Unit 1: Why do some clothes stick together when they come out of the dryer?
Investigation 1: Why do some things stick together and other things don’t?
In this investigation, students will begin to develop a conceptual model of electrostatic interactions by investigating how various charged objects (scotch tape, balloons, rods of various materials, and a Van de Graaff generator) interact with each other and with uncharged objects (paper, water bottle, a hand). Readings in this investigation introduce students to modeling as a scientific practice, and throughout the investigation students will work with their peers to draw models, gather evidence, communicate as a class to determine which ideas are supported by evidence, and finally revise their models based on class decisions about scientific ideas. By the end of the investigation, student models will include positive and negative charges as well as patterns that can be used to explain and predict how charged objects interact.
HS-PS2-4. Use mathematical representations of Newton’s Law of Gravitation and Coulomb’s Law to describe and predict the gravitational and electrostatic forces between objects.
Investigation 2: What are factors that affect the interactions between objects?
In this investigation, students develop a model of electric fields to explain how charged objects interact. Students analyze and discuss as a class how the charge on objects and the distance between them affects the strength of the interactions between those objects. Based on their analysis and class decisions, students will revise their models with the new ideas agreed upon as a class.
HS-PS2-4. Use mathematical representations of Newton’s Law of Gravitation and Coulomb’s Law to describe and predict the gravitational and electrostatic forces between objects.
HS-PS3-5. Develop and use a model of two objects interacting through electric or magnetic fields to illustrate the forces between objects and the changes in energy of the objects due to the interaction.
Investigation 3: What are all materials made of?
In this investigation, students will start by analyzing observations of matter in order to evaluate continuous and particle models of matter. Readings in this investigation introduce students to scientific writing in the form of evidence based explanations. Students will communicate their ideas and evaluate them based on evidence from mixing water and ethanol. Finally, students will use their previous model to explain a new phenomenon, their observations of gases.
HS-PS1-3. Plan and conduct an investigation to gather evidence to compare the structure of substances at the bulk scale to infer the strength of electrical forces between particles.
Investigation 4: What are nature’s building blocks?
This investigation follows the historical development of models of atomic structure and provides students with the opportunity to explore simulations of some of the experiments that led to these models. Students will follow and participate in gathering evidence from important, historical scientific research on atomic theory, and use critical and analytical thinking skills to further develop their model of the atom. In addition, through hands-on activities involving representative objects, this investigation helps students gain insight into the size of atoms as compared with other small objects.
HS-PS1-1. Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.
HS-PS1-3. Plan and conduct an investigation to gather evidence to compare the structure of substances at the bulk scale to infer the strength of electrical forces between particles.
Investigation 5: How does an object become charged?
This investigation follows the historical development of models of atomic structure and provides students with the opportunity to explore simulations of some of the experiments that led to these models. Students will follow and participate in gathering evidence from important, historical scientific research on atomic theory, and use critical and analytical thinking skills to further develop their model of the atom. In addition, through hands-on activities involving representative objects, this investigation helps students gain insight into the size of atoms as compared with other small objects.
By collecting evidence as to how the composition of an atom relates to its identity, students will build upon the model of atomic structure developed in the previous investigation. Readings in this investigation are focused on helping students understand the elements and their organization on the periodic table. Students will extend their conceptual model of electrostatic interactions to include 1) electron transfer as the mechanism for how an object becomes charged and 2) shifting electron distribution to explain how neutral objects can be attracted to both positively and negatively charged objects. Students will revise their models and written, evidence based-explanations for atomic structure and electrostatic interactions.
HS-PS1-1. Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.
HS-PS1-3. Plan and conduct an investigation to gather evidence to compare the structure of substances at the bulk scale to infer the strength of electrical forces between particles.
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