MEDDLING MENDELEEV

PROJECT DETAILS & GUIDELINES

Driving Question:

How can we replace a depleting rare earth element to ensure the continued use of our must-have daily products?

Project Overview:
Natural resources will not be around forever, which means when they are gone our electronic devices (such as cell phones and computers) will also be obsolete! The world needs a new metal to keep these products we rely on in existence. Your team is tasked to research and develop an isotope based on a rare earth element in peril. Next, your team must sell the new isotope to pur chasing agents of manufacturing firms as a solution to this problem. The future of technology is relying on you! Good luck!!

Project Duration:
The project will last approximately 4 weeks.

Major Tasks + Specifics:

1) Periodic Table Analogy Poster (Individual)

a. Purpose: To demonstrate understanding of the arrangement of the periodic table of elements by creating a new table based on

properties and characteristics of common objects. This is an individual, independent project to be completed at home. Use your class notes and Chapter 4 of your textbook to help with understanding the organization of the periodic table. b. See grading sheet for requirements and details

2) Media Presentation Aid (Group - to be used in final presentation)

a. See rubric for grading details. b. Requirements: i. Research a rare earth element: 1. uses, functions, properties, benefits to commerce, resources such as location mined, country with prevalent supply, etc 2. must cite sources (format used in English class is okay) ii. Create fictitious isotope of the rare earth element 1. Design an 8 x 11 element box of isotope including the same info on the real periodic table iii. 3-5 minute presentation to sell new element to the audience 1. Electronic medium (your choice) that includes: a. Details of new isotope based on your teams research b. Location in periodic table and why it fits there (atomic details) c. Explanation of why it works to replace the rare earth element

3) Final Presentation to Panel & Focus Concept Verbal Test (Group/Individual)

a. See rubric for details. Focus concepts will be based on leveled questions.

CA State Standards:
Structure of Matter 3. Each of the more than 100 elements of matter has distinct properties and a distinct atomic structure. All forms of matter are composed of one or more of the elements. As a basis for understanding this concept: a. Students know the structure of the atom and know it is composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons. b. Students know that compounds are formed by combining two or more different elements and that compounds have properties that are different from their constituent elements. c. Students know atoms and molecules form solids by building up repeating patterns, such as the crystal structure of NaCl or long-chain polymers.

d. e. f.

Students know the states of matter (solid, liquid, gas) depend on molecular motion. Students know that in solids the atoms are closely locked in position and can only vibrate; in liquids the atoms and molecules are more loosely connected and can collide with and move past one another; and in gases the atoms and molecules are free to move independently, colliding frequently. Students know how to use the periodic table to identify elements in simple compounds.

Reactions 5. Chemical reactions are processes in which atoms are rearranged into different combinations of molecules. As a basis for understanding this concept: g. Students know reactant atoms and molecules interact to form products with different chemical properties. h. Students know the idea of atoms explains the conservation of matter: In chemical reactions the number of atoms stays the same no matter how they are arranged, so their total mass stays the same. Periodic Table 7. The organization of the periodic table is based on the properties of the elements and reflects the structure of atoms. As a basis for understanding this concept: i. Students know how to identify regions corresponding to metals, nonmetals, and inert gases. j. Students know each element has a specific number of protons in the nucleus (the atomic number) and each isotope of the element has a different but specific number of neutrons in the nucleus. k. Students know substances can be classified by their properties, including their melting temperature, density, hardness, and thermal and electrical conductivity.

FOCUS CONCEPTS
Directions:

Meddling Mendeleev

Review the concepts below to help prepare for the final presentation. You will be asked leveled questions relating to these concepts as a way to evaluate your content knowledge in a verbal-test format. This is an individual score.

1. Driving Question: How can we replace a depleting rare earth element to ensure the continued use of our must-have daily products? 2. Describe the relationship between matter and elements. 3. Explain how a compound is formed and discuss whether or not the properties of compounds are different from their individual elements. 4. Atoms and molecules form solids by building up repeating patterns - describe how this works. 5. Be able to predict how atoms will interact to form molecules based on their valence electrons. 6. Explain the relationship between atoms and conservation of matter. 7. Understand the structure and function of atoms. 8. Describe the organization of the periodic table based on the properties of the elements including the relationship between periods and groups, classes and properties, and valence electrons. 9. Identify classes corresponding to metals, nonmetals, and inert gases and demonstrate understanding of how they are organized in the periodic table of elements. 10. 11. isotopes. 12. Know substances can be classified by their properties, including their melting temperature, density, hardness, and thermal and electrical conductivity. Be able to identify each component of the element box of the periodic table. Describe the relationship between specific number of neutrons in the nucleus of an atom and the development of