Chemistry of Fireworks

Gina Kuntscher and Natalie Pickering

Introduction Anchor Video Concept Map Project Calendar Lesson Plans Letter to Parents Assessments Resources Modifications Grant

April 3, 2006 Dear Parents, Next week your child will begin a six-week project titled “The Chemistry of Fireworks.” In this project students will learn about fireworks while also discovering chemistry concepts such as metals, spectroscopy, emission spectrum, and reduction/oxidation and combustion reactions. Even though a specific portion of the project will educate students on the safety concerns of fireworks, students will not be assembling, deconstructing, setting off any real fireworks, or dealing with any form of gunpowder. The project is, however, composed of various activities such as labs, computer simulations, lectures, and a field trip to an amusement park, all of which are designed to help students actively construct their own knowledge about the chemistry of fireworks. At the end of the project, students will present their web page that their group designed and built throughout the six-weeks. As always, adult volunteers are more than welcome to attend any of the activities, and help on the field trip will be greatly appreciated. (More information about the field trip will be provided later). Grading Policy: This project is important for the success of your student in our class, as it will comprise 90% of students’ 6^th 6-week grade (the other 10% will be from web discussions and participation). The main product will be the students’ web pages, but all aspects of the project (lab reports, homework assignments, quizzes) will contribute to the overall project grade. We have attached a Project Rubric as well as a Web Page Rubric for further details concerning the exact break down of points. Required Time: As stated above, a majority of class time will be spent working on the project, but some assignments will require work outside of class. Students’ should plan to spend about two hours per week working at home to complete assignments, lab reports, and web pages. If students do not have access to a computer or the Internet, a time (before or after school) can be scheduled for the student to come into class to work on the computers. Some students may be tempted to postpone the construction of their web page until the last few days before it is due, thus the project contains ‘milestone’ assignments that have scheduled due dates to help keep students on track as well as spread out the amount of work this project requires. Students who try to build their web page the last week will probably spend more than 15 hours. Cost: This project is innovated, but students will not need to purchase much more than the traditional materials. Our school is supplying most of the materials, and so all students are required to buy is a 1-inch binder, loose-leaf paper, a lab notebook (can be the one they already have for the class), and a pencil. If there are any issues concerning these materials please contact us and we can make appropriate accommodations. We are extremely eager to begin this unit! Fireworks are such a fascinating part of American and other cultural traditions that this project should easily engage and motivate students in the learning of chemistry. Please feel free to contact us if you ever have any questions or concerns regarding the above information. You can reach us at school at 567-8976 and leave a message, which we will promptly return. You can also e-mail us at chemmasters@excite.com. Sincerely, Gina Kuntscher and Natalie Pickering Chemistry I Teachers at UTeach High School Students and their parents should sign in the appropriate spaces below and return the bottom portion to the teacher before April 10, 2006. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Chemistry of Fireworks Project Student: I, ____________________, have read and understand the above chemistry project information. I agree to take responsibility of my learning while involved in this project. Student’s Signature: _______________________ Date: ___________________ Parent: I, ____________________, have read and understand the expectations of my student for the Chemistry of Fireworks Project. Parent’s Signature: _________________________ Date: ___________________