Overview

Over 15 Years of Technological Innovation – T.L. Kennedy Secondary School in Mississauga Ontario, is a learning community that encourages academic excellence in learning through communication, collaboration and cultural diversity. Teachers assist a population of aproximately 640 students in acquiring the skills and knowledge that will make them successful learners.

Over 15 years ago, the school started out using PASCO’s Science Workshop equipment (mainly motion sensors) along with Data Studio software. As the years passed and technology improved, they adopted the PASPORT interfaces and corresponding sensors.

Today, students enjoy access to a school-wide SPARKvue software site license. In addition, the school also has one copy of Capstone software for advanced physics applications. Rob Vucic – the Curricular Head of Math and Science – explains how the PASCO sensors are used at his school. “We have a mobile windows tablet lab that runs SPARKvue software. Those tablets connect via USB interfaces to a variety of sensors including: motion and acceleration sensors, force sensors for physics, and the temperature, pressure and pH sensors for chemistry.

Investigation

Rob likes approaching the concepts that students are studying in either a ‘discover or confirm’ process. “I might use some guiding questions and have the students do the ‘walk the graph activity’ with a motion sensor – with questions like ‘How did you know when to stay still?’ or ‘How did you know which way or how quickly to move?’ Students will build their own knowledge of physics quantities that way.

I have a visual accelerometer that I use to discuss and show the direction of acceleration in circular motion. This is visually very effective. Meanwhile, our chemistry program involves students confirming gas laws or getting actual titration curves. Once again this approach brings a connection between what they learn while providing them with a practical hands-on opportunity.”

Outcome

The students at T.L. Kennedy enjoy tremendous success with this experiential learning. According to Rob, he has witnessed some striking outcomes when his students use PASCO probeware. “I might use a force sensor and slide a textbook across a surface to discover what factors affect friction. Students operate the software and help me with the experiment. We come away with a collaboratively designed note.

I might also use sensors to confirm an idea like momentum conservation in a linear elastic collision. This time, I would use photogates and the Capstone software to collect the information and have the students do their own inquiry with calculations to see if momentum is indeed conserved and because it isn’t perfect, there must be an external force acting on the system.

This leads them to thinking about friction. The laws we talk about are now something tangible and measurable, confirmed by the students with real equipment. In this situation, students also ask ‘What if we change some aspect?’ What is nice, is that I can say, ‘Go ahead and try that and see what happens’.”

T.L. Kennedy – early adopters of technology

PASCO Products

• Sparkvue Software PS-2400
• Capstone Software UI-5401
• MatchGraph! – FREE
• Motion Sensor PS-2103A
• Acceleration Sensor PS-3202
• Force Sensor PS-3202 / PS-2104
• Temperature Sensor PS-3201 / PS-2125
• Pressure Sensor PS-3203
• pH Sensor PS-3204 / PS-2102

Overview

Marina Petrychkovch is the Head of Science at Gordon Graydon Memorial Secondary School and has been teaching for 13 years. “I am a big advocate for the proper and effective use of technology in the classroom, and a strong believer in inquiry and project based learning” says Marina. “Inquiry based learning is critical to students’ understanding of science, which is enhanced through the use of sensors. Datalogging promotes creativity and enables students to benefit from an authentic learning environment based on real data. Our school has a wide selection of PASCO sensors and a Capstone site license. PASCO has a huge variety of sensors – they are easy to use, come with a fantastic warranty and allow for quick and accurate collection of data.”

Investigation

“For the last eight years of my teaching career I have focused on how I can use probeware to help me turn traditional ‘cookie cutter labs’ into open ended inquiry investigations that promote student engagement and critical thinking. Today, all of our senior science students design and carry out an open-ended experiment using probes. By the end of the course, students have completed number of labs, have had a chance to design at least two experiments, and have received lots of descriptive feedback to be able to successfully design their summative lab which is worth 10% of their final mark. Over the course, students acquire critical scientific investigation skills, which they can apply to their own experimental design and investigations by asking their own questions.

Students that are enrolled in biology and chemistry are encouraged to conduct a cross-curricular lab. They design an experiment to see how different colored light affects the production of O2 gas and the consumption of CO2 gas during photosynthesis of spinach leaves. Over the course of four days, students work in teams to design and conduct the experiment. The project culminates with the presentation of a report and an interview with both chemistry and biology teachers.”

Outcome

“Students use the CO2/O2 probes to monitor both gases under different light sources. The spectrometer is used with DCPIP dye to determine the rate of photosynthesis. Students also investigate whether chloroplasts are necessary for reduction of DCPIP, and whether light is a key factor for reduction. Students quickly grasp the cross-curricular aspects of the experiment.

Procedure: DCPIP becomes colorless when reduced. It has a higher affinity for electrons than ferredoxin which mediates electron transfer in photosynthesis. Thus, instead of reducing NADP+ in the electron transport chain, DCPIP is reduced. This process results in DCPIP reducing in light absorbance when added to chlorophyll as it photosynthesizes which can be quantified using a spectrometer. Biology Application: Using spectrometer students test and determine the wavelength of light (red, blue, green light etc). Using CO2/O2 probes they monitor both gases under different light sources/colors and then calculate the rate. Chemistry Application: Students prepare the spinach chlorophyll extract, add DCPIP and use the spectrometer to monitor percentage of transmittance values over time by periodically exposing cuvette to light and measuring transmittance over time.” Cross Curricular Experiential Learning Gordon Graydon Memorial Secondary School, Mississauga, ON

PASCO Products

• Capstone Software – UI-5400
• Oxygen Sensor – PS-2126A
• Carbon Dioxide Sensor – PS-2110
• Spectrometer – PS-2600
• Spectrometry Software – FREE

Overview

Adrian Deakin is the Science Program Area Leader and a Chemistry Teacher at Shaftesbury High School in Winnipeg. Adrian has been using PASCO equipment with his science students since 2000. Over the years he has incorporated datalogging into his science lessons and has also hosted working sessions at the local STAM conference to help familiarize other teachers with PASCO probeware.

Investigation

“I use PASCO colorimeters along with SPARK units when I am teaching my grade 11 chemistry students how to dilute solutions,” says Adrian. “We first make a kool-aid solution of known concentration and then we dilute the solution to a second known concentration and analyze it for transmittance. After converting transmittance values to absorbance we compare the absorbance readings to the proportionate change in concentration after dilution. Another grade 11 lab is the calculation of the average rates of evaporation of volatile Liquids, namely acetone, ethanol, and methanol. Students are able to monitor the temperature changes as part of the experiment. A higher level lab that I have done using colorimeters is the calculation of the percent copper in brass. Brass shell casings are dissolved in nitric acid making a solution of copper (II) ions which is tested for absorbance against a series of standard solutions. I also have students determine the concentration of ammonia in household ammonia solution via titration with hydrochloric acid. They use pH probes to monitor the pH of the solution every 1 mL upon the addition of HCl and generate a curve of pH versus volume of titrant.”

Outcome

“In the first lab, the students observe that there is a linear relationship between concentration and absorbance for coloured solutions. They also learn that transmittance values change when examined with different colours (wavelengths). Although we don’t go into further calculations, the students learn that this relationship is called Beer’s Law. In our second lab, as long as students are careful, graphs turn our very well and they can calculate the slope of the line as the substance is evaporating. It is an excellent way to introduce students to types of intermolecular forces, phase changes, and the difference between endothermic and exothermic reactions. In the advanced lab, the concentration of copper ions is used to determine the mass of copper in the sample and the percent copper is calculated by comparing the experimentally determined mass to the mass of the shell casing. These values can then be compared to typical percent composition values of brass.” These are no old-school labs!

PASCO Products

• Sparkvue Software PS-2400
• Airlink PS-3200
• Colorimeter PS-2121
• pH Sensor PS-2400
• Temperature Sensor PS-3201
• Motion Sensor PS-2103A