Students created two-sided identity masks representing their personal identity on one side and a chemical element symbolizing their personality on the other. Over four weeks, they learned about atomic structure, the periodic table, and trends to understand which element best represented them. They gave oral and written presentations explaining their masks to classmates and connecting their cultural identity to an element's properties.

1. PROJECT OVERVIEW
Name of Project: Chemical Identity Masks Duration: 4 weeks
http://hightechhigh.org/unboxed/issue3/cards/9.php
Subject/Course: Chemistry A Teacher(s): D. Collins Grade Level: 11
Other subject areas to
be included, if any:
Project Idea
Summary of the issue, Student created a two-sided identity mask. On one side, they represented their personal identity, as family,
challenge, investigation, friends, and the media have formed it through their socialization. On the other side they represented a
scenario, or problem:
chemical element that they felt best symbolized their personality.
Driving Question Using masks as a media allusion are students able to personify properties elements of the periodic table to
their perceived cultural identity and/or personal distinctiveness.
Content and Skills 1 a, b, c, d, e, g* (10%)
Standards to be 1. The periodic table displays the elements in increasing atomic number and shows how periodicity of
addressed: the physical and chemical properties of the elements relates to atomic structure. As a basis for
understanding this concept:
a. Students know how to relate the position of an element in the periodic table to its atomic number and
atomic mass.
b. Students know how to use the periodic table to identify metals, semimetals, nonmetals, and halogens.
c. Students know how to use the periodic table to identify alkali metals, alkaline earth metals and transition
metals, trends in ionization energy, electronegativity, and the relative sizes of ions and atoms.
d. Students know how to use the periodic table to determine the number of electrons available for bonding.
e. Students know the nucleus of the atom is much smaller than the atom yet contains most of its mass.
T+A E T+A E
st
21 Century Skills Collaboration (Critical Friends Critique) Other:
to be explicitly taught and x
assessed (T+A) or that
will be encouraged (E) by
Presentation x
project work, but not
taught or assessed: Critical Thinking: x
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education 1

2. Presentation Audience:
Group: x
Culminating Class:
Products and
Performances
School:
x
Community:
Middle school
Students will give an oral presentation to the class and create a written Experts:
Individual: explanation of their mask to the our new middle school partners Web:
Other:
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Entry event to
launch inquiry, The students will view a PowerPoint of one word/image allusions that are already apart of the students schema.
engage students: After the PowerPoint students will engage in a “Think Pair Share” activity to discuss the allusions.
Assessments Quizzes/Tests x Practice Presentations
Formative
Assessments Journal/Learning Log x Notes
(During
Project) Preliminary Plans/Outlines/Prototypes Checklists x
Rough Drafts x Concept Maps x
Online Tests/Exams x Other:
Written Product(s), with rubric: x Other Product(s) or Performance(s), with rubric:
Summative __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________
Assessments
(End of Project) Oral Presentation, with rubric Peer Evaluation
Multiple Choice/Short Answer Test x Self-Evaluation
Essay Test Other:
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education 2

3. .
Resources On-site people, Lunch benches for mask creation (sloppy),
Needed facilities: Football field (check with coaches, only need side lines)
Equipment: Internet connect computers
Materials: Check for supplies for paper Mache mask making, paints, paintbrushes, and spray
clear coating.
Community resources: Check with middle science chair or seven-grade teacher.
Reflection Journal/Learning Log x Focus Group
Methods (Individual,
Group, and/or Whole-Class Discussion Fishbowl Discussion
Whole Class)
Survey x Other:
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education 3

4. PROJECT TEACHING AND LEARNING GUIDE
Project: Chemical Identity Masks Course/Semester: Chemistry A
Knowledge and Skills Needed By Students Scaffolding / Materials/ Lessons To Be Provided
to successfully complete culminating products and by the project teacher, other teachers, experts,
performances, and do well on summative assessments mentors, or community members
K: Subatomic Particles – How many and where for their Atomic Structure
individual elements SLL: Football field analogy activity
Creating Scale model of atom.
 Bohr’s Online model
GATE: Classic Exp. for atom structure (gold foil)
K: Atomic Masses Atomic Number & Mass
SLL: Atomic particle worksheet
Atomic Mass with Marbles

GATE: PHET simulation lab
K: Periodic Table Classifications Periodicity: Who’s My Family
 SLL: Atomic Radii with Straws
K: Periodic Trends Trends: Getting the Big Picture
SLL - Periodic radii straw activity

K & S: Personification Look for examples of literary personification of animals, places
etc.

Create worksheet where students must create their own
personification of an event or object. – Share out to class
K& S: Allusions Create lesson on allusions in popular culture.
 Create worksheet where students can practice using
Allusions.
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education 4

5. S: Paper Mache Masks Creating Masks



© 2008 Buck Institute for Education 5

6. PROJECT CALENDAR
Project: Chemical Identity Masks Start Date: September
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
Project Week One
Entry Event: Video of the new Pre-assessment Warm-up: Atomic structure Warm-up: Atomic Structure Quiz: Atomic Structure
middle schools, especially the Atomic Structure Hopefully Core12, if not That
blank walls Activity: Atomic Structure Activity: Quiz.
Activity: Four Corners: Atomic • Football field analogy
Activity: Who, What, When? Structure + Gallery walk • Bohr online model Activity:
Journal: Look at your Journal Critical Friends Critique
Journal: Describe yourself in Journal: Browse your notes, for Monday. Do you want to Journal: Look at your Share your face drawing and
one word, but give 3 reasons Which of the subatomic keep the word you used? Why personality allusion. explanation.
why you choose the word. particles do you think is the or Why not? Sketch a face to match your
most important – give 3 allusion, describe the main 1. Finish Atomic Structure
reasons. feature of the face. activity
2. Using colors create a rough
draft of your Allusion-face.
Project Week Two
Warm-up: Atomic Structure Warm-up: Atomic Structure Warm-up: Atomic Structure Warm-up: Atomic Structure Quiz: Atomic Structure,
and Mass and Mass and Mass Number, Mass
Lecture: Atomic Number
& Mass Activity: Lecture: Lecture: Short answer question:
SLL: Atomic particle Atomic Number & Mass What is personification? Using personification describe
SLL: Atomic particle Personifying Activity: Mask Making 3 characteristics of Atoms?
worksheet WooHoo
Atomic Mass with worksheet Activity: *(Critical Friends – Paragraph
Marbles Atomic Mass with Free write – Honors SLL - Written instructions, rubric) design a turn-in sheet
Marbles SLL – Concept map video for the pair.
Activity: My Room is Alive!
GATE: PHET GATE: PHET (Personification paragraph of Journal:
the students’ room) Describe a situation/activity
simulation lab simulation lab where we can use “Mask
“Heads Together” or “Think, Making” with Nevin
Journal: Journal: Pair, Share” Elementary School?
Describe where you place 3 – Explain 3 atomic
yourself on the periodic table concepts. Journal:
by weight. 2 – Give 2 I wonders about What is your definition of
the project “Personification”?
1 – The one thing I would
change about my personality
is….
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education 6

7. Project Week Three
Warm-up: Warm-up: Warm-up: Warm-up: Quiz:
Structure, Mass, Number Structure, Mass, Number Structure & Classification Classification & Trends Structure, Classification &
Lecture: Trends.
Share: Ask for volunteers to Lecture & Activity:
share Thursday’s journal Lecture & Activity: Periodicity: Who’s My Activity:
Periodicity: Who’s My Family Trends: Getting the Big Activity:
Activity: Family Picture
Mask Making 02 SLL: Atomic Radii with I am like (insert element),
Painting of first mask & SLL: Atomic Radii with Straws SLL - Periodic radii because….
Creation of second mask Straws straw activity
Trends: Getting the Big 1. Critical Friends
Journal: Journal: Picture Journal:
Project Critical Friends: Pick any 3 characteristic of a Pick any 1 trend and personify Revision
Classification and personify SLL - Periodic radii its meaning.
I like…
I wonder… those characteristic. straw activity 2. Critical Friends – Paragraph
Next steps for Collins… rubric.
Journal:
Pick 3 different characteristic
of a Classification and
personify those characteristic.
Project Week Four
Warm-up: Warm-up: Warm-up: Warm-up: Test: The Periodic Table!
Structure, Classification & Structure, Classification & Structure, Classification & Structure, Classification & Structure, Classification &
Trends Trends Trends Trends Trends.
Activity: Activity: Mask Presentations - Video Mask Presentations - Video
Masking Making 03 Written Presentation
Paint mask two with element SLL: Presentation outline.
and any revisions to first Reflection Journal:
mask. Finish Masks Critical Friends for the Project.
Think, Pair Share
Journal: Journal:
Which element do you feel Which trend of the periodic
most resembles Mr. Collins? table (personified) do your
Why? most resemble?
© 2008 Buck Institute for Education 7