| Introduction Classroom Activities
pH
Ions
Resources and
Links
Glossary |
|
Main l Classroom
Activity l Objectives l Standards
Addressed l Background l Methods/Teacher
Guide l Rubric l Resources
To the teacher:
This activity allows the student to apply hands-on acquired data to development of
scientific literacy. Step-by-step
instructions are given to lead the student through each step of utilizing acquired field
data for constructing graphs and writing conclusions. The classroom strategy to be used by
the teacher to complete this assignment is as follows:
1. Keep in mind the keypoint throughout the
facilitation of this activity:
- The acidity of the rain falling on the ecosystem is only one
component in understanding the process.
- All data was collected and
analyzed by Dr. Guentzel and her team at
Coastal Carolina University to determine the chemical interactions that take place between the plants and the
precipitation. The data presented here is from rain samples collected on Waites Island,
which is an undeveloped barrier island off the coastal of South
Carolina.
- *There was no precipitation on Waites Island for several weeks
before June 18. This information is critical
to make accurate inference from data and is stated within the instructions for the Classroom
Activity.
- All precipitation from the atmosphere contains water-soluble ions. The atmosphere contains many different kinds of
gas molecules.
- The precipitation at Waites Island will predictably have a higher
content of chloride ions because of its proximity to the ocean (sea spray).
- Most students are able to successfully interpret data from a plotted
point graph; however, it will be necessary to explain all components required for
producing a plotted point graph; i.e. titles, scales, units, coordinates, best fit line,
key.
2. The
detailed information: in-depth background of
terms, conditions, and processes that need to be understood by the student. Using the Key Terms as listed in Main and Resources
will assist students in their understanding of foliar interactions as well as aid them
with writing.
- Precipitation comes in all forms:
rain, sleet, hail, snow, and fog.
- Acid rain is a term used for all types of acidic precipitation.
- Direct precipitation falls directly to the ground without organic
interference.
- Throughfall is precipitation that falls through the leaves and
branches of trees and bushes.
- Deposition is the deposit of any organic or inorganic matter on the
leaves or branches of any plant from the atmosphere.
The deposition of insects, bird waste products, or atmospheric compounds may
‘wash off’ into the collection bottles for throughfall precipitation.
- Leaching is a process that occurs when acid rain causes certain
substances to be dissolved out of plant leaves and stems.
- Foliar interaction, for this activity, is described as any effect
acid rain has on plants and trees.
- Ions and polyatomic ions are charged particles of matter than can be
found in the atmosphere and in all living organisms.
- Graphing data will provide a diagram that will exhibit a
relationship between two sets of numbers.
- Extrapolation is an educated
guess that is based on the data being used.
- Rain samples in this activity were taken on specific days of rain
(called ‘event’) and also accumulated for a time period (called
‘monthly’). Data is presented for
both ‘event’ samples and ‘monthly’ samples. Both ‘event’ and ‘monthly’
samples will be graphed and analyzed.
3. Give each student a
print-out of the classroom activity, key terms (Resources), and rubric (Resources). Guide them through each step of the activity. An answer key for the ‘Comparison of Ions
Detected’ section of the classroom activity is enclosed in this Method/Teacher Guide
as well as the Rubric portion of this activity. Contact
Rebecca Ward at rward@sh.hcs.k12.sc.us if you
have any questions or comments. |
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