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PUBLICATION INFORMATION

TITLE OF PUBLICATION

LABORATORY EXPERIENCES TO STUDY GASEOUS SUBSTANCES AT LOWER SECONDARY SCHOOL(ESPERIENZE DI LABORATORIO PER LO STUDIO DELLE SOSTANZE GASSOSE NELLA SCUOLA MEDIA INFERIORE)

NAME OF AUTHOR(S)

Pierluigi Riani

NAME OF PUBLISHER

Metodi e tecniche per L'insegnamento efficace
http://educa.univpm.it/index.html

YEAR OF PUBLICATION

1998

LANGUAGE OF PUBLICATION

Italian

PUBLICATION TYPOLOGY

Web Article

TARGET GROUP OF PUBLICATION

Researchers, Teachers

SIZE OF THE PUBLICATION

3 – 10 pages

DESCRIPTION OF CONTENTS

An experimental work is presented, addressed to the acquisition of the concept of materiality of gases. The reference school level is the lower secondary school (pupils aged 11 – 14 years), but the work can be adapted to the last years of primary school and to the first years of upper secondary school. The experiments involve mainly the sensorial aspects. The article proposes a sequence of experiences made with materials that are easy to find and not expensive: mainly water, syringes, plastic cups and little more for further deepening. Below, a brief description of the sequence of activities is provided.
1) Air can be seen. This can be showed by emptying in a glass of water a syringe full of air.
2) Air can be touched: sensations caused by the flow of air on the palm of the hand.
3) The air can be poured: the experiment works underwater, with a glass upside down
4) The air exerts a thrust and is compressible: for this purpose, two syringes connected by a flexible tube are needed simply
5) Air occupies a space: this experience can be realized in two distinct levels, the first is purely qualitative, while the second is quantitative and needs to do measurements. The first case needs a jar with hermetic cap drilled in two points, two flexible plastic tubes and a small funnel. In the second case, more complex, the construction of a hydropneumatic bathroom is required.
The sequence was proposed in some lower secondary schools and aroused interest of pupils, also because they were very glad of working with water. Main problems are linked to the need of keeping a suitable behaviour: activities are not games but a way to learn. Times to carried out the whole sequence are long and, in order to obtain good results, it is needed not to hurry. The objective to be achieved is not the fulfilment of the experience, but its understanding and students generally have no need for a very short time, even if they work with commitment.Considering the large number of experiments, the teacher who wants to carry out them all and does not have the necessary time can share the tasks among the students; in this way they will have a practical demonstration of how scientific work is often a collective work, in which everyone uses the results obtained by others.

REVIEWER’S COMMENTS ON THE PUBLICATION

The science textbook for lower secondary school suggest, almost always, to demonstrate the "materiality" of the gaseous state with the weighing. They proceed with a normal rubber balloon: first a deflated balloon is weighed, then it is swollen and weighted again. It is found that the weight is increased: the increase is thus due to the weight of the air. Unfortunately the weighing must be of high precision in order to have a reliable result; as it is well known, balances are not present at schools and when available, their precision is low. Moreover, the above demonstration is not sufficiently effective for young people and their idea of gas remains abstract and dangerously mnemonic. In order to get a significant learning of the concept of gaseous substance, it is necessary to follow a more “sensorial approach”, as the one described in the article: air can be seen, air can be touched, air can be decanted, air can exert a thrust.

WHERE TO FIND IT

http://educa.univpm.it/laboratorio/prespe.html

NAME OF THE REVIEWING ORGANISATION

University of Genoa

Comments about this Publication

Your comments are welcome

Date: 2014.04.07

Posted by Sabine Jacquemin (Belgium)

Message: This publication concerns the study of gaseous substances by using sensorial tools. The publication explains in details a series of experiences to be carried out by students in order to show evidences on specific properties of air, such as the fact that it can be visible, touchable, compressible and that it physically occupies a place. All of the experiments are proven to be successful and this makes the publication relevant for the importance of teaching students how to perform the experiments correctly.
The conclusion of the publication focuses on a mistake generally made by most of the teachers, which is giving importance to end a programme in time rather than concentrating on the students understanding of the lessons. The experiments shown in this publication give students a practical demonstration on what is exactly a scientific work to be performed in groups at school.
The overall publication offers useful steps to follow during chemistry lessons not only in primary but also in secondary school.

Date: 2014.03.25

Posted by Angela Gammell (Ireland)

Message: This paper describes how students in lower secondary school can develop their concept of a gas thorough various types of practical work. The traditional method of comparing the mass of an empty a balloon and an air filled balloon relies on a very precise electronic balance which many schools do not have. The methods described here use water filled syringes and air filled syringes under water and in air to demonstrate that air can be seen, touched, poured, compressed. These methods proved popular with and stimulating to students who enjoyed working with water. The need for good classroom discipline was emphasised. The authors recommend that it may be more suitable for a teacher to demonstrate the different steps if the students do not have good laboratory skills or discipline. The need for good manual dexterity on the part of the students for some of the tasks was also noted.
ICT is not used in this case.
The paper also mentions the time required to carry out all the tasks and suggests dividing the tasks among different groups in the class which can also serve as a model for the collaborative nature of science.
I found the methods useful and will use them in my first year class, most likely as a demonstration due to time constraints.

National Reports on successful experiences to promote lifelong learning for chemistry The national reports on chemistry successful experiences to promote lifelong learning for chemistry are now available on the related section of the project portal. The reports presents examples of successful experiences in the partner countries and the results of testing of ICT resources with science teachers.