1. Systems and Scale Lesson 4: Activity 1
Investigating Burning Ethanol
Lesson 4: Activity 1

2. Two Questions about Chemical Change
What is a chemical change?
A change in matter where atoms are rearranged into new molecules.
Questions scientists always try to answer about chemical changes involving carbon atoms:
The Location/Movement Question: Where atoms moving?
The Carbon Question: What is happening to carbon atoms?
The Movement Question: Where atoms moving? (Where are atoms moving from? Where are atoms going to?)
The Carbon Question: What is happening to carbon atoms? (What molecules are carbon atoms in before the process? How are the atoms rearranged into new molecules?)
Explain the Energy Question.
Tell students that they will now investigate ethanol burning in more depth and explain what happens in more detail. Tell students that this involves answering the Two Questions that they answered for soda water fizzing: the Movement Question and the Carbon Question. Explain that this also involves a third question: the Energy Question.
Show students slide 2 in the presentation Lesson 4 What happens when Ethanol Burns to remind them of the Two Questions about chemical change that they answered about soda water.
2. Explain the Energy Question.
Show students slide 6, Two Questions about Chemical Change, in the presentation Lesson 4 What happens when Ethanol Burns to remind them of the Two Questions about chemical change that they answered about soda water.

3. The Energy Question Two facts about energy:
Energy lasts forever. Energy is never created or destroyed in chemical changes.
Energy can be transformed from one form to another.
What do you know about forms of energy?
List some common forms of energy.
Ask students about their prior knowledge of energy and forms of energy.
Some common forms of energy include: Heat, Light, Motion, Chemical energy: energy stored in bonds of molecules
Explain the Energy Question.
Tell students that they will now investigate ethanol burning in more depth and explain what happens in more detail. Tell students that this involves answering the Two Questions that they answered for soda water fizzing: the Movement Question and the Carbon Question. Explain that this also involves a third question: the Energy Question.
The Energy Question, to introduce two rules about energy and the Energy Question. Tell students that the two rules about energy are like the three rules about atoms, then introduce the third question: the Energy Question. Ask students what they know about forms of energy. Help students formulate a list of different forms of energy.

4. The Energy Question What is happening to chemical energy?
What forms of energy are involved?
How is energy changing from one form to another?
Have students come up with their ideas and predictions and write them into the slide or on the board.
Explain the Energy Question.
Tell students that they will now investigate ethanol burning in more depth and explain what happens in more detail. Tell students that this involves answering the Two Questions that they answered for soda water fizzing: the Movement Question and the Carbon Question. Explain that this also involves a third question: the Energy Question.
The Energy Question, to introduce two rules about energy and the Energy Question. Tell students that the two rules about energy are like the three rules about atoms, then introduce the third question: the Energy Question. Ask students what they know about forms of energy. Help students formulate a list of different forms of energy.

5. Answering the questions for ethanol burning
What are your ideas?
The Location/Movement Question: Where are the atoms moving?
The Carbon Question: What is happening to carbon atoms?
The Energy Question: What is happening to chemical energy?
Have students come up with predictions.
Show students Slide 5-11 to prompt students to share their ideas about the Three Questions. Have students work in pairs to discuss and then share their ideas. Give each pair 6 sticky notes. Have students use the Process Tool on Slide 8 or the Ethanol Burning Process Tool 11 x 17 Poster with sticky notes to record their responses. Save the students’ sticky notes to use after the investigation.

6. Making Predictions Predicting mass changes
What materials will gain and lose mass when ethanol burns?
How are the mass changes connected with The Location/Movement Question: Where are atoms moving?
The next two slides correspond to the Lesson 4.1 Initial Predictions and Explanations Worksheet. Have students answer questions then discuss their answers in segments.
Show Slides 6-11 to prompt students to share their ideas about the Three Questions. Have students work in pairs to discuss and then share their ideas. Have students use the What Happens When Ethanol Burns? Process Tool on Slide 8 or the What Happens When Ethanol Burns 11 x 17 Poster with sticky notes to record their responses. Save the students’ sticky notes to use after the investigation.

7. Making Predictions cont…
How will ethanol burning change BTB?
How are the BTB changes connected to The Carbon Question?
What is happening to carbon atoms?
How do you think that energy is changing from one form to another?
Have students complete the worksheet in these segments. Allow students a chance to think about their predictions then have them discuss their predictions with the group. Keep a class list of predictions and explanations.
Show Slides 6-11 to prompt students to share their ideas about the Three Questions. Have students work in pairs to discuss and then share their ideas. Have students use the What Happens When Ethanol Burns? Process Tool on Slide 8 or the What Happens When Ethanol Burns 11 x 17 Poster with sticky notes to record their responses. Save the students’ sticky notes to use after the investigation.

8. What happens when ethanol burns?
What forms of energy are in the reactants?
What molecules are carbon atoms in before the change? What other molecules are involved?
Where are atoms moving from?
What forms of energy are in the products?
What molecules are carbon atoms in after the change? What other molecules are produced?
Where are atoms moving to?
Chemical change
Teaser process tool for all investigations except soda water
Atoms last Forever: (so you can rearrange atoms into new molecules, but can’t add or subtract atoms)
Energy Lasts Forever: (so you can change forms of energy, but energy units can’t appear or go away)
Have students share ideas about the Three Questions. Show Slides 6-11 to prompt students to share their ideas about the Three Questions. Have students work in pairs to discuss and then share their ideas. Have students use the What Happens When Ethanol Burns? Process Tool on Slide 8 or the What Happens When Ethanol Burns 11 x 17 Poster with sticky notes to record their responses. Save the students’ sticky notes to use after the investigation.
Remember: Atoms last forever and Energy lasts forever

9. What Are Your Ideas about the Location/Movement Question?
Where are atoms moving from?
Where are atoms going to?
Record student ideas on the slide.
Have students share ideas about the Three Questions. Show Slides 6-11 to prompt students to share their ideas about the Three Questions. Have students work in pairs to discuss and then share their ideas. Have students use the What Happens When Ethanol Burns? Process Tool on Slide 8 or the What Happens When Ethanol Burns 11 x 17 Poster with sticky notes to record their responses. Save the students’ sticky notes to use after the investigation.

10. What Are Your Ideas about the Carbon Question?
What molecules are carbon atoms in before the change? What other molecules are involved?
What molecules are carbon atoms in after the change? What other molecules are produced?
Record student ideas on the slide.
Have students share ideas about the Three Questions. Show Slides 6-11 to prompt students to share their ideas about the Three Questions. Have students work in pairs to discuss and then share their ideas. Have students use the What Happens When Ethanol Burns? Process Tool on Slide 8 or the What Happens When Ethanol Burns 11 x 17 Poster with sticky notes to record their responses. Save the students’ sticky notes to use after the investigation.

11. What Are Your Ideas about the Energy Question?
What forms of energy are in the reactants?
What forms of energy are in the products?
Record student ideas on the slide.
Have students share ideas about the Three Questions. Show Slides 6-11 to prompt students to share their ideas about the Three Questions. Have students work in pairs to discuss and then share their ideas. Have students use the What Happens When Ethanol Burns? Process Tool on Slide 8 or the What Happens When Ethanol Burns 11 x 17 Poster with sticky notes to record their responses. Save the students’ sticky notes to use after the investigation.