March 4, 2014 Drops on a Penny Description: Students will be exploring surface adhesion and the concept that water

molecules stick together. Students will be doing this through a penny experiment containing water and mouthwash. Context: Mrs. Wrights third grade class at Sycamore Elementary school; Students will be split into five groups of approximately 5 students each; Science Workshop stations; We will need a hard surface to conduct our activity. Standards: SC.3.1 2000 - The Nature of Science and Technology Students, working collaboratively, carry out investigations. They question, observe, and make accurate measurements. Students increase their use of tools, record data in journals, and communicate results through chart, graph, written, and verbal forms. SC.3.2 2000 - Scientific Thinking Students use a variety of skills and techniques when attempting to answer questions and solve problems. They describe their observations accurately and clearly, using numbers, words, and sketches, and are able to communicate their thinking to others. Materials: 4-6 Pennies 4-6 Pipettes Water Mouthwash Paper Towels Cups Procedure: 1. Students will be placed in groups of 4-6 in a station-like workshop. (Note: This activity can also be for a whole group science exploration; however, I taught this in a small group setting. It will be successful either way.) 2. At the Drops on a Penny station, the teacher or facilitator will lay out all of the materials for the students to observe. There will be two cups on the table, one filled with water and the other with mouthwash. To accompany these materials, there should be about 4-6 pipettes, 4-6 pennies, and paper towels to catch the runoff liquids. 3. Then, teacher will ask prompting questions, such as the following: what do you think this tool is called? and why do you think scientists use pipettes? 4. The teacher will distribute the Drops on a Penny worksheet (attached) and explain the task. Students must first try to fit as many drops of one solution on a penny

before it overflows onto the paper towel. Then, they will be encouraged to try the same task with the opposite solution. 5. However, have the students make a prediction on their worksheets about how many each drops of each solution the penny can hold. 6. There will be rich conversations about surface adhesion as you encourage students to watch what the liquids do when the penny becomes full. Have the students look at eye level with the penny to see this noticing. Prompt the students to dive deeper into the properties of both water and mouthwash. What does the mouthwash contain or not contain that water does? 7. Discuss what went well and what did not. Does the pipette size make a difference? Does holding the pipette vertically, horizontally, or at an angle matter? What are the properties of water? Why is mouthwash not as successful? Were anyones predictions accurate? Who was able to get the most number of drops? Engage Students will be asked to make predictions about how many drops of water and how many drops of mouthwash a penny can hold. How many drops of water do you think a penny will be able to hold before it spills over? How many drops of mouthwash do you think a penny will be able to hold before it spills over? Why do you think there will be a difference/why do you think it will stay the same? Explore The students will be handed the materials they need to complete the experiment. Each student will get a pipette and a few pennies. They will then begin putting drops on the penny and counting. We will have them share if their prediction was close or not. We will then ask them if they think there is another way to drop the water/mouthwash on the penny that they think would work better. Explain Students will discuss new vocabulary (or review) such as surface adhesion and the idea of water molecules sticking together. They will tell us what they know about these concepts and we will have an open discussion about them. The students will be asked to explain their predictions and why they made those predictions. We will then discuss the results. Elaborate The elaboration point of this experiment is when we allow the students to make modifications to the way they drop the liquid on the penny. What are you choosing to do differently? Why do you think this will be more effective? How many drops of liquid do you think a quarter would hold? A dime? Evaluate (assessment) Students will have a worksheet that goes along with the activity. Students will be able to make predictions and record observations on this worksheet. The worksheet will help us assess the students along with allowing them to assess themselves in terms of their predictions and thoughts. They will be encouraged to write down any noticings about the properties of water, using scientific tools, and anything else they want to remember. Since its a small group experiment, the teacher will be able to eavesdrop on the students conversations to add support Adaptations: We will have to adapt our lesson if there is a temporary impairment or if the size of our group has increased or decreased. If any of the students have a disability that will take away from the experience, then we will have to accommodate to the needs of that student. If any student is done early, explore other substances or discuss proper cleanup of science experiments and have the students participate in cleaning up the station.

Closing: We will allow students to ask us questions and brainstorm over any other modifications they can come up with for this experiment.

Reflection: I taught this station at Sycamore Elementary school in Mrs. Wrights classroom. The science workshop was split into five stations of about five students per group. My Block B peers assisted with the organization of this science workshop. The hour was filled with multiple experiments about surface tension, light refraction, density, and more! I co-taught with Ms. Merar and Ms. Heineman. This was my third time co-teaching with these two ladies and I learned a great deal about what it means to co-teach. I learned the importance of taking a step back from leading the lesson to allow Dani and Nicole to have teaching moments. Furthermore, this teaching experience helped me understand the importance of asking valuable questions. It is not enough just to ask yes or no questions, but to really get the students discussing what they are thinking. Overall, the experience was eye-opening, yet rewarding. We began by having students determine the name of the tool we were using and identifying the solutions on the table with their senses. Then, we presented them with a challenge to see how many drops of both water and mouthwash they could get onto one penny without over flowing the penny. Some students would only put 3 drops, while others would say numbers as high as 45. We had great conversations about which solution would have better surface tension and why; in addition to, the properties of water. However, the mouthwash we used retracted from our initial findings because there was more water content than we had

realized. Although the experiment did not quite work like it was supposed to, the students were still able to understand the concept. Students responded well to these prompts and used what their peers would say to elaborate and explain their thinking further. Students did not know what they were going to be doing with the pipettes and they were getting a feel for how the pipette works. I liked how this entire experiment was interactive and hands-on. We had them all get down at eye-level with the table so they could see the dome-like figure the water created on top of the penny. I think the students learned a lot about water molecules and how human techniques can significantly change the outcomes of experiments. For future changes, I would like to try facilitating this activity with more outlandish liquids (i.e. tea, orange juice, lemonade). This would bring more elements of science into our test because it would introduce how certain solvents and pH levels, such as sugar and acidity, affect H2O solutes.