by Bob Miller

Mendocino High School

Unit Length: On-Going and determined by teacher/student contract

California State Framework Area: Science

Produced in conjunction with the NASA NREN K-12 Partner School Program and the California Telemation Project

I. INTRODUCTION

High school students enroll in science courses for a variety of reasons. They work at different levels and have different learning styles. The traditional course format including lectures, labs, quizzes, and tests is successful for some students, but not for all. Some students learn best in other modalities. Some might want to learn about certain topics in greater depth than allowed for in a standard survey course. Some might just want alternative methods for demonstrating their understanding. The curriculum proposed here could meet the needs of a wide range of students.

This method of curriculum is supported by The Second to None Document which says, "Teachers redesign traditional courses to provide learning opportunities that cause students to formulate and solve problems; criticize their own work; work in teams; communicate about what they are doing; and achieve mastery of a topic, skill, or craft.

These powerful learning experiences are linked to standards, and students know beforehand the standards they must attain for each unit of study. Teachers support students in achieving the quality standards by guiding and coaching students individually or in small collaborative groups working on the same project or unit"

The Chemistry and Physics courses are divided into units taken from the California State Science Framework (see addendum one), each including several major concepts required for understanding. Students must demonstrate mastery in each unit as a requirement of the course. One path for demonstrating mastery would be to participate in the regular class activities and score well on tests and quizzes. Alternate paths are the subject of this proposal.

It must be emphasized that these alternate paths to demonstrate mastery are not for "dumbing down" the course, nor are they for extra credit. They are expected to represent equivalent levels of achievement to the standards set in the more traditional course.

A student might choose to follow an alternate for a few weeks or for several months. The alternate path might diverge only slightly from the standard course or it might be radically different. The decisions will be made by the student.

The level of individualized study can only be made possible by the existence of an extensive library and communications resource combined with a simple and efficient means of recording and storing student work. Computers and the Internet offer the opportunity to give such a program a try.

II. STUDENT OUTCOMES

1. The student will determine the format, content, and scope of the unit. The student will propose a plan of study and an exhibition that will demonstrate mastery of the concepts dealing with one or more of the described topics.

2. It will be expected that all student projects will utilize the inter-active nature of newsgroups and e-mail on the Internet as a resource. In addition to the unit content, the student will also be developing research and communication skills. One of the most important outcomes will be the establishment of contact between the student and professional scientists who are actively working on research projects

3. A concrete outcome from each project will be a portfolio of materials used in the study of the unit. Of importance is a Mosaic document written in HTML format. This document will be annotated by the student. It will serve as a record of research work done during the unit.

Equally important, this document will provide a starting point for following students who will be able to add their own contributions and access resources and analysis collected by previous students. It will be a legacy passed on to other students for years.

Because at its heart, HTML is a text based language which with proper training can be composed using any word processing program and appropriate GIF, JPEG, sound, and MPEG (movie) files, this document can be dissected and joined as needed and will provide a collective consciousness not only of student discovered resources but also of critical thinking in relation to these resources. It can be e-mailed between students in different grade levels and classes as well as to and from professionals off-campus, and there, resources can re-constructed for observation and critical discussion. And because it is text based, it allows for text based observations and scanned images from other sources to interact with information from Internet resources in a single document.

To this extent, this new alternative provides for a new type of cooperative learning group, one which is not constrained by the physical limits of being in the same room or on the same campus for conceptual discussions or access to resources. It allows students and professionals to work together in the same room or across the world or both! The final adddendum to this unit is living proof of the power of the Internet.

4. A student working to complete a unit will develop personal and professional responsibility. The proposal will be treated as a contract. The terms will be agreed to by the student, teacher, and parent, and may only be altered by mutual agreement. Time schedules and the recording of portfolio materials will be largely the responsibility of the student. The teacher will mainly provide oversight and advice.

III. ACTIVITIES

1. The activities making up the unit will be specified in the student proposal. Students must keep in mind that the goal is to be able to demonstrate mastery of the unit concepts which are consistent with the California Science Framework. He or she must continually ask questions about the subject matter, then try to find answers.

2. All projects will be expected to include use of the Internet as a communication resource. Students are expected to consult the list of topic related newsgroups and bulletin boards (see addendum two) in order to make e-mail contact with professionals in the related field of study.

3. All projects will include the use of Internet as an information gathering tool. An HTML Mosaic home page specifically designed as starting points for students involved in this type of research will be provided ( see addendum). This will provide starting points for student exploration of the Internet in relation to the study of the mastery units. Icons from Turbogopher will also be included. Student analysis and interaction with this home page will be written by the student and recorded on the student's personal HTML (log) as part of the portfolio. In addition to being part of the portfolio, the material will be added to the master physics/chemistry home page and shared with other students and professionals ( see outcome #4 and addendum three). Students will also record URL (uniform resource locator) information on their home pages for new Internet hosts for both Mosaic and gopher discovered using search engines and browsing on the Internet. The final addendum (addendum four) provides an example of this type of interaction between student, network information sources, and the professionals in the field of study.

4. Each session spent working on this project will be recorded in a student log. Entries will follow a prescribed format. Each entry should give a brief synopsis of the progress made during the session. Log entries may refer to supplementary materials that will be included with the final product (i. e., "Finished experiment today. See enclosed lab report.")

The log entry for each session should also include an idea of what the student plans to do in the next session. This will require thinking about what needs to be done ahead of time, and it will set immediate achievement goals for the student.

IV. ASSESSMENT

Assembling the Portfolio of Materials for the Instructor/Teacher Review

The student's work and progress will be recorded in a portfolio containing:
1. entries in the log
2. the annotated Mosaic document
3. supplementary documents that may include laboratory reports, library research materials, and/or graphic presentations.
These materials will be jointly reviewed by the teacher and the student before the end of the proposed term.

The Teacher Interview--The Core of Assessment

Since the objective is mastery of the concepts, the review session will include an interview in which the student will be required to demonstrate deep understanding of the unit concepts. A student showing serious deficiencies will be expected to continue working until satisfactory achievement can be demonstrated. A student who demonstrates mastery of the concepts will compile the materials for presentation to a student audience.

Grade and Credit

Assignments of grade and credit will be based on the standards outlined in the original proposal.

Addendum One--Chemistry and Physics Mastery Units

Mastery Units in Chemistry

This year, you may elect to demonstrate understanding of important concepts in ways other than the traditional lab/quiz/test format. You can determine the format, content, and scope of your investigation and exhibition, as long as the teacher agrees that it meets the objectives of this course. Learning resources available to you include the Chemistry laboratory, library, and Internet. Your plans for individualized learning and presentation must be described in a formal proposal which will be reviewed by the teacher. The proposed project may be subject to changes as it develops.

The major topics are listed below, accompanied by the concepts necessary to explain them as they are understood in modern chemistry.

Properties of Matter - Everything that takes up space and has inertia is matter. Matter exists in four states that have distinctive characteristics.

Elements are pure substances that cannot be separated into simpler materials. Compounds are made up of specific ratios of elements and cannot be separated by physical means. Elements and compounds can be identified by their physical and chemical properties.

Atomic Theory - Samples of an element are made up of chemically identical units called atoms. Atoms themselves are made up of smaller particles. Though they are too small to detect directly, the structure of atoms can be inferred from experimental results. The standard unit for numbers of atoms is the mole. One mole of atoms has a mass in grams equal to the atomic weight of the element.

Periodic Properties - Groups of elements have similar properties. The Periodic Table of the Elements is organized to group together similar elements. Modern atomic theory provides a theoretical basis for understanding these trends.

Chemical Bonds - Atoms combine to achieve greater stability. Combination may involve sharing or transfer of electrons. Elements always combine in whole-number ratios of moles.

Stoichiometry - Chemical reactions can be described by balanced equations. The balanced equations can be used to determine amounts of reactant or product materials if the amount of one material is known.

Solids, Liquids, Phase Changes - Kinetic theory describes the states of matter and equilibrium processes of phase changes. Energy is absorbed or released in all changes of state. The forces between particles in a sample of matter determine the properties of the sample.

Gas Laws - Particles within a sample of gas are widely separated from each other. The sample will respond in a predictable way to changes in temperature, pressure, or volume.

Solutions are homogenous mixtures. The properties of the particles in a solvent determine its ability to dissolve different substances (solutes). Dissolving is a dynamic equilibrium process, sensitive to such environmental conditions as temperature and pressure. Phase-change equilibria for solutions are often quite different than for pure substances.

Acids and Bases are special electrolyte solutions. Acids and bases are yin-yang pairs that exist in equilibrium in all aqueous solutions. pH measures the concentration of acid ions in a solution.

Thermodynamics - Spontaneous chemical reactions always involve changes in energy and/or entropy of the particles involved. Thermodynamic considerations determine which chemical reactions will occur in nature.

Kinetics - What actually happens when a chemical reaction occurs? Kinetics is a description of the interactions between individual atoms and molecules as old combinations break apart and new substances are formed.

Chemical Equilibrium - Every chemical reaction is (in theory) reversible. We live in a universe that is always in a dynamic balance, made of substances that are in a temporary, apparently stable, form.

Electrochemistry - Many important chemical reactions involve the exchange of electrons between atoms. These reactions can be controlled to harness electrical energy or to manufacture products.

Nuclear Chemistry includes all reactions in which atoms actually change their identities. These reactions are well-known because they release unmatched energy potential. Their are many other uses for these reactions and their products.

Mastery Units in Physics

This year, you may elect to demonstrate understanding of important concepts in ways other than the traditional lab/quiz/test format. You can determine the format, content, and scope of your investigation and exhibition, as long as the teacher agrees that it meets the objectives of this course. Learning resources available to you include the Physics laboratory, library, and Internet. Your plans for individualized learning and presentation must be described in a formal proposal which will be reviewed by the teacher. The proposed project may be subject to changes as it develops.

The major topics are listed below, accompanied by the concepts necessary to explain them as they are understood in modern physics.

Vectors are quantities that are described by specifying both magnitude and direction. The effects of two or more vectors acting simultaneously on an object can be determined by combining the vectors according to certain rules.

Dynamics - Forces change the state of motion of an object. The effects of forces are described by Newton's Laws of Motion. If the initial conditions are known, the results of interactions can be predicted. Momentum is a measure of the amount of motion. Momentum is conserved in all interactions between objects. The same rules that govern motion on the earth's surface also govern all motion in the universe.

Energy exists in many forms (one of which is motion). Energy can be changed from one form to another, but cannot be destroyed or created. Energy is transferred from one body to another when work is done.

Kinetic Theory explains many of the macroscopic changes observed in samples of matter (e. g., change of state, thermal expansion) in terms of the motion of the particles making up the sample.

Fluid Dynamics - Viscosity of a fluid and pressure exerted on the fluid influence the motion of the fluid. Conversely, a moving fluid can interact with objects to exert forces on the objects.

Waves transfer energy. Light and sound are two familiar forms of energy that exhibit wave properties. Wavelength, frequency, amplitude, and period are characteristics used to describe waves. Waves can be reflected, refracted, and diffracted. Waves can interfere constructively or destructively with other waves. Wave energy can resonate with certain parts of the environment.

Optics - Reflection is the bouncing of waves from a surface. Refraction is the bending of waves as they cross from one medium to another. Both phenomena can be described by mathematical relationships, and both can be used to control light.

The Nature of Light is difficult to comprehend. It can be shown to have properties of both waves and particles. Light is produced when electrically charged particles lose energy.

Electricity - Forces (described by Coulomb's Law) exist between any two charged particles. Large numbers of electrically charged particles can be made to flow as a current. Electric current flowing through a resistor converts some energy to do work. Current flowing through simple or complex circuits can be described by the principles of Ohm's Law.

Magnetism is intimately related to electricity. Electric currents induce magnetic fields. Changing magnetic fields can induce electric currents. These are the principles behind transformers and electromagnetic transmissions such as radio and television.

Quantum Mechanics - Wave/particle duality of light can be extended to include all energy and matter. At the size level of sub-atomic particles, matter can be shown to behave like waves and energy can be shown to behave like particles.

Nuclear Physics includes all reactions in which atoms actually change their identities. These reactions are well-known because they release unmatched energy potential. Their are many other uses for these reactions and their products.

Addendum Two

Newsgroups for exploration with the above mastery units. This is not a complete list.

sci.aeronautics, sci.aeronautics.airliners, sci.aeronautics.simulation, sci.answers, sci.astro, sci.astro.fits, sci.astro.hubble, sci.astro.planetarium, sci.astro.research, sci.bio.ethology, sci.bio.evolution, sci.bio.technology, sci.chem, sci.chem.electrochem, sci.chem.labware, sci.chem.organomet, sci.classics, sci.cognitive, sci.comp-aided, sci.data.formats, sci.econ, sci.econ.research, sci.edu,

sci.electronics, sci.electronics.cad, sci.electronics.repair, sci.energy, sci.energy.hydrogen, sci.engr, sci.engr.advanced-tv, sci.engr.biomed, sci.engr.chem, sci.engr.civil, sci.engr.control, sci.engr.lighting, sci.engr.manufacturing, sci.engr.mech, sci.engr.semiconductors, sci.environment, sci.fractals, sci.geo.eos, sci.geo.fluids, sci.geo.geology, sci.geo.hydrology, sci.geo.meteorology, sci.geo.petroleum, sci.geo.satellite-nav, sci.image.processing, sci.logic, sci.materials, sci.materials.ceramics, sci.math, sci.math.num-analysis, sci.math.research, sci.math.symbolic, sci.mech.fluids, sci.nanotech,

sci.nonlinear, sci.op-research, sci.optics, , sci.philosophy.tech, sci.physics, sci.physics.accelerators, sci.physics.computational.fluid- dynamics, sci.physics.electromag, sci.physics.fusion, sci.physics.particle, sci.physics.research, sci.polymers, , sci.research, sci.research.careers, sci.research.postdoc, sci.skeptic, sci.space.science, sci.space.shuttle, sci.space.tech, sci.stat.consult, sci.stat.edu, sci.stat.math, sci.systems, sci.techniques.mag-resonance, sci.techniques.microscopy, sci.techniques.spectroscopy, sci.techniques.xtallography, sci.virtual- worlds, sci.virtual-worlds.apps

Addendum Three

Sample HTML Page in text format

The Mendocino High School Physics Page

This page serves as a reference point for all students studying the area of Physics at Mendocino High School. Additions to the page are welcome at any time.

Nuclear Physics

The Department of Energy's Office of Fusion Energy is pleased to announce the availability of general information on the nation's fusion energy research program. Hypertext links are also provided to many of the research laboratories engaged in research on providing an alternative power source for the future

Univ. of Washington Nuclear Physics Laboratory

Feel free to read the Current Physics and Networking Newsletters

Here is a list of experiments that are currently on-line. . Some of them are related to Nuclear Physics

The Nuclear Physics Electronic contains doucments related to Nuclear Physics.

You may want to key word search through the World Wide Web Catalog

The NCSA Relativity Group Mosaic/www home page. This group uses supercomputers to study black holes, gravitational waves, and other phenomena predicted by Einstein's Theory of General Relativity. There are also links to other physics information around the world.

Here is the above page in HTML:

The Mendocino High School Physics Page

This page serves as a reference point for all students studying the area of Physics at Mendocino High School. Additions to the page are welcome at any time.

Nuclear Physics