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Green Chemistry JV InvenTeams Activity Guide

Secondary, Middle

Description

Students form an invention team to develop sustainable bioplastic prototypes made from benign materials. The unit is comprised of 6 lessons or team meetings, each supported very well by guides for the teacher and the students.  The lessons, structured as (team) meetings are as follows:

Invention Introduction: Students learn about the basics of invention, invention thinking, the design process and the role of invention in solving problems. Students then form their product development teams. Activities in this meeting include designing a cell phone stand out of recycled materials, researching real world inventions and playing the “Four Corners” game to determine the roles and responsibilities for each student on the team.

Inventing for a Sustainable Future: Students explore the role of chemistry in industry’s design and making of products, the impacts of harsh chemicals on the individual and the environment and the important role of ‘green’ chemistry in changing and improving how products are made and disposed of. They will learn about the life cycle of conventional petroleum-based plastics and consider how each stage of the life cycle could be improved upon to make the process more sustainable. Activities include a hands-on tutorial on lab safety before making a greener version of the traditional lava lamp in the chemistry lab

Reuse and explore: Students will learn about the role that Green Chemistry plays in intentionally designing chemical products that are safer for humans and the environment. They reexamine their lab-made lava to consider how they can improve its life cycle. When traditional inventions are done with they become waste and often end up in landfills, or even worse, they form toxic waste. Reflecting on the fact that the materials they used are safe and will break down, students conduct experiments to separate the lava components and create new, plastic products.

Experimenting with Bioplastics: Students will learn about the composition and prevalence of petroleum-based plastics and consider what makes up a bioplastic and how this can improve the product’s life cycle and serve as a more sustainable option. Students will then create a bioplastic in the lab and reflect upon its desirable properties .

Optimizing Bioplastic Inventions: Students learn the importance of continued efforts to improve a product in the invention process. They use green chemistry principles in the lab to improve the flexibility of the bioplastic produced in the previous meeting.

Making the Prototype: Students decide on a product to make from the plastic produced in the last meeting. They create a blueprint for the product and learn about intellectual property and patents. In the lab they mold their bioplastic formulation into the product described in the blueprint. Once completed the team creates a product ‘hook’ to promote their invention.

Communicating ideas: Students examine case studies describing the important contributions of successful inventors and entrepreneurs and prepare their own invention statements. They are encouraged to incorporate some of the techniques used in the case studies into their own communication hooks to encourage people to buy products made with green chemistry techniques. Students then present their inventions at a classroom “Bioplastic Prototype Showcase”. In conclusion students reflect on the contributions of inventive thinking and green chemistry to sustainable production and consumption.

Chemistry topics include chemical reactions, ph, acids and bases, classes of organic compounds, laboratory safety and chemistry techniques including measurement, dilution, extraction and filtration.

 

 

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

The resource teaches lab safety and many of those laboratory skills used in 'doing' chemistry. It also exposes students to the invention process and teachers planning and process skills needed to effectively communicate and promote a message.

Strengths

  • the unit effectively addresses STEM objectives and outcomes
  • the activities and the tools to support them are well constructed, varied, interesting, fun to do, hands-on and authentic.
  • the activities allow students to explore chemistry content in a real-world context.
  • the lessons focus on teaching and developing skills in a range of areas (chemistry, inventive thinking, problem solving, communication)
  • the educator and student guides provide excellent support and contain all of the information and tools required to successfully carry out the learning activities.

Recommendation of how and where to use it

In addition to addressing a range of chemistry topics in a real-world context the resource explores the roles of invention, entrepreneurship and green technology in sustainable production and consumption.

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Themes Addressed

Science and Technology (2)

  • Analysing Conventional Science
  • Appropriate Technology

Waste Management (2)

  • Cradle-to-Cradle
  • Hazardous Waste

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Good

While promoting bioplastics over petroleum-based versions, the inquiry focus of the resource allows students to gather and process information from a range of sources.

Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Good

The activities illustrate clearly the roles of invention, entrepreneurship and green chemistry in designing bioplastic products that are safer and better for the environment.

Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Very Good

The complex path to achieving greener and more sustainable products is made clear.

Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Satisfactory

Students do act on and apply the principles of inventive thinking, entrepreneurship and green chemistry to produce a more environmentally-friendly bioplastic.  

Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Good

Reflecting on the value of inventive thinking and green chemistry and clarifying their views are  core components of the final meeting.

Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Poor/Not considered
Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Satisfactory

The environmental issues surrounding responsible production and the life cycle of products is a core theme.

Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Good

Many of the examples and investigations (cell phones, lava lamps, product end-of-life )focus on aspects of the students own experience. 

Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Good

The contrasts between old and new plastic formulation and traditional and green chemistry are made clear. Giving students the opportunity to actually practice green chemistry to produce a 'better' product provides much reason for optimism.

Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Very Good

The focus on invention and scientific problem solving involves students in a non-linear process that characterize these disciplines. The invention team model used in this resource introduces the curiosity and creativity required in recognizing problems and addressing them with novel solutions.  Students will learn that there are countless possibilities rather than one right answer. 

Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Good

The resource will support learning in science, technology, communications and entrepreneurship classrooms.

Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Good

Scientific inquiry is a core component of the learning.

Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Poor/Not considered

There are numerous tools in the resource to adjust the pace of learning to meet students' needs. Meetings are supported by a number of different learning strategies including engaging activities, simulations, videos, authentic tasks and links to supporting information.

Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Good

Students apply inventive thinking and green chemistry skills to help solve an important real-world problem. Much of the learning is very 'hands-on' and takes place within an authentic context.

Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Good

Students have specific roles through which they contribute to their invention team.  Analysis, design, experimentation, optimizing, production and promotion are all accomplished through collaboration.

Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Good

The student guide calls for journal entries for reflection and feedback as well as specific questions requiring written responses at the conclusion of each meeting.

Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Satisfactory
Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Very Good

Relevant case studies are a strength of the resource.  Students will find them relevant, helpful and inspiring.

Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Poor/Not considered

Students have some control over the prototype they produce.

Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.

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