Class 3- January 24, 2011

    Today was a big day. We had a surprise visitor Mr. Congelli, the other teacher teaching the other two sections of the Science and Technology Methods course. Mr. Cognelli started the class with telling us (the class) about himself where he worked, his certifications, that he was a science teacher and is a part time adjunct professor at the Mount for the last four years. He also said that he would be team teaching the course with Dr. Smirnova. He would be doing the science part and she would do the technology part. While Mr. Congelli was talking Dr. Smirnova was taking a picture of him. Then Dr. Smirnova gave the camera to Kira and asked her to take a picture of both Dr. Smirnova and Mr.Congelli. Today was a big day. Today, we did our first scientific experiment for the semester called  The Observation Float, Sink or???.


   The experiment started with Mr. Congelli having three breakers on a table at the front of the classroom. He had the three tables one table at a time come up to see the three beakers and make observations individually and then we talked in our small groups about what we saw in each breaker and what we thought was in each breaker. Some of my observations are beaker A: nothing, beaker B: smells, and could be vinegar, beaker C: thicker, cloudy, darker yellow tint, and bubbles. Then Mr. Congelli went to each table and asked for group observations and wrote those group observations down on the white board at the front of the classroom.


Group observations: 

• Beaker C: seems thicker and darker,   
• clear liquid
• all container about the same amount
• Beaker B: had an odor resembling vinger
• Beaker B: looks like it had less fluid. 

Additional Observation:

• flat on surface
• Beaker C: has bubbles throughout 
• Beaker A: seems the most like water 

   Then Mr. Congelli went to the next step with the experiment he added an ice cube to each of the beakers. He added one ice cube to beaker A and then had each table one at a time come up and make observations and did the same for the other two beakers both B and C. We did individual observations and then group observations. Some of the individual observations are: Beaker A: stays a float, on surface, liquid levels- no change, and level of liquid rose a little. Beaker B: sank to the bottom, bubbling and fizzing, bubbles on the bottom, and melted quickly. Beaker C: went down to bottom and then came up to the top, flat on the surface, ice forming around ice cube, and when put ice in- floated to the top. Group observations with the ice: Group Observations for: Beaker A: ice floats, part of it was submerged like iceberg, stayed near side, and float near side of container. Group Observations for: Beaker B: ice sank to bottom, bubbles on the bottom, slowly rising to top,  and melted very quickly- mostly in middle. Group Observations for: Beaker C: heavier part floated to the top, notice on surface a watery ring around the surface, on top where ice was= puddle, and flat on the surface. 


   After the group observations and sharing of the group observation with the ice. Mr. Congelli gave each table three beakers, ruler, slate, cork, and pine. We were suppose to see which object float or sink in the liquids. Our group determined Beaker A: water, Beaker B: rubbing alcohol, and Beaker C: oil. In Beaker A: the slate stayed above water, the pine was underwater, and the cord was above and below water so part of the cork was above and part of the cork was below water. In Beaker B: the slate was above water, the cork was both above and below water so part of the cork was above and part of the cork was below water, and the pine was above water. In Beaker C: the slate was above water, the cork was mostly above water and only a little under water, the pine was above water. For both Beaker A and B the cork was more below water than above water based on our measurement and the liquid determined how much more the cork was below water than above water. 


  Once we were done with the experiment and getting all the data we had to do a write up of answering some questions. Question three was on determining the densities of the different liquids. Question two was about justifying the reason for choosing the liquids. Question one was about the reason why you feel you observed the ice to interact differently with the fluid in each of the three beakers. Question four was to find the definition of density. Question five was to write a general statement relating to the interaction of solid materials whose density is greater than and less than fresh water. Question six was to compare answer to question #5 to the observations you make when cork, pine, and slate pieces where put into the different beakers. The final question or question 7 was to design an observation sheet, a table, and to write two suggestions on how one might improve this activity. 


That is the whole experiment of Float, Sink, Or?????




I enjoyed this experiment because it is a great started to a lesson. It is then good to have the students work in groups once you the teacher have explain to the students what the experiment is about and what the students have to do. It is nice to work as an individual but it is better for students to work in groups. When working in groups students can bring other ideas to the table that students who worked as individual might have missed. Working in groups can help students learn to work on being a team and coming up with ideas that are not thought of before by other people and students within groups can be assigned different roles in the group when doing experiments. It is a good idea as the teacher to assign students in each group a role personally so that each student does not fight over the roles. By teacher assigning the roles,the teacher can make sure that each student gets to do each role once and then it is fair and there should be no fighting over roles. Group members can help students learn something new from each other, teach other, and the students can help explain things concepts to their classmates if someone is not understanding the concept that the experiment is on.