Lesson 1 - Monday, Apr 8
Focus Question: Where does maple syrup come from?
What We Did…
C & D period students were asked to make sure their Initial Maple Tree models were completely up-to-date because some students missed a lesson–or lessons–before the start of vacation.
C period then used their models to generate questions for the “Driving Questions Board” and investigation ideas for the “Ideas for Investigations” board–these can all be found in the Jamboard in the Google Science Classroom. The most interesting addition to our maple tree models was the addition of the “samara,” the seed pod for the maple tree, which we learned is 1) in the canopy, 2) winged, and 3) contains an edible “maple nut” containing a variety of nutritious substances.
Like C period, D period was also asked to add the “samara” to their model but they did not generate any questions or investigation ideas for their Jamboard. Instead, they developed yet another model which included the maple tree and our old friend M’Kenna!!! This crude-but-very-interesting model can now be seen in the Grade 7 Notes Portal. It is definitely a model we will continue to develop as our unit progresses.
Homework: There is no science homework tonight.
Lesson 2 - Tuesday, Apr 9
Focus Question: Where does maple syrup come from?
What We Did…
After reviewing the history of our model development thus far (but also the model development of D period), C period decided to take steps to begin elaborating two aspects of their Initial Maple Tree model. First, they brainstormed ideas for investigations designed to make the Rain/Cloud aspect of their model more accurate. Second, they proposed allowing a samara (seed pod) to fall to the ground and begin showing the stages of growth of a maple tree from a maple seed. At some point during the lesson, Dr. M asked the class to clarify the role of the sun–and sunlight–in their model. When doing so, we discovered that within our class there are no less than three different ideas about sunlight: 1) sunlight is not made of/from atoms, 2) sunlight is made of/from hydrogen atoms, and 3) sunlight is made of/from not only hydrogen, but also some other types of atoms. At the end of the lesson, we were still left with some questions: What is sunlight? Is it made of/from atoms? How is sunlight created?
After reviewing the history of our model development thus far (but also the model development of C period), D period focused their model work on the addition of the samara to the canopy of the maple tree. This work included adding all of the available nutrition information for a maple seed/nut. We discovered that maple nuts contain the following nutrient molecules: carbohydrates, proteins, oils (fats), fiber, vitamins (such as beta-carotene), and “balanced amino acids.” When examining the atoms needed to create all of the nutrient molecules in a maple nut, we discovered that maple trees need mostly carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) to create them. What was puzzling is that to make proteins a maple tree also needs nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) atoms, which do not appear anywhere in our Initial Maple Tree model. Thus, in the next lesson we need to identify where these two atoms could possibly come from.
Homework: There is no science homework tonight.
Lesson 3 - Wednesday, Apr 10
Focus Question: Where does maple syrup come from?
What We Did…
In C period we set up the Sunlight Investigation in our science notebooks. We wrote a Research Question, our three competing Hypotheses about light and atoms, and then stated some known facts about atoms and mass. We also discussed the shape, size, structure, and mass of hydrogen atoms before doing some rough calculations to figure out how many hydrogen atoms would need to land and stay fixed on one of our electronic balances long enough to see the balance read “1.0 grams.” [Answer: We think the scale would need to hold at least 600 sextillion hydrogen atoms before reading 1.0 grams = that’s 600,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 hydrogen atoms!]. Spoiler alert: We’re going to try performing this investigation in the lab during Lesson 4.
After discussing C period’s proposed light investigation, some D period students wanted to better understand how our Sun creates light energy. And so, after a bit of strategic searching we found and watched a wonderfully helpful YouTube video showing how the Sun shines. At the start of our next lesson, we will try summarizing what we learned from this video animation and then add represent our new understanding of the Sun–and of light–on our Initial Maple Tree model.
Homework: There is no science homework tonight.
Lesson 4 - Friday, Apr 12
Focus Question: Where does maple syrup come from?
What We Did…
C period performed their light investigation but concluded that the school’s electronic balances are likely not sensitive enough to measure the small number of atoms come from the light source (if there are any atoms in light!). We then used the Internet to discover that light is not made of atoms, but instead consists of something called “photons,” which we learned are “electromagnetic waves.” In our research, we also discovered something called “photosynthesis,” which led to us defining–and mapping–it to try and see if we could understand it as an example of a chemical reaction.
D period worked further on their samaras section of their model. More specifically, we considered where the maple tree might get the nitrogen and sulfur atoms it needs to make the protein molecules in the samara. We came up with two possible sources: air and soil. To help see if the air was a possible source of these atoms, Dr. M shared his composition of air handout, which shows the atoms/molecules typically found in air. We discovered that the air could only be the source of nitrogen atoms as air typically contains no sulfur atoms. We also then read that soil typically contains both nitrogen and sulfur atoms. We said this fact makes us want to test the soil on the TASIS campus–perhaps the soil beneath a chestnut tree, which is sort of like a maple tree?–to see if we can prove our soil contains both nitrogen and sulfur atoms. And so, we started looking for soil tests for both nitrogen and sulfur.
Homework: There is no science homework.
Announcements...
The DRIVING QUESTION of our current unit is: Where does food come from and where does it go next?
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