this section: 1. All matter, living and nonliving, is composed of very small particles (atoms and molecules) that are too small for us to see with our eyes or with ordinary microscopes. 2. Matter exists in different states and can change. 3. There is empty space between particles of matter. 4. Particles of a gas in an enclosed space are evenly distributed. 5. A particle model can be used to describe and explain phenomena. Atomic theory explains that all matter is made up of atoms that are too small to be seen. The transition from particles to atoms and molecules is developed in middle school after students have had the opportunity in elementary grades to develop models about very small particles that cannot be seen with our eyes. Piaget’s early interviews of children revealed that they had a notion of matter being made up of “tiny bits.” However, the characteristics and behaviors of these “tiny bits” conceptualized by children are often very different from those attributed by scientists, especially when it comes to gases (Driver et al. 1994). Elementary and middle school students may hold a “continuous view” of matter. Even when they recognize that matter is made up of smaller particles, they fail to recognize that there is empty space between the particles. This is another example of how visuality affects students’ thinking about microscopic matter. For example, when students look at a wooden desk, they do not see mostly empty space. They see wood that appears to be continuous throughout. This section includes several probes that uncover students’ ideas about

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Introduction particles and the models they use to explain the characteristics and behavior of matter. Section 2: Properties of Matter Elementary students describe observable properties of objects and materials, transitioning to substances and matter at the atomic and molecular level during middle and high school. Sensory experiences of some objects feeling heavy or light, or being large or small, often interfere with their understanding of different properties. For example, some students think gases have no mass or weight. The intuitive rule “more A equals more B” has a strong effect on how they think about intensive properties such as density and boiling point (Stavy and Tirosh 2000). When students compare two different amounts of the same substance, they may think that an intensive property increases or decreases, depending on the quantity of the substance. For example, students may believe that a larger cube of aluminum (“more A”) has a greater density (“more B”) that a smaller cube of aluminum. The probes in this section address both intensive and extensive properties of matter. Extensive properties depend on the amount of matter; intensive properties do not. Until students understand that matter has weight (or mass when they get to middle school), they will struggle with the difference between extensive properties of matter (e.g., weight, volume) and intensive ones such as density (Smith and Plumley 2016). “Children’s initial concept of weight is felt weight, which conflates weight and density. Because the concepts of weight and density are components of a theory of matter and prerequisites to the atomic-molecular theory, differentiating them from each other is crucial” (Smith et al. 2006, p. 325). Both the Framework and the NGSS use the familiar property of weight in grades K–5, transitioning to mass in middle school. Research supports several reasons for waiting

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until middle school to use the property of mass. One reason is that mass can become associated with the phonetically similar word massive, and as a result students may conflate it with size or volume by observing the bulk appearance (Driver et al. 1994). This section includes two probes that reveal how students think about mass as a property of matter. Another commonly held idea addressed in this section is how students attribute the properties of substances to the properties of the particles that make up a substance. For example, some students think that molecules of ice are cold or that the atoms that make up a copper penny are hard and shiny. Probes in this section also reveal whether students recognize that some properties can be used to identify a substance. Dissolving presents a challenge to students in that they have to account for the apparent disappearance of a substance. Much of the research in this area has been carried out with examples of salt or sugar dissolving in water, a phenomenon students can readily observe. When conserving matter in the context of dissolving, such as in the probe “Salt in Water,” some students may think the salt or sugar no longer has mass or weight since they cannot visually see it. Even when they recognize that the solute breaks down into smaller particles, some students think those particles have less weight or mass because they are smaller. They conserve the substance but fail to conserve the weight or mass. Students’ tendency to use conservation reasoning in physical change contexts increases with age but is still challenging even for high school students. Section 3: Classifying Matter, Chemical Properties, and Chemical Reactions Students’ ways of classifying matter expand from solids, liquids, and gases in the elementary grades to elements, compounds, and mixtures in the middle and high school grades. Middle

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Introduction school students recognize that each element or compound can be represented by its component units and that these units are held together by forces. Perceptible characteristics may affect how students distinguish between elements and compounds. For example, some students may think compound substances, such as salt, are elements because they look the same throughout or may think elements exist only as solids. Studies have shown that students have difficulty recognizing that the same element can exist in different forms. For example, although the element carbon can exist as graphite or as diamond, high school students may think the forms have a different chemical composition. Furthermore, the misconception that these are two different elements is further compounded by using different common names for the same element. This section includes several probes that reveal how students think about pure substances and how they distinguish between them. Researchers have identified several difficulties students have with the concept of chemical change and the nature of chemical reactions. Simply put, a chemical change involves the breaking apart and recombination of molecules or ionic substances to form new substances that are chemically different from the original substances. “In order to explain a chemical change, students must understand a variety of facts about the chemical properties of the substances involved, as well as some basic chemical theories, the most important of which is the atomic molecular theory” (Hesse and Anderson 1992, p. 278). This section includes several probes that uncover students’ ideas about whether a chemical change has occurred and what happens to atoms and molecules during a chemical change. The law of conservation of mass states that the total mass of the products of a chemical reaction is the same as the total mass of the

reactants. Many researchers, going all the way back to the early work of Jean Piaget, have found that conserving mass (or matter) is difficult for students at all ages (Piaget and Inhelder 1974). Conservation reasoning starts with phenomena that involve physical changes in which the chemical makeup of the material or substance does not change but its appearance does. By middle school, students can usually conserve mass in transformations that involve a change in shape, such as flattening a clay ball, but still struggle with more complex physical changes such as dissolving when they can no longer see the solute. Conserving mass during chemical reactions poses similar difficulties for middle and high school students when there is a nonvisible reactant or product such as a gas. This is where the crosscutting concept of systems is important as the actual system to be explained may be larger than the system that the student perceives. For example, when steel wool rusts, students may fail to recognize that oxygen from the air is part of the system. This section includes a probe (“What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction?”) that reveals how students use conservation reasoning to explain how matter changes chemically. Vogelezang (1987) points out that the concept of substance occupies a central position among chemistry concepts and suggests that teachers should pay careful attention to how they use the word. The word substance has a meaning in chemistry that differs from the everyday meaning of the word. To a chemist, a substance is a type of “pure” matter that has a definite chemical composition (elements and compounds). In our everyday broad use of the word, substance may refer to any type of matter, including mixtures. The probe “What Is a Substance?” may be used to reveal how students think about this important chemical concept.

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Introduction Section 4: Nuclear Processes and Energy Both the Framework and the NGSS include the core idea of nuclear processes. Much of the content related to nuclear processes is new to students—they may not come to the science class with ideas formed from their everyday experiences, such as they do with other matter and energy–related concepts. Therefore, we chose to focus on an idea related to experiences they may have had or know something about— irradiation. Many students have experienced x-rays or airport screening machines or heard about irradiated food. The first two probes in this section uncover strongly held ideas students have about irradiation that tend to follow them into adulthood if left unchallenged and unresolved and that are important for public understanding of science. Energy is the final topic in this book. “Energy is perhaps the most important idea in all of science” (Nordine and Fortus 2017). Energy is a broad, crosscutting concept that appears in all the disciplines of science. To cover energy comprehensively would require a separate book devoted only to uncovering student ideas about energy. For this book we chose to limit the focus to the concepts of energy, heat, thermal energy, and temperature; energy of chemical reactions; and the transfer and conservation of energy. Researchers have known for decades that students at all grade levels have difficulty understanding energy. Before students ever learn about energy in school they have already formed ideas about energy from their everyday experiences. Energy pervades all aspects of our lives, but the ideas students form about energy are not always consistent with the scientific view of energy. The way we refer to energy

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and related terms in our everyday language, such as heat and temperature, can affect ideas students have about energy. For example, how many times have you heard someone refer to “using up the energy” or say “close the door, you are letting the cold in”? Definitions students learn in school, such as energy is the ability to do work, can also muddle ideas about energy. Even science teachers’ language can cause conceptual misunderstandings, such as the way biology teachers sometimes refer to the release of energy when breaking a chemical bond. The probes in this section can be used to uncover preexisting ideas students have about energy.

Formative Assessment Reminder

Now that you have the background on the probes and the Teacher Notes in this new book, let’s not forget the formative purpose of these probes. Remember that a probe is not formative unless you use the information from the probe to modify, adapt, or change your instruction so that all students have the opportunity to learn the important scientific ideas about matter and energy. As a companion to this book and all the other volumes, NSTA has co-published the books Science Formative Assessment, Volume 1 (Keeley 2016) and Science Formative Assessment, Volume 2 (Keeley 2015). In these books, you will find a variety of formative assessment classroom techniques (FACTs) to use along with the probes to facilitate elicitation, support metacognition, encourage discussion and argumentation, monitor progress toward conceptual change, encourage feedback, and promote self-assessment and reflection—all aspects of the formative assessment process.

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Introduction References Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. WoodRobinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Feynman, R., R. Leighton, and M. Sands. 2011. Six easy pieces: Essentials of physics explained by its most brilliant teacher. New York: Basic Books. Hesse, J., and C. Anderson. 1992. Students’ conceptions of chemical change. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 29 (3): 277–299. Keeley, P. 2011. Formative assessment probes: Teachers as classroom researchers. Science and Children 49 (3): 24–26. Keeley, P. 2014. What are they thinking? Promoting elementary learning through formative assessment. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Keeley, P. 2015. Science formative assessment, volume 2: 50 more strategies for linking assessment, instruction, and learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Keeley, P. 2016. Science formative assessment, volume 1: 75 practical strategies for linking assessment, instruction, and learning. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington DC: National Academies Press.

NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For states, by states. Washington DC: National Academies Press. www.nextgenscience. org/next-generation-science-standards. Nordine, J., and D. Fortus. 2017. Core idea PS3: Energy. In Disciplinary core ideas: Reshaping teaching and learning, ed. R. Duncan, J. Krajcik, and A. Rivet, 55–74. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Piaget, J., and B. Inhelder. 1974. The child’s construction of quantities. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Smith, P., and C. Plumley. 2016. A review of the research literature on teaching about the small particle model of matter to elementary students. Chapel Hill, NC: Horizon Research, Inc. Smith, C., M. Wiser, C. Anderson, and J. Krajcik. 2006. Implications of research on children’s learning for standards and assessment: A proposed learning progression for matter and the atomic-molecular theory. Measurement: Interdisciplinary Research and Perspectives 4 (1): 1–98. Stavy, R. 1991. Children’s ideas about matter. School Science and Mathematics 91 (6). 240–244. Stavy, R., and D. Tirosh. 2000. How students (mis-) understand science and mathematics: Intuitive rules. New York: Teachers College Press. Vogelezang, M. 1987. Development of the concept of chemical substance—some thoughts and arguments. International Journal of Science Education 9 (5): 417–427.

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Section 1

Concept of Matter and Particle Model of Matter Concept Matrix............................................. 14 Related NGSS Performance Expectations................................................15 Related NSTA Resources.............................15 1 Matter or Not Matter?................................ 17 2 Solids, Liquids, and Gases.......................... 23 3 What Do You Know About Atoms and Molecules?.......................................... 29 4 Atoms and Apples........................................ 37 5 Model of Air Inside a Jar............................. 43 6 What If You Could Remove All the Atoms?............................................ 49

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13

Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

Model of Air Inside a Jar #5

#6 What If You Could Remove All the Atoms?

Atoms and Apples #4

3–8

What Do You Know About Atoms and Molecules?

3–8

#3

Solids, Liquids, and Gases

Matter or Not Matter?

#2

GRADE LEVEL USE →

#1

PROBES

Concept Matrix for Probes #1–#6

6–12 6–12 5–12 5–12

RELATED CONCEPTS ↓ Air

X

Atom Concept of matter

X X

X

X

Electrical forces

X

Gas

X

Liquid

X

X

Molecule

X

X

X

Particle

X

X

X

Parts of an atom

X

Relative size

X

Scale

14

X

X X

Solid

X

States of matter

X

X

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Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

Related NGSS Performance Expectations (NGSS Lead States 2013) Structure and Properties of Matter • Grade 2, 2-PS1-1: Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties. • Grade 5, 5-PS1-1: Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen. • Grades 6–8, MS-PS1-1: Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures. • Grades 6–8, MS-PS1-4: Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed. Reference NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For states, by states. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. www.nextgenscience. org/next-generation-science-standards.

Related NSTA Resources NSTA Journal Articles

Abell, S., M. Anderson, D. Ruth, and N. Sattler. 1996. What’s the matter? Studying the concept of matter in middle school. Science Scope 20 (1): 18–21. Ashbrook, P. 2008. The early years: Air is not nothing. Science and Children 46 (4): 12–14. Gould, G., and L. Mitts. 2014. Eureka! Causal thinking about molecules and matter. Science Scope 38 (2): 47–56. Keeley, P. 2016. Formative assessment probes: Uncovering students’ concept of matter. Science and Children 53 (5): 26–28.

Pentecost, T., S. Weber, and D. Herrington. 2016. Connecting the visible world with the invisible: Particulate diagrams deepen student understanding of chemistry. The Science Teacher 83 (5): 53–58. Peters, E. 2006. Building student mental constructs of particle theory. Science Scope 30 (2): 53–55. Smith, P., C. Plumley, and M. Hayes. 2017. Much ado about nothing: How children think about the small-particle model of matter. Science and Children 54 (8): 74–80.

NSTA Press Books Grooms, J., P. Enderle, T. Hutner, A. Murphy, and V. Sampson. 2016. Argument-driven inquiry in physical science: Lab investigations for grades 6–8. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Mayer, K., and J. Krajcik. 2017. Core idea PS1: Matter and its interactions. In Disciplinary core ideas: Reshaping teaching and learning, ed. R. Duncan, J. Krajcik, and A. Rivet, 13–32. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Robertson, B. 2007. Chemistry basics: Stop faking it! Finally understanding science so you can teach it. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

NSTA Learning Center Resources NSTA Science Object Explaining Matter With Elements, Atoms, and Molecules: Evidence for Atoms and Molecules http://learningcenter.nsta.org/resource/?id= 10.2505/7/SCB-EAM.3.1

NSTA Webinar NGSS Core Ideas: Matter and Its Interactions http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_ seminars/NGSS/webseminar27.aspx

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Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

1

Matter or Not Matter?

Five students are working on a poster about matter. They each have different ideas about things that are matter. This is what they said: Millie:

I think only nonliving things are matter.

Sally:

I think only living or once-living things are matter.

Art:

I think living, once-living, and nonliving things are matter.

Cho:

I think nonliving things are matter, and some types of living and once-living things are matter.

Dani:

I think living and once-living things are matter, and some types of nonliving things are matter.

Who do you agree with the most? ______________________ Explain why you agree. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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1

Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

¿Materia o no Materia?

Cinco estudiantes estaban creando un póster sobre la materia. Cada uno tenía ideas diferentes acerca de las cosas que son materia. Esto es lo que dijeron: Millie:

Creo que sólo las cosas no vivas son materia.

Sally:

Creo que sólo las cosas vivas o una vez vivas son materia.

Art:

Creo que los seres vivos, una vez vivos y no vivientes, son materia.

Cho:

Creo que los seres no vivos son materia, y algunos tipos que eran vivos son materia.

Dani:

Creo que los seres vivos y no vivientes son materia, y algunos tipos de cosas no vivas son materia.

¿Con quién estás más de acuerdo? ______________________ Explica por qué estás de acuerdo. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

18

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Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

1

Matter or Not Matter? Teacher Notes

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the concept of matter. The probe is designed to understand how students define matter and whether they recognize that all living, once-living, and nonliving things, materials, or substances are matter.

Type of Probe Friendly talk

Related Concept Concept of matter

Explanation

The best answer is Art’s: “I think living, once-living, and nonliving things are matter.” For much of the history of science, the nature of matter has been contemplated and evolved over time. Although the definition of matter is not entirely black and white, even for scientists, matter is essentially all things in the universe that have mass and occupy space (volume). Objects, materials, substances,

organisms, and parts of living and once-living organisms are all considered matter. Matter exists in different states (e.g., solids, liquids, gases, plasma) and is made up of smaller particles, such as atoms and molecules, which are made up of even smaller particles. Living, once-living, and nonliving things meet these defining characteristics.

Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with students in grades 3–8, but be aware that some high school students may lack a full understanding of the concept of matter. Go over each answer choice to make sure students know the differences between each response. For example, make sure they understand that if they choose Dani, they think that living and once-living things, including parts of living or once-living things, are matter and that some nonliving things are considered matter and some others are not. You can extend the probe by having students give examples to support their answer choice.

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1

Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts From the Framework (NRC 2012) •

K–2 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Different kinds of matter exist and many of them can be either solid or liquid, depending on temperature. Matter can be described and classified by its observable properties. 3–5 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Matter of any type can be subdivided into particles that are too small to see, but even then the matter still exists and can be detected by other means. A model showing that gases are made from matter particles that are too small to see and are moving freely around in space can explain many observations, including the inflation and shape of a balloon and the effects of air on larger particles or objects. 3–5 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Matter is made of particles. 6–8 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Substances are made from different types of atoms, which combine with one another in various ways. Atoms form molecules that range in size from two to thousands of atoms.

Related Research •

20

In a study of Israeli children ages 6–13, children were asked to decide whether a series of items were considered matter or nonmatter. The items were powders, rigid solids, nonrigid solids, liquids, biological materials, phenomena associated with matter such as fire and smell, gases, and nonmatter such as heat and shadow.

•

• •

Biological materials were regarded as matter less than 50% of the time. The study also showed that children’s ability to classify matter increases with age (Stavy 1991). In a study conducted to find out the meaning students gave to the word matter, 20% of middle school–age students described it as something tangible, meaning it could be handled and it took up space. By age 16, 66% of students described it this way (Bouma, Brandt, and Sutton 1990). Several studies have examined students’ ideas about gases. Studies show that students have difficulty accepting air as matter if they don’t regard air as having weight or mass (Driver et al. 1994). Some students may accept solids as matter but not liquids (AAAS 2009). Lee et al. (1993) asked middle school students to consider which things that surround us in the world are considered matter. This turned out to be a difficult question for many students. Prior to being introduced to the word matter as a scientific term, students defined the term intuitively based on sensory perceptions, such as “matter is anything you can feel or you can see.” The textbook definition, “matter is anything that has weight (or mass) and takes up space,” was of little help for most students. Many thought, for instance, that gases have no weight; others thought that light and heat take up space. Even after instruction, many students still had difficulties. For instance, some students thought that “everything is matter, whatever exists,” including forms of energy. They also thought that forms of energy were not solids, liquids, or gases, but “different forms of matter.”

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Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment •

•

•

•

•

•

•

Two related probes can be used with this probe: “Is It Matter?” (available in Keeley 2018) and the K–2 version of “Is It Matter?” (available in Keeley 2013). Knowing students’ conception of matter is a prerequisite to designing instruction around matter-related concepts and ideas. For example, teaching the particulate nature of matter may not be effective if students don’t know what matter is and don’t believe a gas has material substance. Likewise, students struggle with biological concepts such as photosynthesis, respiration, and nutrition when they don’t regard biological material as matter. Using a definition such as “matter is anything that has mass and occupies space” is meaningless to students if they don’t understand mass and volume. Develop a rule that students can use to determine whether something is matter and provide examples of objects, materials, and substances that have both a living and nonliving origin to develop the generalization that all objects, materials, and substances are considered matter. Use the concept of parts of a whole to explore what living or once-living things are made of starting with an organism, to structures of an organism, to cells, to parts of cells, to atoms and molecules. At each level of structure, ask students if it is matter or not matter. Teach and assess the concept of matter in multiple contexts, not just during physical science units. Address matter-related ideas in physical, Earth, space, and life sciences. Gases, such as air, are most problematic in terms of students’ recognizing matter. Make sure students have opportunities to see that gases take up space and have mass or can be weighed. If students’ experiences

1

are only with solids and liquids, they may not recognize gases as matter. Furthermore, if their experiences are only with nonliving matter, they may fail to generalize that living things or nonliving things with a living origin are also matter. • Use caution with language such as “made up of matter” as it implies that an object or material is something that contains or is filled in with matter. An object or material is matter. After using this probe and discussing the results, clarify this language with students.

References American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). 2009. Benchmarks for science literacy online. www.project2061.org/ publications/bsl/online. Bouma, H., I. Brandt, and C. Sutton. 1990. Words as tools in science lessons. Amsterdam: University of Amsterdam. Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Keeley, P. 2013. Uncovering student ideas in primary science, volume 1: 25 new formative assessment probes for grades K–2. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Keeley, P. 2018. Uncovering student ideas in science, volume 1: 25 formative assessment probes. 2nd ed. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Lee, O., D. Eichinger, C. Anderson, G. Berkheimer, and T. Blakeslee. 1993. Changing middle school students’ conceptions of matter and molecules. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 30 (3): 249–270. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Stavy, R. 1991. Children’s ideas about matter. School Science and Mathematics 91 (6): 240–244.

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21

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2

Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

Solids, Liquids, and Gases Solids are matter; liquids and gases are something else.

Blak e

Ze

nd

Solids, liquids, and gases are matter. aya

Solids and liquids are matter; gases are something else.

Ja mie

Solids are matter; some liquids and gases are matter.

Na

via

G eral d o

Solids and liquids are matter; some gases are matter.

Who do you agree with the most? ______________________ Explain why you agree. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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23

2

Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

Sólidos, Liquidos, y Gases Los sólidos son materia; los líquidos y los gases son otra cosa.

Blak e

Ze

nd

Los sólidos, los liquidos, y los gases son materia. aya

Los sólidos y los liquidos son materia; los gases son otra cosa.

Ja mie

Los sólidos son materia; algunos líquidos y gases son materia.

Na

via

G eral d o

Los sólidos y los liquidos son materia; algunos gases son materia.

¿Con quién estás más de acuerdo? ______________________ Explica por qué estás de acuerdo. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

24

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Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

2

Solids, Liquids, and Gases Teacher Notes Solids are matter; liquids and gases are something else.

Blak e

Ze

Solids, liquids, and gases are matter. aya

Solids and liquids are matter; gases are something else.

Ja mie

Solids are matter; some liquids and gases are matter.

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the concept of matter. The probe is designed to find out how students define matter and whether they recognize that all three states—solids, liquids, and gases—are matter.

Type of Probe Concept cartoon

Related Concepts

Concept of matter, gas, liquid, solid, states of matter

Explanation

nd

The best answer is Navia’s: “Solids, liquids, and gases are matter.” Although the definition of matter is not entirely black and white, even for scientists, a basic way to describe matter is essentially all things in the universe that have mass and occupy space (volume). Matter exists in different states. The three major states of matter are solid, liquid, and gas; there are also plasmas and Bose-Einstein condensates. Each of these states is made up of particles of matter

Na

via

G eral d o Solids and liquids are matter; some gases are matter.

although the position, motion, and amount of space occupied by their particles differ.

Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with students in grades 3–8, although some high school students may still fail to recognize that gases are matter. Go over each answer choice to make sure students know the differences between each response. You can extend the probe by having students give examples to support their answer choice.

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts From the Framework (NRC 2012) K–2 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Different kinds of matter exist and many of them can be either solid or liquid, depending on temperature. Matter can be described and classified by its observable properties.

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25

2

Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

3–5 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Matter of any type can be subdivided into particles that are too small to see, but even then the matter still exists and can be detected by other means. A model showing that gases are made from matter particles that are too small to see and are moving freely around in space can explain many observations, including the inflation and shape of a balloon and the effects of air on larger particles or objects. 3–5 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Matter is made of particles. 6–8 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Gases and liquids are made of molecules or inert atoms that are moving about relative to each other. • In a liquid, the molecules are constantly in contact with others; in a gas, they are widely spaced except when they happen to collide. In a solid, atoms are closely spaced and may vibrate in position but do not change relative locations. • Solids may be formed from molecules, or they may be extended structures with repeating subunits (e.g., crystals).

•

•

• •

•

Related Research •

26

In a study of Israeli children ages 6–13, children were asked to decide whether a series of items were considered matter or nonmatter. Almost 73% of the students identified all the solids, with some students selecting nonrigid solids as nonmatter. More than half (57%) selected all the liquids (milk, mercury, and water) with water being the liquid most associated with matter. Only 23.7% of the students identified gases as matter. Even though there is an increase with age in classifying gases as matter,

children still have difficulty thinking of gases as matter (Stavy 1991). In a study conducted to find out the meaning students gave to the word matter, 20% of middle school–age students described it as something tangible, meaning it could be handled and took up space. By age 16, 66% of students described it this way (Bouma, Brandt, and Sutton 1990). Several studies have examined students’ ideas about gases. Studies show that students have difficulty accepting air as matter if they don’t regard air as having weight or mass (Driver et al. 1994). Some students may accept solids as matter but not liquids (AAAS 2009). Initially, students may see solids and liquids as very different materials and therefore lack a unifying idea of matter (Wiser, O’Conner, and Higgins 1995). Lee et al. (1993) asked middle school students to consider which things that surround us in the world are considered matter. This turned out to be a difficult question for many students. Prior to being introduced to the word matter as a scientific term, students defined the term intuitively based on sensory perceptions, such as “matter is anything you can feel or you can see.” The textbook definition, “matter is anything that has weight (or mass) and takes up space,” was of little help for most students. Many thought, for instance, that gases have no weight. Even after instruction, many students still had difficulties.

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment

Two related probes can be used with this probe: “Is It Matter?” (available in Keeley 2018) and the K–2 version of “Is It Matter?” (available in Keeley 2013). • Knowing students’ conception of matter is a prerequisite to designing instruction •

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•

•

•

•

•

around matter-related concepts and ideas. For example, teaching the particulate nature of matter may not be effective if students don’t know what matter is and don’t believe a gas has material substance. Using a definition such as “matter is anything that has mass and occupies space” is meaningless to students if they don’t understand mass and volume. Students should have opportunities to measure how solids, liquids, and gases have mass (or weight for younger students) and take up space (have volume). Develop a rule that students can use to determine whether something is matter and provide examples of objects, materials, and substances in all states of matter to develop the generalization that all objects, materials, and substances are considered matter. Gases, such as air, are most problematic in terms of students’ recognizing matter. Make sure students have opportunities to see that gases take up space and have mass or can be weighed. If students’ experiences are only with solids and liquids, they may not recognize gases as matter. Students may think that things that are very small or cannot be seen do not have weight. Provide opportunities to weigh small things and gases and use microscopes or magnifying lenses to observe small parts of matter. Students can observe how the mass or weight of a gas can be measured by keeping the volume of a container constant while more gas is added. Observing the mass or

2

weight increasing may help them realize that gases are matter.

References American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). 2009. Benchmarks for science literacy online. www.project2061.org/ publications/bsl/online. Bouma, H., I. Brandt, and C. Sutton. 1990. Words as tools in science lessons. Amsterdam: University of Amsterdam. Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Keeley, P. 2013. Uncovering student ideas in primary science, volume 1: 25 new formative assessment probes for grades K–2. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Keeley, P. 2018. Uncovering student ideas in science, volume 1: 25 formative assessment probes. 2nd ed. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Lee, O., D. Eichinger, C. Anderson, G. Berkheimer, and T. Blakeslee. 1993. Changing middle school students’ conceptions of matter and molecules. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 30 (3): 249–270. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Stavy, R. 1991. Children’s ideas about matter. School Science and Mathematics 91 (6): 240–244. Wiser, M., K. O’Connor, and T. Higgins. 1995. Mutual constraints in the development of the concepts of matter and molecule. Paper presented at American Educational Research Association Conference, San Francisco.

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What Do You Know About Atoms and Molecules? Put an X next to the statements that are true about atoms and molecules. ___  A. Molecules are large atoms. ___  B. Atoms are the basic building blocks of matter.

Atoms and molecules

are particles of matter. Put an X next to the statements that are true about these particles of matter.

___  C. Some molecules are made up of all of the same kind of atom. ___  D. Substances have the same properties as the atoms that make them up.

___  I. Atoms are made up of smaller particles.

___  E. You can see molecules with a school microscope but you can’t see atoms.

___  K. Some molecules are made up of hundreds of atoms.

___  F. Molecules can break apart and form new molecules. ___  G. Atoms are smaller than cells; some molecules are bigger than cells. ___  H. Atoms and molecules are mostly empty space.

___  J. Molecules of solids do not move.

___  L. Water can exist as an atom or a molecule. ___  M. Molecules make up living and nonliving things. ___  N. There are electrical forces within and between atoms.

Explain your thinking. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

¿Qué Sabes Sobre Los Átomos y Las Moléculas? Marque con una X las cosas que son correctas sobre átomos y moléculas. ___  A. Las moléculas son átomos grandes. ___  B. Los átomos son las estructuras básicas de la materia.

Átomos y moléculas son particulas de materia. Marque con una X las frases que son correctas sobre estas partículas de materia.

___  C. Algunas moléculas están formadas de la misma clase de átomo. ___  D. Las sustancias tienen las mismas propiedades que los átomos de los que están hechos. ___  E. Puedes ver moléculas con un microscopio escolar pero no puedes ver átomos.

___  J. Las moléculas de sólidos no se mueven. ___  K. Algunas moléculas están constituidas de cientos de átomos.

___  F. Las moléculas pueden separarse y formar nuevas moléculas. ___  G. Los átomos son más pequeños que las células; algunas moléculas son más grandes que las células. ___  H. Los átomos y las moléculas son en su mayoría espacios vacíos.

___ I. Los átomos están hechos de partículas más pequeñas.

___  L. El agua puede existir como un átomo o una molécula. ___  M. Las moléculas componen cosas vivas y no vivas. ___  N. Hay fuerzas eléctricas dentro y entre los átomos.

Explica lo que piensas. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 30

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What Do You Know About Atoms and Molecules? Teacher Notes Atoms and molecules

are particles of matter. Put an X next to the statements that are true about these particles of matter.

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about atoms and molecules. The probe is designed to reveal commonly held ideas students have about the structure and properties of atoms and molecules.

•

Type of Probe Justified list

Related Concepts

•

Atom, electrical forces, molecule, particle, parts of an atom, relative size

Explanation

The best answers are B, C, F, H, I, K, M, and N. Reasons why answer choices are the best (or not the best) are as follows: • A. Molecules are generally larger than atoms but they are not atoms; they are two or more atoms joined together. • B. Atoms are generally considered the basic unit of matter that can be identified as a particular type of matter (element). There are smaller particles that make up atoms

•

•

(e.g., protons, electrons, neutrons) but these generally do not exist on their own. C. Some molecules are made up of two or more of the same atom joined together. For example, a molecule of oxygen gas, which has a chemical formula of O2, is made up of two oxygen atoms. It is considered a diatomic molecule. Three oxygen atoms form the molecule ozone (O3). Sulfur can form a molecule with eight sulfur atoms (S8). D. All substances have properties that differ from the atoms that make them up. For example, silver (a substance) is hard and shiny; however, silver atoms are not hard and shiny. E. Molecules and atoms are generally much too small to be seen with ordinary light microscopes or even electron microscopes. However, some labs have recently produced molecular and atomic-level images with highly sophisticated technology. F. Molecules can break apart to form new molecules. For example, through electrolysis, water can be broken down into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) molecules.

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Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

32

G. Molecules are much smaller than cells. Cells are composed of molecules. For example, there are about 250 million hemoglobin molecules in one red blood cell. Bacterial cells are much smaller than plant and animal cells, but larger than a molecule and are also made up of molecules. DNA and proteins are large molecules that are found inside a cell. One of the largest synthetic giant molecules discovered is almost the size of a virus, but still smaller than a cell. Molecules are measured in nanometers (10-9 m) while cells are measured in micrometers (10 -6 m). H. While solid and liquid matter may appear to be continuous, there is mostly empty space between the atoms and molecules. An atom is estimated to be more than 99% empty space. I. Atoms are made up of protons, neutrons, and electrons and even smaller particles, such as quarks and leptons, have been found. J. Molecules of a solid, such as ice, do move, but not from their position: They mainly stay in place and vibrate. Molecules of a liquid move more than solids but maintain their attraction between the molecules. Gases move a lot and overcome their attraction between the molecules. K. Molecules can range from two atoms, such as carbon monoxide, to thousands of atoms, such as proteins, DNA, and rubber. L. Water exists only as a molecule since it is made up of three atoms joined together— two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. M. All matter, both living and nonliving, is made up of atoms and molecules. The cells that make up living matter consist of atoms and molecules. N. There are electrical interactions (attractions and repulsions) between charged particles in an atom (i.e., atomic nuclei and electrons). These interactions explain the structure of atoms and the forces that

result in the chemical bonds that form molecules or extended structures such as crystalline lattices or metals.

Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with students in grades 6–12. If using the probe in middle school, cross out answer choices that students may not encounter until high school. The probe can be extended by asking students to explain why the statements they did not mark with an X are not true about atoms and molecules.

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts From the Framework (NRC 2012) 3–5 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Matter of any type can be subdivided into particles that are too small to see, but even then the matter still exists and can be detected by other means. 3–5 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Matter is made of particles. 6–8 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Substances are made from different types of atoms, which combine with one another in various ways. Atoms form molecules that range in size from two to thousands of atoms. • In a solid, atoms are closely spaced and may vibrate in position but do not change relative locations. • Solids may be formed from molecules, or they may be extended structures with repeating subunits (e.g., crystals). 9–12 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Each atom has a charged substructure consisting of a nucleus, which is made

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Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

of protons and neutrons, surrounded by electrons.

Related Research •

•

•

•

•

•

•

Atomic theory is difficult for many students. Even though they may memorize that “atoms are the building blocks of matter,” they have a difficult time connecting an atomic model with their observations (Treagust, Chittleborough, and Mamiala 2003). Students have difficulty differentiating between atoms and molecules (Devetaka and Glazara 2010). In general, students lack a particle view of matter. Their observations focus on the macro level and therefore their ideas are more consistent with a continuous view of matter (Merritt and Krajcik 2013). Some students tend to ascribe properties of substances at a macro level to properties of the atoms or molecules (Kind 2004). In an early study of almost 600 students, representations of the inside of a sugar crystal revealed their particle ideas. Students ages 8 to 17 were studied and their ideas ranged with increasing age from continuous (no space or other matter between particles), through continuous bits (particles with matter filling in the space between particles), to scientific representations (all matter is mostly empty space). However, 20% of the students who were 17 years old still held on to a continuous view of matter (Driver et al. 1994). Understanding the size of an atom is challenging. Some students think that all microscopic objects are of a similar size. For example, they may think that atoms and blood cells are about the same size (Mayer and Krajcik 2016). Some students believe that they could see molecules with microscopes or “magnifying lenses.” Even after instruction emphasized that most molecules are too small to be

3

seen with even the most powerful microscope, some students, when asked if they could see molecules with microscopes, said: “Probably, maybe a little bit,” or “I think so, yeah, barely.” Some students thought molecules were comparable in size to other tiny objects they were familiar with such as dust, bacteria, and cells (Lee et al. 1993). • A study of middle school students found an interesting misconception concerning the relative sizes of atoms and molecules. Some students thought they could see atoms or molecules under a regular optical microscope in the same way they could see microbes. The researchers speculate that this misconception could arise from instruction, where students learned that atoms and microbes are tiny units, invisible to the naked eye. This may have caused them to believe that atoms are similar to microbes, or at least that they are of the same size (Nakhleh, Samarapungavan, and Saglam 2005). • At the high school level, students usually have an incomplete conceptual model of an atom that does not include electric interactions (Stevens, Delgado, and Krajcik 2010). • Some middle and high school students view phase changes as chemical changes. As a result, some students think that when a liquid changes to a gas, it separates the molecules into the individual atoms (Aydeniz and Kotowski 2012).

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment

Provide students with an opportunity to revisit this probe after they have gained more knowledge about atoms and molecules and further developed their particle model. • Learning about the parts of an atom (protons, neutrons, electrons) should wait until high school. •

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Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

•

•

•

•

•

•

34

This probe provides an opportunity for students to use the scientific practice of developing and using conceptual models. Encourage students to use drawings to explain their ideas about atoms and molecules. Connect the relative size of atoms and molecules to the crosscutting concept of scale. Use analogies to relate relative sizes of atoms and molecules to observable objects. Research indicates students at all grade levels have difficulty with the idea that there is empty space in atoms and nothing between molecules of a substance. Challenge them to think about and explain why a solid or liquid such as an iron nail or a glass of water looks continuous throughout but actually has a lot of empty space in its composition. Using ball and stick models and common symbolic representations of molecules may help students understand that molecules are made up of atoms and differentiate between the two. The term molecule is generally used to describe two or more atoms joined together. Students tend to think any combination of atoms is a molecule and fail to recognize that some compounds are extended arrays of atoms or ions. Building models of crystalline lattices, such as sodium chloride, may help them see the difference between a molecule and repeating subunits in large arrays. The probe “Salt Crystals” (available in Keeley and Tugel 2009) can be used to uncover their ideas about crystalline arrays. Also, some students think that two or more atoms joined together means two different types of atoms. They may fall to recognize diatomic molecules such as O2 , H 2 , and N2 as examples of molecules. Computer-based visualizations coupled with explicit instruction may help students

develop conceptual understanding of the particulate model of matter. • Consider having students complete a graphic organizer comparing atoms and molecules, with examples of each. • At the high school level, relate the different types of microscopes (e.g., optical light, electron, scanning tunneling) to what they can detect.

References Aydeniz, M., and E. Kotowski. 2012. What do middle and high school students know about the particulate nature of matter after instruction? Implications for practice. School Science and Mathematics 112 (2): 59–65. Devetaka, I., and S. Glazara. 2010. The influence of 16-year-old students’ gender, mental abilities, and motivation on their reading and drawing submicrorepresentations achievement. International Journal of Science Education 32 (12): 1561–1593. Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Keeley, P., and J. Tugel. 2009. Uncovering student ideas in science, volume 4: 25 new formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Kind, V. 2004. Beyond appearances: Students’ misconceptions about basic chemical ideas. 2nd ed. Durham, England: Durham University School of Education. Lee, O., D. Eichinger, C. Anderson, G. Berkheimer, and T. Blakeslee. 1993. Changing middle school students’ conceptions of matter and molecules. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 30 (3): 249–270. Mayer, K., and J. Krajcik. 2017. Core idea PS1: Matter and its interactions. In Disciplinary core ideas: Reshaping teaching and learning, ed. R. Duncan, J. Krajcik, and A. Rivet, 13–32. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

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Merritt, J., and J. Krajcik. 2013. Learning progression developed to support students in building a particle model of matter. In Concepts of matter in science education, ed. G. Tsaparlis and H. Sevian, 11–45. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer. Nakhleh, M., A. Samarapungavan, and Y. Saglam. 2005. Middle school students‘ beliefs about matter. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 42 (5): 581–612. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices,

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crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Stevens, S., C. Delgado, and J. Krajcik. 2010. Developing a hypothetical multi-dimensional learning progression for the nature of matter. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 47 (6): 687–715. Treagust, D., G. Chittleborough, and T. Mamiala. 2003. The role of submicroscopic and symbolic representations in chemical explanations. International Journal of Science Education 25 (11): 1353–1368.

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4

Atoms and Apples Seven friends were talking about the size of atoms. They wondered how the width (diameter) of a large atom compares to the width (diameter) of an apple. They each used a different analogy. This is what they said: Ari:

I think it is like comparing the width of an apple to the width of a cell.

Karen:

I think it is like comparing the width of an apple to the width of a basketball.

Carlo:

I think it is like comparing the width of an apple to the length of a school bus.

Paisley: I think it is like comparing the width of an apple to the length of a football field. Greg:

I think it is like comparing the width of an apple to the width across the Pacific Ocean from Los Angeles to China.

Dagmar: I think it is like comparing the width of an apple to the diameter of Earth. Feng:

I think it is like comparing the width of an apple to the diameter of the Sun.

Who do you think used the best analogy? ______________________ Explain your thinking. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ U n c o v e r i n g S t u d e n t I d e a s i n P hy s i c a l S c i e n c e , Vo l u m e 3 Copyright © 2019 NSTA. All rights reserved. For more information, go to www.nsta.org/permissions. TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK, please visit www.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781681406046

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Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

Átomos y Manzanas Siete amigos hablaban del tamaño de los átomos. Se preguntaban cómo el ancho (diámetro) del átomo grande compara con el ancho (diámetro) de una manzana. Cada uno usaba una analogía diferente. Esto es lo que dijeron. Ari:

Creo que es como comparar el ancho de una manzana con el ancho de una célula.

Karen:

Creo que es como comparar el ancho de una manzana con el ancho de una pelota de baloncesto.

Carlo:

Creo que es como comparar el ancho de una manzana con el largo de un autobús escolar.

Paisley: Creo que es como comparar el ancho de una manzana con el largo de un campo de fútbol americano. Greg:

Creo que es como comparar el ancho de una manzana con el largo a través del Océano Pacífico de Los Angeles a China.

Dagmar: Creo que es como comparar el ancho de una manzana con el diámetro de la Tierra. Feng:

Creo que es como comparar el ancho de una manzana con el diámetro del Sol.

¿Quién crees que tiene la mejor analogía? ______________________ Explica lo que piensas. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 38

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4

Atoms and Apples Teacher Notes

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the size (in diameter) of atoms. The probe is designed to reveal how students use the crosscutting concept of scale to compare relative sizes by estimating size in general and using orders of magnitude.

Type of Probe Friendly talk

Related Concepts Atom, relative size, scale

Explanation

The best answer is Dagmar’s: “I think it is like comparing the width of an apple to the diameter of Earth.” Atoms are extremely small. They range in diameter (twice the atomic radius) from a small atom such as hydrogen with a diameter of about 0.2 nanometers to a large atom such as barium with a diameter of about 0.7 nanometers. One nanometer is equal to 10 -9 meters and one meter equals 109 nanometers. One million average-size atoms placed end to end would barely cover the width

of the period at the end of this sentence. To visualize extremely small sizes such as the size of an atom, it helps to use a conceptual model such as an analogy to compare relative scale sizes. For the sake of simplifying the calculation, if you rounded off the diameter of a large atom to 1 nanometer (10 -9 m) and could zoom the atom up to the size of an apple (diameter about 10 -1 m), you would expand it 108 times, or make it 10 times bigger 8 consecutive times: (10 -9 m)(108) = 10 -1 m. You can do the same to the apple, using the same expansion factor: (10 -1 m)(108) = 107 m, or 10,000 km. This is close to the diameter of the Earth, which is about 12,000 km.

Administering the Probe

This probe can be used with students in grades 6–12. You may need to explain the analogy to students. One way is to say if an atom were the width (or diameter) of an apple, then an apple would be the width (or diameter) of ____. You may need to clarify the measurement terms, using either width or diameter, and show students an apple to visualize the

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Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

measurement of width. If students struggle with size measurements of the less familiar objects, you can provide actual measurements for each of those answer choices.

atoms or molecules under a regular optical microscope in the same way they could see microbes (Nakhleh, Samarapungavan, and Saglam 2005).

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts From the Framework (NRC 2012)

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment

3–5 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Matter of any type can be subdivided into particles that are too small to see, but even then the matter still exists and can be detected by other means. 6–8 Crosscutting Concept: Scale, Proportion, and Quantity • Time, space, and energy phenomena can be observed at various scales using models to study systems that are too large or too small. 9–12 Crosscutting Concept: Scale, Proportion, and Quantity • Using the concept of orders of magnitude allows one to understand how a model at one scale relates to a model at another scale.

•

•

•

Related Research

Students may understand that an atom is too small to be seen with the unaided eye, yet they may believe it can be seen with a very powerful microscope (Harrison and Treagust 1996). • Early studies of students’ ideas about the size of atoms and molecules show that although students know that an atom or molecule is the smallest structural unit of a substance, they often have difficulty comprehending the minuteness of atoms and molecules (Driver et al. 1994). • A study of middle school students found that some students thought they could see •

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•

•

This probe supports three-dimensional assessment and learning. The probe combines a concept (the idea that atoms are very small) with the crosscutting concept of scale and proportion (in dimension) and the scientific practice of developing and using a model (making an analogy). The classic 1977 Eames film Powers of Ten can be used to develop a sense of scale and relative sizes from a carbon atom to the edge of our known universe: www.eamesoffice. com/the-work/powers-of-ten. High school students can be challenged to use the scientific practice of using mathematics and computational thinking by using powers of 10 and ratio and proportion to explain the comparison of the size of an atom with an apple. Students can compare their calculation and explanation with that of Richard Feynman’s shown on the following Annenberg web page: www.learner.org/courses/essential/physicalsci/ session2/closer2.html. Challenge students to come up with other scaling analogies. For example, if an atom were the size of a grain of salt, then the grain of salt would be the size of a ____. Some students confuse the size of atoms with cells. Part of this confusion comes from knowing that both atoms and cells have a nucleus; therefore, students may reason that they are about the same size. The probe “Cells and Size” (available in Keeley, Eberle, and Dorsey 2008) can be used to uncover this common misunderstanding.

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References Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Harrison, A., and D. Treagust. 1996. Secondary students’ mental models of atoms and molecules: Implications for teaching chemistry. Science Education 80 (5), 509–534. Keeley, P., F. Eberle, and C. Dorsey. 2008. Uncovering student ideas in science, volume 3: Another

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25 formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Nakhleh, M., A. Samarapungavan, and Y. Saglam. 2005. Middle school students’ beliefs about matter. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 42 (5): 581–612. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

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Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

Model of Air Inside a Jar I have a different picture.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

The drawings show different models of air inside a sealed jar. Circle the drawing that best matches how you would draw a model of air inside a jar. Explain your thinking. If you chose I, draw your model below and explain it. Describe how it is different from the other models.

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

Modelo de Aire Dentro de un Frasco Tengo una imagen diferente.

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

Los dibujos muestran diferentes modelos de aire dentro de un frasco sellado. Marque el dibujo que es más cómo dibujarías un modelo de aire dentro de un frasco. Explica lo que piensas. Si eliges I, dibuja tu modelo y explícalo. Describe cómo es diferente comparado a los otros modelos.

______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 44

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Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

Model of Air Inside a Jar Teacher Notes I have a different picture.

A

B

C

D

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the particle model of matter. The probe is designed to find out if students recognize that air is made up of particles that are widely spaced with empty space between the particles.

Type of Probe

Representation analysis

Related Concepts

Air, gas, molecule, particle

Explanation

The best representation is B, which represents particles widely and randomly distributed throughout the jar with empty space between them. Air is a gaseous mixture made up of molecules of different gases (nitrogen, oxygen, argon, water vapor, carbon dioxide, and small amounts of other gases). In a gas, the molecules are randomly spaced further apart than in a solid and liquid and are free to move about. The molecules are not arranged as a continuous form of matter; instead, there is empty space

E

F

G

H

I

between the molecules that does not contain matter. A, C, and E represent a continuous model of matter in which there is something filling the space. A and C may also reveal a non-particle view of matter. E represents both a particle and continuous model of matter. D represents a particle model with nothing between the particles but the particles are not distributed throughout the jar. The particles are at the bottom and there is empty space above them. F shows particles packed tightly with very little space between them. G represents a particle model but the particles have a very orderly, structured arrangement. H is the opposite of D, with empty space at the bottom of the jar. Some students may think the particles float to the top. Some students may choose I and draw their own model. Carefully examine their model, which could be similar to B or reflect a completely different conceptual model. Under normal conditions, gases are typically considered to be 100 to 1,000 molecular diameters apart. The size of the particles in B is also not to scale. These aspects of a particle model are difficult to portray to scale in the

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5

Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

diagrams. It is important to recognize that models cannot always portray all aspects of the real thing.

Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with grades 5–12. Hold up an empty open jar for students to see and seal it with the top. Explain that the jar contains air just like the jars in the diagrams. It may be helpful to explain that the representations are mental models—what someone might visualize in their head if they had a very powerful imaginary magnifier that let them see the air in the jar. Refrain from using the terms particle or molecular model, as the probe intentionally does not use these words to reveal whether students have the idea that air is composed of particles or molecules. Emphasize that if the pictures do not exactly match a students’ mental model of air, they should choose the one that is most like their mental model. You might also point out that models cannot always represent all aspects of the real thing, especially scale size and distance. Let students know that if their mental model of air inside the jar is significantly different, they may choose I and draw their model and explain it. Some students may choose G and provide the explanation that the particles are distributed throughout the jar and there is empty space between them, even though the representation depicts a very orderly, structured arrangement. It is this explanation of particles distributed throughout the jar with empty space between them that may be evident in G or I, even though B may be considered the best representation.

46

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts From the Framework (NRC 2012) 3–5 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Matter of any type can be subdivided into particles that are too small to see, but even then the matter still exists and can be detected by other means. A model showing that gases are made from matter particles that are too small to see and are moving freely around in space can explain many observations, including the inflation and shape of a balloon and the effects of air on larger particles or objects. 3–5 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Matter is made of particles. 6–8 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Gases and liquids are made of molecules or inert atoms that are moving about relative to each other. • In a liquid, the molecules are constantly in contact with others; in a gas, they are widely spaced except when they happen to collide. In a solid, atoms are closely spaced and may vibrate in position but do not change relative locations.

Related Research

Students of all ages show a wide range of beliefs about the nature and behavior of particles. For example, they do not accept the idea that there is empty space between particles (AAAS 2009). • In a study by Benson, Wittrock, and Bauer (1993), elementary through college age students were asked to imagine they had magic magnifying glasses that would let them see the particles of air in a sealed flask. They drew their mental models. Students •

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Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

•

•

•

•

with a continuous view of matter shaded in the flask or drew continuous straight or wavy lines throughout the flask. Students with a particulate view drew dots or circles, some spread out, others packed tightly. The tightly packed drawings indicated a lack of understanding of the amount of empty space between molecules. The study also showed that 30% of college students’ drawings of air showed particles in a highly packed and orderly arrangement. Students at all grade levels frequently do not believe in the notion that there is empty space between the particles of matter. They often hold on strongly to the presupposition that all empty spaces are filled with air (Talanquer 2009).  Novick and Nussbaum (1978) studied 13and 14-year-old students’ conceptions of a gas inside a sealed flask containing air. Sixty percent indicated that a gas is made up of particles, 46% mentioned empty space between the particles, and 50% recognized that the distribution of the particles was due to their motion. Students do not develop particle ideas equally across all three states. Water and gases seemed to be easier substances for students to make the shift from continuous to particulate or molecular views (Nakhleh, Samarapungavan, and Saglam 2005). Researchers have associated the students’ misunderstanding of the particulate nature of matter with ineffective instruction (Johnson 1998) as well as misrepresentation of the model in some textbooks (Harrison and Treagust 2002).

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment •

This probe provides an opportunity for students to evaluate mental models. Develop the idea that mental models are a type of

•

•

• •

•

•

•

5

conceptual model and that models can also be physical, mathematical, or symbolic. Integrate visual tools into instruction when teaching about the particulate nature of matter. Both static and animated representations should be included with multiple opportunities for students to critique and discuss visual models they develop as well as ones used in instructional materials. Extend this probe to ask students to draw their model of the air in the jar after half the air is removed from the sealed jar. Extend the probe by asking students to draw their model of air in an open jar. For probes such as this one that ask students to visualize the “invisible,” have students imagine they have special glasses with unlimited magnification that allows them to see the very smallest things that exist. Ask them to draw what they see through these imaginary glasses. Simply telling students that gases are made up of small particles that spread out to fill their container is not enough to change their strong preconceptions. Carefully chosen demonstrations, simulations, and animations are most effective when they stimulate cognitive conflict that enables learners to reconsider their existing ideas. Use large veterinary syringes (without needles) to let students explore how to catch air inside and feel the air pushing against their hands when they push the plunger. Ask students to use particle ideas to explain why the air can be compressed into a smaller space. Emphasize how models cannot always represent all aspects of the real thing, especially scale size and distance. After students agree on which diagram is the best representation of air in a sealed jar, ask them what would need to be done to improve the model.

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Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

References American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). 2009. Benchmarks for science literacy online. www.project2061.org/ publications/bsl/online. Benson, D., M. Wittrock, and M. Bauer. 1993. Students’ preconceptions of the nature of gases. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 30 (6): 587–597. Harrison, A., and D. Treagust. 2002. The particulate nature of matter: Challenges in understanding the submicroscopic world. In Chemical education: Towards research-based practice, ed. J. Gilbert, O. Jong, R. Justi, D. Treagust, and J. Driel, 189–212. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Johnson, P. 1998. Progression in children’s understanding of a “basic” particle theory: A longitudinal

48

study. International Journal of Science Education 20 (4): 393–412. Nakhleh, M., A. Samarapungavan, and Y. Saglam. 2005. Middle school students‘ beliefs about matter. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 42 (5): 581–612. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Novick, S., and J. Nussbaum. 1978. Junior high school pupils’ understanding of the particulate nature of matter: An interview study. Science Education 62 (3): 273–281. Talanquer, V. 2009. On cognitive constraints and learning progressions: The case of “structure of matter.” International Journal of Science Education 31 (15): 2123–2136.

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Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

6

What If You Could Remove All the Atoms?

Todd wondered what would happen if he could remove all the atoms in a metal spoon. He asked his friends what they thought. This is what they said: Pippa:

I think you would be left with a spoon made of different matter.

Martina: I think you would be left with a substance that held the atoms together. Oleg:

I think you would be left with the air that was in the space between the atoms.

Alonzo: I think you would be left with nothing. Who do you think has the best idea? ______________________ Explain your thinking. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

¿Que Pasaría Si Pudieras Eliminar Todos los Átomos?

Todd se preguntaba qué pasaría si pudiera eliminar todos los átomos en una cuchara de metal. Le preguntó a sus amigos lo que pensaban. Esto es lo que dijeron: Pippa:

Creo que te quedaría una cuchara hecha de materia diferente.

Martina: Creo que te quedaría una sustancia que uniera los átomos. Oleg:

Creo que te quedaría el aire que estaba en el espacio entre los átomos.

Alonzo: Creo que te quedarías sin nada. ¿Quién crees que tiene la mejor idea? ______________________ Explica lo que piensas. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

50

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Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

6

What If You Could Remove All the Atoms? Teacher Notes

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the particle model of matter. The probe is designed to find out if students recognize that there is empty space between the atoms that make up an object and that the atoms are the only matter that makes up the object.

Type of Probe

Friendly talk, thought experiment

Related Concepts

Atom, molecule, particle, solid

Explanation

The best answer is Alonzo’s: “I think you would be left with nothing.” Atoms are the matter that makes up the metal spoon. If you could remove all the atoms that make up the spoon, there would be nothing left as there is no other matter between the atoms.

Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with grades 5–12. It can be modified for grade 5 by referring to

particles of matter instead of atoms. Hold up a metal spoon for students to observe. This probe can be extended by asking students to draw a picture of the spoon at the atomic level (or particle level for grade 5) to explain their thinking.

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts From the Framework (NRC 2012) 3–5 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Matter of any type can be subdivided into particles that are too small to see, but even then the matter still exists and can be detected by other means. 3–5 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Matter is made of particles. 6–8 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Substances are made from different types of atoms, which combine with one another in various ways. Atoms form molecules

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Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

that range in size from two to thousands of atoms.  • In a solid, atoms are closely spaced and may vibrate in position but do not change relative locations. 6–8 Crosscutting Concept: Scale, Proportion, and Quantity • Phenomena that can be observed at one scale may not be observable at another scale.

Related Research

Students of all ages show a wide range of beliefs about the nature and behavior of particles. For example, they do not accept the idea that there is empty space between particles (AAAS 2009). Instead, they often hold on strongly to the presupposition that all empty spaces are filled with air (Talanquer 2009) • Students do not develop particle ideas equally across all three states of matter (Nakhleh, Samarapungavan, and Saglam 2005). • Researchers have associated students’ misunderstanding of the particulate nature of matter with ineffective instruction (Johnson 1998) as well as misrepresentation of the model in some textbooks (Harrison and Treagust 2002). • An older study analyzed about 600 student drawings of the inside of a sugar crystal. The students were ages 8, 10, 12, 15, and 17. Their ideas ranged from a continuous view of matter in which the space was completely filled with non-particulate solid matter to a “continuous bits” view in which there were particles with some type of matter between the particles. The proportion of the latter view increased with age, although 20% of the students still had a non-particulate continuous view by age 17. Also as age increased, random distribution was replaced by a more ordered •

52

distribution and shapes were more uniform (Driver et al. 1994). • Students of all ages find the idea of empty space with nothing to fill it difficult to imagine and tend to intuitively “fill” it with something. Since students depend on sensory information such as vision and touch to develop their initial view of matter, it is not surprising that they have difficulty accepting a model proposing there is “nothing” in the spaces between particles (Kind 2004).

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment •

•

•

•

•

•

Consider asking the same question about a different object made up of molecules instead of atoms, such as a sugar cube. What would be left if you could remove all the sugar molecules that make up the sugar cube? Ask the same question about liquids. What would be left if you could remove all the water molecules in a glass of water? Consider asking the same question about crystalline solids. Would students’ ideas change if you asked, “What would be left if you could remove all the atoms that make up salt crystals?” Extend the probe by having students draw and explain their conceptual model of the spoon at a particle level. After developing the idea that solid objects contain empty space between the particles, challenge students to explain how solids maintain their structure rather than fall apart. Challenge students to explain why a book placed on a table does not fall through the table if the table is composed mostly of empty space. After students have developed the idea that there is nothing between the atoms or molecules that make up a substance,

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Concept of Matter and Par ticle Model of Matter

challenge them to identify and explain a phenomenon that could be used to support the idea that there is empty space in matter.

References American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). 2009. Benchmarks for science literacy online. www.project2061.org/ publications/bsl/online. Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Harrison, A., and D. Treagust. 2002. The particulate nature of matter: Challenges in understanding the submicroscopic world. In Chemical education: Towards research-based practice, ed. J. Gilbert, O. Jong, R. Justi, D. Treagust, and J. Driel, 189–212. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

6

Johnson, P. 1998. Progression in children’s understanding of a “basic” particle theory: A longitudinal study. International Journal of Science Education 20 (4): 393–412. Kind, V. 2004. Beyond appearances: Students’ misconceptions about basic chemical ideas. 2nd ed. Durham, England: Durham University School of Education. Nakhleh, M., A. Samarapungavan, and Y. Saglam. 2005. Middle school students‘ beliefs about matter. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 42 (5): 581–612. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Talanquer, V. 2009. On cognitive constraints and learning progressions: The case of “structure of matter.” International Journal of Science Education 31 (15): 2123–2136.

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Section 2

Properties of Matter Concept Matrix ........................................... 56 Related NGSS Performance Expectations .............................................. 57 Related NSTA Resources ........................... 57

7



8



9 10 11 12 13 14

Do They Have Weight and Take Up Space? ......................................... 59 What Does “Conservation of Matter” Mean? ......................................................... 65 Salt in Water ................................................ 71 Squished Bread ........................................... 77 Mass, Volume, and Density ....................... 83 Measuring Mass .......................................... 89 Do They Have the Same Properties? ....... 93 Are They the Same Substance? ............... 99

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55

Properties of Matter

GRADE LEVEL USE →

3–8

#14 Are They the Same Substance?

#13 Do They Have the Same Properties?

#12 Measuring Mass

#11 Mass, Volume, and Density

#10 Squished Bread

#9 Salt in Water

#8 What Does “Conservation of Matter” Mean?

#7 Do They Have Weight and Take Up Space?

PROBES

Concept Matrix for Probes #7–#14

5–12 3–12 6–12 6–12 6–12 6–12 6–12

RELATED CONCEPTS ↓ Atom

X

Characteristic property

X

Conservation of matter

X

X

Density

X

Dissolving

X

X

X

Extensive property

X

Gas

X

X

Intensive property

X

X

X

Liquid

X

Mass

X

X

X

X X

X

Melting point

X

Molecule

X

Properties of atoms and molecules

X

Properties of substances

X

X

X

X

Solid

X

States of matter

X

Substance

56

Volume

X

Weight

X

X

X

X

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Properties of Matter

Related NGSS Performance Expectations (NGSS Lead States 2013) Structure and Properties of Matter • Grade 2, 2-PS1-1: Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties. • Grade 5, 5-PS1-2: Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total weight of matter is conserved. • Grade 5, 5-PS1-3: Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties. • Grades 6–8, MS-PS1-1: Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures. Reference NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For states, by states. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. www.nextgenscience. org/next-generation-science-standards.

Related NSTA Resources NSTA Journal Articles

Adams, K., and S. Feagin. 2017. Describing matter: Developing young scientists’ understanding of matter begins with an exploration of properties. Science and Children 54 (8): 52–57. Benedis-Grab, G. 2006. Sinking and floating: A graphical representation of the concept density. Science Scope 30 (2): 18–21. Dial, K., D. Riddley, K. Williams, and V. Sampson. 2009. Addressing misconceptions: A demonstration to help students understand the law of conservation of mass. The Science Teacher 76 (7): 54–57.

Higdon, R., J. Marshall, and S. Taylor. 2014. What’s the matter? Looking beyond the macroscopic. Science Scope 38 (1): 80–85. Khourey-Bowers, C. 2009. Big ideas at a very small scale. Science Scope 33 (4): 26–30. Peterson-Chin, L., and D. Sterling. 2004. Looking at density from different perspectives. Science Scope 27 (7): 16–20.

NSTA Press Books Grooms, J., P. Enderle, T. Hutner, A. Murphy, and V. Sampson. 2016. Argument-driven inquiry in physical science: Lab investigations for grades 6–8. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Mayer, K., and J. Krajcik. 2017. Core idea PS1: Matter and its interactions. In Disciplinary core ideas: Reshaping teaching and learning, ed. R. Duncan, J. Krajcik, and A. Rivet, 13–32. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Robertson, B. 2007. Chemistry basics: Stop faking it! Finally understanding science so you can teach it. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Sampson, V., P. Carafano, P. Enderle, S. Fannin, J. Grooms, S. Southerland, C. Stallworth, and K. Williams. 2015. Argument-driven inquiry in chemistry: Lab investigations for grades 9–12. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

NSTA Learning Center Resources NSTA Science Object Explaining Matter With Elements, Atoms, and Molecules: Characteristics of Elements http:// learningcenter.nsta.org/resource/?id=10.2505/7/ SCB-EAM.1.1

NSTA Webinar NGSS Core Ideas: Matter and Its Interactions http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_ seminars/NGSS/webseminar27.aspx

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7

Properties of Matter

Do They Have Weight and Take Up Space?

Delilah

Cal

Solids have weight and take up space; liquids and gases do not.

a Tr u m

Solids and liquids have weight and take up space; gases do not.

n

Solids, liquids, and gases have weight and take up space.

Okhee

Solids and liquids have weight and take up space; gases have weight but do not take up space.

So

nja

Solids and liquids have weight and take up space; gases take up space but do not have weight.

Who do you agree with the most? ______________________ Explain why you agree. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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7

Properties of Matter

¿Tienen Peso y Ocupan Espacio?

Delilah

Cal

Los sólidos tienen peso y ocupan espacio; los líquidos y los gases no.

a Tr u m

Los sólidos y los líquidos tienen peso y ocupan espacio; los gases no.

n

Los sólidos, líquidos, y gases tienen peso y ocupan espacio.

Okhee

Los sólidos y los líquidos tienen peso y ocupan espacio; los gases tienen peso pero no ocupan espacio.

So

nja

Los sólidos y los líquidos tienen peso y ocupan espacio; los gases ocupan espacio pero no tienen peso.

¿Con quién estás más de acuerdo? ______________________ Explica por qué estás de acuerdo. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

60

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7

Properties of Matter

Do They Have Weight and Take Up Space? Teacher Notes Delilah

Cal

Solids have weight and take up space; liquids and gases do not.

a Tr u m

n

Solids, liquids, and gases have weight and take up space.

Okhee

Solids and liquids have weight and take up space; gases have weight but do not take up space.

So

nja

Solids and liquids have weight and take up space; gases take up space but do not have weight.

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about extensive properties. The probe is designed to determine whether students recognize that weight (or mass) and volume are extensive properties of the three familiar states of matter.

Type of Probe Concept cartoon

Related Concepts

Extensive property, gas, liquid, mass, solid, states of matter, volume, weight

Explanation

Solids and liquids have weight and take up space; gases do not.

The best answer is Truman’s: “Solids, liquids, and gases have weight and take up space.” Solids, liquids, and gases are all states of matter and, thus, the typical defining characteristics of matter—has mass (the word weight is more appropriate for elementary students) and takes up space (volume)—applies to all three. For younger students, weight is a stepping stone to mass, which is the amount of “stuff ” or matter that makes up the material or object.

Volume is the amount of space the matter takes up and it can change when a substance changes state (e.g., from liquid to gas) due to the arrangement and motion of the particles. Volume can also change when the temperature of an object or fluid changes. For example, when a balloon is taken outside on a hot day from an air-conditioned store, the balloon will gradually expand because the molecules are moving faster. Weight, mass, and volume are examples of extensive properties of matter. Extensive properties depend on the amount of matter in the object, material, or substance.

Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with students in grades 3–8. It is designed to uncover conceptual understanding and purposely does not use the technical vocabulary of mass and volume. If used with students in grades 6–8, or if elementary students have a conceptual understanding of the words mass and volume, consider substituting the word weight with mass and the phrase takes up space with volume.

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7

Properties of Matter

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts From the Framework (NRC 2012) K–2 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Different kinds of matter exist and many of them can be either solid or liquid, depending on temperature. Matter can be described and classified by its observable properties. 3–5 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Matter of any type can be subdivided into particles that are too small to see, but even then the matter still exists and can be detected by other means. A model showing that gases are made from matter particles that are too small to see and are moving freely around in space can explain many observations, including the inflation and shape of a balloon and the effects of air on larger particles or objects. 3–5 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Matter is made of particles.

Related Research

Several studies have examined younger students’ ideas about gases. Studies show that students have difficulty accepting air as being matter as they don’t regard air as having weight or mass or material character. Later they develop an awareness that gases spread out but still have difficulty regarding gases as having weight or mass (Driver et al. 1994). • Gases pose special difficulty for children because the gases they commonly experience, like air and helium, are invisible. It is suggested that this invisibility prevents students from developing a scientific conception of a gas. Explicit instruction •

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is needed for children to understand the properties of a gas, including properties like mass and weight. This is in contrast to solids and liquids, which students tend to learn intuitively have mass and weight (Kind 2004). • Young children’s ideas about weight are strongly associated with how heavy something feels (Snir, Smith, and Raz 2003). • Until students understand that all matter has weight, even if they can’t feel it, they will struggle with the difference between extensive properties such as weight and volume and intensive properties such as density (Smith and Plumley 2016).

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment

Two related probes can be used with this probe: “Is It Matter?” (available in Keeley 2018) and the K–2 version of “Is It Matter?” (available in Keeley 2013). Students often explain their reasoning by repeating a definition that matter is anything that has mass (or weight) and takes up space yet they fail to recognize some substances and materials as matter. • Introduce the word volume after students grasp the idea of “taking up space.” Have students come up with ways to measure the weight and volume of solids, liquids, and gases and practice making these measurements. • Until students construct the idea that gases have weight or mass, they are unlikely to conserve weight or mass when describing chemical reactions or physical changes that involve gases. • Balance two deflated balloons hung from a meter stick. Inflate one of the balloons with air and have students observe and explain the tilt of the meter stick in terms of what happened to the weight of one of the balloons. •

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7

Properties of Matter

Have students describe what happens to the shape and size of a balloon when you blow it up with air. Have students relate the difference in size to evidence that a gas such as the air inside the balloon takes up space (has volume). Students can also “catch air” in a plastic grocery bag and tie it off to see that air fills up the space in the bag. • Demonstrate what happens when a plastic cup, with a paper napkin stuffed or taped in the bottom of the cup, is turned upside down in a tub of water. Have students come up with an explanation for why the tissue did not get wet, guiding them toward realizing that air filled the space in the empty cup. •

References Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer.

Keeley, P. 2013. Uncovering student ideas in primary science, volume 1: 25 new formative assessment probes for grades K–2. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Keeley, P. 2018. Uncovering student ideas in science, volume 1: 25 formative assessment probes. 2nd ed. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Kind, V. 2004. Beyond appearances: Students’ misconceptions about basic chemical ideas. 2nd ed. Durham, England: Durham University School of Education. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Smith, P., and C. Plumley. 2016. A review of the research literature on teaching about the small particle model of matter to elementary students. Chapel Hill, NC: Horizon Research, Inc. Snir, J., C. Smith, and G. Raz. 2003. Linking phenomena with competing underlying models: A software tool for introducing students to the particulate model of matter. Science Education 87 (6): 794–830.

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8

Properties of Matter

What Does “Conservation of Matter” Mean?

Pratt

Selm a

It means the amount of matter It means protecting will be the same before and after a change. matter from some type of change.

Coli n

It means preserving the matter in some way so that it keeps the same properties.

Jona h

It means saving enough matter to use for something.

Who do you think has the best idea about what “Conservation of Matter” means? ______________________ Explain your thinking. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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8

Properties of Matter

¿Qué Significa “Conservación de la Materia”?

Pratt

Selm a

Significa proteger la materia de algún tipo de cambio.

Significa que la cantidad de materia será la misma antes y después de un cambio.

Coli n

Jona h

Significa guardar Significa suficiente material para preservar la materia usar para algo. de alguna manera para que mantenga las mismas propiedades.

¿Quién crees que tiene la mejor idea sobre el significado de “Conservación de la materia”? ______________________ Explica lo que piensas. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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8

Properties of Matter

What Does “Conservation of Matter” Mean? Teacher Notes Pratt

Selm a

It means the amount of matter It means protecting will be the same before and after a change. matter from some type of change.

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the phrase conservation of matter. The probe is designed to find out how students interpret the word conservation in the context of matter.

Type of Probe

Concept cartoon, word use

Related Concept Conservation of matter

Explanation

The best answer is Selma’s: “It means the amount of matter will be the same before and after a change.” Conservation of matter (also referred to as conservation of mass in middle and high school grades) is a principle that states matter cannot be created or destroyed in ordinary reactions. Conservation of matter explains how the same amount of matter exists even though its form or location changes. Words in science, such as conservation, often have a different meaning when used in a different context. For example, when people

Coli n

It means preserving the matter in some way so that it keeps the same properties.

Jona h

It means saving enough matter to use for something.

talk about conserving natural resources, they are referring to protecting or preserving the resources. Conserving money means saving it until you need to use it. In science, conservation reasoning is important in understanding what happens to the amount of matter when matter undergoes a change.

Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with grades 5–12. Don’t assume that students understand what the word conservation means in a matter context. Even high school students may have a different interpretation. This probe can be extended by asking students to use conserving matter, conservation of matter, or matter is conserved in a sentence that would help someone understand what conservation means in science when referring to changes in matter. In middle and high school grades, the probe can be changed to conservation of mass.

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8

Properties of Matter

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts From the Framework (NRC 2012) 3–5 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • The amount (weight) of matter is conserved when it changes form, even in transitions in which it seems to vanish. 3–5 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Matter flows and cycles can be tracked in terms of the weight of the substances before and after a process occurs. The total weight of the substances does not change. This is what is meant by conservation of matter. Matter is transported into, out of, and within systems. 6–8 PS1.B: Chemical Reactions • Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process, the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped into different molecules, and these new substances have different properties from those of the reactants. • The total number of each type of atom is conserved, and thus the mass does not change. 6–8 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Matter is conserved because atoms are conserved in physical and chemical processes.

Related Research

Several studies have shown that the way students perceive a physical or chemical change determines whether they recognize the material is conserved during the change (Driver et al. 1994). • Conservation reasoning was a hallmark of Piaget’s studies of children’s cognitive development (Piaget and Inhelder 1974). •

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One interesting finding is that children who recognize conservation believe more firmly in their answers on conservation tasks when paired with non-conservers as partners, and they are able to offer multiple explanations and are more likely to manipulate the task materials to prove their point than non-conservers (Miller and Brownell 1977). • Learning chemistry vocabulary that has both scientific and everyday meanings, known as dual meaning vocabulary (DMV), can be challenging for many students (Song and Carheden 2014). •

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment

Conservation of matter serves as the foundation for other important matter topics, such as understanding chemical reactions and stoichiometry. Therefore, it is important for students to adopt and use conservation reasoning as early as possible to make sense of changes in matter. • With older students, link the idea of matter to mass. Help students understand that conservation of matter and conservation of mass are the same principle. • Piaget used seven different tasks to assess children’s conservation reasoning: number, length, liquid, mass, area, weight, and volume (Piaget and Inhelder 1974). Use a variety of conservation tasks, including ones that involve physical and chemical changes with solids, liquids, and gases, to develop students’ conservation reasoning abilities. • Use conservation of matter phenomena, which connect student experience with the language of scientific discourse. Encourage students to practice language patterns that help them describe these phenomena as “conserving matter” when making predictions and drawing conclusions. •

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Properties of Matter

Whenever students encounter a word in science that has a different meaning in our everyday language, be explicit in pointing that out to students. Keep a word wall that lists words that have a specific meaning in science that may differ from other uses of the word and highlight the differences. • Students may have the same misunderstandings about conservation of energy. This probe can be adapted to address conservation of energy. •

References Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer.

Miller, S., and C. Brownell. 1977. Peers, persuasion, and Piaget: Dyadic interaction between conservers and nonconservers. In Contemporary readings in child psychology, ed. E. Hetherington and R. Parke, 171–176. New York: McGraw-Hill. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Piaget, J., and B. Inhelder. 1974. The child’s construction of quantities. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Song, Y., and S. Carheden. 2014. Dual meaning vocabulary (DMV) words in learning chemistry. Chemistry Education Research and Practice 15: 128–141.

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9

Properties of Matter

Salt in Water B

A

After stirring

+ 200 g

D

C

10 g

?

?

Picture A shows a glass containing 200 grams of warm water. Picture B shows 10 grams of salt. The salt is put into the glass of warm water and sinks to the bottom, as shown in Picture C. After stirring, the glass looks like Picture D. The salt can no longer be seen. What is the total number of grams in Pictures C and D? Circle the best answer. A. Picture C: 200 grams; Picture D: 200 grams B. Picture C: 190 grams; Picture D: 190 grams C. Picture C: 200 grams; Picture D: 190 grams D. Picture C: 210 grams; Picture D: 200 grams E. Picture C: 210 grams; Picture D: 210 grams F. Picture C: 210 grams; Picture D: 190 grams Explain your thinking. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

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Properties of Matter

Sal en Agua B

A

Después de revolver

+ 200 g

D

C

10 g

?

?

La Imagen A muestra un vaso que contiene 200 gramos de agua tibia. La Imagen B es de 10 gramos de sal. La sal se pone en el vaso de agua tibia y se hunde hasta el fondo como en la Imagen C. Después de revolver, el vaso se ve como la Imagen D. La sal ya no se puede ver. ¿Cuál es el número total de gramos en las Imagenes C y D? Escoge la respuesta correcta. A. Imagen C: 200 gramos; Imagen D: 200 gramos B. Imagen C: 190 gramos; Imagen D: 190 gramos C. Imagen C: 200 gramos; Imagen D: 190 gramos D. Imagen C: 210 gramos; Imagen D: 200 gramos E. Imagen C: 210 gramos; Imagen D: 210 gramos F. Imagen C: 210 gramos; Imagen D: 190 gramos Explica lo que piensas. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

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9

Properties of Matter

Salt in Water Teacher Notes B

A

After stirring

+ 200 g

D

C

10 g

?

?

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about the conservation of matter. The probe is designed to find out if students conserve matter when salt is dissolved in water.

sodium and chlorine ions that makes up the macroscopic salt crystals in Picture C is the same as the number of sodium and chlorine ions in the water in Picture D. No new matter is added or taken away as the salt dissolves. The salt just breaks down into smaller particles.

Type of Probe

Administering the Probe

P-E-O

Related Concepts

Conservation of matter, dissolving

Explanation

The best answer is E: Picture C: 210 grams; Picture D: 210 grams. In Picture C, 10 grams of salt are added to 200 grams of water. Since no additional matter was added or taken away, the total mass is the sum of the salt and water—210 grams. When the salt is first added to the water, some of the crystals sink to the bottom as in Picture C. As the salt crystals dissolve, they break apart into ions of sodium and chlorine. These ions are microscopic and cannot be seen in the water in Picture D. However, they are there and the number of

This probe is best used with students in grades 3–12. Consider demonstrating the probe scenario for students with salt and water. Extend the probe by having students draw a particle model of what happens in Picture D to support their explanation. Refer to the mass when using this probe with middle or high school students or elementary students who have a concept of mass. If they do not yet understand what mass is, refer to the weight instead.

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9

Properties of Matter

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts From the Framework (NRC 2012) 3–5 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • The amount (weight) of matter is conserved when it changes form, even in transitions in which it seems to vanish. 3–5 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Matter is made of particles. • Matter flows and cycles can be tracked in terms of the weight of the substances before and after a process occurs. The total weight of the substances does not change. This is what is meant by conservation of matter. Matter is transported into, out of, and within systems. 6–8 PS1.B: Chemical Reactions • Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process, the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped into different molecules, and these new substances have different properties from those of the reactants. • The total number of each type of atom is conserved, and thus the mass does not change. 6–8 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Matter is conserved because atoms are conserved in physical and chemical processes.

Related Research •

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Piaget’s early studies showed that young children think that sugar “disappears” when dissolved in water, and they fail to use conservation reasoning to account for the sugar. They are content with the notion that the weight of water would not change, because the substance added to it no longer exists (Piaget and Inhelder 1974). Note: This

•

•

•

•

study was done with young children; hence, the word weight is used instead of mass. Students’ ideas may be affected by their conception of dissolving and solutions. Some students believe that a solute just mixes with water to become the same substance as the solute (Driver et al. 1994). Several researchers have investigated students’ conservation ideas in the context of dissolving. Discrepancies have been found between students who conserve a substance but fail to conserve weight. Holding (1987) found a high percentage of 8-year-olds believed that a solute was somehow present in some form when it was dissolved. When he probed students about the weight of the solution, however, only 50% of those who thought the solute was still there felt it had weight. One reason for this appears to be that students thought the dissolved substance was in a “suspended” state. Thus, it was not pressing down on the container as “weight” (Driver et al. 1994). Driver (1985) described three different types of reasoning students use in this type of problem: (1) solute disappears into “nothing” when dissolved, (2) mass and volume are confused, and (3) solute is still present in the solution but is lighter. Barker and Millar (1999) reported a study in which 250 students were asked what they thought the mass of a solution of salt (sodium chloride) would be compared with the mass of the solute and solvent before they are combined. About 57% of 16-year-olds thought the masses would have the same value, 16% thought that a gas would be released when the salt dissolves, and 7% thought that mass was lost during the dissolving process. By the age of 18, the percentage giving the correct answer was 62%, yet 15% still thought a gas was produced and about 4% thought mass was lost. These data suggest that some students

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9

Properties of Matter

•

•

•

•

may think dissolving is a chemical reaction, and that release of a gas changes the mass. Older students may believe that a solution is lighter than the sum of the weights of a solute and solvent because the solute becomes smaller and smaller until it disappears. This may account for why some students choose answer C (Stavy 1990). Some students think that water absorbs a solute. They may choose the correct answer but their concept of dissolving is flawed (Abraham, Williamson, and Westbrook 1994). Studies show that some children ages 3 to 7 indicated a belief that tiny invisible particles can exist in aqueous solutions and that properties of the solution, such as taste or drinkability, may be affected by these particles (Nakhleh and Samarapungavan 1998). A study of middle school students showed that at the macroscopic level, some students did not understand conservation of matter during dissolving. Some of them thought the sugar kind of evaporated from the water or it melted away. Others thought that since you couldn’t see the sugar in water after it dissolved that it no longer existed. Some described it as dissolving into nothing (Lee et al. 1993).

•

• •

•

•

•

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment •

This probe can be followed up with an opportunity to use the scientific practice of planning and carrying out an investigation. Ask the question, encourage students to commit to a prediction and explain their thinking, and then test their prediction. The dissonance involved in discovering that the weight (or mass) remains the same before and after dissolving should be followed with opportunities for students to discuss their ideas and resolve the dissonance.

•

Ask students to draw a particle model to show and explain what happens to the salt and where it goes when it dissolves in water. A similar probe, “Lemonade” (available in Keeley 2018), uses sugar instead of salt. For middle and high school students, consider combining this probe with the probe “Sugar Water” (available in Keeley and Tugel 2009) to elicit their ideas about dissolving. If student experiences involve only colorless solutions, such as salt or sugar in water, it may reinforce the notion that the substance “disappears.” Provide colored solutes such as coffee or drink crystals and use the presence of color to help students understand that this is additional evidence for the matter existing, even though its form has changed. However, accepting the evidence that the matter is there does not always mean students will accept the idea that the total mass or weight does not change. Ask students to identify other evidence, besides the weight or mass, that the salt is in the solution even though they cannot see it. They may suggest evaporating the water or tasting the solution. (Safety note: Students should not taste solutions mixed in class.) Have students use the crosscutting concept of systems to explain their thinking. For example, C is made up of two components—the solute (salt) and the solvent (water). The mass is the sum of the two components. Together they form a system (salt water). In D, nothing has been added or taken away from the system so the mass of D is the same as C. Explaining the process of dissolving to show that matter is conserved requires several key ideas. At the macroscopic level, students must understand that the sugar (solute) is still present in the solution (dissolve is not a synonym for disappear), but that it breaks

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9

Properties of Matter

up into particles too small to be seen. At the molecular level, students must understand that the molecules of water (solvent) hit the pieces of the salt crystals (solute).

References Abraham, M., V. Williamson, and S. Westbrook. 1994. A cross-age study of the understanding of five chemistry concepts. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 31 (2): 147–165. Barker, V., and R. Millar. 1999. Students’ reasoning about chemical reactions: What changes occur during a context-based post-16 chemistry course? International Journal of Science Education 21 (6) 645–665. Driver, R. 1985. Beyond appearances: The conservation of matter. In Children’s ideas in science, ed. R. Driver, E. Guesne, and A. Tiberghien. Milton Keynes, UK: Open University Press. Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Holding, B. 1987. Investigation of school children’s understanding of the process of dissolving with special reference to the conservation of mass

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and the development of atomistic ideas. PhD diss., University of Leeds, UK. Keeley, P. 2018. Uncovering student ideas in science, volume 1: 25 formative assessment probes. 2nd ed. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Keeley, P., and J. Tugel. 2009. Uncovering student ideas in science, volume 4: 25 new formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Lee, O., D. Eichinger, C. Anderson, G. Berkheimer, and T. Blakeslee. 1993. Changing middle school students’ conceptions of matter and molecules. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 30 (3): 249–270. Nakhleh, M., and A. Samarapungavan. 1998. Elementary school children’s beliefs about matter. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 36 (7): 777–805. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Piaget, J., and B. Inhelder. 1974. The child’s construction of quantities. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. Stavy, R. 1990. Pupils’ problems in understanding conservation of matter. International Journal of Science Education 12 (5): 501–512.

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Properties of Matter

10

Squished Bread

Luiza cut a thick slice of bread. She squished it flat. Luiza and her friends had different ideas about what happens to the density of the bread after it is squished. This is what they said: Luiza:

The density of the bread will increase when it is squished.

Nat:

The density of the bread will decrease when it is squished.

Jimmy:

The density will stay the same.

Who do you think has the best idea? ______________________ Explain your thinking. What rule or reasoning did you use to predict what would happen to the density? _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

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Properties of Matter

Aplanando el Pan

Luiza cortó una gruesa rebanada de pan. Ella lo aplastó plano. Luiza y sus amigos tenían ideas diferentes acerca de lo que sucede con la densidad del pan después de que se aplasto. Esto es lo que dijeron: Luiza:

La densidad del pan aumentará cuando se aplaste.

Nat:

La densidad del pan disminuirá cuando se aplaste.

Jimmy:

La densidad será la misma.

¿Quién crees que tiene la mejor idea? ______________________ Explica lo que piensas. ¿Qué “regla” o razonamiento usastes para predecir qué pasaría con la densidad? _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

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Properties of Matter

Squished Bread Teacher Notes

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about density. The probe is designed to find out whether students recognize a change in the mass-volume ratio when the volume changes and the mass stays the same.

Type of Probe Friendly talk

Related Concepts Density, mass, volume

Explanation

The best answer is Luiza’s: “The density of the bread will increase when it is squished.” Even though it is the same material and the bread has about the same mass, the volume of the bread decreased considerably after it was squished. This changed the mass-volume proportional relationship. Density is the ratio of mass to volume. If the mass stays the same and the volume decreases, the density increases. The bread is an example of a mixed-density problem. There is air in the slice of bread and some of the air is expelled when the slice of

bread is flattened and compressed. The more air there is taking up space in a slice of bread, the less dense it will be.

Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with students in grades 6–12 after they have been introduced to the concept of density. You can model this scenario for students.

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts From the Framework (NRC 2012) 3–5 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Measurements of a variety of properties can be used to identify materials. 6–8 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Each pure substance has characteristic physical and chemical properties (for any bulk quantity under given conditions) that can be used to identify it.

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6–8 Crosscutting Concept: Scale, Proportion, and Quantity • Proportional relationships (e.g., speed as the ratio of distance traveled to time taken) among different types of quantities provide information about the magnitude of properties and processes.

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment •

Related Research •

•

•

•

•

Students often have misconceptions about volume that present difficulties for understanding density (Driver et al. 1994). For example, in a study of 60 Australian 11-yearold students, over 80% had misconceptions about volume, which led to difficulty in understanding density (Rowell, Dawson, and Lyndon 1990). Some students use an intuitive rule of “less A equals less B” to reason that if there is less volume, there is less density (Stavy and Tirosh 2000). Hewson (1986) investigated how students apply a particle model to density. Although students ages 14 –22 could relate the density of materials to denseness in the packing of particles, their explanations were inadequate. Some students age 15 and older still use sensory reasoning about matter, despite being able to think logically and use mathematics. They may recite a definition of density as mass over volume and perform density calculations, yet hold a common belief that the more massive or heavy an object, the more dense it is (Kind 2004). A commonly held idea that interferes with students’ conceptual understanding of density is the belief that when you change the shape of something, you change its mass (Stepans 2003).

•

•

•

•

•

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This probe can be used with the P-E-O strategy (Keeley 2016). Students predict (P) what will happen to the density when the bread is squished. They explain (E) their reasoning and then launch into an investigation where they can observe (O) the phenomenon. If their observation does not support their prediction, students need to develop a new explanation. Additional probes that can be used to determine whether students think changing the size or the shape of an object affects its density are “Comparing Cubes,” “Floating Logs,” and “Solids and Holes” (available in Keeley, Eberle, and Tugel 2007). Because students may have experienced other probes from this book series about density in which the density stays the same, in this probe they may automatically assume that the density will be the same. This probe will reveal whether they recognize that the mass-volume proportional relationship has changed or if they merely memorized a common response. Encourage students to use the scientific practice of developing and using a model to visually show what happens to the density of the bread after it is squished. Make connections between this probe and other disciplinary contexts related to density when an object is compressed. For example, how would the density of a sedimentary rock compare with the density of a metamorphic rock formed from the same sedimentary rock material (such as limestone, which is very porous, and marble, which has been subjected to great pressure)? How does the density of a cup of light, fluffy snow compare with the density of a hard, packed snowball? Provide multiple opportunities for students to explore mass-volume proportional

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Properties of Matter

•

•

•

•

•

relationships before introducing the term density. When dealing with density-related phenomena, use the terminology mass, volume, and density with older students. With elementary students, use size, weight, and heavy for its size. Make sure students do not confuse the compression of the bread with compression of a solid pure substance. The bread compresses to a smaller volume because some of the air in the bread is being expelled. A pure solid generally would not be compressed as there is no air filling the spaces between the particles in a pure solid and the particles are close together. Have students investigate how the density of a substance can change with temperature and explain the reason for that change. Have students compare densities of different breads and explain why the densities differ. How does adding yeast change the density of bread? Have students use the crosscutting concepts of cause and effect or proportions to explain what happens to the density of a material when the mass or volume changes. For example, if the volume of a substance changes and the mass stays the same, then the density of the substance ____________ because ____________; or, if the volume of a substance increases and the density stays the same, then the mass of the substance ___________ because ___________.

References Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Hewson, M. 1986. The acquisition of scientific knowledge: Analysis and representation of student conceptions concerning density. Science Education 70 (2): 159–170. Keeley, P. 2016. Science formative assessment, volume 1: 75 practical strategies for linking assessment, instruction, and learning. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Keeley, P., F. Eberle, and J. Tugel. 2007. Uncovering student ideas in science, volume 2: 25 more formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Kind, V. 2004. Beyond appearances: Students’ misconceptions about basic chemical ideas. 2nd ed. Durham, England: Durham University School of Education. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Rowell, J., C. Dawson, and H. Lyndon. 1990. Changing misconceptions: A challenge to science educators. International Journal of Science Education 12 (2): 167–175. Stavy, R., and D. Tirosh. 2000. How students (mis-) understand science and mathematics: Intuitive rules. New York: Teachers’ College Press. Stepans, J. 2003. Targeting students’ science misconceptions: Physical science concepts using the conceptual change model. Tampa, FL: Idea Factory.

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Properties of Matter

Mass, Volume, and Density The following are statements about mass, volume, and density. Put an X next to the statements you think are true. ___ A. Two objects made of different materials will have the same density if their mass and volume are the same.

mass volume density

___ B. Substances become denser when their particles are further apart.

___ I. Density is a property of solids and liquids, not gases.

___ C. The larger something is, the more dense it is.

___ J. Ice is less dense than liquid water.

___ D. If you cut a wooden block in half, its density will decrease by half.

___ K. The density of a pure substance is a definite number that does not change.

___ E. Heavy things sink; light things float. ___ F. Density of a pure substance stays the same after its shape changes. ___ G. When the volume of an object increases, its density stays the same. ___ H. A floating solid object with holes punched in it will sink.

___ L. Density is a property that is measured directly. ___ M. Density is a property that depends on the amount of matter. ___ N. It is possible to find the volume of a pure substance without directly measuring the volume.

Explain your thinking. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

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Masa, Volumen, y Densidad La lista siguiente contiene declaraciones sobre la masa, el volumen y la densidad. Marque con un X las oraciones que usted cree que son verdaderas. ___ A. Dos objetos hechos de diferentes materiales tendrán la misma densidad si su masa y volumen son los mismos. ___ B. Las sustancias son más densas cuando sus partículas están más separadas. ___ C. Los objetos más grandes son más densos. ___ D. Si cortas un bloque de madera por la mitad, la densidad disminuirá a la mitad. ___ E. Cosas que son pesadas se hunden; las cosas que son ligeras flotan. ___ F. La densidad de una sustancia pura es la misma después de que su forma cambia. ___ G. Cuando el volumen de un objeto aumenta, su densidad es la misma.

masa

volumen

densidad

___ H. Un objeto sólido que flota se hundirá si tiene agujeros. ___ I. La densidad es una propiedad de sólidos y líquidos; no gases. ___ J. El hielo es menos denso que el agua líquida. ___ K. La densidad de una sustancia pura es un número que no cambia. ___ L. La densidad es una propiedad que se mide directamente. ___ M. La densidad es una propiedad que depende de la cantidad de materia. ___ N. Es posible encontrar el volumen de una sustancia pura sin medir directamente el volumen.

Explica lo que piensas. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 84

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Properties of Matter

Mass, Volume, and Density Teacher Notes mass volume density Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about density. The probe is designed to find out whether students have commonly held ideas about mass, volume, shape, and other properties that interfere with their conceptual understanding of density.

Type of Probe Justified list

Related Concepts

Density, extensive property, intensive property, mass, volume

Explanation

The best answers are A, F, J, and N. A is correct because if the mass and volume are the same for two different substances, then their proportional relationship (density) is the same. The mass divided by the volume gives the same number, and thus same density, even though the two substances are different. F is true because changing the shape of a substance, such as flattening a clay ball or poking a large hole through a solid material, does not change the mass or

the volume. Thus, the density is the same. J is correct because ice floats on water because it is less dense than water. Ice is an unusual solid as it expands upon freezing, which increases its volume. The increase in volume, which is divided among the mass that stays the same, decreases the density. N is true because if you know the density of a pure substance and can measure its mass, you can determine the volume of the substance using the proportional relationship of mass divided by density. The distracters reveal common misconceptions about density. B is not true as gases are less dense than their liquid or solid form. Because the particles of a gas are more widely spaced, there is less matter in the same volume of a gas compared to its liquid or solid form. Less matter is less mass, which decreases the density. C and D are not true because size does not matter. A large block and a small block of the same substance have the same density. Their mass and volume have the same proportional relationship. Density is an intensive property of matter, meaning it does not depend on the amount of substance present. A large quantity of a substance has the same density as a small

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quantity of the same substance. Other intensive properties include boiling point, melting point, and conductivity. Extensive properties depend on the amount of matter present, such as length, mass, and volume. For E, heaviness alone does not determine whether something floats or sinks. Heaviness (mass) in relation to its size (volume) is the determinant. For example, a tiny grape sinks in water and a large watermelon f loats. G: If the volume increases and the mass stays the same, the density will decrease. For example, the volume of an ice cube is greater than the volume of water before it freezes. The density of ice is less than the density of the same mass of water. H: A floating solid object with holes punched through it will still float. The mass-volume proportional relationship stays the same. The holes change the mass, volume, and shape, but not the density. Objects like boats sink when holes are punched in them because air is displaced by water. The system of the boat’s hull is not just solid—it also contains air. In a solid object, air is not displaced. I: Density is a property of all matter. K: Density of a substance is given under standard temperature and pressure. Changing the temperature or pressure can change the density of a substance. Lastly, L: Density is not measured directly; it is calculated from the mass and volume, which is an indirect way to measure it.

Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with students in grades 6–12 after they have had an opportunity to develop an initial concept of density. This probe can be used as a card sort by printing the answer choices on cards and having students work in small groups to sort them into statements that are true and statements that are not true (Keeley 2016). The discussions and arguments that ensue as this strategy is used provide insight into students’ conceptual understanding of density.

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Related Disciplinary Core Ideas From the Framework (NRC 2012) 3–5 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Measurements of a variety of properties can be used to identify materials. 6–8 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Each pure substance has characteristic physical and chemical properties (for any bulk quantity under given conditions) that can be used to identify it.

Related Research

Students often have misconceptions about volume that present difficulties for understanding density (Driver et al. 1994). For example, in a study of 60 Australian 11-yearold students, over 80% had misconceptions about volume, which led to difficulty in understanding density (Rowell, Dawson, and Lyndon 1990). • Some students use an intuitive rule of “less A equals less B” to reason that if there is less volume, there is less density (or “more A equals more B”—if there is more volume, there is more density) (Stavy and Tirosh 2000). • Hewson (1986) investigated how students apply a particle model to density. Although students ages 14 –22 could relate the density of materials to denseness in the packing of particles, their explanations were inadequate. • Some students age 15 and over still use sensory reasoning about matter, despite being able to think logically and use mathematics. They may recite a definition of density as mass over volume and perform density calculations, yet hold a common belief that the more massive or heavy an object, the more dense it is (Kind 2004). •

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Properties of Matter

•

A commonly held idea that interferes with students’ conceptual understanding of density is the belief that when you change the shape of something, you change its mass (Stepans 2003).

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment •

•

•

•

•

•

Extend the probe by having students write a justification for each answer choice, including arguments that defend their answers and rebuttals for the answers they did not choose. Additional probes that can be used to determine whether students think changing the size or the shape of an object affects its density are “Comparing Cubes,” “Floating Logs,” and “Solids and Holes” (available in Keeley, Eberle, and Tugel 2007). Provide multiple opportunities for students to explore mass-volume proportional relationships before introducing the term density. When dealing with density-related phenomena, use the terminology mass, volume, and density with older students. With elementary students, use size, weight, and heavy for its size. Have students use the crosscutting concepts of cause and effect or scale, quantity, and proportions to explain what happens to the density of a material when the mass or volume changes. For example, if the volume of a substance changes and the mass stays the same, then the density of the substance ____________ because ____________ ; or, if the volume of a substance increases and the density stays the same, then the mass of the substance ___________ because ___________. Provide students with mystery substances for which they can measure mass and

volume to calculate their densities and identify the substances. • Challenge students to come up with a visual model to help someone understand density without using numbers to represent the proportional relationship between mass and volume.

References Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Hewson, M. 1986. The acquisition of scientific knowledge: Analysis and representation of student conceptions concerning density. Science Education 70 (2): 159–170. Keeley, P. 2016. Science formative assessment, volume 1: 75 practical strategies for linking assessment, instruction, and learning. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Keeley, P., F. Eberle, and J. Tugel. 2007. Uncovering student ideas in science, volume 2: 25 more formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Kind, V. 2004. Beyond appearances: Students’ misconceptions about basic chemical ideas. 2nd ed. Durham, England: Durham University School of Education. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Rowell, J., C. Dawson, and H. Lyndon. 1990. Changing misconceptions: A challenge to science educators. International Journal of Science Education 12 (2): 167–175. Stavy, R., and D. Tirosh. 2000. How students (mis-) understand science and mathematics: Intuitive rules. New York: Teachers’ College Press. Stepans, J. 2003. Targeting students’ science misconceptions: Physical science concepts using the conceptual change model. Tampa, FL: Idea Factory.

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Properties of Matter

Measuring Mass Lucia

Grant

Mass is a measurement of the pull of gravity.

Mass is a measurement of the amount of matter.

M ario Mass is a measurement of how much space something takes up.

Mass is a measurement of shape.

Kobe

Al

iya

Mass is a measurement of size.

Who do you agree with the most? ______________________ Explain your thinking. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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Midiendo la Masa Lucia

Grant

Masa es una medida de la gravedad.

Masa es una medida de la cantidad de materia.

M ario Masa es una medida del espacio que algo toma.

Masa es una medida de la forma.

Kobe

Al

iya

Masa es una medida de tamaño.

¿Con quién estás más de acuerdo? ______________________ Explica lo que piensas. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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Properties of Matter

Measuring Mass Teacher Notes Lucia

Grant

Mass is a measurement of the pull of gravity.

Mass is a measurement of the amount of matter.

M ario Mass is a measurement of how much space something takes up.

Mass is a measurement of shape.

Kobe

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about mass. The probe is designed to find out if students understand the difference between mass and other properties.

Al

iya

Mass is a measurement of size.

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas From the Framework (NRC 2012)

Type of Probe Concept cartoon

3–5 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Measurements of a variety of properties can be used to identify materials.

Related Concepts

Related Research

Extensive property, mass

Explanation

The best answer is Grant’s: “Mass is a measurement of the amount of matter.” It is an extensive property of matter, determined by the number of particles (e.g., atoms or molecules) that make up a substance, material, or object. Mass is also a measure of an object’s inertia. Mass differs from weight, as it does not depend on location.

Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with students in grades 6–12. It can be used with students in grades 3–5 if they have been introduced to mass.

The concept of mass develops slowly. The word mass is often associated with the phonetically similar word massive. Thus, students often estimate mass by bulk appearance and think that larger objects have more mass (Driver et al. 1994). • Students’ confusion in distinguishing between weight and mass is often because the two terms are used interchangeably. Hewitt (2002) found that some of this confusion comes from the way English (pounds) and SI units (grams) are used in identical ways. •

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Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment

Consider the age, experience, and readiness of students to determine when it is appropriate to use mass instead of weight. Weight is sometimes used as a stepping-stone to mass because students can conceptualize “felt weight.” Although teachers recognize that mass is the correct scientific term to use when referring to the amount of matter an object contains, and that the term weight refers to the measurement of gravitational pull on the object, some children just are not developmentally ready to learn the distinction. (There are times, however, when it is fine to use weight instead of mass, such as when applying conservation reasoning.) The NGSS disciplinary core ideas and performance expectations do not use mass until middle school. Teachers should refer to their own state or local curricula when deciding whether to use mass or weight with elementary students. • The probe “Pizza Dough” (available in Keeley and Harrington 2010) can be used to determine how students distinguish between weight and mass. • Extend the probe by asking students to explain how each property is measured or described. • Help students be aware that throughout our society, the terms weight and mass are frequently used interchangeably. In the supermarket, you will find many products on which the net weight is listed both in U.S. customary units and in metric units—for example, on a bag of Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate pieces, you might find “NET WT 5.1 oz. (144 g).” You will also find that hanging spring scales in the •

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produce department use both pounds and kilograms. The U.S. customary units are indeed a weight measurement (ounces or pounds), but the metric units are actually a measure of mass (grams or kilograms). The reason this does not cause any real confusion is that as long as one stays on the surface of the Earth, the ratio of mass to weight is fairly fixed (ignoring extremely small variations in the force of gravity on the surface of the Earth). • If students think more massive objects have more mass than smaller objects, confront them with examples such as a beach ball or balloon filled with air and a smaller solid object such as a block of wood. Compare the masses of each and then have students use a particle model drawing to explain why the smaller object has more mass. • If students think objects of the same material with more surface area have more mass, have them explore what happens to the mass of a ball of clay when it is formed into different-sized shapes (using the same amount of clay).

References Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Hewitt, P. 2002. Touch this! Conceptual physics for everyone. San Francisco: Addison-Wesley. Keeley, P., and R. Harrington. 2010. Uncovering student ideas in physical science, volume 1: 45 new force and motion formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

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Properties of Matter

Do They Have the Same Properties? Pure substances have properties that are different from the properties of their particles.

Milo

I disagree. Pure substances have the same properties as their particles.

Jill

Who do you agree with the most? ______________________ Explain your thinking. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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¿Tienen las Mismas Propiedades? Sustancias puras tienen propiedades diferentes comparadas a sus partículas.

Milo

Yo no estoy de acuerdo. Sustancias puras tienen las mismas propiedades comparadas a sus partículas.

Jill

¿Con quién estás más de acuerdo? ______________________ Explica lo que piensas. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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Properties of Matter

Do They Have the Same Properties? Teacher Notes Pure substances have properties that are different from the properties of their particles.

Milo

I disagree. Pure substances have the same properties as their particles.

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about microscopic and macroscopic properties of matter. The probe is designed to find out if students attribute the same properties of a substance to the particles that make up the substance.

Type of Probe

Concept cartoon, opposing views

Related Concepts

Atom, molecule, properties of atoms and molecules, properties of substances, substance

Explanation

The best answer is Milo’s: “Substances have properties that are different from the properties of their particles.” Examples of properties of a substance include the state of matter, hardness, color, brittleness, shininess, flexibility, conductivity, and temperature. These properties are observable and measurable characteristics of matter. The atoms that make up substances do not have the same properties as the substance.

Jill

For example, atoms of gold are not hard and shiny, and molecules of honey are not golden, sweet, or sticky.

Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with students in grades 6–12. Clarify the answer choices by explaining that the particles are the atoms or molecules that make up the substance. For example, if the substance is an element such as iron, the particles are the iron atoms. If it is a compound such as sugar or water, the particles are the sugar or water molecules. The probe can be extended by asking students to support their reasoning with examples of properties.

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts From the Framework (NRC 2012) 3–5 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Measurements of a variety of properties can be used to identify materials.

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Properties of Matter

6–8 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Each pure substance has characteristic physical and chemical properties (for any bulk quantity under given conditions) that can be used to identify it. 9–12 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • The structure and interactions of matter at the bulk scale are determined by electrical forces within and between atoms. 9–12 Crosscutting Concept: Scale, Quantity, and Proportion • Patterns observable at one scale may not be observable or exist at other scales.

the particles of a solid (Nakhleh, Samarapungavan, and Saglam 2005).

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment •

•

Related Research

Studies have shown that students think particles of matter vary in size and shape and possess properties similar to the properties of the parent material. For example, some students consider atoms of a solid substance to have all or most of the macro properties that they associate with the solid, such as hardness, hotness/coldness, color, and state of matter (Driver et al. 1994). • Ben-Zvi, Eylon, and Silberstein (1986) found that almost half of the 15-year-old students in the study attributed the bulk physical properties of copper, such as malleability and color, to the single atoms of copper. In essence, the students made each atom a microscopic version of the element. • As students begin to develop a particle view of matter, they slowly transition from attributing macroscopic properties to both bulk materials and particles to distinguishing properties of bulk materials from the properties of the particles that make them up. Some forms of matter are easier than others in making this transition. For example, students appear to have a more difficult time separating properties of solid materials from the properties of •

96

•

•

•

The probe “Pennies” (available in Keeley, Eberle, and Dorsey 2008) can be used to elicit students’ ideas about properties of atoms and objects made of the same atoms. The formative assessment classroom technique (FACT) lines of agreement can be used with this probe to support the scientific practice of argumentation (Keeley 2015). Have students form two lines facing each other. Students stand in one line if they agree with Milo and stand in the other line if they agree with Jill. Each side takes turns presenting their arguments. If at any time a student feels the arguments from the other side are more compelling, he or she can cross over to the other line. Using the term pure substance is redundant as substances, by a chemist’s definition, are pure. A substance is made up of one type of homogeneous matter. However, the everyday meaning of the word substance refers to any kind of chemical material. Therefore, since students might not yet have a chemist’s definition of substance, you might consider referring to pure substances until they understand the difference between substances and other chemical materials. Continuously make bridges bet ween microscopic particle ideas and macroscopic bulk matter ideas so that students can move back and forth between both levels without overgeneralizing. Be explicit in developing the idea that the state of matter of a substance is a result of the arrangement of and attractive forces among the particles, not a result of the individual particles being a solid, liquid, or gas.

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Properties of Matter

•

Do not assume students will recognize the difference between properties of atoms and properties of substances. After teaching about properties of atoms and molecules, provide an opportunity for students to use a graphic organizer to compare and contrast microscopic and macroscopic properties at a substance and atomic/molecular level. .

References Ben-Zvi, R., B. Eylon, and J. Silberstein. 1986. Is an atom of copper malleable? Journal of Chemical Education 63 (1): 64–66. Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer.

Keeley, P. 2015. Science formative assessment, volume 2: 50 more strategies for linking assessment, instruction, and learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Keeley, P., F. Eberle, and C. Dorsey. 2008. Uncovering student ideas in science, volume 3: Another 25 formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Nakhleh, M., A. Samarapungavan, and Y. Saglam. 2005. Middle school students’ beliefs about matter. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 42 (5): 581–612. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

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14

Properties of Matter

Are They the Same Substance? Unknown Substance

Density (g/cm3)

Mass (g)

Volume (cm 3)

Temperature Melting ( o C) Point ( o C)

A

1.3

20.0

15.3

40

35

B

0.9

20.0

22.2

40

38

C

0.9

13.8

15.3

-15

0

D

0.9

20.0

22.2

-2

0

Holly’s lab group recorded the properties of four different unknown substances. Based on their data, each group member had a different idea about which are the same substance: Holly:

I think B, C, and D are the same substance.

Misha:

I think A and B are the same substance.

Kent:

I think B and D are the same substance.

Aliyah:

I think C and D are the same substance.

Santiago: I think none are the same substance. Who do you agree with the most? ______________________ Explain your thinking. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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14

Properties of Matter

¿Son la Misma Sustancia? Sustancia Desconocida

Densidad (g/cm3)

Masa (g)

Volumen (cm 3)

Temperatura Punto de ( o C) Fusión ( o C)

A

1.3

20.0

15.3

40

35

B

0.9

20.0

22.2

40

38

C

0.9

13.8

15.3

-15

0

D

0.9

20.0

22.2

-2

0

El grupo de Holly anoto las propiedades de cuatro sustancias desconocidas. Basado en sus datos, cada miembro del grupo tenía una idea diferente sobre cuál era la misma sustancia: Holly:

Creo que B, C y D son la misma sustancia.

Misha:

Creo que A y B son la misma sustancia.

Kent:

Creo que B y D son la misma sustancia.

Aliyah:

Creo que C y D son la misma sustancia.

Santiago: Creo que ningunos son la misma sustancia. ¿Con quién estás de acuerdo? ______________________ Explica lo que piensas. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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14

Properties of Matter

Are They the Same Substance? Teacher Notes Unknown Substance

Density (g/cm3)

Mass (g)

Volume (cm 3)

A

1.3

20.0

15.3

40

35

B

0.9

20.0

22.2

40

38

C

0.9

13.8

15.3

-15

0

D

0.9

20.0

22.2

-2

0

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about characteristic properties of matter. The probe is designed to find out if students recognize some properties can be used to identify a substance.

Type of Probe Data analysis

Related Concepts

Characteristic property, density, extensive property, intensive property, mass, melting point, properties of substances, substance, volume

Explanation

The best answer is Aliyah’s: “I think C and D are the same substance.” C and D have the same density and melting point. These are intensive properties that are characteristic of a substance. Characteristic properties are defining attributes of a substance that are independent of the amount of the sample, regardless of time, location, size, or shape. Mass and volume are extensive properties that change with the amount of matter and therefore are not useful

Temperature Melting ( o C) Point ( o C)

for identifying a substance. However, the proportion of the mass to the volume is the same for C and D since that ratio is used to determine density. Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the atoms or molecules. Different substances can be at the same temperature and the same substances can be at different temperatures. Temperature is not used to identify a substance. In actuality, C and D are water in the solid form (ice). Ice can be at different temperatures, ranging from 0°C and downward, and different masses and volumes; however, the mass-volume proportional relationship is the same (density). Liquid water and solid ice have different densities even though they are the same substance. Density of a substance varies with the state of matter, due to the structural differences between solids, liquids, and gases. The melting point is also the same for a given substance although it can be within a range, depending on the purity of the substance. Melting point is used to determine not only the identity of a substance, but also its purity.

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14

Properties of Matter

Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with students in grades 6–12. Make sure students have an initial concept of the properties listed in the table. Students do not need to know what the substances are or whether the substances are solid or liquid.

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas From the Framework (NRC 2012) 3–5 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Measurements of a variety of properties can be used to identify materials. 6–8 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Each pure substance has characteristic physical and chemical properties (for any bulk quantity under given conditions) that can be used to identify it.

volume was a characteristic property, while 20% of middle school students and 18% of high school students thought this was also true of mass.

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment •

•

•

Related Research •

102

A A AS Project 2061 (2018) identified several misconceptions middle and high school students had related to characteristic properties. For example, 35% of students in grades 6–8 and 34% of high school students thought two substances were the same if they shared only one characteristic property. Twenty-seven percent of high school students did not recognize melting point as a characteristic property, 24% did not recognize color of a pure substance as a characteristic property, and 21% did not recognize density as a characteristic property. Twenty percent of middle school students and 18% of high school students thought temperature was a characteristic property. Thirty-one percent of middle school students and 26% of high school students thought

•

•

The probe “Comparing Cubes” (available in Keeley, Eberle, and Tugel 2007) can be used to determine whether students distinguish between properties that change when the size of an object changes and properties that stay the same regardless of size, such as density and melting point. This probe requires students to use the scientific practice of analyzing data. Have students support their claim (the answer choice) with evidence from the data and use scientific reasoning to explain how the evidence supports the claim. Ask students to generate other properties that could be used to determine whether any of the substances are the same. Challenge students to describe how some characteristic properties can change when the same substance changes state. For example, investigate the difference between the density of ice and the density of water. The AAAS Project 2061 Science Assessment Website (2018) has several similar assessment items for the key idea that a pure substance has characteristic properties such as density, a boiling point, and solubility, all of which are independent of the amount of the sample regardless of time, location, size, or shape. These items can be used to elicit students’ initial ideas or monitor for changes in their initial ideas and are available at http://assessment.aaas. org/topics/1/SC/100#/1.

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14

Properties of Matter

References AAAS Project 2061 Science Assessment Website. 2018. http://assessment.aaas.org/ Keeley, P., Eberle, F., and J. Tugel. 2007. Uncovering student ideas in science, volume 2: 25 more formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

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Section 3

Classifying Matter, Chemical Properties, and Chemical Reactions Concept Matrix........................................... 106 Related NGSS Performance Expectations............................................. 107 Related NSTA Resources.......................... 107

15 16 17 18 19 20

21 22 23

Classifying Water....................................... 109 Graphite and Diamonds..............................113 Neutral Atoms..............................................119 What Is a Substance?............................... 125 Will It Form a New Substance?.................131 What Is the Result of a Chemical Change?................................... 137 What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction?............................. 143 Is It a Chemical Change?...........................149 Does It Have New Properties?..................155

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GRADE LEVEL USE →

#23 Does It Have New Properties?

#22 Is It a Chemical Change?

#21 What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction?

#20 What Is the Result of a Chemical Change?

#19 Will It Form a New Substance?

What Is a Substance? #18

#17 Neutral Atoms

#16 Graphite and Diamonds

#15 Classifying Water

PROBES

Concept Matrix for Probes #15–#23

5–12 9–12 9–12 6–12 3–12 5–12 6–12 3–12 3–12

RELATED CONCEPTS ↓ Allotrope Atom

X X

X

Atomic number

X

X

X

Balanced equation

X

Chemical change

X

X

X

X

X

Chemical reaction

X

X

X

X

X

Compound

X

X

Conservation of matter

X

Electron Element

X X

X

X

Homogeneous matter

X

Ion

X

Isotope

X

Mass number

X X

Mixture Molecule

X

Neutral atom

X

Neutron

X

Periodic table

X

Proton

106

X

X

X X

Substance Water

X

X

Physical change States of matter

X

X

X

X

X

X

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Related NGSS Performance Expectations (NGSS Lead States 2013) Structure and Properties of Matter • Grade 2, 2-PS1-1: Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties. • Grade 5, 5-PS1-2: Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total weight of matter is conserved. • Grade 5, 5-PS1-3: Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties. • Grade 5, 5-PS1-4: Conduct an investigation to determine whether the mixing of two or more substances results in new substances. • Grades 6–8, MS-PS1-2: Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred. • Grades 6–8, MS-PS1-5: Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved. • Grades 9–12, HS-PS1-3: Plan and conduct an investigation to gather evidence to compare the structure of substances at the bulk scale to infer the strength of electrical forces between particles. • Grades 9–12, HS-PS1-7: Use mathematical representations to support the claim that atoms, and therefore mass, are conserved during a chemical reaction. Reference NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For states, by states. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. www.nextgenscience. org/next-generation-science-standards.

Related NSTA Resources NSTA Journal Articles

Castellini, O., G. Lisensky, J. Ehrlich, G. Zenner, and W. Crone. 2006. The structures and properties of carbon. The Science Teacher 73 (9): 36–41. Colburn, A. 2009. The prepared practitioner: Alternative conceptions in chemistry. The Science Teacher 76 (6): 10. Kelly, A. 2012. Idea bank: Engaging students in classifying matter. The Science Teacher 79 (7): 16–17. Lott, K., and A. Jensen. 2012. Changes matter: Addressing student misconceptions about physical and chemical changes. Science and Children 50 (2): 54–61. McIntosh, J., S. White, and R. Suter. 2009. Science sampler: Enhancing student understanding of physical and chemical changes. Science Scope 33 (2): 54–58. Robertson, B. 2006. Science 101: Why does a color change indicate a chemical change? Science and Children 43 (5): 48–49.

NSTA Press Books Grooms, J., P. Enderle, T. Hutner, A. Murphy, and V. Sampson. 2016. Argument-driven inquiry in physical science: Lab investigations for grades 6–8. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Mayer, K., and J. Krajcik. 2017. Core idea PS1: Matter and its interactions. In Disciplinary core ideas: Reshaping teaching and learning, ed. R. Duncan, J. Krajcik, and A. Rivet, 13–32. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Robertson, B. 2007. Chemistry basics: Stop faking it! Finally understanding science so you can teach it. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Sampson, V., P. Carafano, P. Enderle, S. Fannin, J. Grooms, S. Southerland, C. Stallworth, and K. Williams. 2015. Argument-driven inquiry in chemistry: Lab investigations for grades 9–12. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

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NSTA Learning Center Resources NSTA Science Objects Chemical Reactions: A World of Reactions http://learningcenter.nsta.org/ resource/?id=10.2505/7/SCB-CRX.1.1 Chemical Reactions: Categorizing Chemical Reactions http://learningcenter.nsta.org/ resource/?id=10.2505/7/SCB-CRX.2.1 Explaining Matter With Elements, Atoms, and Molecules: Classifying the Elements

108

http://learningcenter.nsta.org/ resource/?id=10.2505/7/SCB-EAM.2.1 Explaining Matter With Elements, Atoms, and Molecules: Characteristics of Elements http://learningcenter.nsta.org/ resource/?id=10.2505/7/SCB-EAM.1.1

NSTA Webinar NGSS Core Ideas: Matter and Its Interactions http://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_ seminars/NGSS/webseminar27.aspx

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15

Classifying Water

Four friends were talking about water. They each had different ideas about how to classify water. This is what they said: Abe:

Water is classified as an element.

Beatriz: Water is classified as a compound. Kaliko:

Water is classified both ways—as an element and a compound.

Sabina:

Water is an element or a compound, depending on whether it is solid, liquid, or a gas.

Who do you agree with the most? ______________________ Explain your thinking. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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Clasificando el Agua

Cuatro amigos hablaban de agua. Cada uno tenía diferentes ideas sobre cómo clasificar el agua. Esto es lo que dijeron: Abe:

El agua es clasificada como un elemento.

Beatriz: El agua es clasificada como un compuesto. Kaliko:

El agua es clasificada como un elemento y como un compuesto.

Sabina:

El agua es un elemento o un compuesto, dependiendo si es sólido, líquido o un gas.

¿Con quién está de acuerdo? ______________________ Explica lo que piensas. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

110

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15

Classifying Water Teacher Notes

Purpose

Administering the Probe

Type of Probe

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas From the Framework (NRC 2012)

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about elements and compounds. The probe is designed to elicit how students classify a common substance, water. Friendly talk

Related Concepts

Atom, compound, element, molecule, states of matter, water

Explanation

The best answer is Beatriz’s: “Water is classified as a compound.” Water molecules are made up of two different types of atoms. A water molecule has two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. Hydrogen and oxygen are elements—they are composed of only one type of matter. When these two elements combine chemically, they form a new substance with properties that are different from the original hydrogen and oxygen. Compounds are formed when two or more elements combine chemically.

This probe is best used with students in grades 5–12, preferably after they have encountered the terms element and compound.

6–8 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Substances are made from different types of atoms, which combine with one another in various ways. Atoms form molecules that range in size from two to thousands of atoms. 9–12 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • The periodic table orders elements horizontally by the number of protons in the atom’s nucleus and places those with similar chemical properties in columns.

Related Research •

Even though the idea that elements cannot be broken down into simpler substances

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was introduced at ages 11 and 12, Briggs and Holding’s study (1986) found that only 25% of a sample of 300 British 15-yearold students could apply it to explain how elements differed from other substances. When using particle representations of elements, compounds, and mixtures, they found that many students could not distinguish a particle representation of an element from a compound. • Barker’s study (1994) revealed that only about 3% of 16-year-old students surveyed at the beginning of a general chemistry class could explain how to test whether a substance was an element or compound. The study also revealed that 43% of the students surveyed could define element and compound at the beginning of the course; at the end of the course, this percentage remained relatively unchanged. • Chemistry has a unique language, which can pose difficulties for conceptual understanding. Evidence suggests that difficulties may arise because teachers are unaware of the meanings students have for chemical terms. “Students’ understanding of the differences between elements, compounds, and mixtures in particle terms is poor. It is therefore unsurprising that students find chemistry ‘hard,’ as they do not understand a basic principle providing a foundation for more detailed study” (Kind 2004, p. 22). • Some students think when water boils, it breaks down into atoms of hydrogen and oxygen (Mayer 2011).

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment •

112

Merely memorizing a definition of an element or compound does not ensure conceptual understanding. When introducing the difference between elements and compounds, have students develop and use particle models to distinguish between the two.

Have students use models to explain the difference between a compound (water) and the elements oxygen and hydrogen. Have them compare models of liquid water and ice. Have students use their models to explain why water is considered a compound regardless of its state of matter. • Have students generate a list of compounds and identify the elements in each compound. • Have students examine the representations chemists use to name compounds, such as H 2O2 , CuSO 4, and C 6H12O6 (hydrogen peroxide, copper sulfate, and glucose). Then have them examine representations of elements used for chemical nomenclature such as Al, H2, and N2 (aluminum, hydrogen, and nitrogen) and describe the difference between the representation of compounds versus elements. Students should notice two or more different elements in the compounds versus a single type of element. • Modify the probe to elicit students’ ideas about whether water can be an atom, molecule, or both. •

References Barker, V. 1994. A longitudinal study of 16–18 year olds’ understanding of basic chemical ideas. PhD diss., Department of Educational Studies. University of York, UK. Briggs, H., and B. Holding. 1986. Aspects of secondary students’ understanding of elementary ideas in chemistry. Children’s learning in science project. University of Leeds, UK. Kind, V. 2004. Beyond appearances: Students’ misconceptions about basic chemical ideas. 2nd ed. Durham, England: Durham University School of Education. Mayer, K. 2011. Addressing students’ misconceptions about gases, mass, and composition. Journal of Chemical Education 88 (1): 111–115. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

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16

Graphite and Diamonds

Graphite is the material in a pencil tip. Diamonds are precious jewels. They are both made of carbon. Put an X next to all the things that are true about graphite and diamonds. ___ A. One is a compound; the other is an element.

___ F. They are listed in different places on the periodic table.

___ B. They have different numbers of neutrons.

___ G. They have the same number of protons.

___ C. Both are made of different elements.

___ H. They have different properties.

___ D. They have different arrangements of atoms.

___ I. Graphite can be transformed into diamond.

___ E. They are isotopes.

___ J. Graphite is a metal; diamond is a nonmetal.

Explain your thinking. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

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Grafito y Diamantes

Grafito es el material en la punta de un lápiz. Los diamantes son joyas preciosas. Ambos están hechos de carbono. Marque con una X las cosas que son verdaderas sobre grafito y diamantes. ___ A. Uno es un compuesto, el otro es un elemento.

___ F. Están ubicados en diferentes lugares de la tabla periódica.

___ B. Tienen diferentes números de neutrones.

___ G. Tienen el mismo número de protones.

___ C. Ambos están hechos de diferentes elementos.

___ H. Tienen propiedades diferentes.

___ D. Tienen diferente arreglos de atomos.

___ I. El grafito puede transformarse en diamante.

___ E. Son isótopos.

___ J. El grafito es un metal, el diamante no es un metal.

Explica lo que piensas. Describa el razonamiento que usó para decidir qué declaraciones eran ciertas sobre las dos sustancias. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

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Graphite and Diamonds Teacher Notes

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about two seemingly different substances that are composed of the same element. The probe is designed to reveal how students think about substances of the same element that have very different observable properties.

Type of Probe Justified list

Related Concepts

Allotrope, atom, element, isotope, periodic table

Explanation

The best answers are D, G, H, and I. Graphite and diamonds are allotropes of carbon. Allotropes are different physical forms in which the same element can exist. Allotropes are substances that have different properties due to the structural arrangement of their atoms. Allotropes of carbon include graphite, diamond, Buckminsterfullerene (Buckyballs), and amorphous carbon such as soot and charcoal. These allotropes differ due to the

arrangement of their carbon atoms. For example, carbon atoms in a diamond are arranged in a three-dimensional tetrahedral crystalline structure whereas graphite atoms are arranged in layered stacks. Since they are both forms of the element carbon, they have the same atomic number (6) and therefore the same number of protons. Diamonds and graphite can have the same number of neutrons in their atoms. Isotopes have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons; therefore, isotopes are different from allotropes. For example, the most common isotope of carbon is carbon-12 (6 protons, 6 neutrons). Carbon-13 is an isotope that has 6 protons and 7 neutrons, and carbon-14 is an unstable isotope with 6 protons and 8 neutrons. Allotrope properties differ from isotope properties due to the arrangement of their atoms, not the composition of their nucleus. The different arrangements are what make graphite soft and diamond one of the hardest substances on Earth. However, graphite can be transformed into diamond under great pressure. Both are nonmetals, even though graphite is commonly referred to as pencil “lead.”

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Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with students in grades 9–12. This probe should be used after students have familiarity with the periodic table and have some familiarity with the concept of an isotope. It can be used as an initial elicitation before students are introduced to the concept of allotropes. After students have learned about the difference between isotopes and allotropes, revisit the probe, providing students with an opportunity to revise their answers.

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas From the Framework (NRC 2012)

expected diamond atoms to contain more neutrons than the graphite atoms because diamonds were harder than graphite. Only a few students explained the difference in structure. There was confusion between terms such as isotope, isomer, and allotrope. • In an analysis of items from a British Examination Board study, students had difficulty understanding why diamond, graphite, and fullerenes are not named in the same spot on the periodic table as carbon (Schmidt 1998).

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment •

6–8 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Substances are made from different types of atoms, which combine with one another in various ways. Atoms form molecules that range in size from two to thousands of atoms. • Solids may be formed from molecules, or they may be extended structures with repeating subunits (e.g., crystals). 9–12 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Each atom has a charged substructure consisting of a nucleus, which is made of protons and neutrons, surrounded by electrons. • The periodic table orders elements horizontally by the number of protons in the atom’s nucleus and places those with similar chemical properties in columns.

Related Research •

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Schmidt, Baumgärtner, and Eybe (2003) studied secondary school students’ concepts of isotopes and allotropes and how the concepts are linked to the periodic table. Many students who recognized that diamonds and graphite were forms of carbon

• •

•

•

•

This probe can be used with the card sort strategy (Keeley 2016). Print each of the answer choices on cards. In small groups, students sort the cards into two columns: true about graphite and diamonds; not true about graphite and diamonds. As they sort, they discuss their reasons for placing each card. This strategy gives students the opportunity to refute the distracter statements. Use a graphic organizer to compare isotopes of an element with allotropes of an element. Once students recognize that graphite and diamonds are different substances structurally, but composed of the same element and thus the same type of atom, help them make the link to the periodic table and why both appear in the same place. Have students use a visual model to show the difference between an allotrope and an isotope of the same element. Develop the concept of isotopes and allotropes conceptually first, without using the technical vocabulary. Once students can distinguish between the two, introduce the words isotope and allotrope. Have students investigate whether allotropes are more common in nonmetals, metalloids, or metals.

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•

Have students investigate how graphite can be transformed into diamond and have them explain whether the atoms themselves are changed.

References Keeley, P. 2016. Science formative assessment, volume 1: 75 practical strategies for linking assessment, instruction, and learning. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices,

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crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Schmidt, H. 1998. Does the periodic table refer to chemical elements? School Science Review 80: 71–74. Schmidt, H., T. Baumgärtner, and H. Eybe. 2003. Changing ideas about the periodic table of elements and students’ alternative concepts of isotopes and allotropes. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 40 (3): 257–277.

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Neutral Atoms The number of protons is the same as the number of neutrons in a neutral atom of the same element.

Or ville

The number of neutrons does not need to be the same as the number of protons in a neutral atom of the same element.

Bia

nca

Who do you agree with the most? ______________________ Explain your thinking. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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Átomos Neutrales El número de protones es el mismo que el número de neutrones en un átomo neutral del mismo elemento.

Or ville

El número de neutrones no necesita ser el mismo que el número de protones en un átomo neutral del mismo elemento.

Bia

nca

¿Con quién estás mas de acuerdo? ______________________ Explica lo que piensas. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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Neutral Atoms Teacher Notes The number of protons is the same as the number of neutrons in a neutral atom of the same element.

Or ville

The number of neutrons does not need to be the same as the number of protons in a neutral atom of the same element.

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about neutral atoms. The probe is designed to reveal how students think about the relationship between fundamental particles inside the nucleus of an atom.

Type of Probe

Concept cartoon, opposing views

Related Concepts

Atom, atomic number, electron, ion, isotope, mass number, neutral atom, neutron, proton

Explanation

The best answer is Bianca’s: “The number of neutrons does not need to be the same as the number of protons in a neutral atom of the same element.” Neutral atoms of the same element have the same number of protons inside the nucleus as electrons outside the nucleus to balance the protons’ positive and electrons’ negative charges. Because the charges are balanced, the atom is neutral (does not have a charge). Atoms of the same element have the same number of protons

Bia

nca

and thus the element has one atomic number. However, atoms of the same element can have different numbers of neutrons and thus an element can have different mass numbers (sum of the number of protons and neutrons). Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons are called isotopes. For example, hydrogen has three main naturally existing isotopes. The most common form of hydrogen is protium. It has one proton and one electron but no neutrons. Its atomic number is 1 and its mass number is 1. Deuterium is another form of hydrogen that makes up “heavy water.” It has one proton, one neutron, and one electron. Its atomic number is 1 but its mass number is 2. Tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen, has one proton, two neutrons, and one electron. Its atomic number is 1 but its mass number is 3. All three of these isotopes are neutral when there is one electron to balance the charge on the one proton in the nucleus. If hydrogen loses an electron, it becomes a positively charged ion, H+. The number of neutrons does not affect whether an atom is neutral or has an electric charge.

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Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with students in grades 9–12. The probe can be extended by asking students to explain what neutral atom means to them.

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas From the Framework (NRC 2012) 9–12 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Each atom has a charged substructure consisting of a nucleus, which is made of protons and neutrons, surrounded by electrons. • The periodic table orders elements horizontally by the number of protons in the atom’s nucleus and places those with similar chemical properties in columns. The repeating patterns of this table reflect patterns of outer electron states.

Related Research •

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Schmidt, Baumgärtner, and Eybe (2003) found that many high school students in their study sample thought there had to be the same number of neutrons as protons in a “standard” atom. Their reasoning for this often mentioned the idea that the neutrons “neutralized” the protons or “neutralized” the forces between the protons. Students thought this was necessary to keep the atom stable since they believed the neutrons repelled each other. Students who knew what isotopes were recognized that isotopes had a different number of neutrons. The researchers also found that students developed certain rules for atoms. One example is the rule that in standard atoms the number ratio

between protons and neutrons is 1:1. This 1:1 idea is useful to learners because it is a reasonable abstraction from other everyday experiences.

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment •

•

•

•

•

•

Four ideas come together for students to understand what a neutral atom is: (1) Atoms have particles inside a nucleus and outside of the nucleus; (2) basic particles of an atom include protons, neutrons, and electrons; (3) protons are positively charged, electrons are negatively charged, and neutrons have no charge; and (4) neutral atoms have the same number of protons and electrons and charged atoms (ions) have unequal numbers of protons and electrons. Encourage students to use the crosscutting concept of patterns to explain their thinking about the relationship between neutral and charged atoms and the particles of an atom. This probe can be used with the lines of agreement strategy (Keeley 2015). Students form two facing lines, according to whom they agree with. As they engage in argumentation, they carefully consider the arguments of the opposing view. If at any time the opposite side’s argument is compelling enough for a student to give up his or her initial idea, the student can cross over to the other line. Check to make sure students do not confuse the concept of neutron with neutralizer, or ion with isotope. Distinguish between atoms that are neutral and ions, which are atoms that have a positive or negative charge. Listen for students who use the term neutral charge. Neutral means there is no charge.

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References Keeley, P. 2015. Science formative assessment, volume 2: 50 more strategies for linking assessment, instruction, and learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices,

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crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Schmidt, H., T. Baumgärtner, and H. Eybe. 2003. Changing ideas about the periodic table of elements and students’ alternative concepts of isotopes and allotropes. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 40 (3): 257–277.

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What Is a Substance?

Five friends wondered what chemists mean when they talk about substances. This is what they thought: Henrietta: I think they are talking about atoms. Kaden: I think they are talking about elements. Ladica: I think they are talking about elements and compounds. Rex:

I think they are talking about elements, compounds, and mixtures.

Ursula:

I think they are talking about any kind of chemical.

Which friend do you agree with? ______________________ Explain your thinking. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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¿Qué Es una Sustancia?

Cinco amigos se preguntaban que piensan los químicos cuando hablan del significado de sustancias. Esto es lo que pensaron. Henrietta: Creo que están hablando de átomos. Kaden: Creo que están hablando de elementos. Ladica: Creo que están hablando de elementos y compuestos. Rex:

Creo que están hablando de elementos, compuestos, y mezclas.

Ursula:

Creo que están hablando de cualquier tipo de químico.

¿Con qué amigo estás más de acuerdo? ______________________ Explica lo que piensas. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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What Is a Substance? Teacher Notes

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about substances. The probe is designed to determine whether students distinguish between the everyday use of the word substance and how chemists use the word to refer to matter with a definite chemical composition throughout.

Type of Probe Friendly talk

same atoms or molecules throughout and have a definite chemical composition. Some mixtures, such as salt water, are homogeneous but they do not have a definite chemical composition. Therefore, they are not considered substances in the chemical sense of the word.

Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with students in grades 6–12, after they are familiar with atoms, elements, compounds, and mixtures.

Related Concepts

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas From the Framework (NRC 2012)

Explanation

3–5 PS1.B: Chemical Reactions • When two or more different substances are mixed, a new substance with different properties may be formed. 6–8 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Substances are made from different types of atoms, which combine with one another in various ways. Atoms form molecules

Compound, element, homogeneous matter, mixture, substance The best answer is Ladica’s: “I think they are talking about elements and compounds.” In chemistry, a substance is homogeneous and has a definite chemical composition. It is a single or pure type of matter. Substances can be elements such as a hydrogen, gold, or carbon. Substances can also be compounds such as water, methane, or sodium chloride. Both elements and compounds are made up of the

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that range in size from two to thousands of atoms. 6–8 PS1.B: Chemical Reactions • Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process, the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped into different molecules, and these new substances have different properties from those of the reactants.

Related Research

Even though the idea that elements cannot be broken down into simpler substances was introduced at ages 11 and 12, Briggs and Holding’s study (1986) found that only 25% of a sample of 300 British 15-yearold students could apply it to explain how elements differed from other substances. When using particle representations of elements, compounds, and mixtures, they found that many students could not distinguish a particle representation of an element from a compound. • Barker’s study (1994) revealed that only about 3% of 16-year-old students surveyed at the beginning of a general chemistry class could explain how to test whether a substance was an element or compound. The study also revealed that 43% of the students surveyed could define element and compound at the beginning of the course; at the end of the course, this percentage remained relatively unchanged. • Although chemical compounds are regarded as single substances, several studies have found that children frequently describe compounds as though they are mixtures of elements. This may be due to a lack of conceptual understanding of the chemical combination of elements in a compound (Driver et al. 1994). • Chemistry has a unique language, which can pose difficulties for conceptual understanding. Evidence suggests that difficulties •

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may arise because teachers are unaware of the meanings students have for chemical terms. “Students’ understanding of the differences between elements, compounds, and mixtures in particle terms is poor. It is therefore unsurprising that students find chemistry ‘hard,’ as they do not understand a basic principle providing a foundation for more detailed study” (Kind 2004, p. 22). • Ahtee and Varjola (1998) found that students of all ages find the term substance problematic. Students interchanged substance with atom. For example, a 17-year-old student said, “Substances change outer electrons between them.”

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment

In K–2, the focus on matter is at the object level with a transition to materials in grades 3–5. By middle school, students transition from materials to substances and, therefore, it is important to develop the chemist’s concept of a substance in middle school. • Vogelezang (1987) points out that the concept of a chemical substance is central to many chemistry concepts and suggests that teachers pay careful and thoughtful attention to the use of the word substance when using it with students because it is easy to use it ambiguously. He suggests a progression from the idea of substance to homogeneous substance and later to chemical substance. • Briggs and Holding (1986) recommend the early use of the term pure substance or single substance to help students distinguish a chemical substance from everyday materials that may not have a definite chemical composition. Even though pure substance is redundant, the emphasis on pure will help students distinguish substances from other types of matter. •

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Have students use models to explain the similarity between substances such as a compound (water) and the elements oxygen and hydrogen. Have students use their models to explain why both compounds and elements are considered substances. • Add substance to a word wall that tracks how some words used in science have a different meaning from the everyday, colloquial use of the word. •

References Ahtee, M., and I. Varjola. 1998. Students’ understanding of chemical reaction. International Journal of Science Education 20 (3): 305–316. Barker, V. 1994. A longitudinal study of 16–18 year olds’ understanding of basic chemical ideas. PhD diss., Department of Educational Studies. University of York, UK.

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Briggs, H., and B. Holding. 1986. Aspects of secondary students’ understanding of elementary ideas in chemistry. Children’s learning in science project. University of Leeds, UK. Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Kind, V. 2004. Beyond appearances: Students’ misconceptions about basic chemical ideas. 2nd ed. Durham, England: Durham University School of Education. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Vogelezang, M. 1987. Development of the concept of “chemical substance”: Some thoughts and arguments. International Journal of Science Education 9 (5): 519–528.

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Will It Form a New Substance?

When matter changes, sometimes a new substance is formed. Put an X next to the changes that result in a new substance. ___ A. Heating butter until it is a liquid ___ B. Baking a cake ___ C. An iron bar rusting

___ I. Milk spoiling ___ J. Frying an egg ___ K. Burning a piece of wood

___ D. Dissolving sugar in tea

___ L. Evaporating water from a puddle

___ E. Boiling water to form steam

___ M. Mixing salt and water

___ F. An apple slice turning brown

___ N. An apple rotting

___ G. Freezing milk and sugar to make ice cream

___ O. Digesting food in your stomach

___ H. Filling a balloon with helium so it rises into the air

___ P. Magnetizing a nail

Explain your thinking. What rule or reasoning did you use to decide if a new substance was formed? _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ U n c o v e r i n g S t u d e n t I d e a s i n P hy s i c a l S c i e n c e , Vo l u m e 3 Copyright © 2019 NSTA. All rights reserved. For more information, go to www.nsta.org/permissions. TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK, please visit www.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781681406046

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¿Formará una Nueva Sustancia?

Cuando la materia cambia, a veces se forma una nueva sustancia. Marque con una X al lado de los cambios que forman una nueva sustancia. ___ A. Derretir mantequilla hasta que sea líquido

___ I. Leche echada a perder

___ B. Horneando un pastel

___ K. Quemando un trozo de madera

___ C. Una barra de hierro oxidada ___ D. Disolver el azúcar en el té ___ E. Agua hirviendo hasta que forme vapor ___ F. Una manzana volviéndose marrón ___ G. Congelando de leche y azúcar para hacer helado

___ J. Freír un huevo

___ L. Evaporación de agua de un charco ___ M. Mezcla de sal y agua ___ N. Una manzana podrida ___ O. Digestión de alimentos en su estómago ___ P. Magnetizar un clavo

___ H. Llenar un globo con helio para que se eleve en el aire Explica lo que piensas. Describe la “regla” o racionamiento que usastes para decir si formó una nueva sustancia. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

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Will It Form a New Substance? Teacher Notes

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about chemical change. The probe is designed to find out how students determine whether a new substance with a different chemical makeup is formed when matter undergoes a change.

Type of Probe Justified list

Related Concepts

Chemical change, chemical reaction, mixture, physical change, substance

Explanation

The best answers are B, C, F, I, J, K, N, and O. Each of these answer choices is a chemical change because each change results in a new substance that has a different chemical makeup than the original substance or substances. B:  When a cake bakes, the baking soda produces bubbles of gas and the proteins from the egg change, binding the ingredients and making the cake firm. C: When a metal bar (iron) rusts, it combines with oxygen in

the air and forms iron oxide (a reaction called oxidation). Iron oxide is a different substance from the original metal (iron). F: As an apple is exposed to air it combines chemically with the oxygen in the air, turning the apple brown. This chemical reaction is also an example of oxidation. I: When milk spoils, an acid is produced that gives the milk a sour taste. J: Frying an egg chemically changes the proteins in the egg. K: Burning a piece of wood decomposes the cellulose and releases carbon dioxide, water, and ash (the minerals that were in the wood). N: Other chemical reactions take place as the apple decomposes, releasing new substances such as ethylene gas. O: Several chemical reactions take place in the stomach to break food down into simpler substances that can be used by cells. Acids produced in the stomach along with enzymes react with food in the stomach. The distracters A, E, and L are changes in which the state of matter (solid, liquid, or gas) changes but is still the same substance chemically. These changes are often referred to as physical changes. D and M are also physical changes. The sugar and salt dissolve in the

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water but they do not chemically combine with the water to form a new substance. The sugar water and the salt water are mixtures. Both the sugar and salt retain their properties and can be recovered by evaporating the water. In G, the sugar and milk are mixed together and then frozen. The mixture takes on a new form but the milk and sugar do not combine chemically to form a new substance. In H, a gas, helium, fills the balloon and the balloon rises. The helium does not change chemically into a different gas. P is also a physical change. Magnetizing merely changes the alignment of the atoms in the nail. It does not chemically change the iron.

Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with students in grades 3–12. Make sure students know that a new substance means the change results in new matter that has a different chemical makeup and properties that are different from the original matter. For younger students, eliminate answer choices they may not be familiar with.

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas From the Framework (NRC 2012) 3–5 PS1.B: Chemical Reactions • When two or more different substances are mixed, a new substance with different properties may be formed. 6–8 PS1.B: Chemical Reactions • Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process, the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped into different molecules, and these new substances have different properties from those of the reactants. 9–12 PS1.B: Chemical Reactions • Chemical processes, their rates, and whether or not energy is stored or released can be understood in terms of the collisions of

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molecules and the rearrangement of atoms into new molecules.

Related Research

Although in science the term chemical change refers to processes in which the reacting chemical substances transform into new substances, several studies have found that students often use the term chemical change to encompass a wide variety of changes including physical transformations, especially when the color of a substance changes. How well students make a distinction between chemical and physical changes may depend on their conception of substance. In general, students have difficulty developing the idea of chemical combination of elements until they are able to interpret what combination means at a molecular level (Driver et al. 1994). • Students experience difficulty in discriminating consistently between a chemical change and a physical change. Evidence for this comes from a number of studies. For example, Ahtee and Varjola (1998) explored 13–20-year-olds’ ideas about what kind of things would indicate a chemical reaction had occurred. They found that about 20% of the 13–14-year-olds and 17–18-year-olds thought dissolving and change of state were chemical reactions. Only 14% of the 137 19–20-year-old university students in the study could explain what actually happened in a chemical reaction. • Vogelezang (1987) found that students who regard ice as a different substance from water are likely to consider freezing water or melting ice as a chemical change. • Stavridou and Solomonidou (1989) explored ideas held by Greek students ages 8 to 17 by presenting them with 18 different phenomena to classify as a chemical or physical change. They found that students who used the reversibility criterion were •

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better able to distinguish between chemical and physical changes than students who did not consider reversibility. The students who used the reversibility criterion considered chemical changes to be irreversible, which could pose a problem in understanding chemical reactions. Both groups used criteria that were macroscopic in character. • In Abraham, Williamson, and Westbrook’s study (1994), students confused chemical and physical changes. There were indications that they had memorized the terminology rather than developed conceptual understanding. • A study by Abraham et al. (1992) presented eighth grade students with a chemical change in which a glass rod is held in the flame of a burning candle and a black film forms on the rod. To show understanding of chemical change, students were expected to identify the transformation that took place and know a new substance was formed, not just a different form of the same substance. Fifteen percent of the students questioned showed some understanding of chemical change. Fifteen percent had some understanding of chemical change but then provided evidence of a physical change, and some said the change was not a chemical change because no chemicals were involved. Seventy percent of the students showed no understanding that a chemical change had occurred with the burning of the candle and formation of the black film on the glass rod.

•

•

•

•

•

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment •

This probe can be used with the card sort strategy (Keeley 2016). Print each of the answer choices on cards. In small groups, students sort the cards into two columns: changes in which new substances are formed; changes in which new substances

•

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are not formed. As they sort, they discuss their reasons for placing each card. This strategy gives students the opportunity to explicate their reasoning for each example. A related precursor probe for grades K–2 students is “Back and Forth” (available in Keeley 2013), in which students determine which types of changes in matter can change back to their original form and materials. Combine this probe with understanding what a substance is. Whereas in science the word material is very broad, the word substance has a more specific meaning. Students tend to use the word substance synonymously with the word material. A substance in science is defined as a homogeneous type of matter having a definite chemical composition (Driver et al. 1994). Ask questions such as the following: “What properties of this changed material are different from the original material? What properties are the same? Can you get the same material back again?” Students should see a great many examples of reactions between substances that produce new substances that are very different from the original reactants. Start off with examples of familiar reactions such as burning sugar, adding baking soda to vinegar, and rusting to determine whether new substances are formed. Help middle and high school students see that the rearrangement of atoms can be used to explain new substances formed from chemical reactions and that this is an example of another way that the atomic/ molecular theory can be used to explain a wide variety of matter phenomena. To determine whether a new substance is formed, students should have opportunities to carefully compare the substance or substances after a change has been made to the original matter and compare it to

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the substance or substances they started with before the change. • The Framework (NRC 2012) deemphasizes the difference between physical and chemical changes. It suggests that instead of using the term physical change, students should compare the properties of the material before and after the change and have them describe the type of change: for example, chemical reaction, phase change, dissolving, or formation of a mixture (Mayer and Krajcik 2017).

References Abraham, M., E. Grzybowski, J. Renner, and E. Marek. 1992. Understandings and misunderstandings of eighth graders of five chemistry concepts found in textbooks. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 29 (2): 105–120. Abraham, M., V. Williamson, and S. Westbrook. 1994. A cross-age study of the understanding of five chemistry concepts. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 31 (2): 147–165. Ahtee, M., and I. Varjola. 1998. Students’ understanding of chemical reaction. International Journal of Science Education 20 (3): 305–316.

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Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Keeley, P. 2013. Uncovering student ideas in primary science, volume 1: 25 new formative assessment probes for grades K–2. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Keeley, P. 2016. Science formative assessment, volume 1: 75 practical strategies for linking assessment, instruction, and learning. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Mayer, K., and J. Krajcik. 2017. Core idea PS1: Matter and its interactions. In Disciplinary core ideas: Reshaping teaching and learning, ed. R. Duncan, J. Krajcik, and A. Rivet, 13–32. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Stavridou, H., and C. Solomonidou. 1989. Physical phenomena–chemical phenomena: Do pupils make the distinction? International Journal of Science Education 11 (1): 83–92. Vogelezang, M. 1987. Development of the concept of “chemical substance”: Some thoughts and arguments. International Journal of Science Education 9 (5): 519–528.

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What Is the Result of a Chemical Change?

Ozzie A new substance is the result of a chemical change.

Pa u l A different form of the same substance is the result of a chemical change.

D ora A different form of the same substance or a new substance is the result of a chemical change.

Which friend do you agree with the most? ______________________ Explain why you agree. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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¿Cuál Es el Resultado de un Cambio Químico?

Ozzie Una nueva sustancia es el resultado de un cambio químico.

Pa u l Una forma diferente de la misma sustancia es el resultado de un cambio químico.

D ora Una forma diferente de la misma sustancia o una nueva sustancia es el resultado de un cambio químico.

¿Con qué amigo estás de acuerdo? ______________________ Explica por qué estás de acuerdo. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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What Is the Result of a Chemical Change? Teacher Notes Pa u l

Ozzie A new substance is the result of a chemical change.

A different form of the same substance is the result of a chemical change.

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about chemical change. The probe is designed to find out whether students recognize that substances change chemically as a result of a chemical reaction.

Type of Probe Concept cartoon

Related Concepts

Chemical change, chemical reaction, substance

Explanation

D ora

The best answer is Ozzie’s: “A new substance is the result of a chemical change.” During a chemical change, one or more substances react to form one or more new substances with different properties. The atoms from the original substance(s) (reactants) are rearranged to form a new substance(s) (products). There are many different types of chemical reactions such as single substances that break down into two or more different substances, two or more substances that chemically combine to form a new substance, two substances in which one element replaces another element in a compound,

A different form of the same substance or a new substance is the result of a chemical change.

or even different compounds that rearrange their atoms to form new compounds. In each of these examples, one or more new substances are formed that are different chemically from the original substance(s).

Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with students in grades 5–12. Encourage students to give examples of chemical changes to support their explanation. The probe can be extended by having middle and high school students use the idea of atoms and molecules to explain their thinking.

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas From the Framework (NRC 2012) 3–5 PS1.B: Chemical Reactions • When two or more different substances are mixed, a new substance with different properties may be formed. 6–8 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Substances are made from different types of atoms, which combine with one another in various ways. Atoms form molecules

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that range in size from two to thousands of atoms. 6–8 PS1.B: Chemical Reactions • Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process, the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped into different molecules, and these new substances have different properties from those of the reactants. 9–12 PS1.B: Chemical Reactions • Chemical processes, their rates, and whether or not energy is stored or released can be understood in terms of the collisions of molecules and the rearrangement of atoms into new molecules.

•

•

Related Research

Although in science the term chemical change refers to processes in which the reacting chemical substances transform into new substances, several studies have found that students often use the term chemical change to encompass a wide variety of changes including physical transformations, especially when the color of a substance changes. How well students make a distinction between chemical and physical changes may depend on their conception of the term substance. In general, students have difficulty developing the idea of chemical combination of elements until they are able to interpret what the combination means at a molecular level (Driver et al. 1994). • Andersson (1991) investigated children’s notions of chemical change and found they appear to fall into six categories: (1) it just happens; (2) matter just disappears; (3) the product materials must have been inside the starting materials; (4) the product material is just a modified form of the starting material; (5) the starting material just turns into the product material; and (6) the starting materials interact to form the product materials. •

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•

•

•

•

Students experience difficulty in discriminating consistently between a chemical change and a physical change. Evidence for this comes from a number of studies. For example, Ahtee and Varjola (1998) explored 13–20-year-olds’ ideas about what kind of things would indicate a chemical reaction had occurred. They found that about 20% of the 13–14-year-olds and 17–18-year-olds thought dissolving and change of state were chemical reactions. Only 14% of the 137 19–20-year-old university students in the study could explain what actually happened in a chemical reaction. Vogelezang (1987) found that students who regard ice as a different substance from water are likely to consider freezing water or melting ice as a chemical change. Briggs and Holding (1986) found that 75% of the secondary students they sampled thought a change in mass was evidence for a chemical change. Stavridou and Solomonidou (1989) explored ideas held by Greek students ages 8 to 17 by presenting them with 18 different phenomena to classify as a chemical or physical change. They found that students who used the reversibility criterion were better able to distinguish between chemical and physical changes than students who did not consider reversibility. The students who used the reversibility criterion considered chemical changes to be irreversible, which could pose a problem in understanding chemical reactions. Both groups used criteria that were macroscopic in character. In Abraham, Williamson, and Westbrook’s study (1994), students confused chemical and physical changes. There were indications that they had memorized the terminology rather than developed conceptual understanding. A study by Abraham et al. (1992) presented eighth grade students with a chemical

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change in which a glass rod is held in the flame of a burning candle and a black film forms on the rod. To show understanding of chemical change, students were expected to identify the transformation that took place and know a new substance was formed, not just a different form of the same substance. Fifteen percent of the students questioned showed some understanding of chemical change. Fifteen percent had some understanding of chemical change but then provided evidence of a physical change and some said the change was not a chemical change because no chemicals were involved. Seventy percent of the students showed no understanding that a chemical change had occurred with the burning of the candle and formation of the black film on the glass rod.

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment

A related precursor probe for students in grades K–2 is “Back and Forth” (available in Keeley 2013), in which students determine which types of changes in matter can change back to their original form and materials. • Ball and stick models can be used with middle and high school students to show how substances break apart and recombine to form new substances, but be sure to point out the limitations of using these models so they are not interpreted literally. • Students should see a great many examples of reactions between substances that produce new substances that are very different from the original reactants. Start off with examples of familiar reactions such as burning sugar, adding baking soda to vinegar, or rusting to determine whether new substances are formed. • Help students see that the idea of atoms can be used to explain chemical reactions •

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and that this is an example of another way that the atomic/molecular theory can be used to explain a wide variety of matter phenomena. • To assess whether a chemical change has occurred students should have opportunities to carefully compare the substances that result from a reaction to the substances they started with before the reaction. • The Framework (NRC 2012) deemphasizes the difference between physical and chemical changes. It suggests that instead of using the term physical change students should compare the properties of the material before and after the change and have them describe the type of change: for example, chemical reaction, phase change, dissolving, or formation of a mixture (Mayer and Krajcik 2017).

References Abraham, M., E. Grzybowski, J. Renner, and E. Marek. 1992. Understandings and misunderstandings of eighth graders of five chemistry concepts found in textbooks. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 29 (2): 105–120. Abraham, M., V. Williamson, and S. Westbrook. 1994. A cross-age study of the understanding of five chemistry concepts. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 31 (2): 147–165. Ahtee, M., and I. Varjola. 1998. Students’ understanding of chemical reaction. International Journal of Science Education 20 (3): 305–316. Andersson, B. 1991. Pupils’ conception of matter and its transformations (age 12–16). Studies in Science Education 18: 53–85. Briggs, H., and B. Holding. 1986. Aspects of secondary students’ understanding of elementary ideas in chemistry. Children’s learning in science project. University of Leeds, UK. Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer.

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Keeley, P. 2013. Uncovering student ideas in primary science, volume 1: 25 new formative assessment probes for grades K–2. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Mayer, K., and J. Krajcik. 2017. Core idea PS1: Matter and its interactions. In Disciplinary core ideas: Reshaping teaching and learning, ed. R. Duncan, J. Krajcik, and A. Rivet, 13–32. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices,

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crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Stavridou, H., and C. Solomonidou. 1989. Physical phenomena–chemical phenomena: Do pupils make the distinction? International Journal of Science Education 11 (1): 83–92. Vogelezang, M. 1987. Development of the concept of “chemical substance”: Some thoughts and arguments. International Journal of Science Education 9 (5): 519–528.

N a t i o n a l S c i e n c e Te a c h e r s A s s o c i a t i o n Copyright © 2019 NSTA. All rights reserved. For more information, go to www.nsta.org/permissions. TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK, please visit www.nsta.org/store/product_detail.aspx?id=10.2505/9781681406046

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What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction?

Julia n The number and type of atoms are the same before and after a chemical reaction.

San dra The number and type of atoms are different before and after a chemical reaction.

Bo

Gabby The number of atoms is the same before and after a chemical reaction, but the type of atoms can change.

The type of atoms is the same before and after a chemical reaction, but the number of atoms can change.

Which friend do you agree with the most? ______________________ Explain why you agree. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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¿Qué le Sucede a los Átomos Durante una Reacción Química?

Julia n

San dra

El número y tipo de El número y tipo de átomos son lo mismo átomos son diferentes antes y después de una antes y después de una reacción química. reacción química.

Gabby El número de átomos es el mismo antes y después de la reacción química, pero el tipo de átomos puede cambiar.

Bo El tipo de átomos es el mismo antes y después de una reacción química, pero el número de átomos puede cambiar.

¿Con qué amigo estás de acuerdo? ______________________ Explica por qué estás de acuerdo. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction? Teacher Notes Julia n The number and type of atoms are the same before and after a chemical reaction.

San dra The number and type of atoms are different before and after a chemical reaction.

Purpose

Gabby The number of atoms is the same before and after a chemical reaction, but the type of atoms can change.

Bo The type of atoms is the same before and after a chemical reaction, but the number of atoms can change.

Atom, balanced equation, chemical change, chemical reaction, conservation of matter

between zinc and hydrochloric acid yields zinc chloride and hydrogen gas: Zn + 2HCl → ZnCl 2 + H 2. The same types of atoms (zinc, hydrogen, and chlorine) are present before and after the reaction. The balanced chemical equation shows the same number of atoms before the reaction as after the reaction (one atom of zinc, two atoms of hydrogen, two atoms of chlorine) even though the zinc combined with chlorine and hydrogen separated from the hydrochloric acid. The law of conservation of matter supports the idea that the number and type of atoms stay the same because no new atoms are created or destroyed.

Explanation

Administering the Probe

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about chemical change. The probe is designed to find out whether students recognize that the same kinds and numbers of atoms are present before and after a chemical reaction.

Type of Probe Concept cartoon

Related Concepts

The best answer is Julian’s: “The number and type of atoms are the same before and after the chemical reaction.” During a chemical reaction, atoms are rearranged to form different substances but the total number of atoms and the kinds of atoms are the same before and after the reaction. For example, the reaction

This probe is best used with students in grades 6–12 once students can use the idea of atoms to support their explanation. The probe can be extended by having students draw a model or provide a symbolic representation, such as a chemical equation, to support their thinking.

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Related Disciplinary Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts From the Framework (NRC 2012) 6–8 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Substances are made from different types of atoms, which combine with one another in various ways. Atoms form molecules that range in size from two to thousands of atoms. 6–8 PS1.B: Chemical Reactions • Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process, the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped into different molecules, and these new substances have different properties from those of the reactants. • The total number of each type of atom is conserved, and thus the mass does not change. 6–8 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Matter is conserved because atoms are conserved in physical and chemical processes. 9–12 PS1.B: Chemical Reactions • Chemical processes, their rates, and whether or not energy is stored or released can be understood in terms of the collisions of molecules and the rearrangement of atoms into new molecules. • The fact that atoms are conserved, together with knowledge of the chemical properties of the elements involved, can be used to describe and predict chemical reactions. 9–12 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • The total amount of energy and matter in closed systems is conserved.

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Related Research •

•

•

•

•

Andersson (1991) investigated children’s notions of chemical change and found they appear to fall into six categories: (1) it just happens; (2) matter just disappears; (3) the product materials must have been inside the starting materials; (4) the product material is just a modified form of the starting material; (5) the starting material just turns into the product material; and (6) the starting materials interact to form the product materials. In general, students have difficulty developing an adequate conception of the chemical combination of elements until they can interpret combination at the molecular level (Driver et al. 1994). In a study of 100 high school students who completed a unit on chemical change, most students failed to use atoms and molecules in their explanations even though they had been emphasized in their chemistry course. Some students also listed heat, cold, or decay as reactants or products. Although most students in the classes could state the definition of a chemical reaction and balance chemical equations, they still had difficulty describing chemical changes (Hesse and Anderson 1992). Ben-Zvi, Eylon, and Silberstein (1982) found that students have great difficulty changing their thinking when they are asked to transition from observable changes in substances to the atomic molecular level to explain observable changes in terms of the interactions between individual atoms and molecules. To master chemistry, students need to develop an understanding of chemical ideas at three different levels: macroscopic, particle, and symbolic (Gabel 1999).

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Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment •

•

•

•

•

The idea that a chemical reaction involves the recombination of atoms is not easily understood by students. In addition, the rules for writing and balancing chemical equations may seem relatively simple and straightforward, yet the concept of balancing a chemical equation is not easily understood by students who have strongly held alternative ideas. Therefore, it is imperative to surface the strongly held ideas in this probe and help students work through them using models and other conceptual techniques to give up their preconceptions and move them toward a chemical understanding of chemical reactions. Students who recognize the number of atoms stays the same but may think the type of atoms changes during a chemical reaction need to develop a key idea that while an atom retains its chemical identity during a chemical reaction, a molecule does not. Ball and stick models can be used to show how substances break apart and recombine to form new substances with the same type and number of atoms (but different molecules), but be sure to point out the limitations of using these models so they are not interpreted literally. Students should see a great many examples of reactions between substances that produce new substances that are very different from the original reactants to understand that the types of atoms are the same but the properties of the new substances are different. Start off with examples of familiar reactions such as burning sugar, adding baking soda to vinegar, and rusting to determine whether new substances are formed, and compare the number and type of atoms before and after the reaction. Help students see that the idea of atoms can be used to explain chemical reactions

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and that this is an example of another way that the atomic/molecular theory can be used to explain a wide variety of matter phenomena. • Researchers suggest that, if students are to acquire the scientific conception of chemical change, both teachers and curriculum developers must begin to anticipate the deeper misconceptions that affect students’ thinking about chemical change (Hesse and Anderson 1992). • Have students create two different models to show a chemical reaction and use both models to explain what happens to the molecules. For example, they can create a physical clay model with atoms (and their molecules) made of small balls of clay and a symbolic representation (balanced chemical reaction). Research has shown that when students create and compare different models for the same phenomena their conceptual understanding of the chemical idea increases (Harrison and Treagust 1996).

References Andersson, B. 1991. Pupils’ conception of matter and its transformations (age 12–16). Studies in Science Education 18: 53–85. Ben-Zvi, R., Eylon, B., & Silberstein, J. 1982. Students vs. chemistry: A study of student conceptions of structure and process. Paper presented at the annual conference of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching. Fontana, WI. Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Gabel, D. 1999. Improving teaching and learning through chemistry education research: A look to the future. Journal of Chemical Education 76 (4): 548–554. Harrison, A., and D. Treagust. 1996. Secondary students’ mental models of atoms and molecules:

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Implications for teaching chemistry. Science Education 80 (5), 509–534. Hesse, J., and C. Anderson. 1992. Students’ conception of chemical change. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 29 (3): 277–299.

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National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

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Is It a Chemical Change?

Observations provide evidence of a chemical change. Put an X next to the things that could indicate a chemical change. ___ A. Changes color

___ I. Changes shape

___ B. Rusting

___ J. Dissolving

___ C. Changes from liquid to gas

___ K. Produces a new gas

___ D. Produces bubbles when heated

___ L. Melting

___ E. New substance produced

___ M. Gives off heat

___ F. Gives off light

___ N. Expands in volume

___ G. A solid forms when two liquids are mixed

___ O. Burning ___ P. Change in mass or weight

___ H. A change that is not reversible Explain your thinking. Describe the “rules” or reasoning you used to decide if a chemical change took place. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

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¿Es Evidencia de un Cambio Químico?

Las observaciones proporcionan evidencia de un cambio químico. Marque con una X las cosas que podrían indicar un cambio químico. ___ A. Cambio de color

___ I. Cambia de forma

___ B. Oxidación

___ J. Disolviendo

___ C. Cambios de líquido a gas

___ K. Produce un nuevo gas

___ D. Produce burbujas cuando se calienta

___ L. Derritiéndose

___ E. Nueva sustancia producida ___ F. Emite luz ___ G. Se forma algo sólido cuando dos líquidos se mezclan

___ M. Despide el calor ___ N. El volumen se expande ___ O. Quema ___ P. Cambio en masa o peso

___ H. Un cambio que no es reversible Explica lo que piensas. Describa las “reglas” o racionamiento que usaste para decidir si hay evidencia de un cambio químico. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

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Is It a Chemical Change? Teacher Notes

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about chemical change. The probe is designed to find out what changes students use as evidence of a chemical change.

Type of Probe Justified list

Related Concepts

Chemical change, chemical reaction, physical change

Explanation

The best answers are A, B, E, F, G, K, M, and O. To know for certain that a chemical change has taken place requires evidence that one or more substances have changed in identity. Absolute proof requires chemical analysis but there are indicators that suggest a substance has changed or is changing chemically. Changes in color can be used as evidence of a chemical change. Different molecules absorb and reflect light differently. Since a chemical reaction involves a rearrangement of atoms into new molecules, sometimes these new molecules absorb and reflect

light differently, resulting in a different color. When an object rusts, a chemical change has occurred. There is a change in color and the rust is a new substance with new properties, iron oxide. Substances have a definite chemical makeup. Therefore, when a new substance is produced, a chemical change has taken place since the new substance or substances are not the same chemically as the substance(s) before the reaction. Some chemical reactions produce light. For example, burning magnesium produces a bright white light. Precipitates may form between substances dissolved in liquids. A solid that separates out of a liquid solution after substances mix is evidence of a chemical reaction. Production of a new gas is different from a gas produced during a change in state such as boiling water. A new gas such as carbon dioxide that is produced when vinegar reacts with baking soda is evidence of a new product with a different chemical composition. Some chemical reactions give off heat. For example, burning a candle gives off heat (and light) and combining calcium chloride and water gives off heat. If something is burning, a chemical change is taking place. Burning is an example

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of a combustion reaction in which a substance combines with oxygen and gives off heat and light. Answer choices C, D, I, J, L, N, and P are generally changes in physical properties. Changing from a liquid to a gas or melting (solid to a liquid) is a change in state in which no new substances are produced. Producing bubbles when heated may happen as water begins to boil or when a glass of carbonated beverage warms up and the carbon dioxide gas escapes from the solution (although production of bubbles when substances are mixed together is evidence of a chemical change). Shapes and mass can change without changing the chemical makeup of the material. For example, clay can be rolled into a ball or flattened like a pancake. A clay ball can be reduced to a clay ball with less mass but it is still a clay ball. When substances dissolve in water they do not change their chemical makeup. The macroscopic matter breaks down into particles that occupy the space between water molecules. For example, a sugar cube dissolves in water by breaking down into the smallest unit of the substance, a sugar molecule. The volume of a substance can change without changing its chemical makeup. These changes in volume may happen when atoms or molecules gain energy and move further apart. Thus, some metals expand in volume when heated and water expands in volume when it forms ice. Some students will choose H because they describe chemical changes as being nonreversible. This is true of most chemical changes but some chemical changes can also be reversed, such as the chemical reactions in a rechargeable battery. Any one change by itself is usually not enough to definitely say a chemical change has taken place. A combination of changes provides the best evidence that there has been a chemical change.

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Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with students in grades 3–12. It should be modified for grades 3–5 by eliminating answer choices that are not familiar to the students. You can substitute the word precipitate for the word solid in answer choice G if high school students know what a precipitate is. This probe can be used with the card sort or claims card strategy (Keeley 2015, 2016).

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas From the Framework (NRC 2012) 3–5 PS1.B: Chemical Reactions • When two or more different substances are mixed, a new substance with different properties may be formed. 6–8 PS1.B: Chemical Reactions • Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process, the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped into different molecules, and these new substances have different properties from those of the reactants. • Some chemical reactions release energy, others store energy. 9–12 PS1.B: Chemical Reactions • Chemical processes, their rates, and whether or not energy is stored or released can be understood in terms of the collisions of molecules and the rearrangement of atoms into new molecules.

Related Research •

Although in science the term chemical change refers to processes in which the reacting chemical substances transform into new substances, several studies have found that students often use the term chemical change to encompass a wide variety of changes including physical transformations, especially when the color of a substance changes. How well students make a

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•

•

•

•

distinction between chemical and physical changes may depend on their conception of substance. In general, students have difficulty developing the idea of chemical combination of elements until they are able to interpret what combination means at a molecular level (Driver et al., 1994). Students experience difficulty in discriminating consistently between a chemical change and a physical change. Evidence for this comes from a number of studies. For example, Ahtee and Varjola (1998) explored 13–20-year-olds’ ideas about what kinds of things would indicate a chemical reaction had occurred. They found that about 20% of the 13–14-year-olds and 17–18-year-olds thought dissolving and change of state were chemical reactions. Only 14% of the 137 19–20-year-old university students in the study could explain what actually happened in a chemical reaction. Vogelezang (1987) found that students who regard ice as a different substance from water are likely to consider freezing water or melting ice as a chemical change. Briggs and Holding (1986) found that 75% of the secondary students they sampled thought a change in mass was evidence for a chemical change. Stavridou and Solomonidou (1989) explored ideas held by Greek students ages 8 to 17 by presenting them with 18 different phenomena to classify as a chemical or physical change. They found that students who used the reversibility criterion were better able to distinguish between chemical and physical changes than students who did not consider reversibility. The students who used the reversibility criterion considered chemical changes to be irreversible, which could pose a problem in understanding chemical reactions. Both groups used criteria that were macroscopic in character.

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In Abraham, Williamson, and Westbrook’s study (1994), students confused chemical and physical changes. There were indications that they had memorized the terminology rather than developed conceptual understanding. • A study by Abraham et al. (1992) presented eighth grade students with a chemical change in which a glass rod is held in the flame of a burning candle and a black film forms on the rod. To show understanding of chemical change, students were expected to identify the transformation that took place and know a new substance was formed, not just a different form of the same substance. Fifteen percent of the students questioned showed some understanding of chemical change. Fifteen percent had some understanding of chemical change but then provided evidence of a physical change and some said the change was not a chemical change because no chemicals were involved. Seventy percent of the students showed no understanding that a chemical change had occurred with the burning of the candle and formation of the black film on the glass rod. •

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment

A related precursor probe for grades K–2 students is “Back and Forth” (available in Keeley 2013), in which students determine which types of changes in matter can change back to their original form and materials. • This probe can be extended using the always, sometimes, and never formative assessment technique (Keeley 2015). Ask students which examples on the list are always an indication of a chemical change, which are sometimes an example of a chemical change, and which are never an example of a chemical change, and to justify their answer for each one. •

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•

•

•

•

•

Ball and stick models can be used to show how substances break apart and recombine to form new substances, but be sure to point out the limitations of using these models so they are not interpreted literally. Students should see a great many examples of reactions between substances that produce new substances that are very different from the original reactants. Start off with examples of familiar reactions such as burning sugar, adding baking soda to vinegar, and rusting to determine whether new substances are formed. Help students see that the idea of atoms can be used to explain chemical reactions and that this is an example of another way that the atomic/molecular theory can be used to explain a wide variety of matter phenomena. To assess whether a chemical change has occurred, students should have opportunities to carefully compare the substances that result from a reaction to the substances they started with before the reaction. The Framework (NRC 2012) deemphasizes the difference between physical and chemical changes. It suggests that instead of using the term physical change, students should compare the properties of the material before and after the change and have them describe the type of change: for example, chemical reaction, phase change, dissolving, or formation of a mixture (Mayer and Krajcik 2017).

References Abraham, M., E. Grzybowski, J. Renner, and E. Marek. 1992. Understandings and misunderstandings of eighth graders of five chemistry concepts found in textbooks. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 29 (2): 105–120. Abraham, M., V. Williamson, and S. Westbrook. 1994. A cross-age study of the understanding

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of five chemistry concepts. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 31 (2): 147–165. Ahtee, M., and I. Varjola. 1998. Students’ understanding of chemical reaction. International Journal of Science Education 20 (3): 305–316. Briggs, H., and B. Holding. 1986. Aspects of secondary students’ understanding of elementary ideas in chemistry. Children’s learning in science project. University of Leeds, UK. Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Keeley, P. 2013. Uncovering student ideas in primary science, volume 1: 25 new formative assessment probes for grades K–2. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Keeley, P. 2015. Science formative assessment, volume 2: 50 more strategies for linking assessment, instruction, and learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Keeley, P. 2016. Science formative assessment, volume 1: 75 practical strategies for linking assessment, instruction, and learning. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Mayer, K., and J. Krajcik. 2017. Core idea PS1: Matter and its interactions. In Disciplinary core ideas: Reshaping teaching and learning, ed. R. Duncan, J. Krajcik, and A. Rivet, 13–32. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Stavridou, H., and C. Solomonidou. 1989. Physical phenomena–chemical phenomena: Do pupils make the distinction? International Journal of Science Education 11 (1): 83–92. Vogelezang, M. 1987. Development of the concept of “chemical substance”: Some thoughts and arguments. International Journal of Science Education 9 (5): 519–528.

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Does It Have New Properties?

Three friends were talking about mixing two different substances together. They each had a different idea about what happens to the properties after the substances are mixed together: Diego:

A new substance with different properties is never formed.

Lawana: A new substance with different properties is sometimes formed. Sandy:

A new substance with different properties is always formed.

Who do you agree with the most? ______________________ Explain your thinking. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

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¿Tiene Propiedades Nuevas?

Tres amigos estaban hablando de mezclar dos sustancias diferentes. Cada uno de ellos tenía una idea diferente sobre las propiedades: Diego:

Una sustancia nueva con diferentes propiedades nunca se forma.

Lawana: A veces se forma una sustancia nueva con diferentes propiedades. Sandy:

Una sustancia nueva con diferentes propiedades siempre se forma.

Con quién estás de acuerdo? ______________________ Explica lo que piensas. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

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Does It Have New Properties? Teacher Notes

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about changes that result in new properties. The probe is designed to find out whether students recognize that some things mixed together will retain their properties and others will change.

Type of Probe Friendly talk

Related Concepts

Chemical change, chemical reaction, mixture, physical change

Explanation

The best answer is Lawana’s: “A new substance with different properties is sometimes formed.” When some substances are mixed together, they retain their own properties and do not chemically interact. For example, salt and sand mixed together do not react to form a substance with new properties. They form a mixture in which each of the substances keeps its original properties. Other substances may come together and react to form new substances.

For example, mixing baking soda and vinegar forms sodium acetate, carbon dioxide, and water, which have properties different from the original substances.

Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with students in grades 3–12. Make sure students understand they are comparing the properties of the substances before they are mixed together with the properties of the substances after they are mixed together. Encourage students to give examples to support their explanation.

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas From the Framework (NRC 2012) 3–5 PS1.B: Chemical Reactions • When two or more different substances are mixed, a new substance with different properties may be formed. 6–8 PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter • Substances are made from different types of atoms, which combine with one another

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in various ways. Atoms form molecules that range in size from two to thousands of atoms. 6–8 PS1.B: Chemical Reactions • Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical process, the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped into different molecules, and these new substances have different properties from those of the reactants.

•

•

Related Research

How well students make a distinction between chemical and physical changes may depend on their conception of substance. In general, students have difficulty developing the idea of chemical combination of elements until they are able to interpret what combination means at a molecular level (Driver et al. 1994). • Andersson (1991) investigated children’s notions of chemical change and found they appear to fall into six categories: (1) it just happens; (2) matter just disappears; (3) the product materials must have been inside the starting materials; (4) the product material is just a modified form of the starting material; (5) the starting material just turns into the product material; and (6) the starting materials interact to form the product materials. • In Abraham, Williamson, and Westbrook’s study (1994), students confused chemical and physical changes. There were indications that they had memorized the terminology rather than developed conceptual understanding. •

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment •

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Some students find it difficult to use the word property in science when it is used to distinguish one type of matter from another. Students may be better able to

•

•

•

answer questions about change in properties when the question is phrased as, “What things about this material make it different from that material?” To assess whether a chemical change has occurred when substances are mixed together, students should have opportunities to carefully compare the substances before mixing to the substances after mixing. Have students generate examples of mixtures that can be separated into individual substances based on their properties. Ball and stick models can be used with older students to show how substances break apart and recombine to form new substances, but be sure to point out the limitations of using these models so they are not interpreted literally. Students should see many examples of reactions between substances that produce new substances that are very different from the original reactants. Start off with examples of familiar reactions such as adding baking soda to vinegar and rusting to determine whether new substances are formed. The Framework (NRC 2012) deemphasizes the difference between physical and chemical changes. It suggests that instead of using the term physical change, students should compare the properties of the material before and after the change and have them describe the type of change: for example, chemical reaction, phase change, dissolving, or formation of a mixture (Mayer and Krajcik 2017).

References Abraham, M., V. Williamson, and S. Westbrook. 1994. A cross-age study of the understanding of five chemistry concepts. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 31 (2): 147–165. Andersson, B. 1991. Pupils’ conception of matter and its transformations (age 12–16). Studies in Science Education 18: 53–85.

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C l a s s i f y i n g M a t t e r, C h e m i c a l P r o p e r t i e s , a n d C h e m i c a l R e a c t i o n s

Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Mayer, K., and J. Krajcik. 2017. Core idea PS1: Matter and its interactions. In Disciplinary core ideas: Reshaping teaching and learning, ed.

23

R. Duncan, J. Krajcik, and A. Rivet, 13–32. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

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Section 4

Nuclear Processes and Energy Concept Matrix ..........................................162 Related NGSS Performance Expectations .............................................163 Related NSTA Resources ..........................163

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32

Are They Safe to Eat? ...............................165 Radish Seeds ..............................................171 Describing Energy ..................................... 177 Matter and Energy .....................................183 Energy and Chemical Bonds ....................189 Hot Soup ......................................................195 Cold Spoons ............................................... 201 How Can I Keep It Cold? .......................... 207 Which Has More Energy? .........................213

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GRADE LEVEL USE →

Cold Spoons

How Can I Keep It Cold?

Which Has More Energy?

#30

#31

#32

#29 Hot Soup

#28 Energy and Chemical Bonds

#27 Matter and Energy

#26 Describing Energy

#25 Radish Seeds

#24 Are They Safe to Eat?

PROBES

Concept Matrix for Probes #24–#32

8–12 9–12 4–12 6–12 9–12 4–12 6–12 4–12 6–12

RELATED CONCEPTS ↓ Chemical bond

X

Chemical bond energy

X

Concept of energy

X

X

Conduction

X

Conservation of energy

X

Definition of energy

X

Forms of energy

X

X X

Heat

X

X

Insulator Irradiation

X X

X

Matter and energy

X

Potential energy

X

Radiation

X

X

Radioactivity

X

X

X

Second law of thermodynamics

X

Temperature

X

Thermal energy

162

X

X X

Transfer of energy

X

Transformation of energy

X

X

X

X X

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Nuclear Processes and Energy

Related NGSS Performance Expectations (NGSS Lead States 2013)

Structure and Properties of Matter • Grade 6–8, MS-PS1-4: Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed. • Grade 9–12, HS-PS1-4: Develop a model to illustrate that the release or absorption of energy from a chemical reaction system depends upon the changes in total bond energy. • Grade 9–12, HS-PS1-8: Develop models to illustrate the changes in the composition of the nucleus of the atom and the energy released during the processes of fission, fusion, and radioactive decay. Energy • Grade 4, 4-PS3-2: Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents. • Grades 6–8, MS-PS3-3: Apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device that either minimizes or maximizes thermal energy transfer. • Grades 6–8, MS-PS3-4: Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample. • Grades 6–8, MS-PS3-5: Construct, use, and present arguments to support the claim that when the kinetic energy of an object changes, energy is transferred to or from the object. • Grades 9–12, HS-PS3-1: Create a computational model to calculate the change in the energy of one component in a system when the change in energy of the other

component(s) and energy flows in and out of the system are known. • Grades 9–12, HS-PS3-2: Develop and use models to illustrate that energy at the macroscopic scale can be accounted for as a combination of energy associated with the motions of particles (objects) and energy associated with the relative positions of particles (objects). • Grade 9–12, HS-PS3-4: Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (second law of thermodynamics). Reference NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For states, by states. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. www.nextgenscience. org/next-generation-science-standards.

Related NSTA Resources NSTA Journal Articles

Brown, P. 2011. Teaching about heat and temperature using an investigative demonstration. Science Scope 35 (4): 31–35. Colburn, A. 2009. The prepared practitioner: Understanding heat and temperature. The Science Teacher 76 (1): 10. Crissman, S., S. Lacy, J. Nordine, and R. Tobin. 2015. Looking through the energy lens. Science and Children 52 (6): 26–31. German, S. 2016. Teacher to teacher: Predicting, explaining, and observing thermal energy transfer. Science Scope 40 (4): 68–70. Lancor, R. 2013. The many metaphors of energy: Using analogies as a formative assessment tool. Journal of College Science Teaching 42 (3): 38–45. McHugh, L., A. Kelly, and M. Burghardt. 2017. Teaching thermal energy concepts in a middle

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school mathematics-infused science curriculum. Science Scope 41 (1): 43–50. Nordine, J., and S. Wessnigk. 2016. Exposing hidden energy transfers with inexpensive thermal imaging cameras. Science Scope 39 (7): 25–32. Robertson, B. 2014. Science 101: If energy is neither created nor destroyed, what happens to it? Science and Children 51 (7): 75–77. Robertson, B. 2007. Science 101: What exactly is energy? Science and Children 44 (7): 62–63. Schnittka, C., R. Bell, and L. Richards. 2010. Save the penguins: Teaching the science of heat transfer through engineering design. Science Scope 34 (3): 82–91. Stroupe, D., and A. Kramer. 2014. Students modeling molecule movement through science theater. Science Scope 38 (2): 70–77.

NSTA Press Books Grooms, J., P. Enderle, T. Hutner, A. Murphy, and V. Sampson. 2016. Argument-driven inquiry in physical science: Lab investigations for grades 6–8. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

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Nordine, J. 2016. Teaching energy across the sciences, K–12. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Nordine, J., and D. Fortus. 2017. Core idea PS3: Energy. In Disciplinary core ideas: Reshaping teaching and learning, ed. R. Duncan, J. Krajcik, and A. Rivet, 55–74. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Robertson, W. 2002. Energy: Stop faking it! Finally understanding science so you can teach it. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

NSTA Learning Center Resources NSTA Science Objects Energy: Energy Transformations http://learningcenter.nsta.org/resource/?id=10.2505/ 7/SCB-EN.2.1 Energy: Thermal Energy, Heat, and Temperature http://learningcenter.nsta.org/resource/?id=10.2505/ 7/SCB-EN.3.1

NSTA Webinar NGSS Core Ideas: Energy https://learningcenter.nsta.org/products/symposia_ seminars/NGSS/webseminar29.aspx

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Nuclear Processes and Energy

24

Are They Safe to Eat?

Two friends were at the supermarket. Lola picked up a labeled package of big, red, juicy strawberries. The label read “treated by irradiation.” Lola and her friend, Emmet, each had different ideas about whether the strawberries were safe to eat. This is what they said: Lola:

I think they are safe to eat.

Emmet: I think they are not safe to eat. Who do you agree with? ______________________ Explain why you agree. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

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¿Son Seguros Para Comer? T R AT

ADO

IRRA

DIA

POR

CIÓ

N

Dos amigos estaban en el supermercado. Lola recogió un paquete etiquetado de fresas grandes, rojas y jugosas. La etiqueta decía “tratada por irradiación.” Lola y su amigo, Emmet, tenían diferentes ideas sobre si las fresas eran seguras para comer. Esto es lo que dijeron: Lola:

Creo que son seguras para comer.

Emmet: Creo que no son seguras para comer. ¿Con quién estás de acuerdo? ______________________ Explica por qué estás de acuerdo. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

166

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Nuclear Processes and Energy

Are They Safe to Eat? Teacher Notes

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about radiation. The probe is designed to reveal whether students distinguish between something that had been exposed to radiation (irradiated) versus something that is radioactive.

Type of Probe Friendly talk

Related Concepts

Irradiation, radiation, radioactivity

Explanation

The best answer is Lola’s: “I think they are safe to eat.” Some foods that spoil quickly, like strawberries, may be irradiated to extend their shelf life. The technology used for irradiating food has been studied extensively for more than 30 years. Although food irradiation is not used much in the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the source of radiation and how foods are irradiated so they are safe to eat. The process of irradiating strawberries involves exposing strawberries to a

carefully controlled amount of radiation for a specific time. The radiant energy penetrates the strawberry but the actual radioactive material is not taken in by the strawberry. A common misconception is that irradiated foods are not safe to eat because they are radioactive. For strawberries to be radioactive, they must absorb the radioactive material that gives off the high-energy waves. It is similar to when you put your luggage through an x-ray scanner at the airport. Your luggage and the materials inside it do not become radioactive after they pass through the scanner. After the materials pass through the scanner, they no longer interact with the source of radiation. A main difference between an irradiated object and a radioactive object is in how the radiation interacts with the object. An irradiated object interacts with a radioactive source but does not take in the material and thus does not emit radiation. A radioactive object interacts with a radioactive source by taking in the material and thus emits radiation. Irradiated foods are generally not as available in the United States as they are in Europe and other countries. Some students may have

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reasons for selecting Emmet’s response other than the misconception that the strawberries will be radioactive. For example, some food safety advocates argue that irradiation can result in chemical changes that do not occur in other forms of food processing and that these changes, called URPs (unique radiolytic products), might be dangerous. Food safety advocates urge further research to determine the nature of URPs, the quantities in which they are created, whether they are found in other foods or in nature, and whether human digestive processes are capable of rendering them harmless.

Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with students in grades 8–12 and should be followed up with opportunities for discussion, argumentation, and sense-making activities. If students are not clear what the word on the label (irradiation) means, explain it as the process in which something is exposed to the very high-energy waves or rays given off by a radioactive material. Some companies irradiate certain perishable foods so they will last longer and not spoil. Foods that have been irradiated are required to have an international label on the container to alert the consumer that the food was exposed to radiation. When examining students’ explanations, look for evidence of confusing irradiated with being radioactive and lack of understanding that the radioactive material from the source itself must be taken in by the strawberries to make them radioactive and thus not safe to consume.

168

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas From the Framework (NRC 2012) 6–8 Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World • The uses of technologies and any limitations on their use are driven by individual or societal needs, desires, and values; by the findings of scientific research; and by differences in such factors as climate, natural resources, and economic conditions. 9–12 PS1.C: Nuclear Processes • Nuclear processes, including fusion, fission, and radioactive decays of unstable nuclei, involve release or absorption of energy. 9–12 Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World • Modern civilization depends on major technological systems. Engineers continuously modify these technological systems by applying scientific knowledge and engineering design practices to increase benefits while decreasing costs and risks.

Related Research •

The National Science Foundation–funded Inquiry Into Radioactivity project studied students’ learning using instructional materials developed by the project to support conceptual change related to radiation and radioactivity. The radiation literacy study was conducted to see if nonscience majors could distinguish between radiation and radioactivity. Results show that “nonscientists” tend to think of radiation as being matter-like “stuff” that is emitted from radioactive objects and causes other objects to become radioactive. The researchers found that student thinking about radioactive contamination as a result of ionizing radiation persisted long after experiments and simulations showed that ionizing radiation does not cause contamination. Thus,

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Nuclear Processes and Energy

differentiating radiation from radioactivity is not an easy process for many students. Observations in the classroom suggest that understanding of ionizing radiation through experiencing conceptual change is difficult (Johnson and Maidl 2014). • British researchers (Millar and Gill 1996) described students as having an undifferentiated concept of radiation and radioactive material. They tend to think that when objects come in contact with a radioactive source, material spreads out from the source contaminating the objects that are irradiated. • Prather and Harrington (2001) asked college students a similar question to the one in this probe. They found that prior to instruction, the majority of students surveyed had a weak understanding of the transport and absorption properties of radiation and radioactivity. Many students reasoned that the irradiated strawberry both became a source of radiation and was radioactive after being exposed to radiation. Some students described ionizing radiation as having the same properties as the radioactive source material. They used terms such as radioactive radiation, radioactive waves, or radioactive particles to describe the emitted radiation. Students had a strong belief that radiation is radioactive and that when the radiation is absorbed by the strawberry, the radiation can cause the strawberry to become radioactive. Even the students who answered correctly that the strawberry would not become a source of radiation (due to its being irradiated) gave reasons that revealed serious conceptual misunderstandings and difficulty differentiating between the terms radiation, radioactive, and radioactivity.

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment •

Use similar phenomena such as getting dental x-rays or passing through an airport

•

•

•

•

•

•

x-ray scanner to discuss whether things become radioactive after being exposed to radiation. Contrast these examples with ones where the radioactive material is taken into the body, such as contamination from the Chernobyl or Fukushima disasters or some types of chemotherapy where radioactive material is taken into the body. Using the word contamination may help students distinguish between an object that is irradiated versus an object that is radioactive (contaminated with radioactive material). Have students compare and contrast two medical procedures: one involving irradiation and the other involving injection of radioactive material into the body. An example from Millar’s study (1994) compares and contrasts directing a strong beam of radiation at a patient’s cancer tumor versus injecting a small amount of a radioactive isotope into a patient’s bloodstream and tracking how much of it reaches the lungs. Have students investigate why irradiating perishable foods is not a common practice in the United States and discuss the pros and cons of food irradiation. For students to account for a radioactive phenomenon, they must have a fundamental understanding of how the atom (or atomic nucleus) behaves during the nuclear decay process (Prather and Harrington 2001). Some students could choose the best answer with the explanation that the strawberries had to be safe otherwise they could not be sold in a store. This is a valid statement. However, probe the students further to provide a scientific explanation that uses scientific concepts or principles to explain why the strawberries are safe to eat. Extend the probe to a different context by asking students if they think microwaving food is safe. Some students may confuse microwaves with radioactivity.

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References Johnson, A. and R. Maidl. 2014. Students coming to understand ionizing radiation: A radiation literacy challenge. Paper presented at the annual conference of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching. Pittsburgh, PA. Millar, R. 1994. School students’ understanding of key ideas in radioactivity and ionizing radiation. Public Understanding of Science 3 (1): 53–70. Millar, R., and J. S. Gill. 1996. School students’ understanding of processes involving radioactive

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substances and ionizing radiation. Physics Education 31 (1): 27–33. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Prather, E., and R. Harrington. 2001. Student understanding of ionizing radiation and radioactivity: Recognizing the differences between irradiation and contamination. Journal of College Science Teaching 31 (2): 89–93.

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Nuclear Processes and Energy

25

Radish Seeds

Four students were investigating the effect of irradiating seeds. Their teacher gave them a packet of irradiated radish seeds that were exposed to radiation from radioactive material. They each had different ideas about the seeds and the radishes that the seeds would eventually produce. This is what they said: Nell:

I think the irradiated seeds are radioactive but the radishes produced from the seeds will not be radioactive.

Rafaela: I think the irradiated seeds are radioactive and the radishes produced from the seeds will also be radioactive. Sam:

I think the irradiated seeds are not radioactive but the radishes produced from the seeds will be radioactive.

Abe:

I think the irradiated seeds are not radioactive and the radishes produced from the seeds also will not be radioactive.

Which student do you agree with? ______________________ Explain why you agree. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

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Semillas de Rábano Sem

illas

TRA TA D O

IR R A

D IAC

de R

ában

o

POR

IÓ N

Cuatro estudiantes estaban investigando semillas de rábano irradiadas. Su maestro les dio un paquete de semillas de rábano irradiadas que fueron expuestas a la radiación de material radiactivo. Cada uno tenía ideas diferentes sobre las semillas y los rábanos que las semillas eventualmente producirían. Esto es lo que dijeron: Nell:

Creo que las semillas irradiadas son radiactivas, pero los rábanos que se producirán de las semillas no serán radiactivos.

Rafaela: Creo que las semillas irradiadas son radiactivas y los rábanos que se producirán de las semillas también serán radiactivos. Sam:

Creo que las semillas irradiadas no son radiactivas, pero los rábanos que se producirán de las semillas serán radiactivos.

Abe:

Creo que las semillas irradiadas no son radiactivas y los rábanos que se producen de las semillas no serán radiactivos.

¿Con qué estudiante estás de acuerdo? ______________________ Explica por qué estás de acuerdo. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 172

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Nuclear Processes and Energy

Radish Seeds Teacher Notes

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about radiation. The probe is designed to reveal how students distinguish between irradiated and radioactive material.

Type of Probe Friendly talk

Related Concepts

Irradiation, radiation, radioactivity

Explanation

The best answer is Abe’s: “I think the irradiated seeds are not radioactive and the radishes produced from the seeds also will not be radioactive.” The process of irradiating seeds involves exposing seeds to a source of radiation such as the radioactive isotope Cobalt-60. The high energy rays penetrate the seed but the actual radioactive material is not taken in by the seed. For the seed to be radioactive, it must absorb the radioactive material that gives off the high energy waves. It is similar to when you go to the dentist and have tooth x-rays. The gamma rays penetrate your teeth to

make an image but when the x-ray machine is turned off, the energy waves are not retained. Your teeth do not become radioactive because the material that gave off the waves was never taken into your teeth. Different types of foods and seeds that are sensitive to fungi and other diseases are often irradiated to destroy pathogens, reduce spoilage, and extend shelf life. They are not radioactive because they have not been penetrated by the radioactive material that gives off the high energy rays that are used to irradiate the seeds or food. Some nonfood items such as adhesive bandages and single-use plastic medical equipment such as syringes and medical tubing also are irradiated to destroy potential pathogens. A main difference between an irradiated object and a radioactive object is in how the radiation interacts with the object. An irradiated object interacts with a radioactive source but does not take in the radioactive material and thus does not emit radiation. A radioactive object interacts with a radioactive source by taking in the material and thus emits radiation.

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Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with grades 9–12 and should be followed up with opportunities for discussion, argumentation, and sense-making activities. If students are not clear what the word irradiation means, explain it as the process in which something is exposed to the very high-energy waves or rays given off by a radioactive material.

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas From the Framework (NRC 2012) 9–12 PS1.C: Nuclear Processes • Nuclear processes, including fusion, fission, and radioactive decays of unstable nuclei, involve release or absorption of energy.

Related Research

A radiation literacy study was conducted to see if nonscience majors could distinguish between radiation and radioactivity. Results show that “nonscientists” tend to think of radiation as being matter-like “stuff ” that is emitted from radioactive objects and causes other objects to become radioactive. If radiation is to be taught effectively, the learning difficulties must be understood along with techniques for overcoming these difficulties (Johnson and Maidl 2014). • The National Science Foundation–funded Inquiry Into Radioactivity project studied students’ learning using instructional materials developed by the project to support conceptual change related to radiation and radioactivity. Observations in the classroom suggest, however, that understanding of ionizing radiation through experiencing conceptual change is difficult. Student thinking about radioactive contamination as a result of ionizing radiation persisted long after experiments and simulations •

174

showed that ionizing radiation does not cause contamination. Thus, differentiating radiation from radioactivity is not an easy process for many students (Johnson and Maidl 2014). • British researchers (Millar and Gill 1996) described students as having an undifferentiated concept of radiation and radioactive material. They tend to think that when objects come in contact with a radioactive source, material spreads out from the source contaminating the objects that are irradiated. • Prather and Harrington (2001) conducted a study with college students on their understanding of ionizing radiation and radioactivity. Responses to questions involving irradiation indicated that most students use the terms radiation, radioactive, and radioactivity inappropriately and indiscriminately. Many students believed that an object exposed to radiation will become a source of radiation, become radioactive, or both.

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment

Part of being radiation literate is understanding and explaining the effect of ionizing radiation on cells and organisms. After discussion and working through students’ difficulties understanding the difference between irradiation and radioactivity, students can launch into an investigation to determine the effect of differing levels of radiation on radish growth. Biological suppliers, such as Carolina Biological, sell irradiated radish seed sets that can be used to design investigations that test the effect of different exposures to radiation. • For students to account for radioactive phenomenon, they must have a fundamental understanding of how the atom (or atomic •

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Nuclear Processes and Energy

nucleus) behaves during the decay process (Prather and Harrington 2001). • Upon leaving Earth’s atmosphere, there is much more ionizing radiation than at Earth’s surface. Tomato seeds that have been sent into space along with a curriculum to compare the space seeds with control seeds can be obtained from www. firsttheseedfoundation.org/tomatosphere. • Use similar phenomena such as getting dental x-rays or passing through an airport x-ray scanner to discuss whether things become radioactive after being exposed to radiation. Contrast these examples with ones where the radioactive material is taken into an organism’s cells, such as contamination from the Chernobyl disaster where radioactive water was absorbed by plants.

References Johnson, A. and R. Maidl. 2014. Students coming to understand ionizing radiation: A radiation literacy challenge. Paper presented at the annual conference of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching. Pittsburgh, PA. Millar, R., and J. S. Gill. 1996. School students’ understanding of processes involving radioactive substances and ionizing radiation. Physics Education 31 (1): 27–33. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Prather, E., and R. Harrington. 2001. Student understanding of ionizing radiation and radioactivity: Recognizing the differences between irradiation and contamination. Journal of College Science Teaching 31 (2): 89–93.

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Nuclear Processes and Energy

Describing Energy Seven students were talking about energy. Each had a different way of describing energy:

How do

you describe energy?

Buster:

I think energy is a type of fuel, like gasoline.

Paige:

I think energy is something living things need to have. For example, athletes need energy.

Sophie:

I think energy is a something that eventually gets used up, like fossil fuels.

Yev:

I think energy is a type of force that can change things or make them move, like kinetic energy.

Mayumi: I think energy is something that can go from one place to another and can be measured or calculated. Abram:

I think energy is something that is stored in different forms and used to make things happen, like a battery.

Elsa:

I think energy is an ingredient. It is something that is found in matter, like the energy in a candy bar.

Who do you think has the best way of describing energy? ______________________ Explain your thinking. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

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Describiendo Energía Siete estudiantes estaban hablando de energía. Cada uno tenía una forma diferente de describir la energía:

¿Como describes energía?

Buster:

Creo que la energía es un tipo de combustible, como gasolina.

Paige:

Creo que la energía es algo que las cosas vivas deben tener. Por ejemplo, los atletas necesitan energía.

Sophie:

Creo que la energía es algo que finalmente se acaba, como combustibles fósiles.

Yev:

Creo que la energía es un tipo de fuerza que puede cambiar las cosas o hacer que se muevan, como la energía cinética.

Mayumi: Creo que la energía es algo que se puede ir de un lugar a otro y se puede medir o calcular. Abram:

Creo que la energía es algo que se guarda en diferentes formas y se utiliza para hacer que las cosas sucedan, como una batería.

Elsa:

Creo que la energía es un ingrediente. Es algo que se encuentra en la materia, como la energía en una barra de dulce.

¿Quién crees que tiene la mejor manera de describir la energía? ______________________ Explica lo que piensas. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

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Describing Energy Teacher Notes How do you describe energy?

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about energy. The probe is designed to reveal how students define or describe energy.

Type of Probe Friendly talk

Related Concepts

Concept of energy, definition of energy

Explanation

The best answer is Mayumi’s: “I think energy is something that can go from one place to another and can be measured or calculated.” Energy is difficult to define. Traditionally, energy was defined as the ability to do work or cause a change but these definitions can be problematic and cause even more confusion about energy. Nobel-laureate physicist Richard Feynman once said, “It is important to realize that in physics today, we have no knowledge of what energy is” (Feynman, Leighton, and Sands 1989, p. 4-1). According to Feynman, it is more important to describe how energy

behaves. Instead of defining what energy is, he suggests that instead we define what it does. Energy can be measured indirectly in its different “forms,” we can recognize when energy changes and calculate these changes, and we can track how it moves into or out of a system.

Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with students in grades 4–12. When used with grades 4 and 5, understand that students are not expected to define energy at this grade level. Although elementary students may detect or notice energy changes indirectly with a thermometer, energy is not precisely calculated until later in middle school and in high school. Therefore, if using this probe with grades 4 and 5, consider modifying the best answer to the following: “I think energy is something that can go from one place to another and can be tracked.” If none of the descriptions match a students’ way of describing energy, ask them to add their own description and explain why they think it is the best way to describe energy.

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Related Disciplinary Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts From the Framework (NRC 2012) 3–5 PS3.A: Definitions of Energy • The faster a given object is moving, the more energy it possesses. • Energy can be moved from place to place by moving objects or through sound, light, or electric currents. 3–5 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Energy can be transferred in various ways and between objects. 6–8 PS3.A: Definitions of Energy • Motion energy is properly called kinetic energy; it is proportional to the mass of the moving object and grows with the square of its speed. • A system of objects may also contain stored (potential) energy, depending on their relative positions. 6–8 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • The transfer of energy can be tracked as energy flows through a natural system. 9–12 PS3.A: Definitions of Energy • Energy is a quantitative property of a system that depends on the motion and interactions of matter and radiation within that system. That there is a single quantity called energy is due to the fact that a system’s total energy is conserved, even as, within the system, energy is continually transferred from one object to another and between its various possible forms. 9–12 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Changes of energy and matter in a system can be described in terms of energy and matter flows into, out of, and within that system.

180

Related Research

Several research studies have examined students’ concept of energy. Across these various studies, energy is commonly seen as (1) being associated with living objects, (2) a causal agent stored in certain objects, (3) being linked to force and motion or some type of overt action, (4) a fuel, (5) a fluid or something that flows, (6) an ingredient or a product, and (7) something that objects either need or have (Driver et al. 1994; Nordine 2016). • Liu and McKeough (2005) describe categorizations of ways students think about the concept of energy: (1) Students who have an anthropomorphic view see energy as something that is needed, exhibited, possessed, and consumed by living things, especially humans. (2) Students who have a depository view associate energy with things that store it such as fuels and batteries. (3) Students with an ingredient conception associate energy with materials that are dormant that suddenly release energy by some sort of trigger. (4) Students who have an activity conception associate energy with force, movement, or some type of action. (5) Students with a product conception think of energy as some type of by-product that is given off that is active and then fades or disappears. (6) Students with a functional concept of energy view energy as something that makes our lives more comfortable. (7) Students with a flow-transfer concept of energy associate energy with a fuel or electricity and see the need to conserve energy so that it doesn’t get used up. • Many students use energy and force synonymously and some think there needs to be movement for energy to be present. Researchers also found confusion among the words energy, force, friction, work, and gravity, especially in the elementary grades (Gilbert and Pope 1986). •

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Nuclear Processes and Energy

•

Kruger, Palacio, and Summers (1992) examined energy conceptions held by preservice teachers and found they have ideas similar to those held by elementary and secondary students, especially associating energy with force, motion, and living things; not recognizing the relationship between position and energy; failing to conserve energy; and perceiving energy as a substance. Trumper (1997) surveyed secondary preservice biology teachers and had similar findings.

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment

“Throughout K–12, it is much less important to teach students a definition for energy than it is to help them identify and track energy forms to use the energy concept to analyze and interpret scenarios” (Nordine 2016, p. 23). • Be aware that students encounter references to energy in an everyday context that conflict with the scientific concept of energy. For example, young children are told, “Wow! You are full of energy today!” Students hear about energy shortages and energy resources that are being used up. They hear adults talk about needing a cup of coffee for energy. They see advertisements that tout energy drinks and energy bars. They talk about being tired and “running out of energy.” These ways of talking about energy strongly influence ideas students have about energy. • Use the concept of time as an analogy for explaining to older students why energy is such a difficult word to define. Nordine (2016, p. 7) describes the analogy: “So, energy is a ubiquitous concept in our world and is a quantity that we can calculate very precisely, yet it is very difficult to define in specific and useful terms. A useful analogy here is the concept of time. Most of us have •

a very good sense of how long a minute is. We can measure time very precisely. We use it every day, and most schools run on a very precisely timed schedule. But what is time? What is it that a ticking clock is actually measuring? Nearly all of us rely on clocks in our everyday lives and use time to coordinate events with others, yet a formal definition is almost never the topic of conversation. Like time, energy is ubiquitous in our everyday lives and we use our intuitive notions of it to explain what we see and feel; yet when we try to formalize the concept in science class, the formalized definitions may conflict with what students have used in so many different ways outside of the school walls.” • Energy and matter are the two ideas in the NGSS that appear as both a disciplinary core idea and a crosscutting concept. Energy and matter is a crosscutting concept because it appears in physical, life, Earth, and space science. While this book focuses on energy and matter in a physical science context, make sure students have opportunities to use matter and energy ideas across all the domains of science. • The Framework (NRC 2012) and the NGSS (NGSS Lead States 2013) do not define energy until middle school. In the elementary grades, it is more important for students to explore ways energy is manifested such as sound, light, heat, and motion and gather evidence of how energy is transferred from one thing to another. It is not until high school that students are expected to understand energy quantitatively and that all energy is the same. • Although “forms of energy” is used to describe energy in the elementary grades, be aware that the word form may pose problems in understanding energy. Energy does not take a form, which implies that it has material characteristics. With older

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•

•

•

•

182

students, consider using the term manifestations of energy. “Whether we use form, type, store, or manifestation, there is no perfect word but by far the most commonly used word—and what you will see in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) performance expectations (NGSS Lead States 2013)—is form” (Nordine 2016, p. 65). Middle school students should have multiple experiences relating qualitative descriptions of observations of energy phenomena such as hotter/colder, faster/slower, and using energy transfer ideas. In high school, students use qualitative and quantitative terms to describe energy phenomena. Using data from investigations, they can calculate changes in energy and relate them to atoms and molecules. After students have had the opportunity to develop a scientific concept of energy, revisit the probe again, and have students construct a new explanation for their answer choice. Extend it by having a discussion of why people may choose the other answer choices. Have high school students read Nobellaureate physicist Richard Feynman’s ideas about energy. Search the library or internet for Feynman’s books or excerpts from his lectures and have students share how Feynman describes energy. For example, Feynman emphasizes that energy is an abstract, mathematical idea. It is a property of an object or system, which can be given a numerical value (Feynman, Leighton, and Sands 1989). Millar (2005, p. 4) adds that “this means we should talk about the energy of an object or system, but not about the energy in (or contained in, or stored in) it” as it might imply that energy is a quasi-material substance. To help students understand why we should talk about the energy of something, rather than the energy in something, use

the analogy of mass. Mass is a property of an object or matter just as energy is a property of an object or a system. We talk about the mass of something, rather than the mass in something.

References Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Feynman, R., R. Leighton, and M. Sands. 1989. The Feynman lectures in physics. Vol. 1. Redwood City, CA: Addison-Wesley. Gilbert, J., and M. Pope. 1986. Small group discussions about conception in science: A case study. Research in Science and Technological Education 4: 61–76. Kruger, C., D. Palacio, and M. Summers. 1992. Surveys of English primary teachers’ conceptions of force, energy, and materials. Science Education 76 (4): 339–351. Liu, X. and A. McKeough. 2005. Developmental growth in students’ concept of energy: Analysis of selected items from the TIMSS database. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 42 (5): 493–517. Millar, R. 2005. Teaching about energy. York, UK: University of York Department of Educational Studies. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For states, by states. Washington DC: National Academies Press. www.nextgenscience. org/next-generation-science-standards. Nordine, J. 2016. Teaching energy across the sciences, K–12. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Trumper, R. 1997. A survey of conceptions of energy of Israeli pre-service high school biology teachers. International Journal of Science Education 19 (1): 31–46.

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Nuclear Processes and Energy

Matter and Energy

Does it apply

to both matter

Phenomena can be described using matter and energy ideas. Put an X in front of the statements that apply to both matter and energy.

and energy?

___ A. Matter and energy have different forms.

___ H. Matter and energy can change form.

___ B. Matter and energy cannot be used up.

___ I. Matter and energy can be stored.

___ C. Matter and energy can be recycled.

___ J. Matter and energy take up space (have volume).

___ D. Matter and energy can be transferred from one place to another.

___ K. Matter and energy have mass.

___ E. Matter and energy are substances. ___ F. Matter and energy can be measured. ___ G. Matter and energy are made up of particles.

___ L. Matter and energy can be associated with living things. ___ M. The amount of matter and energy can be calculated. ___ N. Matter and energy can be created from nothing. ___ O. The smallest unit of matter and energy is the atom.

Explain your thinking. _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

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Materia y Energía

¿Se puede aplicar

a la materia igual

Los fenómenos se pueden describir usando ideas de materia y energía. Pon una X al frente de las oraciones que se aplican tanto a materia y energía.

que la energía?

___ A. Materia y energía tienen diferentes formas.

___ I. Materia y energía se puede guardar.

___ B. Materia y energía no se pueden consumir.

___ J. Materia y energía ocupan espacio (tienen volumen).

___ C. Materia y energía se pueden reciclar.

___ K. Materia y energía tienen masa.

___ D. Materia y energía se pueden transferir de un lugar a otro.

___ L. Materia y energía se pueden asociar con los seres vivos.

___ E. Materia y energía son sustancias.

___ M. La cantidad de energía y materia se puede calcular.

___ F. Materia y energía se pueden medir.

___ N. Materia y energía se puede crear de nada.

___ G. Materia y energía estan compuestas de partículas.

___ O. La unidad más pequeña de materia y energía es el átomo.

___ H. Materia y energía pueden cambiar de forma. Explica lo que piensas.

_______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

184

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Nuclear Processes and Energy

Matter and Energy Teacher Notes Does it apply

to both matter and energy?

Purpose

•

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about matter and energy. The probe is designed to uncover students’ ideas about the similarities and differences between the crosscutting concepts of matter and energy.

Type of Probe

•

Justified list

Related Concepts

Concept of energy, conservation of energy, definition of energy, forms of energy, matter and energy, potential energy, transfer of energy, transformation of energy

• •

Explanation

The best answers are A, B, D, F, H, I, L, and M. Reasons why answer choices are the best (or not the best) are as follows: • A. Matter exists in different forms (e.g., solid, liquid, gas) and energy exists in “forms” such as heat, light, and sound. • B. Both matter and energy are conserved— neither can be created or destroyed.

• •

C. Matter is recycled through physical and living systems. Energy flows through systems but is not recycled. Even though the same amount of energy exists, it dissipates into forms in which the same amount cannot be captured and reused. D. Both matter and energy can be transferred within and across systems. For example, both flow through ecosystems: matter from one organism to another and from an organism to the environment; and energy from the sun to organisms and the surrounding environment. E. Only matter is a material substance. F. Both matter and energy can be measured although matter tends to be measured directly (e.g., length, volume, mass) and energy is measured indirectly (e.g., changes in temperature). G. Matter is made up of particles (atoms). Energy is not made up of physical particles. H. Matter can change from one form to another, such as a solid melting to form a liquid. Energy can change forms (transformation of energy), such as electrical energy changing to light energy.

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•

•

•

•

•

•

I. Both matter and energy can be stored. For example, matter in the form of fat can be stored in tissues until needed by living things. Energy can exist as stored potential energy. J and K. Only matter has both volume and mass. Energy does not take up space or have mass. However, some students may pick K knowing that mass can be converted to energy (E = mc2). L. Both matter and energy can be associated with living things. All life is composed of matter and all life requires energy. However, matter and energy are also associated with nonliving things. M. Energy can be calculated with mathematical equations. For example, kinetic energy can be calculated with the equation KE = 1/2mv2. N. According to the law of conservation of energy and the law of conservation of mass (or matter), energy and matter are not created or destroyed. O. The smallest unit of matter is the atom; energy is not composed of atoms.

Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with students in grades 6–12 and may be modified for students in grade 5 (e.g., by eliminating answer choices K, M, and O). Make sure students understand the statement must describe both matter and energy. Ask students to explain their thinking about similarities and differences between matter and energy. An alternative way to use this probe is to have students mark the statements with an M if they apply only to matter, E if they apply only to energy, ME for statements that apply to both matter and energy, and N for statements that apply to neither.

186

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts From the Framework (NRC 2012) 3–5 PS3.A: Definitions of Energy • Energy can be moved from place to place by moving objects or through sound, light, or electric currents. 3–5 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Energy can be transferred in various ways and between objects. 6–8 PS3.A: Definitions of Energy • Motion energy is properly called kinetic energy; it is proportional to the mass of the moving object and grows with the square of its speed. • A system of objects may also contain stored (potential) energy, depending on their relative positions. 6–8 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • The transfer of energy can be tracked as energy flows through a natural system. 9–12 PS3.A: Definitions of Energy • Energy is a quantitative property of a system that depends on the motion and interactions of matter and radiation within that system. That there is a single quantity called energy is due to the fact that a system’s total energy is conserved, even as, within the system, energy is continually transferred from one object to another and between its various possible forms. 9–12 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Changes of energy and matter in a system can be described in terms of energy and matter flows into, out of, and within that system.

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Nuclear Processes and Energy

Related Research •

•

•

•

•

Several research studies have examined students’ alternative conceptions related to the concept of energy. Across these various studies, some of the commonly held ideas students have about energy are (1) being associated mostly with living objects, (2) a causal agent stored in certain objects, (3) being linked to force and motion or some type of overt action, (4) a fuel, (5) a fluid or something that flows, (6) an ingredient or a product, and (7) something that objects either need or have (Driver et al. 1994; Nordine 2016). Kruger, Palacio, and Summers (1992) examined energy conceptions held by preservice teachers and found they have ideas similar to those held by elementary and secondary students, especially associating energy with force, motion, and living things; not recognizing the relationship between position and energy; failing to conserve energy; and perceiving energy as a substance. Trumper (1997) surveyed secondary preservice biology teachers and had similar findings. The idea that energy is associated with living things, especially humans, has been reported from several research studies (Driver et al. 1994). A commonly held idea is that energy is needed to live and be active and when people run out of energy, they get tired. This living or human-centric view of energy fosters the belief that nonliving things don’t need energy. Be aware that when students recognize energy can be stored, such as potential energy, they may be using a “depository model” of energy in which energy, like matter, is a material substance stored in an object (Watts and Gilbert 1985). Be aware that students who recognize that both matter and energy can be transferred from one place to another may use a “flow transfer” model of energy in which energy

is regarded as a fluid which flows out of one thing and into another (Watts and Gilbert 1985). • Several researchers report that students do not recognize that energy is conserved and the same applies to matter when a substance seems to disappear (Driver et al. 1994)

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment

Be aware that students encounter references to energy in an everyday context that conflict with the scientific concept of energy. For example, young children are told, “Wow! You are full of energy today!” Students hear about energy shortages and energy resources that are being used up. They hear adults talk about needing a cup of coffee for energy. They see advertisements that tout energy drinks and energy bars. They talk about being tired and “running out of energy.” These ways of talking about energy strongly influence ideas students have about energy. • Use the concept of time as an analogy for explaining to older students why energy is such a difficult word to define. Nordine (2016, p. 7) describes the analogy: “So, energy is a ubiquitous concept in our world and is a quantity that we can calculate very precisely, yet it is very difficult to define in specific and useful terms. A useful analogy here is the concept of time. Most of us have a very good sense of how long a minute is. We can measure time very precisely. We use it every day, and most schools run on a very precisely timed schedule. But what is time? What is it that a ticking clock is actually measuring? Nearly all of us rely on clocks in our everyday lives and use time to coordinate events with others, yet a formal definition is almost never the topic of conversation. Like time, energy is ubiquitous in our everyday lives and we use our intuitive notions of it to explain •

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•

•

•

•

188

what we see and feel; yet when we try to formalize the concept in science class, the formalized definitions may conflict with what students have used in so many different ways outside of the school walls.” Energy and matter are the two ideas in the NGSS that appear as both a disciplinary core idea and a crosscutting concept. Energy and matter is a crosscutting concept because it appears in physical, life, Earth, and space science. While this book focuses on energy and matter in a physical science context, make sure students have opportunities to use matter and energy ideas across all the domains of science. The Framework (NRC 2012) and the NGSS (NGSS Lead States 2013) do not define energy until middle school. In the elementary grades, it is more important for students to explore ways energy is manifested, such as sound, light, heat, and motion, and gather evidence of how energy is transferred from one thing to another. It is not until high school that students are expected to understand energy quantitatively and that all energy is the same. Although “forms of energy” is used to describe energy in the elementary grades, be aware that the word form may pose problems in understanding energy. Energy does not take a form, which implies that it has material characteristics. With older students, consider using the term manifestations of energy. “Whether we use form, type, store, or manifestation, there is no perfect word but by far the most commonly used word—and what you will see in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) performance expectations (NGSS Lead States 2013)—is form” (Nordine 2016). Middle school students should have multiple experiences relating qualitative descriptions of observations of energy phenomena such as hotter/colder, faster/slower, and using

energy transfer ideas. In high school, students use qualitative and quantitative terms to describe energy phenomena. Using data from investigations, they can calculate changes in energy and relate them to atoms and molecules. • Duit (1983) suggests that to support learning about energy, more time should be devoted to qualitative questions and students should be asked to explain physical phenomena in their own words.

References Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Duit, R. 1983. Energy conceptions held by students and consequences for science teaching. In Proceedings of the international seminar: Misconceptions in science and mathematics, ed. H. Helm and J. Novak, 316–323. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University. Kruger, C., D. Palacio, and M. Summers. 1992. Surveys of English primary teachers’ conceptions of force, energy, and materials. Science Education 76 (4): 339–351. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. NGSS Lead States. 2013. Next Generation Science Standards: For states, by states. Washington DC: National Academies Press. www.nextgenscience. org/next-generation-science-standards. Nordine, J. 2016. Teaching energy across the sciences, K–12. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Trumper, R. 1997. A survey of conceptions of energy of Israeli pre-service high school biology teachers. International Journal of Science Education 19 (1): 31–46. Watts, D., and J. Gilbert. 1985. Appraising the understanding of science concepts: Energy. Surrey, UK: Department of Educational Studies, University of Surrey, Guildford.

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Nuclear Processes and Energy

Energy and Chemical Bonds Breaking chemical bonds during a chemical reaction releases energy.

G ar th Energy is released when chemical bonds are formed during a chemical reaction.

Shosh a n a

Who has the best idea about energy and chemical bonds? ______________________ Explain your thinking. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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Energía y Enlace Químicos Rompiendo los enlaces químicos durante una reacción química libera energía.

G ar th Energía es liberada cuando se forman enlaces químicos durante una reacción química.

Shosh a n a

¿Quién tiene la mejor idea sobre la energía y los enlaces químicos? ___________________ Explica lo que piensas. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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Energy and Chemical Bonds Teacher Notes Breaking chemical bonds during a chemical reaction releases energy.

G ar th Energy is released when chemical bonds are formed during a chemical reaction.

Purpose

Shosh a n a

Concept cartoon

they had before and there would be no net energy release. So, the second step is for the atoms to bond in a new arrangement. To release energy, the atoms need to form a new bond arrangement that has a lower potential energy associated with it. This decrease in potential energy is accompanied by an increase in the kinetic energy of the new molecules or the release of electromagnetic radiation (i.e., light).

Related Concept

Administering the Probe

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about energy and chemical bonds. The probe is designed to find out how students think about the release of energy involved in chemical bonding.

Type of Probe

Chemical bond, chemical bond energy, potential energy

Explanation

The best answer is Shoshana’s: “Energy is released when chemical bonds are formed during a chemical reaction.” This happens in two steps. First, the chemical bond is broken so that atoms can escape from their bonded state. Bond energy is a term that refers to the amount of energy that is needed to be put into the system to break a chemical bond so that the atoms in the molecule are free. These atoms then need a new bonding option, otherwise they would just revert back to the same bonds

This probe is best used with grades 9–12. It may help to provide an everyday example of a reaction, such as the burning of a fuel.

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts From the Framework (NRC 2012) 6–8 PS1.B: Chemical Reactions • Some chemical reactions release energy, others store energy. 9–12 PS1.B: Chemical Reactions • Chemical processes, their rates, and whether or not energy is stored or released can

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be understood in terms of the collisions of molecules and the rearrangements of atoms into new molecules, with consequent changes in the sum of all bond energies in the set of molecules that are matched by changes in kinetic energy. 9–12 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Changes of energy and matter in a system can be described in terms of energy and matter flows into, out of, and within that system.

to form the basis for the commonly held idea that bond making requires input of energy and bond breaking releases energy. Twenty-three out of the 48 students in the study (48%) held this belief. • Misconceptions about energy and chemical bonds exists in life science as well as chemistry. Many students think that in biological processes, chemical bonds store chemical energy and that when these bonds are broken, the energy is released (Cooper and Klymkowsky 2013).

Related Research

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment

Ross (1993) alerts us to the misconception that arises when it is implied that fuels “contain energy.” He argues that there needs to be a fuller explanation that focuses on the role of oxygen during combustion of fuel. • A common misconception is that energy is stored in the bonds of substances and released when the bonds are broken, much like water leaking out of a broken pipe (Millar 2005). • It is very common to say there is energy in chemical bonds, and that when these bonds are broken, energy is released. But it is actually the opposite—energy is released when chemical bonds are formed (Nordine 2016). • In a study by Boo (1998), a majority of high school students in the study were unable to predict the overall energy change in five different chemical events because of their misconceptions about the nature of a chemical bond. A large number of these students thought a chemical bond was a physical entity that linked atoms together. This physical notion of a chemical bond as being composed of matter thus appeared to be linked to the everyday notion that building any structure requires an input of energy. Therefore, the converse (destruction) is viewed as releasing energy. This seems •

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The probe “Chemical Bonds” (available in Keeley, Eberle, and Tugel 2007) can be used with this probe to uncover students’ ideas about what a chemical bond is. • Millar (2005) suggests that using the terms contain energy, energy sources, or energy stores when talking about releasing energy from fuels or food may be problematic. It may help to have students think of the energy as being stored in a combination of chemical substances instead of just one. For example, a fuel, such as gasoline or methane, on its own cannot release energy. It needs oxygen and is part of a fuel-oxygen system. In the first stage, the bonds in the fuel and oxygen molecules are broken when energy is added from a flame. There is an input of energy. The atoms then recombine. For example, in methane, the atoms recombine to form carbon dioxide and water vapor. This reformation of molecules with new bonds releases energy. • Nordine (2016) suggests using an analogy to understand what happens to the energy in a combustion reaction. Just as boulders at the top of a cliff (high potential energy) fall down cliffs rather than up them (to a state of lower potential energy), charged particles also tend toward arrangements •

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into new molecules that have less potential energy. When atoms form bonds, the bonded arrangement has lower potential energy than the unbonded free atoms (boulder at top of cliff versus bottom of cliff ). As the boulder falls to a state of lower potential energy, the boulder-Earth system gains kinetic energy. The same thing happens during burning. Energy is released because the atoms reform bonds that have lower potential energy than they originally had. A decrease in potential energy is accompanied by an increase in kinetic energy. • When using molecular modeling kits, students must add energy to “break” bonds. However, be aware of the limitations of models. • Chemistry students may find it useful to relate bond energies to potential energy diagrams. In exothermic reactions (involving an overall release of energy), the energy required to break the bonds of the reactant molecules to form the activated complex is less than the energy released when the bonds of the product molecules form. • Be careful when referring to “stored energy” in things like fuels and food. Students may think of this as something that is put in and kept there until it is let go again, such as when burned. Make sure students understand that “energy steps” are triggered whereby first there is an input that breaks apart the bonds and then energy is released when the new bonds are formed.

Use the following rule of thumb: “When chemical bonds are formed, energy is released, and for chemical bonds to be broken, energy is required.” • Since students often think that in both chemical and life processes, chemical bonds store energy and this energy is released when bonds are broken, research indicates that teaching about bond energy may require an interdisciplinary approach. •

References Boo, H. 1998. Students’ understandings of chemical bonds and the energetics of chemical reactions. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 35 (5): 569–581. Cooper, M. M., and M. W. Klymkowsky. 2013. The trouble with chemical energy: Why understanding bond energies requires an interdisciplinary systems approach. Cell Biology Education 12 (2): 306–312. Keeley, P., F. Eberle, and J. Tugel. 2007. Uncovering student ideas in science, volume 2: 25 more formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Millar, R. 2005. Teaching about energy. York, UK: University of York Department of Educational Studies. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Nordine, J. 2016. Teaching energy across the sciences, K–12. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Ross, K. 1993. There is no energy in food and fuels—but they do have fuel value. School Science Review 75 (271): 39–47.

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Hot Soup

Zara is sick in bed. Her mother brings her a bowl of hot chicken soup for lunch. As her hot soup cools, Zara wonders what happens to the temperature of the air in her bedroom. Here are three different ideas: Idea #1: The temperature of the air in Zara’s bedroom increases. Idea #2: The temperature of the air in Zara’s bedroom decreases. Idea #3: The temperature of the air in Zara’s bedroom stays the same. Which idea do you think is best? ______________________ Explain your thinking. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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Sopa Caliente

Zara está enferma en la cama. Su madre le trae un plato de sopa de pollo caliente para el almuerzo. Mientras su sopa caliente se enfría, Zara se pregunta qué pasa con la temperatura del aire en su habitación. Aquí hay tres ideas diferentes: Idea #1: La temperatura del aire en el dormitorio de Zara aumenta. Idea #2: La temperatura del aire en el dormitorio de Zara disminuye. Idea #3: La temperatura del aire en el dormitorio de Zara permanece igual. ¿Qual idea es mejor? ______________________ Explica lo que piensas. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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Hot Soup Teacher Notes

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about transfer of energy. The probe is designed to reveal whether students recognize that whenever there is a decrease in energy of a system, there is an increase in energy somewhere else.

Type of Probe Idea choice

Related Concepts

Conservation of energy, heat, temperature, transfer of energy

Explanation

The best answer is Idea #1: The temperature of the air in Zara’s bedroom increases. As Zara’s hot soup cools down, fast-moving molecules within the bowl of soup interact with slower-moving molecules in the air surrounding the hot soup, causing molecules in the air to gain energy and speed up and molecules in the soup to lose energy and slow down. Energy is transferred from the soup to the air causing an increase in the average kinetic energy of the

air molecules. The average kinetic energy of the air molecules is measured as temperature. It is easy to notice the change in temperature of the soup as it cools down (average kinetic energy of the molecules that make up the soup decreases), but the change in the temperature of the air is less obvious because there are so many more molecules of air to speed up. While the temperature of the soup may cool down by 80°F or more, the corresponding increase in the temperature in the room would be much less than even a single degree. There are so many more air molecules that the energy is transferred to that the change would be imperceptible. However, law of conservation of energy tells us that any time we notice a change in energy of a system (the hot soup cooling down), that energy has to go somewhere else (air in the room). Students use this energy principle to select the best idea.

Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with grades 4–12. If this probe is used with elementary students, the emphasis should be on tracking energy, such as what happens to the energy in the soup

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and where does the heat go, without expecting elementary students to use conservation of energy reasoning.

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts From the Framework (NRC 2012) 3–5 PS3.A: Definitions of Energy • Energy can be moved from place to place by moving objects or through sound, light, or electric currents. 3–5 PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer • Energy is present whenever there are moving objects, sound, light, or heat. When objects collide, energy can be transferred from one object to another, thereby changing their motion. In such collisions, some energy is typically also transferred to the surrounding air; as a result, the air gets heated and sound is produced. 3–5 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Energy can be transferred in various ways and between objects. 6–8 PS3.A: Definitions of Energy • The term heat as used in everyday language refers both to thermal energy (the motion of atoms or molecules within a substance) and the transfer of that thermal energy from one object to another. In science, heat is used only for this second meaning; it refers to the energy transferred due to the temperature difference between two objects. • Temperature is not a measure of energy; the relationship between the temperature and the total energy of a system depends on the types, states, and amounts of matter present.

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6–8 PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer • When the motion energy of an object changes, there is inevitably some other change in energy at the same time. • The amount of energy transfer needed to change the temperature of a matter sample by a given amount depends on the nature of the matter, the size of the sample, and the environment. • Energy is spontaneously transferred out of hotter regions or objects and into colder ones. 6–8 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • The transfer of energy can be tracked as energy flows through a natural system. 6–8 Crosscutting Concept: Scale, Proportion, and Quantity • Phenomena that can be observed at one scale may not be observable at another scale. 9–12 PS3.A: Definitions of Energy • Energy is a quantitative property of a system that depends on the motion and interactions of matter and radiation within that system. That there is a single quantity called energy is due to the fact that a system’s total energy is conserved, even as, within the system, energy is continually transferred from one object to another and between its various possible forms. 9–12 PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer • Conservation of energy means that the total change of energy in any system is always equal to the total energy transferred into or out of the system. • Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transported from one place to another and transferred between systems. 9–12 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Changes of energy and matter in a system can be described in terms of energy and

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matter flows into, out of, and within that system.

Related Research •

•

•

•

•

Studies have shown that few students understand heat transfer in terms of behavior of particles (Driver et al. 1994). A study found that prior to instruction, students ages 12–14 could make correct predictions about changes in energy but only about 2% could explain their prediction using the idea of energy transfer and none mentioned conservation of energy. After instruction, only 17% used ideas about energy transfer in their explanation and only 10% used conservation of energy ideas. Duit (1984) reasons that students do not see a need for energy conservation as they prefer to use ideas from their everyday experiences rather than what they were encouraged to use in their science class. A proposed learning progression for energy ideas shows that students seem to progress through stages: (1) they begin to distinguish different energy sources and forms of energy; (2) they develop an understanding of energy transfer along with energy degradation (e.g., heat dissipation); and (3) they are able to accept the abstract idea of energy conservation (Herrmann-Abell and DeBoer 2018). In developing a learning progression, researchers found that students from grade 6 mostly obtain an understanding of energy forms and energy sources. In grade 8, students are able to demonstrate an understanding of energy transfer and transformation. However, it is not until grade 10, and only with some of the students in the study, that students are able to achieve a deeper understanding of energy conservation (Neuman et al. 2012). The idea of energy conservation has been identified as one that requires a high level of being able to integrate several ideas. For

example, to understand energy conservation, one must understand how energy can be transferred and transformed and that this is accompanied by a dissipation of energy to the surrounding environment (Lee and Lieu 2010). • Students often have trouble accepting the idea that energy is conserved because in our everyday lives, there is no such thing as an isolated system—objects are always interacting with their environment (Nordine 2016). • This probe has been used several times in K–12 teacher professional development. A common response is Idea #3 with an explanation that there is not enough heat from the soup to raise the temperature of the room. After discussion, teachers realized they were relying on their intuition or perception of temperature rather than applying their knowledge of energy transfer and temperature. It shows how strong intuition or everyday experiences can be in explaining phenomena, even when students or teachers know that heat from the soup is transferred to the air.

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment

This probe encompasses several conceptual ideas—heat, transfer of energy, dissipation of heat, and conservation of energy. These ideas are interdependent and should not be taught in isolation of each other (Duit 1984). • Make the connection between energy and systems. Extend the probe by having students use the crosscutting concept of systems in their explanation. • Have students tell an energy story using an Energy Tracking Lens (ETL) to ask questions about the phenomenon posed in the probe as well as other real-world mechanical, thermal, or electrical energy phenomena. Students should start with the •

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•

• •

•

•

200

soup being heated on the stove and then ask the following questions: (1) What components are involved? (2) What is the form(s) of energy? (3) What amounts of energy are increasing? What amounts are decreasing? (4) What energy is being transferred? (5) Is there a change from one form of energy to another? (6) Where does the energy come from and where does it go? Have students use observations when possible to support their energy story (Crissman et al. 2015). Provide a bowl of hot liquid to model the scenario in the probe and have students make observations about the temperature of the liquid, even holding their hand above the liquid to feel the air. Then consider having students use models to represent the situation described in the probe. Emphasize that energy gains and losses always occur together. Use a different scenario to have students explain what happens to the energy and where it goes. For example, a camper makes a campfire to keep warm on a chilly night. Why does the camper feel warm when sitting near the fire? Explain in terms of the form of energy, transfer and transformation, dissipation, and conservation. Point out how the temperature of a room may be very cool when a crowd of people first arrive and settle in the room. After people have been in the crowded room for awhile, it starts to feel very warm. There is no heater or temperature control in the room. Ask students to explain how the temperature of the room increased and relate their explanation to the “Hot Soup” probe. Conservation of energy should not be introduced in elementary grades. The emphasis should be on observing manifestations of energy and recognizing what happens to the energy and where energy goes. In middle school, the focus is on transfers and transformations. Both elementary and middle school students should track energy

changes within and between systems and recognize that when there is a decrease in energy, there is an increase somewhere else, eventually realizing that energy does not just appear out of nowhere or disappear. Students in high school build upon middle school ideas by recognizing that energy is a numerical quantity that is conserved. They should use quantitative models in which they calculate specific values for energy forms and transfers to predict and explain phenomena (Nordine 2016). • Encourage students to use the crosscutting concept of scale in their explanation.

References Crissman, S., S. Lacy, J. Nordine, and R. Tobin. 2015. Looking through the energy lens. Science and Children 52 (6): 26–31. Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Duit. R. 1984. Learning the energy concept in school—empirical results from the Philippines and West Germany. Physics Education 19 (2): 59–66. Herrmann-Abell, C., and G. DeBoer, 2018. Investigating a learning progression for energy ideas from upper elementary through high school. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 55 (1): 68–93. Lee, H., and O. Liu. 2010. Assessing learning progression of energy concepts across middle school grades: The knowledge integration perspective. Science Education 94 (4): 665–688. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Neumann, K., T. Viering, W. Boone, and H. Fischer. 2013. Towards a learning progression of energy. Journal of Research in Science Education 50 (2): 162–188. Nordine, J. 2016. Teaching energy across the sciences, K–12. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

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Cold Spoons

Five friends were eating ice cream. They wondered why their metal spoons were so cold. This is what they said: Jamal:

I think heat from my hand moves through the spoon to the ice cream.

Penelope: I think the cold from the ice cream was transferred to the spoon. Iris:

I think a metal spoon is a good conductor of cold.

Mindy:

I think it is because there is more cold than heat.

Frank:

I think it is because things made of metal are cold.

Who do you think has the best idea? ______________________ Explain your thinking. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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Cucharas Frías

Cinco amigos estaban comiendo helado. Se preguntaban por qué sus cucharas de metal eran tan frías. Esto es lo que dijeron: Jamal:

Creo que el calor de mi mano se mueve a través de la cuchara hacia el helado.

Penelope: Creo que el frío del helado transfirio a la cuchara. Iris:

Creo que una cuchara de metal es un buen conductor de frío.

Mindy:

Creo que es porque hay más frío que calor.

Frank:

Creo que es porque las cosas hechas de metal son frías.

¿Quién crees que tiene la mejor idea? ______________________ Explica lo que piensas. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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Cold Spoons Teacher Notes

Purpose

Friendly talk

hand as faster moving particles collide with slower moving particles and transfer their energy. It’s hard to conceptualize a spoon as feeling colder because of heat moving to the spoon from our warm body. In science, there really is no such thing as cold. Cold is a relative term or a perception. When something is cold it is due to an absence or loss of thermal energy.

Related Concepts

Administering the Probe

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about transfer of energy. The probe is designed to reveal whether students recognize heat can only move from warmer objects to cooler objects.

Type of Probe

Conduction, heat, second law of thermodynamics, thermal energy, transfer of energy

Explanation

The best answer is Jamal’s: “I think heat from my hand moves through the spoon to the ice cream.” The second law of thermodynamics puts constraints on how energy flows in a system. Warmer objects transfer energy to cooler objects, not the other way around. Thermal energy from the hand heats the metal spoon, which is a good conductor, and the energy is then transferred from the spoon to the ice cream. The spoon feels cold because of the loss of energy from the

This probe is best used with grades 6–12. Consider modeling the probe scenario by having a metal spoon in a bowl of ice cream and letting the students touch the spoon.

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts From the Framework (NRC 2012) 3–5 PS3.A: Definitions of Energy • Energy can be moved from place to place by moving objects or through sound, light, or electric currents.

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3–5 PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer • Energy is present whenever there are moving objects, sound, light, or heat. When objects collide, energy can be transferred from one object to another, thereby changing their motion. In such collisions, some energy is typically also transferred to the surrounding air; as a result, the air gets heated and sound is produced. 3–5 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Energy can be transferred in various ways and between objects. 6–8 PS3.A: Definitions of Energy • The term heat as used in everyday language refers both to thermal energy (the motion of atoms or molecules within a substance) and the transfer of that thermal energy from one object to another. In science, heat is used only for this second meaning; it refers to the energy transferred due to the temperature difference between two objects. • Temperature is not a measure of energy; the relationship between the temperature and the total energy of a system depends on the types, states, and amounts of matter present. 6–8 PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer • When the motion energy of an object changes, there is inevitably some other change in energy at the same time. • The amount of energy transfer needed to change the temperature of a matter sample by a given amount depends on the nature of the matter, the size of the sample, and the environment. • Energy is spontaneously transferred out of hotter regions or objects and into colder ones. 6–8 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • The transfer of energy can be tracked as energy flows through a natural system.

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9–12 PS3.A: Definitions of Energy • Energy is a quantitative property of a system that depends on the motion and interactions of matter and radiation within that system. That there is a single quantity called energy is due to the fact that a system’s total energy is conserved, even as, within the system, energy is continually transferred from one object to another and between its various possible forms. 9–12 PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer • Conservation of energy means that the total change of energy in any system is always equal to the total energy transferred into or out of the system. • Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transported from one place to another and transferred between systems. 9–12 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Changes of energy and matter in a system can be described in terms of energy and matter flows into, out of, and within that system.

Related Research

Studies have shown that few students understand heat transfer in terms of behavior of particles (Driver et al. 1994). • Studies show that children have difficulty thinking of heat conduction when they feel a cold surface. They seem to think that the sensation of coldness is due to something leaving a cold object and entering the body. In a study of 300 15-year-old students, most thought of coldness as being the entity that was transferred (Brooks et al. 1984). • Clough and Driver’s study (1985) revealed that students think of metal as being cold. When students were asked to compare a metal spoon to a plastic spoon, most described the metal spoon as being colder. •

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•

A proposed learning progression for energy ideas shows that students seem to progress through stages: (1) They begin to distinguish different energy sources and forms of energy. (2) Next, they develop an understanding of energy transfer along with energy degradation (e.g., heat dissipation). (3) Finally, they are able to accept the abstract idea of energy conservation (Herrmann-Abell and DeBoer 2018).

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment

This probe can be combined with the probe “Ice-Cold Lemonade” (available in Keeley, Eberle, and Tugel 2007) to examine further the idea that energy can only move from warmer to cooler and not the other way around. • Make the connection between energy and systems. Extend the probe by having students use the crosscutting concept of systems in their explanation. • Students often have difficulty explaining phenomena that involve ideas about heat because of the way heat is used in our everyday language. In everyday language, heat can mean several different things and is often confused with thermal energy. Saying things like “turn the heat up” or “turn the heat down” implies that heat is something objects have in them. In science, heat refers to thermal energy in transit—when something is heated it refers to energy moving from one object or region to another. Nordine (2016) suggests that one way to distinguish between heat and thermal energy is to use the word heat only as a verb. • Be aware that many students think that cold moves. When developing the idea of energy moving from warmer to cooler areas, have students generate examples of everyday phrases that describe the movement •

of cold, such as “shut the door or you will let all the cold in” or “give me some ice to cool my drink.” Engage students in critiquing these phrases in terms of how energy moves. • Have students draw a model and use particle ideas to explain how the energy from our body is transferred to the spoon and how the energy of the particles in the spoon transfer energy to the ice cream. • Use a “hot” scenario to ask students why a metal spoon in a hot bowl of soup feels hot to the touch. Have students tell the energy story by explaining the transfer of energy from the soup to the spoon to the hand. • Have students put one hand on the top of their desk (which is probably plastic) and their other hand on the desk or chair leg (which is probably metal). Ask which one feels colder, and why. Since the desk and chair are in the same room, they in fact have the same temperature. However, metal is a better energy conductor than plastic, so the metal chair or desk leg transfers the thermal energy away from your hand more readily than plastic does.

References Brooks, A., H. Briggs, B. Bell, and R. Driver. 1984. Aspects of secondary students’ understanding of heat. Centre for Studies in Science and Mathematics Education, University of Leeds, UK. Clough, E., and R. Driver. 1985. Secondary students’ conceptions of the conduction of heat: Bringing together scientific and personal views. Physics Education 20 (4): 176–182. Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Herrmann-Abell, C., and G. DeBoer. 2018. Investigating a learning progression for energy ideas from upper elementary through high school. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 55 (1): 68–93.

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Keeley, P., F. Eberle, and J. Tugel. 2007. Uncovering student ideas in science, volume 2: 25 more formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

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National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Nordine, J. 2016. Teaching energy across the sciences, K–12. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

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How Can I Keep It Cold?

Tamica wants to keep her can of soda cold while driving to her brother’s house. She wonders what she should wrap the soda can in to keep it cold. She has two choices: •

A wool scarf

•

Aluminum foil

Which material do you think is better for keeping the can cold? ______________________ Explain your thinking. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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¿Cómo Puedo Mantenerlo Frío?

Tamica quiere mantener fría su lata de soda mientras maneja a la casa de su hermano. Ella se pregunta en qué debería envolver la lata de soda para mantenerlo frío. Ella tiene dos opciones: •

Bufanda de lana

•

Papel de aluminio

¿Cuál de estos dos materiales crees que es mejor para mantener fría la lata? ______________________ Explica lo que piensas. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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How Can I Keep It Cold? Teacher Notes

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about transfer of energy. The probe is designed to reveal how students think about insulators.

Type of Probe P-E-O

Related Concepts

Heat, insulator, transfer of energy

Explanation

The best answer is the wool scarf. Although we typically associate wool with being warm, wool is a good insulator. Not only does it slow down the loss of energy from our bodies when we are in the cold, it also slows down the transfer of energy in a warm environment to a cold object. Trapping air is an effective way to insulate an object. Because wool contains pockets of air, it slows the transfer of energy from the warm air to the cold soda can. Aluminum foil is not nearly as effective at slowing down the transfer of energy as wool and actually conducts energy from the warm environment and transfers it

to the cold soda can. The warm air does not come in direct contact with the cold soda can but it does transfer energy to the aluminum foil, which then transfers it to the cold soda can. As a result, the cold soda is heated. The soda can will stay cold longer wrapped in the aluminum foil than unwrapped and exposed to the warm air because the aluminum foil creates a “barrier” between the warm air and the cold soda can, but it takes much longer to heat the cold soda can when is wrapped with the wool scarf. Thus, the wool scarf is the better insulator. This probe reveals how students are affected by everyday experiences. It is quite common for people to wrap cold foods in aluminum foil because they think that the foil is a good insulator and that wool would not be a good choice because it warms things up.

Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with grades 4–12. If this probe is used with elementary students, the emphasis should be observational, describing the change in energy.

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Related Disciplinary Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts From the Framework (NRC 2012) 3–5 PS3.A: Definitions of Energy • Energy can be moved from place to place by moving objects or through sound, light, or electric currents. 3–5 PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer • Energy is present whenever there are moving objects, sound, light, or heat. When objects collide, energy can be transferred from one object to another, thereby changing their motion. In such collisions, some energy is typically also transferred to the surrounding air; as a result, the air gets heated and sound is produced. 3–5 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Energy can be transferred in various ways and between objects. 6–8 PS3.A: Definitions of Energy • The term heat as used in everyday language refers both to thermal energy (the motion of atoms or molecules within a substance) and the transfer of that thermal energy from one object to another. In science, heat is used only for this second meaning; it refers to the energy transferred due to the temperature difference between two objects. 6–8 PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer • The amount of energy transfer needed to change the temperature of a matter sample by a given amount depends on the nature of the matter, the size of the sample, and the environment. • Energy is spontaneously transferred out of hotter regions or objects and into colder ones.

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6–8 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • The transfer of energy can be tracked as energy flows through a natural system. 9–12 PS3.A: Definitions of Energy • Energy is a quantitative property of a system that depends on the motion and interactions of matter and radiation within that system. That there is a single quantity called energy is due to the fact that a system’s total energy is conserved, even as, within the system, energy is continually transferred from one object to another and between its various possible forms. 9–12 PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer • Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transported from one place to another and transferred between systems. 9–12 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Changes of energy and matter in a system can be described in terms of energy and matter flows into, out of, and within that system.

Related Research

Studies have shown that few students understand heat transfer in terms of behavior of particles (Driver et al. 1994). • In a study of adolescents, adults, and scientists, Lewis and Linn (1994) found a classic separation of “school knowledge” and “everyday knowledge” about thermal phenomena in each of the populations they studied. All three groups had firmly established intuitive ideas including the idea that metals can “trap” or “hold” cold better than other materials and aluminum foil is a good insulator for keeping cold objects cold. These ideas are widespread and multi-generational. • Middle school students have been found to successfully manipulate variables in •

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classroom experiments that involve thermal events; yet, they vary greatly in their ability to apply their results to everyday phenomena (Linn and Songer 1991). For example, when students perform insulation and conduction experiments, they measure the changes in temperature over time for hot water in both a disposable foam cup and a glass cup. They make good predictions and give good explanations of their results in terms of a foam cup being a better insulator than glass. However, when the same students are asked to choose a material to help keep a soda cold, 75% choose aluminum foil over foam (Lewis and Linn 1992). • Lewis’s study (1987) found that 75% of interviewed adolescents and adults were adamant that aluminum foil was an excellent insulator. Those interviewed gave personal testimonial evidence of the effectiveness of wrapping cold drinks, cold apples, and cold yogurt in aluminum foil, including lengthy descriptions of how their friends and parents used aluminum foil to wrap cold foods. One adult even shared how she had proof by describing how she frequently wrapped cold foods in aluminum foil for her children’s lunches and her mother had done the same thing for her. • When Lewis and Linn (1994, p. 664) asked students whether wool would be an effective wrapper to keep an object cold, the common response was “no”: “No, wool warms things up.” “No, because air can go through the wool, so the drink inside would warm up.” “No, wool conducts heat.” Further questioning revealed that they believed air would flow freely through wool, prohibiting it from insulating objects. In further discussions of how wool keeps them warm, it became clear that they perceived wool as somehow generating heat, rather than simply trapping the heat from

their own bodies. As a result, students state that wool is better for keeping things hot, rather than cold. The adults interviewed had similar ideas and recalled wrapping cold things in aluminum foil from their own experience. • A study by Choi et al. (2001) showed that students categorized materials as cold, medium, or hot. They described metals as being “cold by nature” and cloth as being “warm by nature.”

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment

This probe can be followed up with the scientific practice of planning and carrying out an investigation. After students make their prediction and their initial explanation, have them design a way to test their prediction and use their data as evidence to support or revise their explanation. • Make the connection between energy and systems. Extend the probe by having students use the crosscutting concept of systems in their explanation. • Be aware that many students believe metals are colder than the surrounding environment. This comes from their experience touching metals and the sensation of feeling colder as heat is drawn from the body to the metal. This may affect students’ thinking that metals are good insulators for keeping things cold. • Have students tell an energy story using an Energy Tracking Lens (ETL) to ask questions about the phenomenon posed in the probe as well as other real-world mechanical, thermal, or electrical energy phenomena. Students should start with a cold can of soda, wrapped with either aluminum foil or wool, and then ask the following questions: (1) What components are involved? (2) What is the form(s) of energy? (3) What amounts of energy are •

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•

•

•

•

•

212

increasing? What amounts are decreasing? (4) What energy is being transferred? (5) Is there a change from one form of energy to another? (6) Where does the energy come from and where does it go? Then switch to a cold soda can wrapped with the other material and ask the same questions. Have students use observations when possible to support their energy story (Crissman et al. 2015). Have students compare what happens to the unwrapped cold can of soda as it warms up in the air with what happens to a cold can of soda wrapped in an insulator. Have students design an investigation to test the effect of different types of insulating materials on keeping objects cold. Have them generate a list of materials to test, including wool and aluminum foil. Compare the effect of different insulators on keeping cold objects cold versus keeping warm objects warm. Students’ idea that metals keep things cold may be reinforced by the materials that thermos bottles are made of. Many good thermos bottles are made of stainless steel (a poor conductor of heat compared with other metals such as copper and aluminum), inside and out. But what students often don’t realize is that there is a vacuum between the outer and inner steel that gives the thermos bottle its insulating ability. Have students investigate how coolers and thermoses are made and explain how the materials and ways they are put together affect the transfer of energy. This probe can be combined with the probe “Objects and Temperature” (available in Keeley 2018) to determine whether students think some materials are intrinsically

warmer or cooler than their surrounding environment.

References Choi, H., E. Kim, S. Paik, K. Lee, and W. Chung. 2001. Investigating elementary students’ understanding levels and alternative conceptions of heat and temperature. Elementary Science Education 20 (5): 123–138. Crissman, S., S. Lacy, J. Nordine, and R. Tobin. 2015. Looking through the energy lens. Science and Children 52 (6): 26–31. Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Keeley, P. 2018. Uncovering student ideas in science, volume 1: 25 formative assessment probes. 2nd ed. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Lewis. E. 1987. A study of knowledge elements present in the heat and temperature concepts of adolescents and naive adults. Berkeley, CA: University of California, Computer as Lab Partner Project. Lewis, E., and M. Linn. 1992. Conceptual change in middle school science. Berkeley, CA: University of California, Computer as Laboratory Partner Project. Lewis, E., and M. Linn. 1994. Heat energy and temperature concepts of adolescents, adults, and experts: Implications for curricular improvements. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 31 (6): 657–677. Linn, M., and N. Songer. 1991. Teaching thermodynamics to middle school students: What are appropriate cognitive demands? Journal of Research in Science Teaching 28 (10): 885–918. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

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Which Has More Energy?

Two friends were ice fishing on a cold winter day. One friend brought a thermos of hot chocolate. They had different ideas about the frozen lake and the hot chocolate. This is what they said: Andrew: The frozen lake has more energy than your thermos full of steaming hot chocolate. Nikolai: My thermos full of steaming hot chocolate has more energy than the frozen lake. Which friend do you agree with? ______________________ Explain your thinking. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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¿Cuál Tiene Más Energía?

Dos amigos fueron a pescar en el hielo en un día frío de invierno. Un amigo trajo un termo de chocolate caliente. Tenían ideas diferentes sobre el lago congelado y el chocolate caliente. Esto es lo que dijeron: Andrew: El lago congelado tiene más energía que tu termo lleno de chocolate caliente. Nikolai: Mi termo lleno de chocolate caliente tiene más energía que el lago congelado. ¿Con qué amigo estás de acuerdo? ______________________ Explica lo que piensas. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________

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Which Has More Energy? Teacher Notes

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment probe is to elicit students’ ideas about thermal energy. The probe is designed to reveal whether students distinguish between temperature and thermal energy.

Type of Probe Opposing views

Related Concepts

Temperature, thermal energy

Explanation

The best answer is Andrew’s: “The frozen lake has more energy than your thermos full of steaming hot chocolate.” Thermal energy (sometimes referred to as internal energy) is associated with the movement of atoms or molecules. It is the measure of the total amount of energy in an object, material, or system that comes from the random motion of its particles. Temperature is a different concept. Temperature is not energy. It is associated with the average kinetic energy of the particles that make up an object, material, or system. To

increase temperature, the movement of the particles must increase. However, to increase thermal energy (the total amount of energy that comes from random motion of particles) there needs to be either (1) particles that are moving faster or (2) more particles. Therefore, a frozen lake at 0°C can have more energy than a steaming, hot cup of hot chocolate at 80°C because there are far more molecules in the lake than in the hot chocolate, even though the temperature of the hot chocolate is much greater. Another term that makes this confusing to students and adults is heat. Heat and thermal energy are related but not the same. Heat energy is a colloquial term that is commonly used to mean thermal energy, especially if students have not encountered the term thermal energy. Scientifically, heat refers to energy in transit as a result of temperature differences between the objects or systems. For example, when you touch an ice cube, heat moves from your body to the ice cube. Heat and heating are often associated with warm and hot objects and processes; therefore, it is hard to imagine a frozen lake as having “heat energy.”

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Administering the Probe

This probe is best used with grades 6–12. Make sure students know the hot chocolate is very hot (around 160°F or 80°C) and the ice is very cold (32°F or 0°C). When used as an initial elicitation, students may not use or even know the term thermal energy. As you examine their responses, look for evidence that they use the word heat as a synonym for thermal energy.

Related Disciplinary Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts From the Framework (NRC 2012) 3–5 PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer • Energy is present whenever there are moving objects, sound, light, or heat. 6–8 PS3.A: Definitions of Energy • The term heat as used in everyday language refers both to thermal energy (the motion of atoms or molecules within a substance) and the transfer of that thermal energy from one object to another. In science, heat is used only for this second meaning; it refers to the energy transferred due to the temperature difference between two objects. • Temperature is not a measure of energy; the relationship between the temperature and the total energy of a system depends on the types, states, and amounts of matter present. 6–8 PS3.B: Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer • The amount of energy transfer needed to change the temperature of a matter sample by a given amount depends on the nature of the matter, the size of the sample, and the environment. 6–8 Crosscutting Concept: Energy and Matter • Energy may take different forms (e.g., energy in fields, thermal energy, energy of motion).

216

9–12 PS3.A: Definitions of Energy • Energy is a quantitative property of a system that depends on the motion and interactions of matter and radiation within that system. That there is a single quantity called energy is due to the fact that a system’s total energy is conserved, even as, within the system, energy is continually transferred from one object to another and between its various possible forms. • At the macroscopic scale, energy manifests itself in multiple ways, such as in motion, sound, light, and thermal energy.

Related Research

Erickson’s (1979) early study of heat and temperature reported that children tend to think of temperature as the amount of heat that an object has with no distinction between intensity and amount. Some children thought temperature was related to size or properties of matter. • Millar (2005) points out how students misuse heat as a synonym for thermal energy. In students’ everyday language, heat is something hot objects possess and if heat is added, temperature rises. If heat is lost, temperature falls. Many students do not regard cold objects as having “heat energy.” • Studies by Kesidou and Duit (1993) and others revealed the commonly held idea that “heat energy” depends on the temperature of an object and that objects with higher temperature have more “heat energy” regardless of quantity. • Distinguishing between concepts of heat and temperature is difficult for most children. They tend to view temperature as the mixture of hot and cold inside an object or simply the measure of the amount of thermal energy (often referred to as “heat energy” with younger children) possessed by an object with no distinction between the temperature of an object and its thermal •

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energy. Studies show that students ages 10–16 tend to think there is no difference between heat and temperature (Driver et al. 1994). • Watts and Gilbert (1985) found that it was common for 14- to 17-year-olds to associate heat and “heat energy” only with warm and hot objects and bodies.

Suggestions for Instruction and Assessment

This probe can be combined with the probe “Warming Water” (available in Keeley and Tugel 2009), which reveals whether students recognize that cold things can possess energy. • The words energy and heat are widely used in everyday contexts, including many that appear “scientific.” However, energy and heat are both used in ways that are less precise than their scientific meaning and that differ from their scientific meaning in certain respects. This means that teachers have to be very careful to disentangle the everyday use of these words from their scientific use to both keep teachers’ and students’ own ideas clear and avoid teaching a potentially confusing mixture of everyday and scientific ideas (Millar 2005). • Be aware that most students have not encountered the term thermal energy until middle school and even after being introduced to the term, will revert to using the words heat or heat energy when they are talking about the internal energy possessed by an object or system. • Ask students to write several different sentences about phenomena for the words thermal energy, temperature, and heat, showing how they would use these words to describe phenomena. Their responses may reveal how they really think about these words, rather than definitions without understanding. •

Be aware that teaching students to distinguish between heat, thermal energy, and temperature is not a “quick fix.” Researchers have found that long-term teaching interventions are required for upper middle school students to start differentiating between these concepts (Linn and Songer 1991). • Have students imagine you are holding a glass of water from a lake. The glass of water and the lake are at the same temperature. Ask them if the glass of water and the entire lake have the same thermal energy. Have students consider how to use a model to explain their answer. • If students are familiar with calorimetry experiments, ask them if it would take more thermal energy to raise the temperature of the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean by 1°C. •

References Driver, R., A. Squires, P. Rushworth, and V. Wood-Robinson. 1994. Making sense of secondary science: Research into children’s ideas. New York: RoutledgeFalmer. Erickson, G. 1979. Children’s conception of heat and temperature. Science Education 63 (2): 221–230. Keeley, P., and J. Tugel. 2009. Uncovering student ideas in science, volume 4: 25 new formative assessment probes. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press. Kesidou, S., and R. Duit. 1993. Students’ conceptions of the second law of thermodynamics—an interpretative study. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 30 (1): 85–106. Linn, M., and N. Songer. 1991. Teaching thermodynamics to middle school students: What are appropriate cognitive demands? Journal of Research in Science Teaching 28 (10): 885–918. Millar, R. 2005. Teaching about energy. York, UK: University of York Department of Educational Studies. National Research Council (NRC). 2012. A framework for K–12 science education: Practices,

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crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Watts, D., and J. Gilbert. 1985. Appraising the understanding of science concepts: Energy. Surrey,

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UK: Department of Educational Studies, University of Surrey, Guildford.

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Index A air (concept) Model of Air Inside a Jar, 45 allotrope (concept) Graphite and Diamonds, 115 Are They Safe to Eat? (probe) administering, 168 English version, 165 explanation, 167–168 instructional and assessment suggestions, 169 purpose, 167 related concepts, 167 related disciplinary core ideas, 168 related research, 168–169 Spanish version, 166 Are They the Same Substance? (probe) administering, 102 English version, 99 explanation, 101 instructional and assessment suggestions, 102 purpose, 101 related concepts, 101 related disciplinary core ideas, 102 related research, 102 Spanish version, 100 assessment, formative, 4, 5, 10. See also instructional and assessment suggestions under each probe atom (concept), 7 Atoms and Apples, 39 Classifying Water, 111 Do They Have the Same Properties?, 95 Graphite and Diamonds, 115 Neutral Atoms, 121 What Do You Know About Atoms and Molecules?, 32 What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction?, 145 What If You Could Remove All the Atoms?, 51 atomic number (concept) Neutral Atoms, 121 Atoms and Apples (probe) administering, 39–40

English version, 37 explanation, 39 instructional and assessment suggestions, 40 purpose, 39 related concepts, 14, 39 related disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts, 40 related research, 40 Spanish version, 38 B balanced equation (concept) What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction?, 145 C characteristic property (concept) Are They the Same Substances?, 101 chemical bond (concept) Energy and Chemical Bonds, 191 chemical bond energy (concept) Energy and Chemical Bonds, 191 chemical change (concept) Does It Have New Properties?, 157 Is It a Chemical Change?, 151 What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction?, 145 What Is the Result of a Chemical Change?, 139 Will It Form a New Substance?, 133 chemical properties (concept), 8–9 chemical reaction (concept) Does It Have New Properties?, 157 Is It a Chemical Change?, 151 What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction?, 145 What Is the Result of a Chemical Change?, 139 Will It Form a New Substance?, 133 chemical reactions (concept), 8–9 Chemical Reactions (DCI) Does It Have New Properties?, 157–158

Energy and Chemical Bonds, 191–192 Is It a Chemical Change?, 151 Salt in Water, 74 What Does “Conservation of Matter” Mean?, 68 What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction?, 146 What Is a Substance?, 127–128 What Is the Result of a Chemical Change?, 139–140 Will It Form a New Substance?, 133 classifying matter (concept), 8–9 Classifying Water (probe) administering, 111 English version, 109 explanation, 111 instructional and assessment suggestions, 112 purpose, 111 related concepts, 111 related disciplinary core ideas, 111 related research, 111–112 Spanish version, 109 Cold Spoons (probe) administering, 203 English version, 201 explanation, 203 instructional and assessment suggestions, 205 purpose, 203 related concepts, 203 related disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts, 203–204 related research, 204–205 Spanish version, 202 compound (concept) Classifying Water, 111 What Is a Substance?, 127 concept cartoon Do They Have the Same Properties?, 61, 95 Energy and Chemical Bonds, 191 Measuring Mass, 91 Neutral Atoms, 121 Solids, Liquids, and Gases, 25

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219

Index What Does “Conservation of Matter” Mean?, 67 What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction?, 145 What Is the Result of a Chemical Change?, 139 concept matrices Are They Safe to Eat?, 162 Are They the Same Substance?, 56 Atoms and Apples, 14 Classifying Water, 106 Cold Spoons, 162 Describing Energy, 162 Does It Have New Properties?, 106 Do They Have the Same Properties?, 56 Do They Have Weight and Take Up Space? Energy and Chemical Bonds, 162 Graphite and Diamonds, 106 Hot Soup, 162 How Can I Keep It Cold?, 162 Is It a Chemical Change?, 106 Mass, Volume, and Density, 56 Matter and Energy, 162 Matter or Not Matter?, 14 Measuring Mass, 56 Model of Air Inside a Jar, 14 Neutral Atoms, 106 Radish Seeds, 162 Salt in Water, 56 Solids, Liquids, and Gases, 14 Squished Bread, 56 What Does “Conservation of Matter” Mean?, 56 What Do You Know About Atoms and Molecules?, 14 What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction?, 106 What If You Could Remove All the Atoms?, 14 What Is a Substance?, 106 What Is the Result of a Chemical Change?, 106 Which Has More Energy?, 162 Will It Form a New Substance?, 106 conduction (concept) Cold Spoons, 203 conservation of energy (concept) Hot Soup, 197 Matter and Energy, 185

220

Conservation of Energy and Energy Transfer (DCI) Cold Spoons, 204 Hot Soup, 198 How Can I Keep It Cold?, 210 Which Has More Energy?, 216 conservation of mass (concept), 9 conservation of matter (concept) about, 9 Salt in Water, 73 What Does “Conservation of Matter” Mean?, 67 What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction?, 145 D data analysis Are They the Same Substance?, 101 Definitions of Energy (DCI) Cold Spoons, 203–204 Describing Energy, 180 Hot Soup, 198 How Can I Keep It Cold?, 210 Matter and Energy, 186 Which Has More Energy?, 216 density (concept) about, 8 Are They the Same Substances?, 101 Mass, Volume, and Density, 85 Squished Bread, 79 Describing Energy (probe) administering, 179 English version, 177 explanation, 179 instructional and assessment suggestions, 181–182 purpose, 179 related concepts, 179 related disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts, 180 related research, 180–181 Spanish version, 178 dissolving (concept) about, 8 Salt in Water, 73 Does It Have New Properties? (probe) administering, 157 English version, 155 explanation, 157 instructional and assessment suggestions, 158

purpose, 157 related concepts, 157 related disciplinary core ideas, 157–158 related research, 158 Spanish version, 156 Do They Have the Same Properties? (probe) administering, 95 English version, 93 explanation, 95 instructional and assessment suggestions, 96–97 purpose, 95 related concepts, 95 related disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts, 95–96 related research, 96 Spanish version, 94 Do They Have Weight and Take Up Space? (probe) administering, 61 English version, 59 explanation, 61 instructional and assessment suggestions, 62–63 purpose, 61 related concepts, 61 related disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts, 62 related research, 62 Spanish version, 60 E electrical forces (concept) What Do You Know About Atoms and Molecules?, 31 electron (concept) Neutral Atoms, 121 element (concept) Classifying Water, 111 Graphite and Diamonds, 115 What Is a Substance?, 127 energy (concept) about, 10 Describing Energy, 179 Matter and Energy, 185 energy, forms of (concept) Matter and Energy, 185 Energy and Chemical Bonds (probe) administering, 191 English version, 189

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Index explanation, 191 instructional and assessment suggestions, 192–193 purpose, 191 related concepts, 191 related disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts, 191–192 related research, 192 Spanish version, 190 Energy and Matter (crosscutting concept) Cold Spoons, 204 Describing Energy, 180 Do They Have Weight and Take Up Space?, 62 Energy and Chemical Bonds, 192 Hot Soup, 198 How Can I Keep It Cold?, 210 Matter and Energy, 186 Matter or Not Matter?, 20 Model of Air Inside a Jar, 46 Salt in Water, 74 Solids, Liquids, and Gases, 26 What Does “Conservation of Matter” Mean?, 68 What Do You Know About Atoms and Molecules?, 32 What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction?, 146 What If You Could Remove All the Atoms?, 51–52 Which Has More Energy?, 216 energy definition (concept) Describing Energy, 179 Matter and Energy, 185 extensive property (concept) Are They the Same Substances?, 101 Do They Have Weight and Take Up Space?, 61 Mass, Volume, and Density, 85 Measuring Mass, 91 F formative assessment, 4, 5, 10. See also instructional and assessment suggestions under each probe friendly talk Are They Safe to Eat?, 167 Atoms and Apples, 39 Classifying Water, 111 Cold Spoons, 203

Describing Energy, 179 Does It Have New Properties?, 157 Matter or Not Matter, 19 Radish Seeds, 173 Squished Bread, 79 What If You Could Remove All the Atoms?, 51 What Is a Substance?, 127 G gas (concept) about, 7 Do They Have Weight and Take Up Space?, 61 Model of Air Inside a Jar, 45 Solids, Liquids, and Gases, 25 Graphite and Diamonds (probe) administering, 116 English version, 113 explanation, 115 instructional and assessment suggestions, 116–117 purpose, 115 related concepts, 115 related disciplinary core ideas, 116 related research, 116 Spanish version, 114 H heat (concept) Cold Spoons, 203 Hot Soup, 197 How Can I Keep It Cold?, 209 homogeneous matter (concept) What Is a Substance?, 127 Hot Soup (probe) administering, 197–198 English version, 195 explanation, 197 instructional and assessment suggestions, 199–200 purpose, 197 related concepts, 197 related disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts, 198–199 related research, 199 Spanish version, 196 How Can I Keep It Cold? (probe) administering, 209 English version, 207 explanation, 209

instructional and assessment suggestions, 211–212 purpose, 209 related concepts, 209 related disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts, 210 related research, 210–211 Spanish version, 208 I idea choice Hot Soup, 197 Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World (DCI) Are They Safe to Eat?, 168 insulator (concept) How Can I Keep It Cold?, 209 intensive property (concept) Are They the Same Substances?, 101 Mass, Volume, and Density, 85 ion (concept) Neutral Atoms, 121 irradiation (concept) Are They Safe to Eat?, 167 Radish Seeds, 173 Is It a Chemical Change? (probe) administering, 152 English version, 149 explanation, 151–152 instructional and assessment suggestions, 153–154 purpose, 151 related concepts, 151 related disciplinary core ideas, 152 related research, 152–153 Spanish version, 150 isotope (concept) Graphite and Diamonds, 115 Neutral Atoms, 121 J justified list Graphite and Diamonds, 115 Is It a Chemical Change?, 151 Mass, Volume, and Density, 79 Matter and Energy, 185 What Do You Know About Atoms and Molecules?, 31 Will It Form a New Substance?, 133

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221

Index L liquid (concept) about, 7 Do They Have Weight and Take Up Space?, 61 Solids, Liquids, and Gases, 25 M mass (concept) about, 8, 9 Are They the Same Substances?, 101 Do They Have Weight and Take Up Space?, 61 Mass, Volume, and Density, 85 Measuring Mass, 91 Squished Bread, 79 Mass, Volume, and Density (probe) administering, 86 English version, 83 explanation, 85–86 instructional and assessment suggestions, 87 purpose, 85 related concepts, 85 related disciplinary core ideas, 86 related research, 86–87 Spanish version, 84 mass number (concept) Neutral Atoms, 121 matter (concept), 6–7 matter and energy (concept) Matter and Energy, 185 Matter and Energy (probe) administering, 186 English version, 183 explanation, 185–186 instructional and assessment suggestions, 187–188 purpose, 185 related concepts, 185 related disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts, 186 related research, 187 Spanish version, 184 Matter or Not Matter? (probe) administering, 19 English language version, 17 explanation, 19 instructional and assessment suggestions, 21 purpose, 19

222

related concepts, 14 related disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts, 20 related research, 20 Spanish language version, 18 Measuring Mass (probe) administering, 91 English version, 89 explanation, 91 instructional and assessment suggestions, 92 related concepts, 91 related disciplinary core ideas, 91 related research, 91 Spanish version, 90 melting point (concept) Are They the Same Substances?, 101 mixture (concept) Does It Have New Properties?, 157 What Is a Substance?, 127 Will It Form a New Substance?, 133 Model of Air Inside a Jar (probe) administering, 46 English version, 43 explanation, 45–46 instructional and assessment suggestions, 47 purpose, 45 related concepts, 14, 45 related disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts, 46 related research, 46–47 Spanish version, 44 molecule (concept) Classifying Water, 111 Do They Have the Same Properties?, 95 Model of Air Inside a Jar, 45 What Do You Know About Atoms and Molecules?, 31 What If You Could Remove All the Atoms?, 51 N neutral atom (concept) Neutral Atoms, 121 Neutral Atoms (probe) administering, 122 English version, 119 explanation, 121

instructional and assessment suggestions, 122 purpose, 121 related concepts, 121 related disciplinary core ideas, 122 related research, 122 Spanish version, 120 neutron (concept) Neutral Atoms, 121 NGSS performance expectations Chemical Properties, 107 Chemical Reactions, 107 Classifying Matter, 107 Matter, 15 Nuclear Processes and Energy, 163 Particle Model of Matter, 15 Properties of Matter, 57 NSTA resources Chemical Properties, 107 Chemical Reactions, 107 Classifying Matter, 107 Matter, 15 Nuclear Processes and Energy, 163–164 Particle Model of Matter, 15 Properties of Matter, 57 Nuclear Processes (DCI) Are They Safe to Eat?, 168 Radish Seeds, 174 O opposing views Do They Have the Same Properties?, 95 Neutral Atoms, 121 Which Has More Energy?, 215 P particle (concept) about, 7 Model of Air Inside a Jar, 45 What Do You Know About Atoms and Molecules?, 31 What If You Could Remove All the Atoms?, 51 particle model of matter (concept), 7 parts of an atom (concept) What Do You Know About Atoms and Molecules?, 31 P-E-O (predict-explain-observe) How Can I Keep It Cold?, 209 Salt in Water, 73

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Index periodic table (concept) Graphite and Diamonds, 115 physical change (concept) Does It Have New Properties?, 157 Is It a Chemical Change?, 151 Will It Form a New Substance?, 133 potential energy (concept) Energy and Chemical Bonds, 191 Matter and Energy, 185 properties of atoms and molecules (concept) Do They Have the Same Properties?, 95 properties of matter (concept), 8 properties of substances (concept) Are They the Same Substances?, 101 Do They Have the Same Properties?, 95 proton (concept) Neutral Atoms, 121 R radiation (concept) Are They Safe to Eat?, 167 Radish Seeds, 173 radioactivity (concept) Are They Safe to Eat?, 167 Radish Seeds, 173 Radish Seeds (probe) administering, 174 English version, 171 explanation, 173 instructional and assessment suggestions, 174–175 purpose, 173 related concepts, 173 related disciplinary core ideas, 174 related research, 174 Spanish version, 172 relative size (concept) Atoms and Apples, 39 What Do You Know About Atoms and Molecules?, 32 representation analysis Model of Air Inside a Jar, 45 S Salt in Water (probe) administering, 73 English version, 71

explanation, 73 instructional and assessment suggestions, 75–76 purpose, 73 related concepts, 73 related disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts, 74 related research, 74–75 Spanish version, 72 scale (concept) Atoms and Apples, 39 Scale, Proportion, and Quantity (crosscutting concept) Atoms and Apples, 40 Do They Have the Same Properties?, 96 Hot Soup, 198 Squished Bread, 80 What If You Could Remove All the Atoms?, 52 second law of thermodynamics (concept) Cold Spoons, 203 solid (concept) Do They Have Weight and Take Up Space?, 61 Solids, Liquids, and Gases, 25 What If You Could Remove All the Atoms?, 51 Solids, Liquids, and Gases (probe) administering, 25 English version, 23 explanation, 25 instructional and assessment suggestions, 26–27 purpose, 25 related concepts, 14 related disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts, 25–26 related research, 26 Spanish version, 24 Squished Bread (probe) administering, 79 explanation, 79 instructional and assessment suggestions, 80–81 purpose, 79 related concepts, 79 related disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts, 79–80 related research, 80 states of matter (concept) Classifying Water, 111

Do They Have Weight and Take Up Space?, 61 Solids, Liquids, and Gases, 25 Structure and Properties of Matter (DCI) Are They the Same Substances?, 102 Atoms and Apples, 40 Classifying Water, 111 Does It Have New Properties?, 157–158 Do They Have the Same Properties?, 95–96 Do They Have Weight and Take Up Space?, 62 Graphite and Diamonds, 116 Mass, Volume, and Density, 86 Matter or Not Matter?, 20 Measuring Mass, 91 Model of Air Inside a Jar, 46 Neutral Atoms, 122 Salt in Water, 74 Solids, Liquids, and Gases, 25–26 What Does “Conservation of Matter” Mean?, 68 What Do You Know About Atoms and Molecules?, 32–33 What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction?, 146 What If You Could Remove All the Atoms?, 51–52 What Is a Substance?, 127–128 What Is the Result of a Chemical Change?, 139–140 substance (concept) about, 9 Are They the Same Substances?, 101 Do They Have the Same Properties?, 95 What Is a Substance?, 127 What Is the Result of a Chemical Change?, 139 Will It Form a New Substance?, 133 T temperature (concept) Hot Soup, 197 Which Has More Energy?, 215 thermal energy (concept) Cold Spoons, 203

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223

Index Which Has More Energy?, 215 thought experiment What If You Could Remove All the Atoms?, 51 transfer of energy (concept) Cold Spoons, 203 Hot Soup, 197 How Can I Keep It Cold?, 209 Matter and Energy, 185 transformation of energy (concept) Matter and Energy, 185 V volume (concept) Are They the Same Substances?, 101 Do They Have Weight and Take Up Space?, 61 Mass, Volume, and Density, 85 Squished Bread, 79 W water (concept) Classifying Water, 111 weight (concept) about, 8 Do They Have Weight and Take Up Space?, 61 What Does “Conservation of Matter” Mean? (probe) administering, 67 English version, 65 explanation, 67 instructional and assessment suggestions, 68–69 purpose, 67 related concepts, 67 related disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts, 68 related research, 68 Spanish version, 66 What Do You Know About Atoms and Molecules? (probe) administering, 32

224

English version, 29 explanation, 31–32 instructional and assessment suggestions, 33–34 purpose, 31 related concepts, 14, 31 related disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts, 32–33 related research, 33 Spanish version, 30 What Happens to Atoms During a Chemical Reaction? (probe) administering, 145 English version, 143 explanation, 145 instructional and assessment suggestions, 146–147 purpose, 145 related concepts, 145 related disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts, 146 related research, 146 Spanish version, 144 What If You Could Remove All the Atoms? (probe) administering, 51 English version, 49 explanation, 51 instructional and assessment suggestions, 52–53 purpose, 51 related concepts, 14, 51 related disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts, 51–52 related research, 52 Spanish version, 50 What Is a Substance? (probe) administering, 127 English version, 125 explanation, 127 instructional and assessment suggestions, 128–129 purpose, 127 related concepts, 127

related disciplinary core ideas, 127–128 related research, 128 Spanish version, 126 What Is the Result of a Chemical Change? (probe) administering, 139 English version, 137 explanation, 139 instructional and assessment suggestions, 141 purpose, 139 related concepts, 139 related disciplinary core ideas, 139–140 related research, 140–141 Spanish version, 138 Which Has More Energy? (probe) administering, 216 English version, 213 explanation, 215 instructional and assessment suggestions, 217 purpose, 215 related concepts, 215 related disciplinary core ideas and crosscutting concepts, 216 related research, 216–217 Spanish version, 214 Will It Form a New Substance? (probe) administering, 134 English version, 131 explanation, 133–134 instructional and assessment suggestions, 135–136 purpose, 133 related concepts, 133 related disciplinary core ideas, 134 related research, 134–135 Spanish version, 132 word use What Does “Conservation of Matter” Mean?, 67

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VOL. 3

Uncovering Student Ideas IN PHYSICAL SCIENCE

32

NEW Matter and Energy Formative Assessment Probes

Have you been wanting to probe your students’ thinking about major concepts in matter and energy? Have you been wishing for formative assessment tools in both English and Spanish? Then this is the book you’ve been waiting for. Like the other 10 books in the bestselling Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series, Uncovering Student Ideas in Physical Science, Volume 3 does the following: • Presents engaging questions, also known as formative assessment probes. The 32 probes in this book are designed to uncover what students know—or think they know—about the concept of matter and particle model of matter; properties of matter; classifying matter, chemical properties, and chemical reactions; and nuclear processes and energy. The probes will help you uncover students’ existing beliefs about everything from a particle model of matter to ways of describing energy. • Offers field-tested teacher materials that provide the best answers along with distracters designed to reveal conceptual misunderstandings that students

commonly hold. Since the content is explained in clear, everyday language, teachers can improve their own understanding of the science they teach. • Is convenient and saves you time. The probes are short, easy-to-administer activities for speakers of both English and Spanish that come ready to reproduce. In addition to explaining the science content, the teacher materials include connections to A Framework for K–12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards, provide summaries of the research on students’ ideas, and suggest grade-appropriate instructional methods for addressing students’ ideas. Uncovering Student Ideas in Physical Science, Volume 3 has the potential to help you transform your teaching. As the authors write in the book’s introduction, “When teachers take the time to uncover [existing] ideas, understand where they came from, and make instructional decisions that will help students give up their strongly held ideas in favor of scientific ways of thinking, they are taking an important first step in teaching for conceptual understanding.”

PB274X3 ISBN: 978-1-68140-604-6 GRADES 3–12

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