Western Kentucky University TopSCHOLAR® Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Honors College at WKU Projects Spring 5-2012 Semipermeable Membranes, Diffusion, and Osmosis Inquiry: Effective Modeling in a High School Classroom Amar Patel Western Kentucky University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/stu_hon_theses Part of the Biology Commons, and the Science and Mathematics Education Commons Recommended Citation Patel, Amar, "Semipermeable Membranes, Diffusion, and Osmosis Inquiry: Effective Modeling in a High School Classroom" (2012). Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects. Paper 367. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/stu_hon_theses/367 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by TopSCHOLAR®. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors College Capstone Experience/ Thesis Projects by an authorized administrator of TopSCHOLAR®. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SEMIPERMEABLE MEMBRANES, DIFFUSION, AND OSMOSIS INQUIRY: EFFECTIVE MODELING IN A HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM A Capstone Experience/Thesis Project Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Bachelor of Sciences with Honors College Graduate Distinction at Western Kentucky University By Amar Patel ***** Western Kentucky University 2012 CE/T Committee: Approved by Professor Lester Pesterfield, Advisor Professor Martha Day Advisor Professor Leslie Baylis Department of Chemistry Copyright by Amar Patel 2012 ABSTRACT A novel approach is taken in teaching the core chemical and biological concepts of mass transport properties, specifically diffusion and osmosis, in an investigation-rich unit of instruction spanning fifteen days. The unit is based on the highly successful 5-E, inquiry based approach known as project-based instruction which emphasizes the use of laboratories and interactive discussions. The entire unit will center on a grand challenge which the students will provide a media-based solution for by encompassing the concepts taught in the unit. When introducing these topics in the high school classroom, the instructor must be able to help students understand the basic similarities and differences between diffusion and osmosis as well as provide real world applications for these phenomena. The current unit of instruction employs hands-on activities and physical models allowing students to visualize the processes and effects of diffusion and osmosis. Utilizing inquiry-based guided questions and strategies embedded within the lesson plans, the instructor can probe students for their understanding of mass transport properties. By employing the developed hands-on activities and guided-questioning discussions, students are actively engaged and better equipped to master fundamental concepts which can become a foundation for more advanced topics. Keywords: mass transport properties, osmosis, diffusion, semipermeability, hands-on activities, inquiry-based ii Dedicated to my friends, family, advisors, and mentors. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This completion of this project is due to the knowledge, support, and creativity of many people. My partner, Nicholas Neiman, and my advisor, Dr. Les Pesterfield, have provided hours of service to this project by critiquing my work and offering areas of improvement. My advisor’s encouragement, push (against my procrastination), and willingness to engage in my research interest have played a significant role in my growth as a chemist and piqued my interest in chemical education. I would also like to thank the Melissa Rudloff, Stephanie Burba, and the members of my committee, Dr. Martha Day and Dr. Leslie Baylis, for providing me with their time and insight on the improvement of this project. Dr. Martha Day was also able to provide financial support for the development of this project (SKyTeach funding) and the opportunity to present my project at the American Chemical Society National Conference in San Diego, CA (GSKyTeach funding) and the Uteach National Conference in Austin, TX (SKyTeach funding). Without this support, my project would have been a mere imagination rather than a physical finished project. Thank you to the countless others who were able to provide me with some sort of support during this process. iv VITA February 16, 1990 ......................................................Born – Detroit, Michigan 2008............................................................................Russellville High School, Russellville, Kentucky 2009-2011 .................................................................Student Researcher in Organic Synthesis Research 2010-2012 ..................................................................Teaching Assistant in Astronomy for VAMPY Summer Camp 2012............................................................................Student Teacher at South Warren High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky FIELDS OF STUDY Major Fields: Chemistry (American Chemical Society Certified) Science/Math Education (Secondary Education) Minor Fields: Biology (Pre-Medical Track) Mathematics v TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract .............................................................................................................................. ii Dedication ......................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... iv Vita ......................................................................................................................................v Part 1 Chapters: 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 2. Science Education ........................................................................................................... 3 3. Guided and Open Inquiry Methods .............................................................................. 6 4. Project Based Instruction ............................................................................................... 9 5. Rationale ......................................................................................................................... 12 6. Unit Description and Goals .......................................................................................... 15 7. Challenges and Solutions ............................................................................................. 19 8. Reflection ....................................................................................................................... 23 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................... 26 Part 2: The Unit of Instruction See this section for unit-specific Table of Contents and all Teaching Resources. vi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The concepts of diffusion, semipermeability, and osmosis are fundamental to mastering many topics in chemistry and biology. The students will have an easier time understanding more advanced topics if they can understand the forces that lead to these phenomena and the resulting consequences. Unfortunately, many high school teachers do not spend much instructional time on these concepts, thus students leave their classes with only a rudimental understanding of these fundamental forces. Because they play a critical role in the fields of chemistry, biochemistry, and biology, it is important that students have a clear understanding of the concepts and how they relate to real world applications. This unit offers an effective method for teaching diffusion and osmosis using hands-on activities combined with guided-questioning discussions. This unit is designed to move away from the direct instructional approach and incorporate a more inquiry-based approach. This thesis explores the concepts of osmosis and diffusion in terms of a project-based instruction approach. A very secific form of project-based instruction is employed; this method is derived from the Legacy Cycle. Within this cycle, students begin a unit with a grand challenge. This is often in terms of a 1 fictional scenario. This unit uses a media-based video as the grand challenge. This challenge is an umbrella for the unit; students begin the unit by trying to solve the grand challenge with what they already know. As the unit progresses, students learn new concepts through interactive discussion and engaging laboratory activities. Students will then synthesize all the information they have gathered and put it into perspective in terms of solving the grand challenge. Again, the students will use a technology based approach to present their findings. This helps add meaning and relevance to why students are studying these topics. Fundamentally, students are more intrigued in their studies hopefully leading to a greater retention of the course mateial. The unit consists of two major projects: the grand challenge and the go public challenge. Both of these challenges are summative assessments of the students ability to utilize the information they have learned to solve real world problems. There is also a series of laboratories that allow students to visualize the effects of diffusion, semipermeability, and osmosis so that they can construct knoweldge based upon their predictions, observations, and findings. The use of expert opinion videos also helps students find relevance in the topics and introduces a sense