Annie Ellison Science Methods Blog

 Week 15  Are you able to relate what you learned to what you already knew? This week I learned more about the conservation of matter. I already knew that chemical reactions can produce gas, but I did not fully realize or remember that this changes the overall mass. It is not that any matter is lost, but that it is redistributed. This helped me better understand that the total mass stays the same before and after a reaction, even if the matter changes form or moves somewhere else, like into the air as a gas. How can you apply what you've learned to your teaching in the future? I can apply this by asking questions that intrigue students and make them want to learn and investigate. For example, asking students why some objects float or why bubbles form in a chemical reaction can make them curious. I also liked how there was a little autonomy in the lab. I think that can be applied in a classroom as well. Maybe not specifically with the investigation we did, but I think that by l...

 Week 14 What did you learn this week? This week, I learned how the particle model helps explain things we see. For example, why does ice melt faster on metal or why does a cold drink get water on the outside? I was reminded that particles are always moving and transferring energy, and how that can cause them to change stages. The simulations and lab activity helped make that clearer. Are you able to relate what you learned to what you already knew? I knew heat moves from warmer to cooler objects and that condensation happens on cold drinks, but now I understand again what’s going on at the particle level. It’s not just about temperature—it’s about the properties and how they are losing or gaining energy.  What are new or remaining questions? How did scientists figure this out before having technology that could show particles? Lab Images/Video