WELCOME TO A SMART PROJECT!
The following project is currently under progress by Rhode Island teachers. Although in some activities, the teachers have borrowed and adapted ideas from other teachers and current programs and sources on the Internet, the work is their own. The activities are displayed here in their original form , unedited as they have submitted them. In most cases, these are ongoing projects. The names, school districts, and email addresses of the authors are included. Please feel free to contact the authors with any suggestions, comments, or even participation.Teaching and learning are cooperative efforts.
"THE DANCE OF CHANCE"
The Dance of Chance
A Class Project
This goal of this unit of study is to work together as a class to use the resources of the computer, the Internet, the chemistry lab and the Boston Museum of Science to explore the idea of patterns in the randomness of growth.
Phase One: Surfing the Web(Each student should do all of the first phase)
- You will begin by becoming acquainted with Netscape, a program to explore the resources of the Internet.
- Run Netscape and find out What's New and What's Cool.
- Explore the various menus and buttons to see what the program can do.
- Make sure you try to do a search.
- Be sure to ask questions.
- Your teacher and your classmates are here to help you.
- Complete the scavenger hunt to show that you can get around the World Wide Web.
- Phase Two: Polymer chemistry(Students may work in teams or independently gathering various parts of this informaltion)
- Search the resources of the Internet to determine information about polymers:
- The information should include but not be limited to the following:
- What is a polymer
- What is a monomer?
- a copolymer
- a polymer?
- What is the difference between linear and branched forms of a polymer?
- Polymer Chemistry
- Chemical structure
- Molecular Weight of a polymer
- Synthesis reactions
- Use a flow chart to diagram the steps in the synthesis of a polymer.
- Physical Structure
- Forces affecting structure
- Crystalline and amorphous polymers
- Recycling polymers
- Laboratory Procedure--
- Find a procedure for making a polymer in the lab.
- Be sure that you take into account the availability of reagents/equipment.
- Safety considerations must be taken into consideration.
- Check with your teacher to see if this can be done in the lab.
- Phase Three: Fractals(Students may work in teams or independently gathering various parts of this informaltion)
- Use the resources of the Internet to determine the following information about fractals?
- What is a fractal?
- What is chaos?
- What are fractal dimensions?
- Try Mandelbrot zoom
- http://www.vis.colostate.edu/~user1209/fractal/mandel.html
- Try L-system tutorial (rules and symbols that model growth)
- http://life.anu.edu.au/complex_systems/tutorial2.html
- Find a program for the MAC that will allow you to experiment with factal
- Phase Four: Synthesis and Presentation
- Develop a thesis statement.
- Relate the information you acquired in each of the above areas.
- Work with your classmates to develop a way to present this material to a first year chemistry class within one class period.
- Use a variety of methods.
- Assign responsibilities.
- Students get bored when you just lecture--bet you didn't know that!!!
- Phase Five: Field Trip
- Evaluate the exhibition The Dance of Chance at the Boston Museum of Science.
- What was the point of the exhibit?
- Did your research support what you saw at the Boston Museum of Science?
- What ideas in the exhibit were new to you?
- What ideas from your research were presented in the exhibit?
Ride1057@ride.ri.nethttp://www.lexmark.com/ptc/book1.html's Home Page
WHS-The Dance of Chance
My favorite places on the web--
What is a polymer?
Mandelbrotzoom
L-system tutorial
I think therefore I am.
If you have comments or suggestions email me at Ride1057@ride.ri.nethttp://www.lexmark.com/ptc/book1.html
If you like this page and would like to create your own, please
visit fifi@wizard.com
AUTHOR:
Linda Chaffee ride1057@ride.ri.net Westerly High School - Westerly, Rhode Island physics 1 and 2, dept. head for all sci courses grades 11 - 12