8th grade science. (No, not that class.) They were making "Wanted" posters for atoms. (Cute assignment, really, but a bit too involved to go into explaining.)
Each student was to be assigned an atom. The teacher had helpfully provided a page that was easily cut into small strips of paper, so each student could draw an atom rather than having me assign one. A lottery, as it were.
Knowing their usual tricks, I explained they'd get to pick their atom, but there were no redraws. Because if I allowed that, we'd spend the entire period with them trying to pick a "good one".
Students who ended up with larger atoms were not pleased with this. (They had to draw out the diagram, so the students who got stuck with iodine had to draw out 53 protons, 53 electrons, and 73 neutrons.) Although, I made one girl happy when she picked arsenic. I informed her it was a poison. She was quite content with that atom after learning that.
Several had turned in their posters. One boy put his in the pile, but something about it caught my eye. He had helium.
Funny, helium wasn't on the list...
(The smallest atom on the list was carbon.)
I asked the boy about it. He admitted that he had lost his slip and had forgotten what atom he had.
Um, okay... Well, he could draw another from the left over slips I had.
I suppose I should be grateful he didn't try to get away with hydrogen. I wish I could tell you which atom he then drew, but I don't recall. It wasn't one of the bigger ones, though.
At least he tried to do something I guess.
ReplyDeleteI think it is safe to assume we are in trouble with these kids being the future leaders of our country!
ReplyDeleteI don't know. At least he tried something. Even if he was taking the easy way out.
Deletebetter something than nothing! And I'm with Paula, especially thinking of the poison fan girl
ReplyDeleteUgh, what a boring project. I would have tried to get away with Helium, too. Learning about the element wouldn't so bad but the diagrams! How tedious.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great assignments! Helium is one of the inert gases on the element table. He was totally get away with minimum work.Husband and I are total geek people.
ReplyDeleteThere were a couple noble gases on the list. Krypton and argon. He was going for the #2. At least he didn't try hydrogen.
DeleteThat is actually a cool assignment. This boy could have just goofed off but he didn't - that's commendable.
ReplyDeleteI like the assignment; we never did anything cool like that when we were learning atoms :) Got to give him credited, at least he was ingenious to come up with something to work on.
ReplyDeletebetty
Yes, he at least tried to do something. I commend him for that.
DeleteLOL at him trying to be slick. That sounds like a fun project :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun assignment. Convenient (and possibly clever) for the kid to forget which atom he'd selected. Pretty sure I wasn't that quick-thinking at that age—or now. :)
ReplyDeleteVR Barkowski
Very interesting assignment. We never did anything like that in school.
ReplyDeleteNeither did we. I would have loved that assignment in 8th grade... No, wait. I wouldn't have.
DeleteIt's a great way to teach kids about atoms. I can imagine the poor kids' dismay when they drew out a complex one :)
ReplyDeleteSome of those larger ones...
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