MOSART

Misconceptions-Oriented Standards-based Assessment Resources 

for Teachers

Hello All,

Teaching and tutoring science and mathematics, I have learned students can have some interesting misconceptions.  Many misconceptions are fairly common, not necessarily tied to current or past instruction.  Sometimes it is easy to see how a student came to a certain way of thinking, other times it requires the teacher to question.   MOSART tests are distractor-driven multiple choice tests developed to assess understanding of science concepts within the National Science Education Standards (NSES) in grades K-12 in the areas of Life Science, Physical Science, Earth Science, Chemistry, Physics, and Astronomy/Space Science.  MOSART tests have the potential to be a powerful diagnostic tool for determining the level of understanding of each science concept along with determining where misconceptions may be hiding allowing teachers to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of a class or individuals.  At a later date, if desired, a parallel test could be administered as a post-test to check for students' growth during a course.  Teachers must take the short tutorials that explain how to use and understand the tests before being allowed to select tests.  After, the selected tests can be emailed to the teacher.  The key at the end of each test connects each question to a standard which may be used for more in-depth analyses.  This is followed by a list of common misconceptions for the grade level and subject.

Happy analyses,

Mrs. A

It's All Elemental My Dear...

Hello All,

I absolutely love the setup of the Ptable, interactive periodic table.  My only complaint as an educator is that it references Wikipedia for in depth descriptions of each element.  There are many other positive notable uses for the site such as the properties tab for melting points and boiling points or checking electron configuration answers under the orbitals tab.

The Visual Elements Periodic Table is an interactive periodic table providing many of the features of the Ptable along with interesting short Podcasts about each element and short video clips of each element.  There is also an alchemy tab.  This could be a nice addition to a 'golden' penny lab, where students turn copper into 'gold'.  My preference is for a procedure that avoids NaOH. 

Here is something unique and fun, The Periodic Table of Comic Books.  Simply click on an element to find corresponding comic book pages.  Not all elements will have a referenced comic book page.  There is also The Photographic Periodic Table of Elements offering many photographs of each element or use of each element along with basic property information.

All of this online periodic table viewing leaves me wanting more.  I may have to spend the evening reading the book The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean.  I can’t wait to take in all the different ways the periodic table and its elements have been interwoven throughout history, good and bad.  It's been pointed out it is a great read, though it may contain a few scientific errors.

Enjoy the beauty of the periodic table,

Mrs. A

The Chemistry of Fireworks

Hello All,

Fireworks by Anna Langova

Have you ever wondered how firework manufacturers test their goods to insure the desired height, color, and pattern are achieved?  Watch this great 3 minute video from Weird Science: I Didn't Know That Fireworks.

Balloon demonstrations are shown in the short video, Kid Guides: The Science of Fireworks using chemicals that produce various firework colors.  During the introduction, the proper packing for producing designs is discussed.

Still looking for an explanation with a bit more depth and a tad more chemistry, try reading Chemical of the Week: Fireworks!  The site is part of the Science is Fun in the Lab of Shakhashiri out of University of Wisconsin - Madison. If you are a chemistry teacher or soon will cover a unit on chemistry, I encourage you after reading through the information on fireworks to go to http://www.scifun.org/.  Dr. Shakhashiri’s site is an outstanding resource for the chemistry classroom.

Here is a well written blog article, How do Fireworks Work by Melissae Fellet.  It includes the video The Chemistry of Fireworks featuring Dr. John Conkling.

Often when I think of fireworks, I think of the classic flame test lab we performed in a college chemistry lab.  It’s easy to search and find many lab procedures for the flame test lab.  I like Lab: Flame Tests by Aaron Keller.  In addition to the basic flame test procedure, he integrated his own introduction video, a reference to the Nova Fireworks! video, and includes information about fireworks within the lab. Upon clicking the Nova link, I found 2 short video clips on fireworks.  The second, The Rockets Blue Glare is most relevant to the flame test lab.  

A little something extra, the anatomies of some favorite consumer fireworks can be found at PyroUniverse.com: How Fireworks Work.  Please read the disclaimer at the bottom of the site’s page.  The Nova link from the tab listed above also includes information on the anatomy of fireworks.

Happy 4th of July,

Mrs. A

Rader's Physics for Kids

Hello All,

There is a terrific site called Rader’s Physics for Kids.   Many physics concepts are introduced here without relying heavily on mathematics.  While the site name states for kids, it proves to be of value for secondary students who need to review or need clarification on material being learned.  Major concepts covered include motion and mechanics, electricity and magnetism, heat and thermodynamics, light and optics, and modern physics (nuclear, quantum, etc.).  Rader’s Physics for Kids also offers a number of quizzes for students to self-check for understanding.  The site relies heavily on text; reading comprehension may be a challenge for some students.  The content ranks mostly between a 7th to 10th grade level according to Readability-Score.com.

Andrew Rader with the help of volunteers created Rader’s Physics for Kids along with many sites including Chem4Kids, Biology4Kids, Geography4Kids (Earth science), Cosmos4Kids, and NumberNut.com.  All of these science sites and the math site can be found at Kapili.com.  The sites have received various recognitions since 1997.

Happy exploring,

Mrs. A

The M in STEM.

Hello All,

Math and science are beautifully intertwined.  No surprise, I have a great appreciation for many things STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) related.  The University of Cambridge NRICH is a wonderful resource for math and STEM activities.  There are elementary and secondary offerings for both students and teachers.  Curious, I clicked the lower level secondary link and followed the STEM link at the top of the page. This led to some interesting math based STEM activities under the Living World and Physical World.  I especially enjoyed exploring the genetics option.

Alcumus is another site that caught my attention in the online world of mathematics. If you are familiar with Math Counts, Math Counts Minis are available here. Students can compete with other students through AoPS for the Win, FTW!  FTW! encourages students development of skills for middle school level math competitions. Students can also take advantage of the adaptive curriculum that chooses questions based on the students previous performance.  There is quite the selection of short math videos.  If one prefers, there are math and programming courses that may be paid for as well.

Happy calculating,

Mrs. A