Chemical Education Today edited by Erica K. Jacobsen JCE Secondary School Editor
Classroom Activity Connections
Water Filtration: Small Changes Make a Difference by Erica K. Jacobsen
Effective Modifications: Big and Small The beauty of the Classroom Activity Connections feature is its range. Past Connections have suggested small as well as big modifications and connections. For example, the November 2007 Connections (1) mentioned a new glass cleaner product that teachers could share with their students to extend an Activity where students make their own cleaners. A small connection, but one that brings real world products into the classroom and relates them to chemistry. Diener’s March 2008 Connections (2) brought together multiple pieces for a bigger lesson plan—a JCE Classroom Activity to make mock apple sauce, an investigation of several JCE Featured Molecules related to taste, and an artificial sweetener worksheet of her own creation. Great ideas for modifications often come to light during my brief conversations with teachers at conferences and workshops. Teachers may use an Activity in their classroom, but then have a couple of suggestions to make it even more effective. This Connections article highlights two such suggestions that teachers shared several years ago during a hands-on JCE Classroom Activities workshop that included Activity #60: Water Filtration.
Featured Activity ◭ Extension to JCE Classroom Activity: #60. Water Filtration by Erica K. Jacobsen, J. Chem. Educ. 2004, 81, 224A–224B.
Activity Connections submission. I’m happy to provide feedback—please email me at
[email protected]. Literature Cited 1. Jacobsen, E. K. J. Chem. Educ. 2007, 84, 1747. 2. Diener, L. M. J. Chem. Educ. 2008, 85, 345.
Supporting JCE Online Material
http://www.jce.divched.org/Journal/Issues/2008/Jul/abs892.html Abstract and keywords
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If you’ve ever used a JCE Classroom Activity, you probably already have ideas that could be transformed into a Classroom
Erica K. Jacobsen is Editor, Secondary School Chemistry, JCE;
[email protected].
Two Water Filtration Updates In Activity #60, students construct a water filtration column using a 2-L plastic beverage container and layers of activated charcoal, sand, and gravel. They create a “dirty” sample of water by mixing leaves, oil, vinegar, and dirt with tap water, filter it with the column, and observe the resulting sample. At a workshop, we used a different brand of activated charcoal, which was much more powdery than usual. The powder passed through the cheesecloth we had attached around
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The “dirty” water sample after filtration.
photos by J. J. Jacobsen and E. K. Jacobsen
Adding a “dirty” water sample to a homemade water filtration column.
the bottle’s spout (the bottom of the column), and produced “filtered” water that was less filtered than planned. A teacher suggested that we place a cotton ball in the spout before covering the spout with cheesecloth, to trap these small particles. A second suggestion from the same workshop was to place another contaminant in the “dirty” sample. A teacher uses garlic powder to add a further aroma and particles to filter.
Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 85 No. 7 July 2008 • www.JCE.DivCHED.org • © Division of Chemical Education
