Doing the Candium Lab Differently

When I began teaching high school chemistry I inherited many wonderful resources.  One notable one was the popular Candium Lab.  A search of the Internet will produce a multitude of versions of this activity which addresses average atomic mass.  Virtually all of them, like the one I discovered, are cookbook labs.  The average atomic mass is described, an algorithm is provided for determining the average mass of a sample of a mixture of three candies.  Most also provide the data tables and additional practice problems.

When I first used the lab my students found it very confusing.  I was answering questions for each lab group all through it.  I first wrote it off as my fault.  I hadn't done it before and so I hadn't properly prepared them to do the lab.  Then I thought about the type of questions they were asking.  They didn't seem to know why they were being directed to do what the lab handout said to do.  They were just going through the motions.  The intent of this lab is to model the process by which we determine the average atomic mass of each element based upon the relative mass and abundance of each its isotopes.  I didn't think that the students were seeing it as a model.  They thought of the lab activity as just one more set of instructions to follow which happened to end with eating candy.

I wanted them to be conscious of the analogy and to think through the process required for themselves.  Since one of my goals is to get my students to practice the skills of scientists I begin the course by teaching them to not only make their own data tables during experimentation but to design procedures.  I decided to makeover the Candium Lab as a challenge.  After direct instruction and guided practice in determining average atomic mass I presented the lab activity as independent practice.  I did not print out a lab guide or fill-in sheet.  I merely dumped the three types of candy into a large clear bowl and mixed it up.  I told the students that I wanted them to determine the average [atomic] mass of a fictitious element "candium."  The bowl represented the candium found in all of nature, their dixie cup portion a sampling of it.  I asked that each lab group come up with a procedure for doings so and then to call me over to hear, refine with them if necessary, and approve their procedure.

The fallout was clear.  The students were aware of the model.  They applied the procedural knowledge from the lecture and practice to a new novel situation.  Additional positive results included a sense of satisfaction in rising to a challenge and confidence building in using basic mathematical skills to solve a science problem.  A lesson learned was that students do not need to have everything completely scaffolded for them and indeed should not if we want them to joyfully truly learn.

Another alternative modification would be to place the candium activity at the beginning of Bruner's Discovery-Introduction-Application Model.  Here one would treat the candy merely as candy and ask for the average mass of a piece of candy given that there are three types of candy present in a variety of abundances.  Then one would reveal the analogy and give practice with another application of the procedural skill set involved.

Some Why's and How's of Interdisciplinary Studies

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF DOING INTERDISCIPLINARY WORK?

The benefits of a wider application of interdisciplinary studies are numerous.

            Time Savings -  For example:  as a science teacher, I don’t have to go into the details of a historic period to give context when I describe a technological advance. 

            Support System for Teachers – Doing it alone in the classroom is challenging.  I am not a historian or musician.  If I work with a heterogeneous team of teachers I can access their expertise and feel confident about the interdisciplinary aspects of the work.

            Authentic – It’s Real.  Disciplines are arbitrary and artificial.

            Engaging – Given that a compelling theme is chosen student and teachers experience joy in learning.  Students understand in the moment ‘why they need’ to learn something.  All are challenged.

            Differentiated – Each student’s resources vary with their course schedule.  If culminating work is done in the advisory or other mixed groupings then each contributes unique perspectives.  If cooperative project based summative assessment is incorporated, students have a chance to use talents not always used in traditional testing situations.

            School Spirit and Camaraderie – The whole school community has a common thought on their minds. 

HOW MIGHT INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES BE STRUCTURED WITHIN A SCHOOL?

A.  As A Whole School

            i.  Year Long

            Examples:      Topical:  Can Solar Energy Save Us?

                                    Big Idea/Value:  Courage

                                    Historical:  They Made a Difference, I (We)Can Make a Difference

     The school, grade levels, departments or courses could develop their own themes/essential questions based upon the topic.  Courses run as usual.  Answering the essential question or responding to the theme plays as big a role as teachers or departments choose.

            ii.  Stop Everything Discrete Events

                        Example:  “What’s So Super About the Superbowl?”      

     Each discipline/department presents instruction (drawn from existing objectives) that supports the theme.  This might engage the whole school for one week.  All instruction is within the context of the theme.  At the end of the week advisory groups might make presentations. (This example comes from North Central Charter Essential School in Fitchburg, Massachusetts)

B.  By Grade Level   
            i.  Year Long – The teachers (and perhaps students) of each grade level brainstorm a theme.  Or the administration assigns a general topic and the teacher and students brainstorm a theme.  Work in courses continues pretty much as usual but reference is made to the theme whenever a teacher or student detects a connection.  A final semester project might become a combined final exam or a component of the disciplines’ final exams.

Example: 

Big Idea – Beauty,  Brainstormed Theme – “Is Beauty Really More Than Skin Deep?”

            Parallel Studies – This could be started with just one term. Take the existing curriculum in each discipline.  Brainstorm as a grade level to find a correlating theme that could run through all disciplines.  Each teacher implements their usual objectives but does so at a time matching the other disciplines that have content that support the theme.  Each discipline might decrease its own summative assessment level and trade out for one shared interdisciplinary project which would serve as at least a portion of the summative evaluation in the discipline based course. These are usually thematic.

   Ex.   “What Does It Take to Be A Man?”

                                                Biology – Human Genetics/Disorders, Mitosis, Meiosis

                                                English – Tarzan

                                                Social Studies – almost any war?                             

PE – Endurance, Limits of Man’s Physical Abilities

                                                Math – Statistics, Measurement

                                                Art – The Golden Mean

(This example is from North Central Charter Essential School in Fitchburg, Massachusetts)

            Stop Everything Discrete Event – As with whole school situation but limited to a grade level.  It would be least disruptive if each grade level had one running at the same time.  At NCCES the essential question "What's So Super About the Superbowl?" drove a successful week long interdisciplinary mixed grade-level unit.

C.  By Linked Courses – A section of each participating course would be set aside for students committed to parallel enrollment in two or more classes.  Teachers would correlate some points of instruction.

            Examples:

 Mad Men and Monsters:  Literature – Psychology – Biology
(This example, in part, comes from Quabbin Regional High School in Barre, Massachusetts)

Food:  History – Chemistry – English - Sociology

Advisory Connection

Synthesis of the interdisciplinary studies can be accomplished in advisory.  Extended advisories at the end of units of study allow for preparation of final cooperative presentations.  Students in advisories may have very different course profiles.  However, if the theme is school-wide or grade-level wide with grade-level advisories this only enhances the breadth and depth of the experience for students.

THINGS THAT WORK - Printed Sticky Notes

It has seemed magical to my students when I have used custom printed sticky notes.  I have made matching games:
terms/definitions
type of nuclear radiation/description/nuclear symbol

They are even more thrilled when I make little reference sheets on the sticky notes for them to keep:
conversion factors
most abundant elements
(1. print, 2. stick notes over the printed area - orienting so that the stick end of the note will enter the printer first, 3. put through the printer again, 4. remove sticky notes, 5. repeat from step 2 until you have enough for your class)

Here is a link to blank templates so you can make your own.
Sticky Note Printing Template