Currently in 8th grade science, we are learning all about matter. Matter, it is everywhere. We believe that we know everything about it since it is all around us, but how deeply do we really understand it?
So, what have we learned? Students know that matter is made up of atoms and molecules and they take up space. These molecules interact with each other differently when they are in the different phases of matter. We have watched seemingly motionless, hot and cool water molecules move and swirl once food coloring was added. When one group of student observed different results, we discuss the validity of all results, the emphasis on multiple trials, and the understanding that there are other chemical phenomenons at play to explain everything we observe.
We have watched water and air molecules expand when heat is added. In a narrow graduated cylinder, we added a finite amount of water, only to see the measurement appear to increase once the water was heated to near boiling (an explanation of how alcohol (red) thermometers work). Also, ask your child to demonstrate changes to bubbles when they are in a heated or cooled environment. All you need is a small bottle or jar, some bubble or detergent solution, a bowl of hot water, and a bowl of cold water. Not only can they demonstrate how to "blow" a bubble from the lip of a jar, and how to "suck" the bubble into the jar as well, but they can also draw the molecular diagram of heated and cooled air to explain what you are observing.
As I look back at my middle school and high school chemistry experience, I feel that I have loved chemistry during my pre-university years had I truly experienced chemistry, had I had a strong foundational knowledge of the concepts instead jumping into balancing equations and drawing hexagon diagrams. The American Chemical Society curriculum really lends itself to experiential understanding, starting with its focus on the unique properties of water. Once we have a firm foundation of how matter works, we can understand the properties of essential elements and compounds from the periodic table.
In the 8th grade science curriculum, students are Engineers of a Sustainable World! This year, in science class, we will be focusing on these three areas of understanding: (1) What are the building blocks of our word? (2) What are the rules of our universe? (3) Can we design a more sustainable world?