Investigative study in chemistry

Investigative Study (IS) Conducted in groups of 3 to 5 students Provide students with opportunities to design and conduct an investigation with a view to solving an authentic problem Students will learn about scientific processes and how these processes work to generate new information

Aims of investigative study Students can: –apply their knowledge and understanding of chemistry –develop and apply various practical skills –develop skills such as creativity, critical thinking, communication, problem-solving –develop understanding on nature of science

Before conducting IS, students should be guided on: How to work together in a group to develop an investigation plan and solve a problem How to define a researchable topic How to search for relevant information from various sources How to write an investigation plan How to write a laboratory report or make a poster for presentation

For learning and teaching Topic XVI in NSS Chemistry curriculum For assessment Practical related taskNon-practical related task Basic Chemical Analysis ExperimentInvestigative Study Assignment Weighting20%30% 20% S5 ≧1≧1 ≧3≧3 1 ≧1≧1 S6

Year of examinationImplementation of SBA 2012 & 2013  practical related tasks  investigative study  non-practical related tasks 2014 and thereafter  practical related tasks  investigative study  non-practical related tasks Implementation timetable of SBA

Investigative study (20 hours) Design and conduct a first-hand investigation (a) Searching for and defining questions 3 hrs (b) Developing an investigative plan 4 hrs (c) Conducting the investigation 6 hrs (d) Organizing and analyzing data 4 hrs (e) Presenting findings3 hrs 1. Design 2. Process 3. Report

Using the Allocated Lesson Time (20 hrs) SunMonTueWedThuFriSat 12 (a)34 (a) (b)1011 (b) (b)1718 (c) (c)2425 (c) (c)31 1 (c) (d)78 (d) (d)1415 (e) (e) Double period (2 x 40 mins ~1.3 hr); 2.67 hrs /week; 7.5 weeks

Using post-examination school days SunMonTueWedThuFriSat (a)21 (b)22 (c)23 (c) (d)27 (e) July1 23 (a) (a)4 (b)56 (b) (c)11 (c)12 (d)13 (e) (c)18 (c)19 (d)2021 (e)22

Implementation schedule ProsCons Easter, Lunar New Year, Summer holiday… -Reserve more time for teaching -Long practical section -Attendance problem -Extra workload -Extent of involvement Post examination -Reserve more time for teaching -Long practical section -Attendance problem -Clash with other projects of different subjects Normal school days -Complement to teaching -No attendance problem -Chopped practical sections -Too hectic

Try-out: Making Your Own Acid-Base Indicator Tasks: 1.Extract coloured pigments from plant materials 2.Use the extract as acid-base indicator and find the concentration of alkali in oven cleaner

Finding information and planning

Extraction of coloured pigments

Choosing suitable indicators

Find the concentration of alkali in oven cleaner

Try-out: Chemical cells Task: 1. Make a chemical cell from household chemicals and materials 2. Test the performance of the chemical cell

This chemical cell consists of 9 pairs of metal couples. Its voltage is between 2 – 2.5V. “Coin Cell” made by aluminium foil and coins.

More examples Salt content of snack (a)Gravimetric method (b)Titrimetric methods: Volhard method: back titration of Ag + with KSCN using Fe 2+ as indicator Volhard method: back titration of Ag + with KSCN using Fe 2+ as indicator Mohr method: titration with Ag + using K 2 CrO 4 as indicator Mohr method: titration with Ag + using K 2 CrO 4 as indicator

Self-heating food/drink container

Getting copper from its ore 1.To extract copper metal from a given ore sample 2.To isolate product 3.To calculate extraction efficiency 4.To calculate cost of the method CuCO 3.Cu(OH) 2.H 2 O(s) CuO(s) CuSO 4 (aq) Cu(s) heat H 2 SO 4 (aq) C(s), H 2 (g) or Town gasZn(s) or electrolysis

Appropriateness of the Topic Does the activity address something worth learning? Is the topic socially relevant, interesting or motivating? Is the cognitive demand appropriate? Do students have the required prior knowledge and adequate skills? Are resources such as journal articles, reference books, chemicals and apparatus available? Is the time available sufficient for the activity? Are there any safety concerns? Can laboratory technicians and others help in its implementation?

Your concerns… 10 groups, 10 different projects Scale of investigation Laboratory safety Clash with investigation of other science subjects such as Physics Collaboration with lab tech and other teachers