Day 17:
Today was the first time I got to set up and instruct a lab. This lab was to help the students connect all the ideas they just learned with macromolecules and apply them. They had various solutions of starch, glucose, protein, and sucrose. After they had their solutions, they added different reagents that would test positive for different ingredients. I gave really good explanations at the beginning of lab and then let them run loose. It was a little crazy but everyone was safe and they got done in a reasonable amount of time. After the students got done with this lab, we had some time left so we did a mini lab where they got to make silly putty. No matter what age you are, it is fun to make silly putty. Pretty much every student was excited to make their own silly putty. They all had fun but oh man was it messy. There was pieces of silly putty everywhere. You make silly putty with Elmer's glue, water, and a borax solution. The last class was the messiest with this mini lab. Jen even got her shirt and pants glued together on accident. This evening I made my first test that I will give the kids. I had made a test before hand but I also made a lot of changes to my lectures so I had to re-write it. Even with all the craziness of today, it seemed to be quite a success.
I love wearing flannels so I decided to pull one out for today. It has been so hot here in Laramie recently that I wore some flats to help stay cooler. My pants are black skinny jeans. While making the silly putty, I gave some of the kids corn starch to help make it less sticky. This of course showed up all over my pants. On the floor in my picture, you can see my wonderful unit plan.