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Mastering the Ice!

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  Document Type: Lesson Plan
  Lesson Plan Type: Interactive Instruction
  Subject: Science
  Grade Level: 9
  Time: 60 minutes
  Last Updated: 02-04-2010
     
  Keywords:
     
     
 
Created/Provided by:
NBC Learn
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CALIFORNIA STATE STANDARDS ADDRESSED

Science/9/Chemistry
 
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
Students will learn about Le Chatelier’s principle by studying the effect that pressure has on ice. Students will also learn about characteristics of ice through analyzing the boots and blades used by Olympic athletes in three different skating sports: speed skating, figure skating, and hockey.



  
 
PROCEDURES
 
Goal(s):
Students will learn about Le Chatelier’s principle by studying the effect that pressure has on ice. Students will also learn about characteristics of ice through analyzing the boots and blades used by Olympic athletes in three different skating sports: speed skaters, figure skaters, and hockey players.
 
Specific Objectives:
  1. Ask scientific questions.
  2. Define and discuss practical examples of Le Chatelier's Principle.
  3. Analyze three types of ice skates and their effect on ice within the framework of Le Chatelier’s Principle.
 
Required Materials:
  • The NBC Learn Video: The Science of Skates
  • 2 cups of finely crushed ice
  • measuring cup
  • 2 pans or cookie sheets
  • paper and pencils for the class
 
Anticipatory Set (Lead-in):
Place two cooking pans (or cookie sheets) on a table in front of the class. On each pan, place 1 cup of crushed ice. Ask students if they thought there is a difference between the two pans of ice. (No) Ask students what they predict would happen if the ice in one of the pans were scooped up and pushed together-like a snowball? (Varying answers, including the possibility that the ice would begin to melt). Ask for a volunteer to come up to put on gloves and then “squish” the ice in one pan together as though they were making one snowball. Tell the volunteer to squeeze hard for about five minutes (while the class views The NBC Learn Video: The Science of Skates). After the video is over, tell the student to slowly set the ice down and move their hands away. Ask the class to observe the difference in the two sets of ice. What do they notice? (The snowball seems to be slightly smaller than the loose ice…also there may be some melted water around the ice). Explain to students that in their lesson today, they are going to learn about Le Chatelier’s Principle and how it pertains to ice skating and ice.
 
Lesson Plan Procedure:
  1. Tell students that they are going to first review some of the key concepts that were mentioned in the NBC Learn Video: The Science of Skates.
  2. Point out to students that the ice skates worn by athletes during the Winter Olympics may look similar to ice skates from the past Winter Olympics but in fact they are very different. Scientists and researchers have discovered ways to improve the boot and blade design so that athletes can individually be fit with shoes that will help them perform better than ever before.
  3. Ask students to think about the three types of skaters that the video referred to. There were figure skaters, speed skaters, and hockey players. Ask students if they have ever skated on ice. Discuss a few of their experiences.
  4. Ask students if they could glide on the ice just wearing their regular shoes. Discuss answers. Point out that there is a well known principle-Le Chatelier’s Principle- that explains why that wouldn’t be possible.
  5. Explain that in the activity we did with crushed ice, this principle can be used to predict the effect of a change in conditions (like “squishing”) on a chemical equilibrium (ice). The principle basically helps us understand that if a chemical system (water) at equilibrium (frozen ice) experiences a change in concentration, temperature, volume, or partial pressure (which in our case was the “squishing”), then the equilibrium (frozen ice) shifts (begins to melt) to counteract the change.
  6. Ask the class “What does this have to do with ice skating?”. Discuss possible answers. Tell students that it all has to do with pressure on the ice.
  7. Tell the class that they are going to do another short activity so that they can get a better understanding about how skates slide on ice. Ask students to stand up, with their feet about one foot apart. Walk around the room and tell a few students that you are going to gently push them to see if they will fall over. Do this a couple of times and mention that it is hard to push anyone over because everyone has their weight equally distributed on both feet.
  8. Now, tell students to stand on one foot. Walk around and once again tell them that you are going to try and gently push on a few of them to see if they start to fall (if they do, tell them to put their other foot down immediately!) Tell the class to notice how wobbly every one is…especially the ones you pushed. Ask students to sit back down and think about why there was such a difference when they stood on one foot. Discuss answers. Point out that all their weight was now putting pressure on a much smaller area and because that pressure was changing the normal equilibrium of their body, the leg and foot, was trying to counteract the shift in the equilibrium. This is another example of Le Chatelier’s Principle.
  9. Divide the class into groups of 3-4 students. Ask the groups to use Le Chatelier’s Principle to figure out why it is possible to glide on ice while wearing ice skates.
  10. After students have enough time to discuss the problem, ask one student from each group to explain their group answer.
  11. Assist the class with coming up with the following conclusion: In the problem, which was to figure out how skates can allow people to glide over ice, according to Le Chatelier’s Principle, if you increase the pressure on the ice, (putting all the pressure of the weight of your body on one narrow blade) the ice (which is actually an ice-water system) will try to change. (Remember it does the opposite to counteract what is being done to it.) The ice can do that by making itself fit into a smaller volume (just like the crushed ice formed a smaller ball). But since water takes up less space (smaller volume) when it's liquid, rather than solid, it will begin to melt (go to a lower melting point) -- allowing more solid to become liquid. So, the pressure of the body on the blade is actually melting the ice a little so that it can glide on water rather than on ice.
 
Closure (Reflect Anticipatory Set):
Tell students that they have had a few experiences in this lesson that will help them understand Le Chatelier’s Principle and prepare them for the final activity of the lesson. Ask students to think about the crushed ice experiment, the video, and the examples discussed during the lesson. Ask them to write in their own words on a piece of paper how they would describe or define Le Chatelier’s Principle. After a few minutes, ask for a few volunteers to share their own unique definition of the Principle. Tell students that they are going to have the opportunity now to use what they know to investigate how figure skaters, speed skaters, and hockey players must work to overcome the characteristics of ice.
 
Assessments & notes
 
Plan for Independent Practice:
Tell students that they are to remain in their same groups to complete this activity. Provide students with the following quotes (sources follow quotes) to help them understand Le Chatelier’s Principle in additional ways:



"Placing a stress on an equilibrium causes the equilibrium to shift so as to relieve the stress"

"The Extraordinary Chemistry of Ordinary Things" C.H. Snyder



"A system in equilibrium that is subjected to stress will react in a way that counteracts the stress"

"Principles of Modern Chemistry", Oxtoby & Antrieb



"When a change is imposed on a system at equilibrium, the system will react, if possible, in a direction that reduced the amount of change"

"Chemistry the Molecular Science", Olmstead & Williams



Ask students to think about the video they viewed: The NBC Learn Video: The Science of Skates. Tell students to think of one example from each of the three types of ice skating (figure, speed, and hockey) that demonstrates Le Chatelier’s Principle, in particular an example that shows that a system of equilibrium is being stressed and the way that system will react to counteract that stress.

After students have been given an adequate amount of time, ask one member of each group to share their examples.
 
Assessment Based on Objectives:
Begin the next day’s lesson with the quiz titled, “Mastering the Ice!”.
 
Possible Connections to Other Subjects:
Language Arts: Research the French chemist and engineer Henry-Louis Le Chatelier. If it were possible to interview him, what would you like to ask him? Write five interview questions to ask based on your research. Switch papers with a partner and write the answers Le Chatelier might have given to the questions your partner wrote.
 
 
 
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Submitted by NBCLearn on Fri, 01/22/2010 - 05:41


Title:

Mastering the Ice!

Grade Level:

9

Subject:

Science

Author:

nbclearn

Time:

60 minutes

Lesson Plan Type:

Interactive Instruction

Keywords:

Ice Skate, Blade, Skate Boot, Material, Synthetic, Composite, Carbon Fiber, Steel, Leather, Heat, Molding, Form-Fit, Force, Energy, Properties, Comfort, Fit, Support, Stiffness, Flexibility, Motion, Speed, Velocity, Glide, Acceleration, Agility, Friction, Melt-Water, Layer, Contact, Surface, Winter Olympics, Athlete, Design, Le Chatelier's principle

Brief Description:

Students will learn about Le Chatelier’s principle by studying the effect that pressure has on ice. Students will also learn about characteristics of ice through analyzing the boots and blades used by Olympic athletes in three different skating sports: speed skating, figure skating, and hockey.



  

California State Standards Addressed:

Science/9/Chemistry)

Related Links:

Link 1:
Link 2:
Link 3:

Goal(s):

Students will learn about Le Chatelier’s principle by studying the effect that pressure has on ice. Students will also learn about characteristics of ice through analyzing the boots and blades used by Olympic athletes in three different skating sports: speed skaters, figure skaters, and hockey players.

Specific Objectives:

  1. Ask scientific questions.
  2. Define and discuss practical examples of Le Chatelier's Principle.
  3. Analyze three types of ice skates and their effect on ice within the framework of Le Chatelier’s Principle.

Required Materials:

  • The NBC Learn Video: The Science of Skates
  • 2 cups of finely crushed ice
  • measuring cup
  • 2 pans or cookie sheets
  • paper and pencils for the class

Anticipatory Set (Lead-in):

Place two cooking pans (or cookie sheets) on a table in front of the class. On each pan, place 1 cup of crushed ice. Ask students if they thought there is a difference between the two pans of ice. (No) Ask students what they predict would happen if the ice in one of the pans were scooped up and pushed together-like a snowball? (Varying answers, including the possibility that the ice would begin to melt). Ask for a volunteer to come up to put on gloves and then “squish” the ice in one pan together as though they were making one snowball. Tell the volunteer to squeeze hard for about five minutes (while the class views The NBC Learn Video: The Science of Skates). After the video is over, tell the student to slowly set the ice down and move their hands away. Ask the class to observe the difference in the two sets of ice. What do they notice? (The snowball seems to be slightly smaller than the loose ice…also there may be some melted water around the ice). Explain to students that in their lesson today, they are going to learn about Le Chatelier’s Principle and how it pertains to ice skating and ice.

Lesson Plan Procedure:

  1. Tell students that they are going to first review some of the key concepts that were mentioned in the NBC Learn Video: The Science of Skates.
  2. Point out to students that the ice skates worn by athletes during the Winter Olympics may look similar to ice skates from the past Winter Olympics but in fact they are very different. Scientists and researchers have discovered ways to improve the boot and blade design so that athletes can individually be fit with shoes that will help them perform better than ever before.
  3. Ask students to think about the three types of skaters that the video referred to. There were figure skaters, speed skaters, and hockey players. Ask students if they have ever skated on ice. Discuss a few of their experiences.
  4. Ask students if they could glide on the ice just wearing their regular shoes. Discuss answers. Point out that there is a well known principle-Le Chatelier’s Principle- that explains why that wouldn’t be possible.
  5. Explain that in the activity we did with crushed ice, this principle can be used to predict the effect of a change in conditions (like “squishing”) on a chemical equilibrium (ice). The principle basically helps us understand that if a chemical system (water) at equilibrium (frozen ice) experiences a change in concentration, temperature, volume, or partial pressure (which in our case was the “squishing”), then the equilibrium (frozen ice) shifts (begins to melt) to counteract the change.
  6. Ask the class “What does this have to do with ice skating?”. Discuss possible answers. Tell students that it all has to do with pressure on the ice.
  7. Tell the class that they are going to do another short activity so that they can get a better understanding about how skates slide on ice. Ask students to stand up, with their feet about one foot apart. Walk around the room and tell a few students that you are going to gently push them to see if they will fall over. Do this a couple of times and mention that it is hard to push anyone over because everyone has their weight equally distributed on both feet.
  8. Now, tell students to stand on one foot. Walk around and once again tell them that you are going to try and gently push on a few of them to see if they start to fall (if they do, tell them to put their other foot down immediately!) Tell the class to notice how wobbly every one is…especially the ones you pushed. Ask students to sit back down and think about why there was such a difference when they stood on one foot. Discuss answers. Point out that all their weight was now putting pressure on a much smaller area and because that pressure was changing the normal equilibrium of their body, the leg and foot, was trying to counteract the shift in the equilibrium. This is another example of Le Chatelier’s Principle.
  9. Divide the class into groups of 3-4 students. Ask the groups to use Le Chatelier’s Principle to figure out why it is possible to glide on ice while wearing ice skates.
  10. After students have enough time to discuss the problem, ask one student from each group to explain their group answer.
  11. Assist the class with coming up with the following conclusion: In the problem, which was to figure out how skates can allow people to glide over ice, according to Le Chatelier’s Principle, if you increase the pressure on the ice, (putting all the pressure of the weight of your body on one narrow blade) the ice (which is actually an ice-water system) will try to change. (Remember it does the opposite to counteract what is being done to it.) The ice can do that by making itself fit into a smaller volume (just like the crushed ice formed a smaller ball). But since water takes up less space (smaller volume) when it's liquid, rather than solid, it will begin to melt (go to a lower melting point) -- allowing more solid to become liquid. So, the pressure of the body on the blade is actually melting the ice a little so that it can glide on water rather than on ice.

Closure (Reflect Anticipatory Set):

Tell students that they have had a few experiences in this lesson that will help them understand Le Chatelier’s Principle and prepare them for the final activity of the lesson. Ask students to think about the crushed ice experiment, the video, and the examples discussed during the lesson. Ask them to write in their own words on a piece of paper how they would describe or define Le Chatelier’s Principle. After a few minutes, ask for a few volunteers to share their own unique definition of the Principle. Tell students that they are going to have the opportunity now to use what they know to investigate how figure skaters, speed skaters, and hockey players must work to overcome the characteristics of ice.

Plan for Independent Practice:

Tell students that they are to remain in their same groups to complete this activity. Provide students with the following quotes (sources follow quotes) to help them understand Le Chatelier’s Principle in additional ways:



"Placing a stress on an equilibrium causes the equilibrium to shift so as to relieve the stress"

"The Extraordinary Chemistry of Ordinary Things" C.H. Snyder



"A system in equilibrium that is subjected to stress will react in a way that counteracts the stress"

"Principles of Modern Chemistry", Oxtoby & Antrieb



"When a change is imposed on a system at equilibrium, the system will react, if possible, in a direction that reduced the amount of change"

"Chemistry the Molecular Science", Olmstead & Williams



Ask students to think about the video they viewed: The NBC Learn Video: The Science of Skates. Tell students to think of one example from each of the three types of ice skating (figure, speed, and hockey) that demonstrates Le Chatelier’s Principle, in particular an example that shows that a system of equilibrium is being stressed and the way that system will react to counteract that stress.

After students have been given an adequate amount of time, ask one member of each group to share their examples.

Assessment Based on Objectives:

Begin the next day’s lesson with the quiz titled, “Mastering the Ice!”.

Possible Connections to Other Subjects:

Language Arts: Research the French chemist and engineer Henry-Louis Le Chatelier. If it were possible to interview him, what would you like to ask him? Write five interview questions to ask based on your research. Switch papers with a partner and write the answers Le Chatelier might have given to the questions your partner wrote.

Adaptations and Extensions:

 

Additional Notes:

 

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