How I used these materials/9th Grade Integrated Science
From OOGEEP
Submitted by Michael Mihalik, Lake Local Schools
Consider energy education and your curriculum. How can you incorporate what you have learned into your science curriculum? Brainstorm some ideas that would include a science concept that needs to be taught, a variety of teaching methods to address retention, and the use of graphic organizers.
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[edit] Benchmarks, Standards, Content or Concepts
We use CPO’s Physical science text. Oil and gas properties, structures and products can be taught with the units on matter, energy and water. Listed below are some benchmarks with concepts and content ideas that can be presented during the year. Often we are so busy we just need to be reminded about some starter points outside of the book’s outline. I used a lot of the ideas from the binder that can be directly applied to a science course. I should be able to use all of them if time permits.
[edit] Physical science
A. Describe how matter is made of minute particles called atoms and atoms are comprised of even smaller components.
All matter including oil and gas and its products (polymers, plastics) are made of small units called (C) atoms. The number of carbon compounds are so great that there is a whole division (organic) on them.
B. Explain how atoms react with each other to form other substances and how molecules react with each other or other atoms to form even different substances.
Under heat and pressure tiny plants and animals are cooked to form mixtures of small molecules such as methane with one carbon atom or molecules with 30 carbon atoms. Hydrocarbons form covalent bonds.
C. Describe the identifiable physical properties of substances. (e.g., color, hardness, conductivity, density, concentration and ductility, add permeability and porosity). Explain how changes in these properties can occur without changing the chemical nature of the substance.
Distillation takes advantaged of physical properties to refine oil and gas products. Boiling and melting point and vapor pressure. The mixture of oil and gas is heterogeneous. Various oil samples show different physical properties based on location. Oil can be a solid, liquid or gas depending on the depth of discovery because of pressure and temperature changes in the ground.
E. Demonstrate that energy can be considered to be either kinetic (motion) or potential (stored).
Oil has chemical potential energy and hydrocarbons can react with oxygen to form combustion reactions that produce energy.
F. Explain how energy may change form or be redistributed but the total quantity of energy is conserved.
The law of conservation of energy can be shown with combustion reactions of hydrocarbons.
G. Demonstrate that water and seismic waves have energy and waves can transfer energy when they interact with matter.
Seismic technology for oil discovery uses sound waves that are longitudinal. Water shows transverse waves.
H. Trace the historical development of scientific theories and ideas, and describe emerging issues in the study of physical sciences.
Originally oil was a trial and error hunt and sometimes an accident that resulted from drilling for salt. The application of technology in design and material science improvements in pipes, drill bits and other materials increased the flow of oil. Geology also improved testing to reduce the guess work in the search process.
[edit] Technology, Science Inquiry and ways of knowing
A. Participate in and apply the processes of scientific investigation to create models and to design, conduct, evaluate and communicate results of investigations. B. Explain that scientific knowledge must be based on evidence, be predictive, logical, subject to modification and limited to the natural world. C. Explain how scientific inquiry is guided by knowledge, observations, ideas and questions. Describe the ethical practices and guidelines in which science operates. Recognize that scientific literacy is part of being a knowledgeable citizen.
The above will all be applied in the labs. The students must be organized, work together, ask questions, analyze patterns, predict outcomes and process a conclusion.
The oil spill demonstrates how it would be beneficial for everyone, even those outside of the scientific community to have a basic understanding of science to make wise decisions.
[edit] Ways to incorporate different teaching methods
- Lecture
I try to lecture within the realm of a demo situation or the Smart Board. The concept that H2O will stay H2O as it changes from a solid to liquid to gas is hard for students to understand. It can be related to oil on the bottom of the ocean and at sea level as pressure and temperature changes are introduced. The form changes but the composition remains the same. I can use ice to show phase changes and talk about terms or concepts as water goes through the physical changes.
- Reading
I would introduce the OOGEEP site and have each student investigate an area of their choosing about oil or natural gas to make them familiar with the site. They would be assigned to type one paragraph about a point they find most interesting. Find copies of “the energist “ papers on getting to know oil and natural gas and have students read them in class and have them write one paragraph on a interesting point about the industry. I frequently have a reading summary on an overhead about the next lesson or concept. I call on several students to read it out loud as seeing, saying and hearing helps retention.
- Audio-visual
The OOGEEP resource energy in depth (EID) tour a virtual well site video is a great tool to integrate all points in well drilling. After showing it would be included in the discussion section. Use OOGEEP site.
- Demonstrations
Use a model kit to show how a methane molecule differs from a decane molecule and the different boiling points because of the chain length. This can also be show with different length of papers as the longer strips (molecules) have greater surface areas to touch each other. A string of beads (length of the room) is needed for a polymer because of its great length compared to methane. Show with colors that a hydrocarbon is all hydrogen and carbons. Show the difference between the porosity of sand verses paper towels in a cup. Use inquiry method to ask students which one and why it will be more porous before starting. This will show how oil is in the cracks and not just one big pool. Distillation of a solution of salt water and the addition of silver nitrate before and after will show how physical properties depend on the length of the hydrocarbon chain.
- Discussion Groups
Use all three RIG animation views from EID well tour to have students explain what each number on the well site means and assign each group one of the jobs listed in the video to research and present.
- Practice by Doing
Students will calculate the % porosity of sand and gravel. Calculate the densities of sand and gravel from mass and volume. Find the difference in the combustion of methane based on heating glass in a yellow and blue flame. Use the sound wave experiment that bounces a fork off of different materials. The slinky can be used for both types of waves and put in water to show how a dense medium changes the speed of sound.
- Teach Others/Immediate Use of Learning
Use projects from the discussion groups to set up flow charts for a refinery or rig diagrams. This would take place in open ended labs that require questioning the process and each other to obtain a result. I have seen this method work on simple things like crosswords and word searches as a pair of students unravel the puzzle to see the answerer. It makes the terms or concept stick in their heads.
- Use of Technology and 21st Century Skills
I found mass spectrometry chromatographs for oil spills on the net similar to the one you gave us. They show the many different types and sizes of hydrocarbons in oil samples from around the world. Use open ended assignments that require students to make word searches, word scrambles and crossword puzzles from the internet to learn the technology and terms at the same time. They can also find quiz programs. I made some examples from the workshop materials. Students can be assigned to find short videos (5 minutes) from the internet. It helps to see a student’s point of view on content based on what they see as important. Use the site at http://science.howstuffworks.com/oil-drilling.html
[edit] Graphic Organizers
Refining flow diagrams or flow charts can be used to show the fractionation of oil in projects or discussions. Venn diagrams with oil in the center and commercial and industrial product intersections. The students could be assigned to find intersections for just household items or one related to personal items. Use the T- Chart as shown in the binder for (terms) permeable using food for analysis of content meaning. Cake, cornbread and rice cake verses jello, hard candy and chocolate bar.
[edit] Field trips or Speakers
The number, age and maturity level of 9th graders would limit field trips. I have had speakers from (Akron) the polymer industry. I think the students would enjoy hearing someone from the oil and gas industry to see and hear reasons for learning science.