Very Very Reactive

Ever since the completion of our algebra unit, our time up in Scimathics has been spent learning about chemistry, and working to create presentations about a reaction of our choice. This was basically our first time doing chemistry, and I was looking forward to getting to do some super sciency science stuff for the first time in a while.

This presentation was to be completed in small groups, however my group was just Jessie and I. This was yet again another chance for me to work on my group collaboration skills that I’ve been working hard to improve since first term. After learning a bit about the different reaction types, our class got together and chose which group would be doing each reaction. Me and Jessie got was our second choice I believe; synthesis reactions. We immediately got to work researching to fully understand our reaction and to see what we wanted to focus on for our presentation. After a lot of brainstorming and revising, we eventually settled on the topic of how synthesis reactions affect our cities, highlighting the reaction between carbon monoxide and oxygen in a cars catalytic converter to produce less harmful emissions. 

Me and Jessie’s teamwork during this project was amazing, she was a great partner and our communication was strong inside and outside of the class as we were both working hard to complete a presentation we were proud of. We split up the work evenly and efficiently as she worked on animations and the keynote, and I created the script and did the reaction. All in all I’m really proud of our collaboration and I hope that is exhibited in my final grade.

Time to get a bit more technical, let’s talk curricular competencies. For this project we were tasked with basically making our own rubric. We got to choose the curricular competencies we would be evaluated on and write how we show them in the project. 

I demonstrated a sustained intellectual curiosity about a scientific topic or problem of personal interest by showing my rich understanding of how synthesis reactions take place within the scientific problem of personal interest; catalytic converters. I was constantly curious to know how they worked and was always looking to include that knowledge in my presentation.

I evaluated the validity and limitations of a model or analogy in relation to the phenomenon modelled by understanding how scientific models work, to a degree where I could determine the accuracy and validity of models that I saw on the internet by myself. I could identify if a diagram was inaccurate and would adjust it accordingly.

I considered the role of scientists in innovation as I discussed the importance of the design of catalytic converters and how scientific findings have created new innovation such as this. I understand the properties of catalytic converters and how they affect the scientific reaction.

And lastly I communicated scientific ideas, claims, information, and perhaps a suggested course of action, for a specific purpose and audience, constructing evidence- based arguments and using appropriate scientific language, conventions, and representations, by understanding the differences between types of reactions, and how the classifications of certain reactions is determined. I used scientific evidence to support and justify all claims I made throughout my project.