The Alchemist Dream Ideal Course for Lesson to be Taught

23 Pages·2011·0.45 MB·English

The Alchemist Dream

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Ideal Course for Lesson to be Taught: 10 Grade Chemistry
Length of Lesson: 45 minutes

Author: Dana Daugharthy

Lesson overview:
This lesson allows students to experience what life for an alchemist would have
been like by having them conduct an experiment to make ‚gold.‛ Through having
them attempt to make gold from copper, they will also be able to see first-hand
the difference between alchemy and modern day chemistry, particularly viewing
alchemy as largely fraudulent and secretive. By discussing the reactions that
actually were occurring to make the coin appear to be gold, it is also allowing
them to see the difference between alchemical practices and the chemistry that
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was introduced in the beginning of the 17 century.

Performance objectives – students will be able to:
1. Describe who alchemists were and what they attempted to do.
2. Understand the difference between alchemical community and the current
chemistry community.
3. Make a ‚gold‛ penny.
4. Correctly balance and understand the chemical reactions behind the electroplating
experiment.

Standards Addressed:

STANDARD 1: SCIENCE AS INQUIRY
Grades 8-12

SCIENCE AS INQUIRY – The student will develop the abilities necessary to do
scientific inquiry and develop an understanding of scientific inquiry.

Benchmark 1: The student will demonstrate the abilities necessary to do
scientific inquiry.
The student…
1. actively engages in asking and evaluating research questions.
2. ▲ actively engages in investigations, including developing questions, gathering and
analyzing data, and designing and
conducting research
3. ▲ actively engages in using technological tools and mathematics in their own scientific
investigations.
4. actively engages in conducting an inquiry, formulating and revising his or her scientific
explanations and models (physical, conceptual, or mathematical) using logic and
evidence, and recognizing that potential alternative explanations and models should be
considered.
5. actively engages in communicating and defending the design, results, and conclusion
of his/her investigation.

STANDARD 2A: CHEMISTRY
Grades 8-12

CHEMISTRY – The student will develop an understanding of the structure of atoms,
compounds, chemical reactions, and the interactions of energy and matter.

Benchmark 2: The students will understand the states and properties of
matter.
The student…
2 ▲ understands the periodic table lists elements according to increasing atomic number.
This table organizes physical and chemical trends by groups, periods, and sub-
categories.

Benchmark 3: The student will gain a basic concept of chemical reactions.

The student…
1. ▲ understands a chemical reaction occurs when one or more substances (reactants)
react to form a different chemical substance(s) (products). There are different types
of chemical reactions all of which demonstrate the Law of Conservation of Matter and
Energy.
2. understands how to perform mathematical calculations regarding the Law of
Conservation of Matter, i.e., through stoichiometric relationships

STANDARD 7: HISTORY AND NATURE OF SCIENCE
Grades 8-12
HISTORY AND NATURE OF SCIENCE – The student will develop understanding of
science as a human endeavor, the nature of scientific knowledge, and historical
perspectives.

Benchmark 1: The student will develop an understanding that science is a human
endeavor that uses models to describe and explain the physical universe.

The student…
1. demonstrates an understanding of science as both vocation and avocation.
2. explains how science uses peer review, replication of methods, and norms of
honesty.
Benchmark 3: The student will understand science from historical perspectives.

The student…
1. demonstrates an understanding of the history of science.

Lesson Bibliography:

Gregory, Frederick. “Matter, Energy, and the Emerging Spirit of Realism.”
Natural Science in Western History: Newton to the Present. Vol. 2.
Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 2008. 197-204. Print
Gussman, Neil. "A Strange Kind of Alchemy."Chemical & Inducstry 1 October
2011: n. pag. Web. 10 Apr 2011. <http://www.soci.org/Chemistry-and-
Industry/CnI-Data/2011/1/A-strange-kind-of-alchemy>.
Katz, David. "An Experiment in Alchemy: Copper to Silver to Gold." N.p., 2005.
Web. 9 Apr 2011.
<http://www.chymist.com/copper%20silver%20gold%20expl.pdf>.
Kieckhefer, Richard. Magic in the Middle Ages. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2000. 138-139. Print.
"Turning Copper Coins into 'Silver' and 'Gold' ."Practical Chemistry. The
Nuffield Foundation and Royal Society of Chemistry, August 2008. Web.
9 Apr 2011. <http://www.practicalchemistry.org/experiments/turning-
copper-coins-into-silver-and-gold,275,EX.html>.
Wilford, John. "Transforming the Alchemists." New York Times 1 August 2006,
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/01/science/01alch.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1.

Materials:

Goggles, gloves
Beaker (250 mL, one per group)
Hot plate (one per group)
Crucible Tongs (one per group)
Granulated zinc (5g per group)
Sodium Hydroxide (24g per group)
Deionized water (100 mL per group)
Copper coins (pre-1982 works best; several per group)

NOTE: If zinc and sodium hydroxide are limited, then the amounts of the reagents
can be decreased proportionally to meet those needs.
Safety considerations:

 Goggles and gloves should be worn at all times!
 NaOH is extremely corrosive and the solution should not be boiling out of
control for this reason. Additionally, hydrogen gas is being given off, which is
another reason why the solution should not boil too vigorously.
 The zinc powder is flammable. Students should add the zinc to the NaOH
carefully.
Engagement
Time: 5 minutes

What the teacher will What the teacher will Probing/eliciting Specific possible student
do say questions responses
When the students Today, we will be
come into the class taking a trip back in
period, the seats will time to explore the
be arranged in four type of chemistry that
circles. These will was going on prior to
constitute the four the 17th century. The
groups that will be most common practice
used throughout the of chemistry at that
lesson. Each student time was done by
will sit in one of the alchemist.
circles. See ‚Class What do you know They are wizards. They
Organization‛ document. about alchemist? believe in magic.
There will be a seating Transmutation.
chart listed when they
come into the room, Many people were
and they will sit in the interested in alchemy
corresponding group. for a variety of
reasons. Alchemists
addressed many issues,
such as finding the
elixir of life, which
could lead to potential
immortality. However,
one of the major goals
of the alchemist was to
create gold from other
metals.
Why would an individual They could become rich!
be interested in creating Feeling of
gold from other metals? accomplishment.

Gold is a very valuable
metal, and if they
could somehow
determine a way to
create gold, then they
could become very
wealthy and powerful.
Another reason they
attempted to do this is
for spiritual reasons.
They believed that if
they were able to do
this, then their
knowledge would be
transcendent.
If you were to attempt Not sure. Something in
this process, what the same family.
Begins walking towards starting metal would you
periodic table. use?

What do we know about They have similar
elements in the same properties/same number
family? of valence electrons

Therefore, if we were to Copper or Silver.
want to make gold by
trying to use elements
with similar properties,
which one should we
use?

Do you think this kind No. Maybe
of transmutation is
The teacher has possible?
already premade a
couple of ‘silver’ and Well I have made
‘gold’ coins. these silver and gold
coins using a copper
penny, and today, you
will all have a chance
to be alchemist for the
day by trying to make
gold from a copper
penny. Are there any
questions?
Exploration
Time: 20 minutes

What the teacher will do What the teacher will Probing/eliciting questions Specific possible
say student responses
Prior to class, the I am handing out a
teacher has labeled packet of information that
each desk within the will be needed in order
groups, ranging from 1- for your group to begin
5 (assuming 20 student experimenting. Before
class). Student 1 will you begin experimenting
be the collaborator, and though, you must read
student 2 is the the article that is
reporter. Students 3 will attached and help the
be the leader, and reporter summarize the
students 4-5 will be the key points and discuss
researchers. why it is so important
for our discussion on
The teacher has packets alchemy. After you
for each of the groups have completed the
that contain instructions article, then you will be
and research articles for able to begin
them to read. The experimenting! Before
teacher will pass those you actually conduct an
out to the corresponding experiment, the leader
groups. (‚Assignment‛ needs to have written
document, ‚Hint‛ and out an outline of your
individual group readings procedure and discussed
listed below) it with me. Other than
that, your groups of
The teacher has stocked alchemist are free to be
the lab stations with a as creative as you can
beaker full of NaOH, be! Remember, you
granulated zinc, a hot should not talk to
plate, a beaker full of members of other groups
distilled water, crucible because you don’t want
tongs, towels, and them to discover how to
several pennies that make gold too because
date before 1982 that that will make you less
are clean. The actual rich! Also, it is crucial
procedure of the that you are careful with
experiment can be found the NaOH. Make sure
in the lesson you are wearing your
bibliography (‚Turning goggles and gloves when
Copper Coins into doing any experimenting!
‘Silver’ and ‘Gold’).
Are there any questions
before we begin?

The teacher allows them
to read the article and
work on the
experimenting. The
teacher walks around
the classroom making
sure that lab safety Many of you have very
techniques are being good ideas, but you can
practice and people are strengthen those ideas
staying on task. After by discussing them with
about 5-10 minutes of other people. I gave
experimenting has each of your group’s
occurred, the teacher one of the steps in the
will interrupt the class. procedure. The
collaborators should come
forth and discuss
amongst themselves what
they think the actual
procedure is. Once you
have done this, you may
return to your lab area
and finish the
experimentation.
The teacher makes sure Any questions?
that the collaborators are
on the right track.
After doing this, the
teacher again walks
around the room making
sure students are on
task and being safe.
Explanation
Time: 10 minutes

What the teacher will What the teacher will Probing/eliciting questions Specific possible
do say student responses
Now that you have had
a chance to turn silver
into gold, we will be
holding an alchemist
conference! Alchemists
were considered be
incredibly secretive
because they did not
want their potentially
money-making procedure
to be used by other
people. For this
reason, alchemist
typically would not
discuss their findings to
other people. However,
scientists today go and
present their work at
conferences and are
actively engaged in the
scientific discussion
process. Why do scientists today It is important to get
need to attend feedback. It can
conferences and discuss further scientific thought
their science with a group
of other scientists?

What would science be It would be difficult to
like if there weren’t make progress.
discussions amongst
scientists, like what
alchemists did?
We will discuss what
we actually did in the
previous experiment
shortly, but first I want
to have all of the
reporters discuss what
they learned from their
articles and how it
pertains to alchemy. I
also encourage other
groups to ask questions
to the reporters, and
The teacher now asks the whole group can
the reporters from help the reporter answer Sample questions:
each group to share it. 1) How does your
their findings. article pertain to
our discussion on
alchemy?
2) Did you see any
elements of your
article present in
the lab we just
conducted?

Excellent! Before
moving on, I want to
discuss the experiment
that we just did. What difficulties did you It was difficult to figure
have with the lab? out what to do.

Why do you think it was Because we were told
so difficult? to be secretive and not
talk to other groups.

After the collaborators Yes!!!
were able to discuss
amongst themselves, did
you have a clearer
picture on what you
needed to do?

Do you think the gold No. Maybe.
coins that we made today
are actually gold?