Sugar+Content


 * We (Wolfson) had an issue with the availability of the pretest for the sugar content lab so we took some time from the sugar content lab for the students to complete the pretest. As a result we ran a little short on the time for them to complete the activity. Well, not so much to complete the activity but for them to reflect whether their answers were ok or not, and then to repeat some of the measurements.
 * We used four balances. On second thought we should have used eight balances or assigned balances to groups. That would have streamlined some of the operations.
 * Just a personal observation. I would have liked the actual hands-on part to be shorter so that there would be more time for the so-called "minds-on" part.
 * Maybe each group could have done one soft drink.
 * Maybe we could have given them three or four sugar solutions (accurately prepared) and ask them to prepare only one sugar solution. That way we would know that the data points for our sugar solutions would be ok and we would be able to check whether their solution was ok or not.


 * ======Activity 2 had many components.======
 * They have to understand the overall logic of the experiment.
 * They have to learn how to determine volumes using a graduated cylinder.
 * They have to learn how to use the electronic balance and the tare button.
 * They have to learn the idea of w/v concentration.
 * They have to learn how to exercise care in making measurements.
 * They have to learn how to graph in the computer.
 * They have to learn how get information from the graph.


 * My overall idea of stopping for group discussions seems to be running into a little difficulty in that some groups are finishing more quickly than then others and then they have to sit and wait. They could actually be reading ahead on what they have to do, but that is not what they instinctively do.


 * We do not yet have a big issues with any of our students.
 * We have small issues with two students and one group.
 * On the positive side we have one group that has shown great interest.


 * I have not yet talked to Encarni, but I am going to propose to take some time from the third activity and review the results of the second activity.
 * In order to shorten the third activity I am going to film the oscillations of all the masses.
 * We'll give them these films and from the films they are going to determine the period using Quicktime.
 * It is very easy. as they reply the film of the oscillations, they advance frame by frame using the right-arrow key. Each frame is 1/30 of second.
 * They simply advance through a complete oscillation, count frames and divide by 30. This gives the period up to hundredths of a second. This saves setup time, using the stopwatch, etc..... In addition they get better values for the smaller masses which oscillate very quickly.


 * I have been practicing making films and doing a voiceover.
 * I did one for reading the meniscus with a graduated cylinder, and one for using the electronic balance and the tare button.
 * We showed them in our activity.
 * To turn them into podcasts is easy. All I have to do is save them in the proper format.
 * To save them ias podcasts that we all can access involves talking to Arnold and getting it done. Maybe Tuesday or Wednesday.
 * I am planning on doing another film taking the small cubes that were made by the students and showing on film which ones were actually half-volume by using sugar to see how many loads of the small cubes can fill the 1 liter cube. We got some cubes that were 7.9x7.9x7.9 cm (the right answer), some were 5x5x5 cm and some were smaller.
 * Whatever files you want let me know. A soon as I get Arnold to post the podcasts, they will all be available. Once I see the results and see if they are acceptable, I'll write a set of instructions on how I did everything.


 * If log on to QUIA as administrator, select a survey and select STATS, you will see a continuous list displaying their answers to the tricky survey questions. It is interesting to look at them.


 * If the range of masses that you use for the activity 3 does not include small masses, the graph looks almost like a straight line. To get the curved appearance you have to use small masses. The period is hard to determine for small masses.