National Standards:

UCP.2: Evidence, models and explanation
UCP.3: Change, constancy and measurement

A.1: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry

A.2: Understanding about scientific inquiry

B.2: Structure and properties of matter

Rationale:

The meniscus and displacement lab introduces the students to several terms common to labs. Additionally, students learn an alternative method for determining the volume of an object. The Oreo lab creates interest by using a brand students are familiar with and the excitement of getting to eat the lab samples at the end of class. After spending the beginning of this unit with hands on activities, students settle down for note taking and worksheets. The worksheets include hands on application and illustrations by students. The cube activity has student construct a figure and then construct a similar figure with 100 times the volume. This reinforces the concept of volume and allows students to kinesthetically experience a dramatic increase in volume. Finally, students design their own experiments to determine the volume of a paper clip.

Integration: Include the math teachers in this unit. Coordinate with them to reinforce volume, measurement and averages during their classes.
 

Day 1:

Meniscus and Displacement Lab with clay (see document in this unit)

Day 2:

Oreo Lab (see document in this unit). Have students complete the first section of the lab the first day and save the cream fillings (with labels) for the next day's activities.

Day 3:

Finish Oreo lab.

After all lab equipment is cleaned, have students discuss their results as a class. Make a list of all of the averages from each group on the board.

Groups	Mass (regular)	Mass (Double Stuf)	Volume (reg)	Volume (DS)	Displacement (reg)	Displacement (DS)
1
2
3
4
Class average

Find the average of each column. Discuss this as a class. What is the advantage of looking at all of the data together? (More samples correlated to more accuracy). Did the Double Stuf cookie have double the stuffing? Which measurement best supports this conclusion? How many groups' final conclusion matched the class' conclusion? What were sources of error? Was anyone surprised by the results? You may want to briefly discuss advertising and ask students what they think of the name "Double Stuf."

Day 4:

Discuss Mass vs Weight using the brief notes provided in this unit. Follow up with the worksheet comparing mass and weight on different planets in our solar system. Students may need help with the calculations to begin, so I suggest completing the first planet as a class. The mass should be written down the entire column so students become familiar with the idea that mass does not change. After the tables are completed, students will use hand held masses to experience the difference in weight of a textbook on different planets. You will need to have a scale available to them to measure the textbook's initial mass.

Day 5:

Volume of different shapes worksheet. Provide visual examples of each shape listed in the table and talk through the formulas with them using the physical examples. To complete the worksheet, students illustrate an example for each shape and label the dimensions (length, width, radius, etc.). Follow up with the using formulas practice worksheet.

Day 6:

Cube activity (see handout in this unit)

Day 7:

Demo: What happens to the mass and volume of water and sugar when mixed?

Use a 250mL beaker and about 8 cubes of sugar. Add 150 mL of water to the beaker. Mass out the beaker with water in it. Record on the board. Mass the sugar and record. Measure the sides of the sugar cubes and calculate the total volume and record. Add the sugar to the water. Ask students to make observations. Stir the sugar. Ask for observations again. Determine the new volume and mass of the sugar water mixture. Record. Does the new mass equal the mass of the water/beaker plus the mass of the sugar? Discuss. Did the total volume change? Discuss. You may want to introduce the idea of conservation of mass.

Introduce the document: lab report basics
 

Day 8:

Culminating Activity: What is the volume of a paper clip? Introduce this activity along with the lab report basics document. Students develop their own experiments to answer the question. Encourage students to think about all of the activities they have done before deciding on a procedure. Also, require multiple trials in their experiment. After reading the lab handout together, have students sit and think of ideas for accomplishing their task. Then, ask for ideas and list them on the board. Students may need to hear the ideas of others before they are able to come up with their own experiments. If students choose to do a displacement lab (the method I would suggest), they will notice the water does not overflow when it reaches the top of the container. (This could start a discussion on water cohesion and hydrogen bonding.) However, if they continue to add paper clips, when the water overflows, the water could be collected and measured to determine the amount of volume displaced. 

Day 9:

Finish experiments and work on lab reports. Be sure students understand your expectations for an appropriate lab report.

Day 10:

Lab report peer review. Students review the lab reports of their teammates using the provided worksheet. Students may rewrite their reports using the critiques of classmates. Be sure students understand they are not scoring the work of their classmates. Instead, they are offering suggestions for improvement. By reading the reports of others, they are also reflecting on their own work in comparison.

Reflection, use the reflections document for students to reflect on their learning and to communicate with you.

Define and illustrate meniscus.

Define and illustrate displacement.

Define Mass.

Define Volume.

1. Measure 50 mL of water in a graduated cylinder.
2. Draw the meniscus.
3. Measure the mass of an empty 250 mL beaker. Record.
4. Pour the water into a 250 mL beaker.
5. Repeat steps 1 and 2, then pour the water into the beaker.
6. Record volume and mass.
7. Draw the meniscus.
8. Obtain a piece of clay and measure the mass. Record.
9. Gently place the clay in the beaker of water.
10. Record the new volume of the contents of the beaker.
11. Determine the displacement of water in the beaker. Record.
12. Remove clay from beaker and dry the clay.
13. Measure the mass of an empty 50mL graduated cylinder. Record.
14. Measure 40 mL of water in a graduated cylinder.
15. Draw the meniscus of the graduated cylinder.
16. Measure the mass of the clay. Record.
17. Gently place the clay in the graduated cylinder of water.
18. Record the new volume.
19. Record the new mass.
20. Repeat steps 13 through 19 with 20 mL of water.

21. Clean table and equipment. Keep clay at your table. Return all other clean materials to cart.

22. Mold clay into a rectangle. Measure and record length, width, and height in centimeters. Multiply these values to determine volume, record.

23. Mold the same piece of clay into a sphere. Measure the diameter of the sphere in centimeters, record. Determine the volume using the formula:         v=(4/3)πr³, record.

24. Return clean clay to appropriate location on cart.

Data:

Analysis: Please answer these questions.

1. What was the displacement of water for each trial?

2. What was the mass of the clay for each trial?

3. What was the volume of the sphere? rectangle?

1. What did you notice about the amount of displacement in each trial?

2. Did the mass of the clay change during the experiment? Explain.

3. Compare the volume of the clay in the sphere to the volume of the clay in the rectangle.

4. Compare the volume of the clay in the rectangle to the average displacement of the water. 

Reflection:

Procedure:

Day 1 

1. Obtain 2 regular Oreo cookies and 2 Double Stuf Oreo cookies.
2. Weigh each cookie individually. Record data to the nearest hundredth of a gram (0.XX)
3. Measure the width and diameter of the cream filling of a regular Oreo. Record data to the nearest millimeter. Repeat for all 4 cookies.
4. Find the volume of each cookie using this formula:
volume = width x 3.14 x (½ x diameter)².
5. Carefully remove the chocolate wafers of one regular cookie and weigh the wafers and then the cream separately. Record data to the nearest hundredth of a gram (0.XX). Repeat for all four cookies.
6. Store and label your cream fillings in a sealed bag. Clean your work area and the scale thoroughly. 

7.  Collect your cream fillings and a 50ml graduated cylinder.

8.  Pour 20 ml of water into the graduated cylinder.

9. Place one of the the cream fillings in the water. The filling may crumble, or need to be broken up to fit in.

10. Measure and record the displacement.  

11. Repeat steps 8 through 10 for all four fillings.

12. Clean up and wash your hands. 

Day 1 

1. Average the masses and volume of your regular cookies from table 1.

Mass of whole cookie: _________ Mass of chocolate wafers: ____________

Mass of Cream: _______________ Volume: ______________

2. Average the masses and volume of your Double Stuf cookies from table 1.

Mass of whole cookie: _________ Mass of chocolate wafers: ____________

Mass of Cream: _______________ Volume: ______________

  Regular displacement: _____________________    Double Stuf displacement: _______________________
 

Conclusion:

1. Based on your data, are Double Stuf Oreos double stuffed? Support your answer.

2. How did the volume from the first day compare to the displacement the second day? Explain.

3. Which method of measuring volume (ruler or displacement) was most efficient for this experiment? Why? 

4. What sources of error happened in your lab?



5. How could you improve this lab for next time?

the amount of matter in an object

stays the same regardless of location of the object

measured in pounds or kilograms

the force exerted on an object by gravity

varies depending on location (you weigh less at the top of a mountain than at the sea level)

measured in Newtons

3. Use mass bars to feel the difference in weight between your textbook on Earth (just hold your textbook) and your textbook on Jupiter, the moon, and Pluto. Write down your observations in the table below.

Paper (2 pieces)

Ruler

Scissors

Glue

1. Use a ruler to draw your template with 1 cm sides for your first cube, be sure to remember to draw flaps like this model.

2. Cut out the cube as one large piece.

3. Glue your cube together by gluing the flaps to the corresponding sides.

4. Use your ruler again to measure the sides of your cube.

5. Determine the volume of your cube using the formula for the volume of a cube.

6. Repeat steps 1 through 5 to build a cube with 10 cm sides.

Data Table

Analysis

1. Compare the measurements of the sides of the two cubes.

 

2. Compare the volumes of the two cubes.

Conclusion

1. What do you notice about the difference in side length compared to the difference in volume of the two cubes?

 

2. Does your answer to #1 surprise you? Why or why not?

 

3. How many of your first cubes would you need to make a large cube the size of your second cube?

4. What could you have done differently to improve this lab?

Draw and label a paper clip:

Describe previous experiments in which you learned about volumes of geometric figures

What do you know about the shape of a paper clip? How might that pose a challenge for finding the volume? 

Suggestions to think about when developing your hypothesis:

Which method of finding volume will work best for you?

 Why do you think your method will be the best?

What results are you expecting? 

Provide a complete list of items you will use in this experiment.

Write a detailed, step-by-step procedure to follow in your lab experiment. You will need to have this authorized by your teacher before collecting materials. The procedure must be so well written anyone could pick it up and follow it exactly as you will follow it. Be specific.

Write in words what your data tells you. Only state facts as evident in the data.

1. Was you hypothesis supported? Why or why not?

2. What challenges did you find?

3. What is the volume of a paper clip? Compare this with classmates and describe your comparison.

4. What errors did you experience in your lab?

5. What else did you learn?

1. Overall, how did the lab go for you?

2. What would you do differently next time?

3. What did you learn? How did you learn it?