Interactive and Experiential Science Tools

The Nation’s Report Card on Science is out. The average NAEP science scores for the nation increased 4 points between 2009 and 2015 in both grades 4 and 8, but did not change significantly at grade 12. Scores for most student groups at grades 4 and 8 were higher in 2015 compared to 2009, but were not significantly different at grade 12. At grades 4 and 8, Black and Hispanic students made greater gains than White students, causing the achievement gap to narrow in comparison to 2009. 

Compared to 2009, scores were higher at grades 4 and 8 in all three science content areas (physical science, life science, and Earth and space sciences) in 2015, while there were no significant changes in content area scores at grade 12. Read more.

This month on prepmagic.com we will see the following new interactives.

Rocket Propulsion and Newton’s Laws of Motion

• Explore how Newton's third law explains the generation of thrust by a rocket engine and how Newton's second law describes the acceleration of the rocket due to the thrust generated.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS2-1. Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration. HS-PS2-2. Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.

Effect of gravitational acceleration on projectile motion

• Explore the effect of gravitational acceleration (g) on the projectile trajectory including popular phenomena such as fired bullet versus falling bullet, shoot the monkey, etc.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS2-1. Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration. HS-PS2-2. Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.

Lift on an airplane - 2

• Compare the lift generated in different types of aircrafts, varying in terms of size, load and propulsion systems.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS2-1. Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration. HS-PS2-2. Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.

Potential Energy of a Chemical Reaction

• Investigate how the difference in the potential energy of the reactants and the products determine whether the reaction is exothermic or endothermic in nature.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-4. Develop a model to illustrate that the release or absorption of energy from a chemical reaction system depends upon the changes in total bond energy.

Enthalpy of neutralization reaction

• Investigate the enthalpy of neutralization, which is the change in heat content of the system that occurs when an acid and a base undergo a neutralization reaction to form water and a salt.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-4. Develop a model to illustrate that the release or absorption of energy from a chemical reaction system depends upon the changes in total bond energy.

Half-life of a Radioactive Substance

• Understand the concept of half-life by comparing the decay process across a set of radioactive isotopes.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-8. Develop models to illustrate the changes in the composition of the nucleus of the atom and the energy released during the processes of fission, fusion, and radioactive decay.

Radioactive Decay Series

• Explore the effects of emission of an alpha particle or a beta particle and the resulting decay chain for radioactive elements - thorium, neptunium and actinium.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-8. Develop models to illustrate the changes in the composition of the nucleus of the atom and the energy released during the processes of fission, fusion, and radioactive decay.

Periods and Groups - Property Trends

• Explore and compare the trends exhibited for different physical and chemical properties across periods and groups in the periodic table.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-1. Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.

Homeostasis - Effect of Nicotine on Heart Rate

• Investigate the effect of nicotine on the heart rate of Daphnia magna.

NGSS: Life Sciences HS-LS1-3. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.

What happens when Katie, a 20-year-old junior with glasses, an aerospace engineering major, starts tutoring a roomful of students who are her own age or even a bit older? University of Colorado Boulder, has started a movement to improve the quality of science education around the country, not only on campuses but in K-12 classrooms, and the LAs, as they're called, are at the center of this work. Read more about "Making Science Teaching More Than 'A Backup Plan' here.

Visit prepmagic.com to check out the April interactives. The new ones that are coming in May are listed below.

CHEMISTRY

Kinetics Equilibrium

• Catalysts - Investigate how catalysts speed up a chemical reaction.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1.B: Chemical Reactions.

• Disturbing Chemical Equilibrium - Investigate how equilibrium in a reversible reaction can be disturbed by changing concentration by adding reactants or removing products..

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1.B: Chemical Reactions.

• Temperature and Reaction Rate - Investigate how change in temperature affects the rate of a chemical reaction.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, DCI - PS1.B: Chemical Reactions.

• Reaction Quotient - Explore the change in reaction quotient Q of a chemical reaction as it proceeds towards equilibrium.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, DCI - PS1.B: Chemical Reactions.

Acids Bases

• Diprotic Acid Titration - Explore titration of a strong diprotic acid with a strong base.

NGSS: SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, PS1.B: Chemical Reactions.

BIOLOGY

Cell Structure Function

• Osmosis - Explore movement of water molecules through a semi-permeable membrane from area of lower solute concentration to area of higher solute concentration.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, LS1.A: Structure and Function.

Heredity Evolution

• Fitness - Explore how sexual selection and natural selection will cause favored alleles to become more common over time.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, LS3.B: Variation of Traits.

• Mutation - Explore why some mutations survive and thrive, while others wither away.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, LS3.B: Variation of Traits.

PHYSICS

Fluids

• Bernoulli's Principle - Investigate how Bernoulli's principle of fluids in motion and Newton's laws of motion determine the forces acting on an airplane that enable it to lift off the ground during take off.

NGSS: SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, DCI - PS2.A: Forces and Motion

Hurrah! Spring is here. Spring is always an opportunity for a new beginning, for everything and everyone. "New research suggests that when students who are vulnerable to being stereotyped complete exercises that cause them to reflect on their own personal values, they perform better in class - and so do other students around them, even if those other students don’t complete the self-reflection tasks themselves". Read about this interesting research here.

If you think March interactives are awesome, check below the new ones that are coming in April.

CHEMISTRY

Acids Bases

• Indicators - Interactive demonstrating that different indicators show color change at different pH and therefore correct indicator has to be selected for titration of a given acid-base combination.

NGSS: SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, PS1.B: Chemical Reactions.

Kinetics Equilibrium

• Rate of Chemical Reactions  - Interactive investigating the factors affecting reaction rates.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1.B: Chemical Reactions.

• Chemical Reaction Equilibrium - Interactive investigating the factors that shift the equilibrium of a reversible reaction as given by Le Chatelier’s Principle.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1.B: Chemical Reactions.

BIOLOGY

Heredity Evolution

• Genetic Drift Allele Fixation - Interactive exploring genetic drift phenomenon, which can eventually lead to allele fixation.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, LS3.B: Variation of Traits.

• Speciation  - Interactive demonstrating how different types of isolation lead to selective breeding, which may eventually lead to emergence of new species.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, LS3.B: Variation of Traits.

PHYSICS

Fluids

• Pressure Variation with Depth  - Interactive exploring static pressure exerted by a fluid at any point in space within that fluid.

NGSS: SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, PS2.B: Types of Interactions.

Optics

• Curved Optics - Interactive ray diagrams illustrating characteristics of image formation based on focal length and position of the object.

NGSS: SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, PS4.A: Wave Properties.

We are already a month into the new year, and it has been the most exciting times for us here at prepmagic.com. Though for many of us on the east coast, we did see some ugly effects of storm Jonas. Weather has always been a researchers enigma. More we think we know about it, more curve balls it throws at us. For the first time, University of Washington researchers, have convincingly connected the effect of Moon’s tidal forces on the amount of rainfall on Earth. Read more about it here.

So after the updates for January 2016 being live on prepmagic.com, this is what you should expect for the month of February 2016.

CHEMISTRY

Reactions

Types of Reactions - Interactives illustrating

• different types of chemical reactions - synthesis, decomposition, single replacement, double replacement, neutralization, and combustion.
• endothermic and exothermic processes.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1.B: Chemical Reactions.

Solutions

Colligative Properties - Interactives demonstrating that

• a liquid’s boiling point and freezing point are affected by changes in atmospheric pressure.
• the presence of certain solutes and the number of solutes changes the freezing point and boiling point of a pure substance.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter.

Gases

Partial Pressure - Interactives demonstrating

• that the sum of the partial pressures of all the components in a gas mixture is equal to the total pressure of a gas mixture.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter.

Phase Changes

Vapor Pressure - Interactives demonstrating

• that a liquid boils when the vapor pressure equals the ambient pressure.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter.

BIOLOGY

Evolution

Fossil Dating - Interactives demonstrating 

• methods to determine the age of a fossil using radioactive decay.

NGSS: SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Systems and system models, LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity.

Reproductive Strategies & Survival Rates  - Interactives investigating

• the impact of reproductive strategies and rates on a population’s survival

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Systems and system models, LS4.C: Adaptation.

PHYSICS

Electric Circuits

Electrical Power - Interactives demonstrating that

• the dissipated power of a circuit element equals the product of the voltage across that element and the current through it.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Systems and system models, PS2.B: Types of Interactions.

Sound & Waves

Wave Characteristics - Interactives illustrating various aspects of a wave, including

• wavelength, period, frequency and amplitude
• simple harmonic motion
• velocity of sound waves versus medium of propagation

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Patterns, CCC - Cause and effect, PS4.A: Wave Properties.