This lesson is for : Grade 8:
Summary
What are the products we use and eat really made out of? How are those ingredients related to the periodic table? These questions and more will be examined in this project. In order to connect curriculum to real life, students were asked to find a product at home they either eat, drink, or use on their body. Students will utilize all lessons learned about the periodic table to find common elements within their products and compile research to understand what these products actually contain. Students will then create a Public Service Announcement.
TIPC Ratings
Research & Information Fluency
Rating: Ideal – Explanation: Students are given a problem to find how safe an ingredient from real products they use every day are. Students’ groups will determine what common ingredient they will research and analyze what elements from the periodic table it is made up of. Students’ research will stem from their own questions generated prior. Student will determine accuracy and authority of source’s using R.A.D.C.A.B. Student will organize information on a collaborative platform (Google Drive) then take the information and synthesize to create a persuasive PSA about how safe or not safe their ingredient is from their products. Student will then upload their PSAs to a Google Drive Class Folder to allow other classmates to evaluate their information.
Communication & Collaboration
Rating: Ideal – Explanation: Students will form teams based on common ingredient found from their product they choose from their own home. All of the project components from this activity are distributed and collected using Google Drive. Using this collaborative platform of Google Drive allows groups to gather and organize the information as a team. Students will be given a self reflection questionnaire to describe their experiences and to enhance future educational growth. Student will complete the project by evaluating another classmate’s PSA that will be viewable in the Class Folder on Google Drive.
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
Rating: Ideal – Explanation: Students will be prompt with an authentic task about do we really know what the ingredients of products we use are and what the makeup of those ingredients are? With knowledge of the periodic table and their own generate self guided research, students will justify if their ingredient is harmful or safe to use on a daily basis. Other than the platform for sharing being Google Drive, students were not given any restrictions on the digital tools for research or their final products. As part of their reflection students had to reflect on their products and how they enhanced their understanding of matter and elements in their everyday life.
Creativity & Innovation
Rating: Approaching – Explanation: Based on existing knowledge and information gained through research, students determined and made recommendations for continued, limited or no use of the various products.
Student Artifact
Lesson Materials
