RET NANO 2008 Lesson plan Charlotte Veloski

Nano Scale Investigation Standards 3.1. Unifying Themes GRADE 10 Apply scale as a way of relating concepts and ideas to one another by some measure. Apply dimensional analysis and scale as a ratio. Convert one scale to another Physical Science, Chemistry and Physics GRADE 10 Explain concepts about the structure and properties of matter. Essential Questions (EQ) How small is a nanometer, compared with a hair, a blood cell, a virus, or an atom? Objective: To familiarize students with the size and scale of objects by making size comparisons between nano and micro-sized objects with common everyday objects (macro scale).

Nano Scale Investigation Number Line Activity (Nanosense lesson from 1 st week) 1)Students read “Visualizing the Nanoscale.” Discussion and intro to the size scales. 2)Create number scale using clothesline with 12 equidistant number cards ranging from to 10 1 meters. 3)Have students place cards of common objects on the scale (using clothespins) based on their size. 4)Use long banners and have the students identify the nano, micro, and macro scales within the overall number line.

Before Show CSI Video clip (previewed for content & full of evidence visuals) Ask students what kinds of evidence do they look for in a CSI episode? (Blood, DNA, Strands of Hair, Fibers etc..)

Evidence What is so amazing about CSI? Technology -size and scale of evidence Ask students to estimate sizes Tell students what if I told you that there was an entire field of research based on sizes that are at least 1000X smaller than these pieces of evidence?

Consider a human hand How Big is a Nanometer? white blood cell skin DNAatoms nanoscale Source: 8 Zooming in on your hand by powers of 10

The Macroscale & Microscale

The Nanoscale

Create Number Line

Cards for Activity

Summer Research Image of fluorescence of CdSe Quantum dots of different size.

After Object< 1nm 1nm to 100nm Nanoscale 1um to 1mm Microscale 1mm or more Macroscale A Human blood cell (diameter) A fingerprint (width) A double strand of DNA (diameter) One single Anthrax virus (diameter) A Human Hair (width) Exit slips Tell students: The following pieces of evidence were collected at a CSI (crime scene investigation). Using your knowledge of size and scale, indicate the size of each item by placing an X in the appropriate box.