Unit 1 Reflections: Mass & Volume

There comes a moment when I have to ask myself, is this really worth it?  The chemistry modeling curriculum is NOT going well so far.  While I don't want to scrap it completely, I am asking myself, "how much longer can I allow this continue?"

We have spent 2 days on Mass & Volume and still haven't even introduced the idea of density.  No freaking kidding.

It has been like pulling teeth.  It makes me want to quit my job and go flip burgers at McDonalds.

We cannot afford to waste so much time.  I'm ready to throw in the towel and wave the white flag.

Yesterday, we discussed Worksheet 2 Reading Scales, and students took Quiz 1 today.  The whole uncertainty and significant figures lessons were a disaster.

Then we did the Mass & Volume lab.  I inflicted bodily harm with a hacksaw to cut same size pieces of aluminum and steel:

Prior to the lab, we watched a quick video clip on Archimedes and read a short article on Archimedes Principle.  (On a side note, do you know how hard it is to find info on water displacement that doesn't include the world "density"?)  We then came up with a plan on how to determine the mass of a non-geometric object.

I told students the purpose of the lab was to determine if there is a relationship between mass and volume.  They were to measure the length, the mass, and the volume of each of the 6 pieces of metal.  They were then to create a graph of grams over mL with two lines:  one for steel, one for aluminum.  They needed to determine the slope of each line (we don't have computers or Vernier software to do it for them).

In the lab, they did fine.  They worked well, although they got terrible data and did not measure with correct uncertainty and number of sig figs:

When it came time for our white boards, they just plain sucked:

The only white board I got a picture of today

Today, we were to white board after the quiz, then do Worksheet 3.  We never got to Worksheet 3.  We never even finished our notes on density in two of my classes.  It was the biggest waste of time on the planet.  Students have zero conclusion on anything after today.

I am so freaking frustrated.  My students just keep getting worse and worse every day.  Behaviors and attitudes are terrible.  I am hating every single day I am doing this.

We cannot go on like this.

How on earth do you get students to think?  That's half the problem.

I think tomorrow, we're going back to a PowerPoint on density, then doing Worksheet #3.

As of right now, I'm thinking I may have to scrap board meetings temporarily until I can earn some student buy-in.