A low tech experiment adventure.

Here are some photos taken on Friday of one of my eighth grade classes performing an experiment on physical and chemical changes. They were totally engrossed in the work, which was very gratifying for me as a teacher. I had expected this to take a single one hour class period, but it didn't, I ended up "stealing" this class back for an hour and a half at the end of the day, so total time on task ended up being more like 2 to 2.25 hours. Seems like a lot for a simple experiment, but it has been a while since we've done a hands on inquiry, so they are out of practice, to say the least.

Picture three is of special interest for me, it's an anomaly picture. The students had mixed cornstarch and vinegar in that "cell", which should have produced a clear solution, but as you see, there is a light purple tinge to the solution. I sat with the group as they discussed their results. One of the students noted that their rinse water had become contaminated with iodine (one of the three liquids they were testing against the four powders: baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and powdered sugar), and that perhaps the purple was coming from that since the cornstarch with iodine had turned dark purple. 

This was based off an experiment that is part of the district mandated curriculum. We don't get to vary from what's required, but sometimes, by selecting carefully from the options that are there, we can come up with a winner. This was one. The students were all able to articulate the difference between a physical and chemical change, and they understood what "reactivity" meant. Not all of them were able to write about it, but they could all explain verbally.

And  now technology has completely failed me, my internet connection has crashed, so I'm going to copy this post so I don't lose it. Something to be said for the good old fashioned low tech, after all!