Week 15 Blog - Elementary Science Methods (Addyson Junge)

Week 15 Blog - Elementary Science Methods (Addyson Junge)

May 11, 2025 

                                                  Figure 1

  1. What did you learn this week?
    • This week, we explored ways in which we can teach the chemical reaction with baking soda and vinegar (Figure 1). My group and I conducted a few "experiments" to find ways to explain to upper elementary students how this phenomenon worked. We knew we had to catch our students' attention, so we thought about performing the chemical reaction for them. At first, we discussed some ways we could show students how the mass does not decrease or increase, but instead, show them the creation of a new mass, a new material. In this case, we learned that the chemical reaction of baking soda and vinegar makes carbon dioxide, the same gas we produce when we breathe out. 
  2. Are you able to relate what you learned to what you already knew?
    • Something I can relate what I learned to what I already knew is how baking soda and vinegar combine to create a chemical reaction. However, I was not aware that those two things produce a gas, called carbon dioxide (CO2). Although I knew the chemical reaction produced a gas, I did not know that this simple gas is the same thing we blow out of our mouths. 
  3. How can you apply what you've learned to your teaching in the future?
    • When thinking about how vinegar and baking soda make carbon dioxide, I think this would be a great experiment to show students to spark their interest. Just like our professor did with us, I would show students that if you begin to pour the mixture over a flame, before the liquid even touches the fire, it will be put out. This is because the carbon dioxide gas acts as if someone were blowing out the candle. In the future, I will show my students these experiments to grow their curiosity in the topic at hand. 

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