PROFILES Modules (English)
Laboratory Chemist / Acid-base titration
In the module “Laboratory Chemist / Acid-base titration” the students inform themselves of the chemical method of acid and base titration. At the same time the students are introduced into the vocational activities and occupation of a laboratory chemist. The module aims at supporting the students in the process of occupational orientation. This is accomplished in linking chemistry education and selected elements of occupational orientation.
At the end of this module the students are able to practically apply titration in order to find out volume details (the proportion of the base in a base-water-mixture) of two basic solutions with different concentrations of sodium hydroxide.
Specialist for Sewage Technology / Purification of dirty water
In the module “Specialist for Sewage Technology / Purification of dirty water” the students inform themselves of the separation of mixtures of substances into pure substance components and of the purification of wastewater in sewage treatment plants. At the same time the students are introduced into the occupation of a specialist for sewage technology. This module aims at supporting the students in the process of occupational orientation, linking chemistry education and selected elements of occupational orientation.
At the end of this module, the students are able to practically conduct an exemplary purification of dirty water.
KieWi & Co. – Ways into the Microscopic World: “What happens to the ice cubes in my soft drink?”
Current curricula for science subjects call for the use of “simple” particle models in order to explain the structure of matter in lessons for young students new to science. Surveys in the area of science education come to the conclusion that only few school students develop an appropriate picture of the particle structure of matter during their entire school career. The PROFILES module “What happens to the ice cubes in my soft drink?” opens up “Ways into the (sub-)microscopic world” for young students in grades 5 to 7. It was developed for school students who are just beginning to learn science (especially chemistry). This module shows them how to, through their own scientific inquiries, gain insights into scientific explanations and that apparently straightforward conclusions can often lead astray.
KieWi & Co. – Substances in Everyday Life – “Where do the fizzy bubbles ‘in’ fizzy tablets come from?”
In this PROFILES module, children will have the opportunity to examine a phenomenon that they will know from everyday life and which they may have asked themselves about before - “Where do the fizzy bubbles ‘in’ fizzy tablets come from?” The children will systematically examine the components of fizzy tablets. Judging from experience, the children will most likely suggest examining each of the ingredients separately and dissolving it in water. In doing so the children will realise that separate solution of the ingredients does not produce fizzy bubbles. This primarily “frustrating result” is deliberate since the children are meant to learn that experiments do not necessarily lead to the expected or desired result. It is only when adding two of the ingredients to water (citric acid and sodium hydrogen carbonate) that the desired result is achieved – fizzy bubbles are produced. By proceeding in this way, the children learn how scientific research works and that set-backs are to be expected. Only a systematic analysis of the variables will deliver successful results and solutions to problems. Further experiments, such as how many bubbles are created and how this can be quantitatively measured as well as whether different fizzy tablets produce the same amount of bubbles, round up the module.
Junior Climatologists Required! “How can we avoid global climate change?” Reflexions on Air Pollution, Tornados & Global Climate Change
In the PROFILES module “Junior climatologists required! – How can we avoid global climate change? – Reflections on air pollution, tornados and global climate change” young students will have the opportunity to obtain information which will help to explain complex processes using simple and relia-bly working scientific experiments. One central aim of this module is that the children experience the fact that scientific work does not only include conducting experiments but also includes looking for information and working with sources. A further substantial part of scientific work is being amazed by and marvelling at things. This, in turn, calls for questions to be raised and assumptions to be formu-lated as well as for creative planning of possible experimental setups. We want to achieve a sensitisa-tion for climate-related questions in the students, thereby offering them the opportunity to partake in decision-making process as an active member of society. To be able to act responsibly and to have an influence on something requires judgment of situations, data and facts. In our workshop we want to show the young students that scientific knowledge and competencies lay the valuable and essential groundwork for judging appropriately and acting effectively.
Science in a Class of Its Own:Renewable Energy Sources – “My iPod Works with Energy from Bull Shit”
The PROFILES module “Renewable energy sources – My iPod works with energy from bull shit” focuses on the question of how biogas is produced and in how far the production of biogas can be used as an alternative to conventional energy production (e.g. fossil fuels). Working together in groups, the students will synthesize biogas. Afterwards, still in groups, the heating value of the biogas will be determined through experiments, and the explosiveness of air-biogas-mixtures will be systematically analysed. Optionally, the combustion products formed through burning biogas can be qualitatively and/or quantitatively measured. The results of the heating value determination as well as the qualitative and/or quantitative analyses which the students carried out by themselves will be compared to the heating values and analysis results of other sources of energy. These comparisons may be important in finding an answer to the above mentioned question.
Science in a Class of Its Own:Renewable Energy Sources – “How Can Experts’ Reports Lead Astray?”
In the PROFILES module “Renewable energy sources – How can expert reports lead astray?” the young students will deal intensively with the opinions, ideals and judgments of other people on the topic of renewable energy, namely bioenergy. With the help of detailed instructions, the students should be able to compare and evaluate two fuel types, for example biodiesel and diesel, in a systematic manner. By following the recommondations of this module, the students learn how experts come to their conclusions and to scientific reports. The students will also find out why different experts’ reports can come to different scientific results and why even experts’ reports can lead astray.
Chemistry in a Class of its own: Building Blocks of Life “To become fit and strong eat eggs all day long” – The Truth about Proteins in my Body
Everything we eat lived once or comes from a living organism – animals or plants – and everything that livesis made up of the same basic biochemical building blocks. These are mainly carbohydrates, fats, proteins andnucleic acids. Hence, it seems to be essential to know more about these bio-molecules, which are, in all theirdifferent designs, a part of our nutrition and which belong to our menu. In the PARSEL module “Thebuilding blocks of life: “To become fit and strong eat eggs all day long” – The truth about proteins inmy body” students will have the possibility to experiment with the “building blocks of life” to get to thebottom of important questions such as “How does the chicken protein get into my muscles?” The studentsinvestigate the digestion of protein in the human body: Diluted chicken egg white will be placed into adialysis tube and an enzyme which decomposes the protein (protease) will be added. The amino acids whichwill be split off the polymer will be small enough to pass through the pores of the dialysis tube and so reachthe outer medium. The amino acids will then be detectable using UV spectroscopy. Afterwards, theexperimental setup will be used for and the results will be applied to the processes in the human body.
