Module At-a-Glance

Module At-a-Glance

Activity 1: Changing the Properties of Materials by Changing Their Size
The purpose of this activity is for students to discover that the physical and chemical properties of materials can depend on their size. In Part A students examine how the catalytic activity of manganese dioxide (MnO2) can be increased by reducing the size of the MnO2 particles. In Part B students use a colloid consisting of nanometer-sized gold particles to examine how the size of the gold particles in the colloid solution can be modulated and how this affects the optical properties (color) of the colloid. This color change is due to a physical change of the substance, not a chemical change.

Activity 2: Searching for Nanoscale Objects
To give students an idea of the different technological developments that are in existence in the “nanoworld,” they are asked to choose a nanoscale object from a list of examples and research its properties and current and future uses. Students then present their findings in a variety of ways, such as a poster, PowerPoint presentation, paper, or class discussion.

Activity 3: Nanopatterning with Lithography
How can nanosized particles be made? In this activity, students investigate the concepts of lithographic patterning and serial vs. parallel fabrication. They model nanolithography by creating patterns of spheres in a frame template (similar to billiard balls in a rack) and sprinkling glitter (simulating silver atoms) through the interstices. When the mask is removed, individual silver“nanoparticles” are revealed.

Activity 4: Amplifying the Nanoscale to the Macroscale
In this activity students determine how to amplify the atomic scale to the macroscopic scale, a key feature of the atomic force microscope. They also learn about calibration and create a calibration curve by moving a cantilever on the millimeter scale and measuring its movement in the centimeter or decimeter scale.

Design Project 1: Designing a Nanoscale Imaging Apparatus
Students are challenged to build a nanometer-scale imaging apparatus using what they have learned in the previous activities.

Design Project 2: Modeling a Nanoscience Application
Students are challenged to research and model a nanoscience application. For example, they could do their project on something they found during their Internet search (Activity 2) or something else entirely.

Connecting to Your Curriculum

Connecting to Your Curriculum

Materials World Modules are designed to be easily incorporated into any middle school science or high school science lab or lecture course. The chart below lists the subjects covered in the Activity and Design Project sections of this module.

Standards Alignment

Standards Alignment (page 1)  >>  Standards Alignment (page 2)

AAAS Benchmark Standards	Activities	NSES Standards	Activities	NCTM Standards	Activities
Grades 9-12	Module Alignment	Grades 9-12	Module Alignment	Grades 9-12	Module Alignment
1. Nature of Science		A. Science as Inquiry		Numbers & Operations
The Scientific worldview		Ability to do scientific inquiry		Understanding number relations
Scientific inquiry		Understanding scientific inquiry		Understand meanings of operations
The Scientific enterprise		B. Physical Science		Compute fluently and estimate
2. Nature of Mathematics		Structure of atoms		Algebra
Patterns and relationships		Structure and properties of matter		Understand patterns, relations and functions
Mathematics, science, and technology		Chemical reactions		Analyze math situations using algebraic symbols
Mathematical Inquiry		Motions and forces		Use mathematical models to understand quantitative relationships
3. Nature of Technology		Conservation of energy and increase in disorder		Analyze change in various contexts
Technology and science		Interactions of energy and matter		Geometry
Design and systems		C. Life Sciences		Analyze characteristics and properties of two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes
Issues in technology		The cell		Specify locations and describe spatial relationships using coordinate geometry
4. The Physical Setting		E. Science and Technology		Apply transformations and use symmetry
Structure of matter		Ability of technological design		Use visualization, spatial reasoning, and geometric modeling
Energy transformations		Understanding science and technology		Measurement
Motion				Apply appropriate techniques, tools, and formulas to determine measurements.
Force of nature				Analysis and Probability
8. The Designed World				Formulate questions that can be addressed with data and collect and display relevant data to answer them
Materials and manufacturing				Select and use appropriate statistical methods to analyze data
9. The Mathematical World				Problem Solving
Numbers				Process standard I
Symbolic relationships				Communication
Shapes				Process standard III
Uncertainty				Connection
11. Common Themes				Process standard IV
Systems				Representation
Models				Process standard V
Constancy and change
Scale

MSDS

Material Data Safety Sheets (MSDS) have valuable information concerning substances used in this MWM kit.

Hydrogen Tetrachloroaurate III

Sodium Citrate Dihydrate