Kinetic Theory of Matter Chad Husting Sycamore High School

Introduction This unit through movies quickly provides a visual model that helps students see particles changing on a molecular level.

Intended Audience The intended audience is for beginning student in high school chemistry. The KTM movies and the handouts can be edited to meet the needs of your students. Activities can be easily modified with SMD editor and Microsoft Word.

Placement in Curriculum The kinetic theory or matter is generally covered in the beginning stages of a chemistry course. This activity could be used in conjunction with a wet lab and could supplement post and pre lab discussions. Should take about 2 days.

Resources Handouts One computer or a computer lab SMD player SMD editor and Microsoft word if you wish to edit the activity.

Goals and Objectives Students will compare and contrast characteristics of solids, liquids and gases. Students will develop their own kinetic theory of matter based on their data and experience.

Activities This can easily be adapted to any discussion on the kinetic theory of matter. There is a introductory movie, a wet lab, a follow up movie with assessments.

Assessments The unique nature of this assessment is that there are two parts imbedded in the movie. First, there are basic questions about the wet lab. Second, there are questions about what is happening to the particles in the movie as temperature changes and how this relates to student experience in the wet lab. This makes the assessment portion much more dynamic than typical “regurgitation”.

THANKS!!!!!! Special thanks to………. Everyone at the Center for Polymer Studies. The National Science Foundations. Fellow teachers in this program and especially my family.