Thursday, August 26

Thursday's class began with a discussion of the Honors Chemistry Survival Packet. We were allowed a chance to ask questions about anything we didn't understand as a result of reading it. The Survival Packet describes the course, the grading scheme, policies regarding late work and makeup work, expectations and a lot of information about the course notebook and lab reporting.

When it came time to discuss the process of lab reporting, Mr. H asked us to get our course notebooks out. He discussed the parts of a lab report and demonstrated how the information applies to the first lab - Lab MM1 - Observation vs. Inference. Mr. H said that the title and the Purpose can simply be copied from the Lab Description page into our lab notebook.  He emphasized that every lab centers around a Purpose;  the purpose is the question that we are attempting to answer as the result of our lab activity. Mr. H said that he doesn't give us a procedure (except for really complicated labs) because the procedure simply emerges from the purpose.

Mr. H then describes the Data section of a lab report. He emphasized that the Data section is the location where the evidence is placed. This included observations, measured data, labeled diagrams, graphs, charts, calcuations and other documentation. Mr. H said that we should not write elaborate sentences or lengthy paragraphs; we should write clear and understandable notes.

Finally, Mr. H described the Conclusion of a lab as being the answer to the question. Mr. H distinguished between Conclusions (usually 1-2 statements), Conclusion/Discussions (more of a lengthy paragraph) and a Discussion of Results (in which the connection between the evidence and the conclusion are logically discussed). Mr. H requested that we remove pp. 7-8 from our Survival Packet and tape it into the front of our Lab notebook.

After discussing the Lab Reporting Process (pp. 7-8), Mr. H then gave us an opportunity to complete our first lab report. While this was occurring, markers were distributed throughout the room so that we could place our names on our chemical eye goggles.

After the completion of the lab, Mr. H showed a short video on the topic of Put it to the Test.

 

Then he did a demonstration on observation and inference. After lighting a candle and watching it burn for a minute, he blew it out and ate it. (What was that all about?) I guess some things in chemistry class will just be pure entertainment. I'm alright with that.

Mr. H then began to address the topic of laboratory safety. He showed us the Safety Contract on the last page of our Survival Packet. He assigned us the task of reading the contract, signing it, having our parents sign it, and returning it. From the sounds of it, Mr. H takes chemical safety quite seriously.

The remainder of the period included a discussion of eye safety. Mr. H explained who our lab group was and assigned us lab tables. He gave us a chance to place our goggles in our lab drawers. He then did a chemical demonstration in which he put the white of an egg inside of a petri dish. He placed the dish on the ELMO projector so that we could see it. Mr. H explained that the biochemical composition of egg white was very similar to the composition of our eyes. He placed a few drops of concentrated hydrochloric acid in the dish. Wherever the acid contacted the egg white, a reaction occurred that cooked the egg. Mr. H explained that the same type of interaction occurs between our eyes and acid. He emphasized the need to wear goggles at all times when in the lab. The point was that the lab environment was unsafe. An individual student may not be doing anything with chemicals, but because he/she is in a dangerous environment they are at risk. Acids can be projected from another lab table or simply two other students at the same table towards your eyes. The point was clear: wear goggles at all times.

Then Mr. H told the story of Jimmy. Jimmy worked at a factory where Mr. H used to work. Mr. H was a chemical engineer and Jimmy was in charge of the tanks in a waste treatment area of the plant. One day Jimmy had difficulty with a pump on a barrel full of sulfuric acid. He could not get the pump to work. In an effort to fix the pump, Jimmy removed his goggles so that he could see more clearly. When he pried the lever off the top of the barrel, the contents were under pressure and squirted out at Jimmy's eyes. Jimmy, who was married and the father of two young children, was rushed to the hospital for treatment. he never returned to work and, as far as Mr. H knows, had not regained vision in either eye. The story of Jimmy underscores the importance of using proper eye protection at all times. 

The period ended and Mr. H said we would talk more about safety on Friday.

(from Nature Magazine)

Wednesday, August 25

Today was the first day of Honors Chemistry class with Mr. Henderson. Class time included seating assignments, introductions, the reading of school policy statements, a short lesson on the nature of science, and a short lab (Lab MM1 - Observations Lab).

Mr. Henderson (whom we are allowed to call Mr. H) began class with seating assignments and attendance taking. He read two school policy statements (Academic Honesty and Alcohol/Drugs/Hazing) and then did an intriguing demo. Mr. H sprayed a sheet of white paper with Windex and the invisible message "Welcome to Chemistry" became visible in pink. After a little time, the message disappeared and became invisible once more. Nobody really knew how it worked and Mr. H didn't discuss it, so it must not be that important. But it was fascinating - something you don't see everyday.

Mr. H then talked introduced himself and the course. We had received two packets - The Honors Chemistry Survival Packet and the Unit 1 Packet - and a Course Notebook (composition book). Mr H did a quick review of the Survival Packet. He assigned it as a reading assignment and he requested that we come prepared to ask questions regarding its contents. He suggested that we tape pages 5-6 of the Survival Packet into the front of our course notebook. He also suggested that we tape pp. 7-8 (list of abbreviations) into the back of our course notebook. Mr. H then acquainted us with the Unit 1 Packet. He explained how its purpose was for our use in class to get us thinking about, learning and practicing chemistry. He pointed out the section of Reading Sheets and the Lab Description pages at the end of the packet.  Mr. H said that we could leave our textbook at home or wherever we plan to do our homework. And he said that we should bring a writing utensil, the Unit 1 Packet, a calculator and the course notebook to class everyday. 

After the logistical part of the class was completed, Mr. H discussed the topic of science. He told a story of how scientists (paleontologists, biomechanists, and computer scientists) figured out the running speed of the T-Rex (18 mi/hr). The point of the story seemed to be three-fold:

1. Science has a unique answer to the question "How do we know what we know?"
2. Science is concerned with the question "To what extent are we sure of what we know?
3. And science is different than our other subjects in the manner in which knowledge is acquired and accepted.

Mr. H said that "Science class is different than your other subjects because the room is bigger." Pause. He explained that the room doesn't end after the last row of students. The room continues to include the laboratory where the answers to questions can be found.  He said he wasn't sure if it was more correct to say that "The science room is bigger than your other subjects because science is different" or to say "Science class is different than your other subjects because the room is bigger." Either way, Mr. H made it clear that the laboratory plays a vital role in our learning in science class.

Mr. H wrote on the whiteboard, explaining that science follows a pattern. The process of science begins with a question. An experiment to answer the question is designed. Data and observations are collected and an answer to the original question is developed. Mr. H said that in the laboratory, the question is the Purpose of the lab and the answer is the Conclusion to the lab. The data and observations address the big questions of "How do we know what we know?" and "To what extent are we sure of what we know?" Mr. H emphasized that science is different than other subjects because the answers to questions are not found in the textbook, but in the back of the room.  Those answers may have found their way into our textbooks, but before they did someone found the answer in the back of the room.

The period ended with a short lab experience. Mr. H showed us how to use our lab notebooks; he emphasized that the right side of each open page is for labs; the left side is for class notes, reading notes, etc. We did Lab MM1 - Observation vs. Inference. Mr. H blew strange looking soap bubbles into the air and asked us to record observations and to make inferences. After several minutes of this, we discussed the difference between an observation and an inference. Several examples were given of each. We finished by writing a Conclusion.

In the last minute of class, Mr. H showed us how to view a short (3-minute) instructional video about logging into WebAssign. The second part of our homework assignment involved logging into WebAssign, changing our password and taking a short survey.