Month: May 2015

We completed the Ring Polymer Lab and Power Point from Nano-links: http://www.nano-link.org/component/docman/cat_view/2-nanotechnology-curriculum/14-nano-link-modules/16-cross-linked-polymers

This lab also uses a form of Sodium Polyacrylate that is in diapers. We reviewed vocabulary with pictures for the terms:mer, monomer, polymer and degree of polymerization. We also discussed attractive forces between atoms  and the interactions in water molecules that are ring polymers and can capture and hold a thin film of water and absorb large amounts of water for a small amount of ring polymer. The students could not believe how much weight the material would gain after the water they added was absorbed. We watched this and added salt too to reverse the process.

We also tried other liquids to see if they would absorb too, like rubbing alcohol, vinegar and a salt solution.

 

 

 

Great Resources with lessons and free materials on Nanotechnology in the Classroom

https://nanohub.org/resources/animations

http://www.nnin.org/education-training/k-12-teachers

http://nano.gov/education-training/teacher-resources

http://www.nanooze.org/  free magazine hard copies or online for kids

This labs was from the Nano-links;

http://www.nano-link.org/component/docman/cat_view/2-nanotechnology-curriculum/14-nano-link-modules/16-cross-linked-polymers

We learned about  ringed versus cross-linked polymers, the atomic structure and intermolecular bonds. This lab fit well with Grade 8 Chemistry. We have done other labs with polymers when we made slime.  This can be done before this lab to give background to the students:

http://chemistry.lsu.edu/Outreach/item1739.pdf

The students were amazed how much water could be absorbed by a little amount of sodium polyacrylate. The powerpoint was also great in teaching about the molecular or atomic level structure of materials and why if it important and how bonds effect properties of a molecule or atom. They also learned bout the difference between crosslinked and ringed polymers. We discussed the applications of cross linked polymers and applications of sodium polyacrylate.

 

This also was a great video clip. We also added salt when we completed the lab to see what would happen too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I introduced the students to the website and concept of: One World One Health;

http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/

The concept of linking: human, animal and environmental health. We looked at the website and discussed how animal and human health is connected and discussed disease spread. We also discussed how the environment impacts health. These topics fit well with Grade 6 Earth Science, Grade 7 Body System and Grade 8 Disease Spread and Ecology Units.  It is good for the student to look at the interconnection of things.

 

 

http://www.qmed.com/mpmn/article/10-nanotech-breakthroughs-you-should-know-about-updated

We read the article above. We looked at what was done at NCSU ASSIST Center: http://charge.ece.ncsu.edu/2015/05/wearable-sensors-to-monitor-triggers-for-asthma-and-more/#sthash.NkZLMSlT.dpbs

and what is the Assist Center:

http://assist.ncsu.edu/

We then talked about chickens. We recently incubated and hatched chicks for student to take home and raise. We discuss daily how the chicks develop and we dissected last year, chick embryos at various stages of development. I asked the students to come up with wearable devices for chickens. Some of their thoughts were:

1. One that detected diseases like avian flu virus (we had discussed).

2. One that monitors it’s temperature/weight

3. One that could detect fat content, weight gain to monitoring feeding amounts

We also discussed wastes such as feathers and nanotechnology: http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=11324.php

http://phys.org/news/2011-04-chicken-feathers-biodegradable-plastic.html

We did discuss packaging with nanotechnology too that might used in the future and scanned with a smart phone to tell shelf life, nutrition, recipes too. We will go to Blue Jay Point Park for our last field trip and students will brainstorm more ideas for wearable devices.

 

This lab students learned bout optical properties of thin film. It worked well with Grade 6 since we studied light this year. I reviewed with Grade 7 and 8. We first did the simple lab of putting a pencil in a cup of water looking at the refraction of light.

We then watched:

 

This film did not have engaging speaking but had great diagrams, so I would use it but show the one below first, it made it easier for the 2nd to be understood.

 

We completed the lab and

http://www.nano-link.org/component/docman/cat_view/2-nanotechnology-curriculum/14-nano-link-modules/25-thin-films

and looked at the PowerPoint  too. The students liked making a “rainbow”. We also discussed applications for cameras, eye glasses and other optical lens.

We saw:

 

 

I think the students were amazed how many thin films we use and they did not know what they were too. Although the lab was simple it was a great way to introduce this topic to the students and how nanotechnology works in this area.

 

We looked at surface to Volume Area Ratios using both Nanolinks Surface to Volume Ratio and  Nanoscale Science by M Gail Jones et al, p. 95, Can King Kong Exist? These activities blended well together. It also reviews some of Grade 7 Math . We first made the cubes. The kids loved this activity and were able to understand the concepts. We viewed:

We then discussed horror movies and could King Kong exist? Why or why not? The class was divided into 2 groups and the students had to give their reasons. We then reviewed equations for surface area and volume of cube.  We practiced on white boards. We then cut out the cubes, found the surface and volume of each of the 5 cubes. We also measured the mass by filling the cubes with sugar. We then found the surface area to volume ration and surface area to mass ratio. This took one class.  We connected it to the video clip we saw too and adaptions of animals in various climates.

The next class we completed the Surface to Volume Ratio lab from Nanolinks. The students never saw a mortar and pestal and we interested in it’s uses. We looked at the power point from the lab:

http://www.nano-link.org/component/docman/cat_view/2-nanotechnology-curriculum/14-nano-link-modules/17-surface-area-to-volume-ratio

We then completed the lab with Alka-Seltzer and timing how long it takes to dissolve in 3 cups, one whole tablet, one in pieces and one grinded up into a powder. The students we able to visualize well how surface area to volume ratio effected the rate of chemical reactions, chemical, electrical and biological interactions too, and how larger objects have a smaller surface area to volume ratio. We also discussed how properties are dependent on size and how this is important on the nanoscale. We then had a discussion why King Kong could not exist, why we could  not be 20 feet tall and viewed the video below:

We then went into a discussion about Dinosaurs and how they were so big, what were their size limits based on what we learned. We read together the article:

http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2013/02/25/dinosaur-reproduction-not-ancient-gravity-made-sauropods-super-sized/

 

 

In order to work more on the scale of Nanotechnology  and Nanoshapes we made models of buckeyballs. Also in the Nanoscience, Activities for Grades 6-12 Book by M Gail Jones et al, page 27. We first discussed carbon bonds and how strong they are. We saw Buckeyball: Tiny Carbon Soccer Balls from Youtube:

We discussed high surface area to volume ratio and why that is important for chemical reactions,  and how it might have applications for; environmental sensors, drug delivery  and other things.  We did discuss each buckeyball was; 60 carbon atoms, 32 faces, 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons. We drew hexagons and pentagons on white boards and also what the face of a geometric shape was. We also discussed but did not make Nanotubes and how they are used in nanotechnology, including their unique electrical properties which could be used in electronic circuits. We also read in Cool Science Nanotechnology pages 12-17.