17
Enrichment
Opportunities
Deepen core concept knowledge and
extend the learning with:
• Write About Science
• Discussion and Peer Review Rubrics
• Problem-Based Learning Activities
• Authentic Reading
• Analyzing Data Activities
• Biographies
PREPARE
WRITING ABOUT SCIENCE
Compare Acid-Base Models
Scientists’ descriptions of acids and bases changed over time. In 1887, Svante
Arrhenius was one of the first people to define acids and bases on a molecular level.
The Brønsted-Lowry model was proposed in 1923. Gilbert Lewis separately developed
his model in 1923. Use information gathered from authoritative sources on your own to
answer Questions 1 and 2.
Obtain and Evaluate Information
1. Connect to Nature of Science Conduct research to learn about the three models
of acids and bases. Describe each scientist’s definition and the differences
between them.
2. Connect to Nature of Science Based on your understanding of the three
definitions, do they contradict each other or do they build on one another? Use
evidence to explain your answer.
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PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING
Minerals, Crystals, and Gemstones
Fireworks are different colors because of the elements they contain. The same is true of
gemstones. The only difference between a piece of clear corundum crystal and a
beautiful red ruby is a slight inclusion of the element chromium. If the corundum crystal
had titanium instead, it would be a beautiful blue sapphire!
Over the course of this activity, you will develop your knowledge of crystal structures
and colors. First, you will explore the colors of elements when they are in ions in water
solutions. Then, you will explore the colors of elements of the periodic table when they
are included in crystals and gems. Finally, you will explore crystal structures and then
grow a crystal of your own.
As this research project will include many beautiful, colored photos and crystals,
consider whether you would like to present your research throughout this project as a
table, Web page, computer-based presentation, or poster.
Define the Problem: How do the elements present in crystals and
gems affect their structure and properties?
Part 1 –– Color and Charge
Not only do different elements have different colors, but some elements can form more
than one color depending on their charge. In other words, even just changing the
charge on an ion can lead to a dramatic change in the color of compounds it forms.
1. SEP Collect Data Research the transition metals chromium (Cr), manganese
(Mn), and vanadium (V) and record the colors that each element can create in
aqueous solution depending on their charge. Create a table, Web page,
computer-based presentation, or poster to summarize this data and include
colored images of solutions containing these elements.
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1
INVESTIGATIVE PHENOMENON: AUTHENTIC READING
Boring Sponges
In acidic water, drilling sponges damage scallops twice as quickly,
worsening the effects of ocean acidification
by Hannah Waters
Whenever
anyone talks about ocean acidification, they discuss vanishing corals and other
shelled organisms. But these aren’t the only organisms affected—the organisms that interact
with these vulnerable species will also change along with them.
These changes won’t necessarily be for the good of the shell and skeleton builders. New
research published in Marine Biology shows that boring sponges eroded scallop shells twice as
fast under the more acidic conditions projected for the year 2100. This makes bad news for the
scallops even worse: not only will they have to cope with weakened shells from acidification
alone, but their shells will crumble even more quickly after their cohabiters move in.
Cliona celata (yellow), a boring sponge species, lives throughout the Atlantic and Mediterranean. Here, numerous
sponges have drilled into coral.
Boring sponges aren’t named thus because they’re mundane; rather, they make their homes by
boring holes into the calcium carbonate shells and skeletons of animals like scallops, oysters
and corals. Using chemicals, they etch into the shell and then mechanically wash away the tiny
shell chips, slowly spreading holes within the skeleton or shell and sometimes across its
surface. Eventually, these holes and tunnels can kill their host, but the sponge will continue to
live there until the entire shell has eroded away.
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Sangeeta Bhatia, M.D., Ph.D.
Bioengineer
Sangeeta Bhatia is an Indian-American cancer researcher, MIT professor, and biotech
entrepreneur. Her parents immigrated from India to Boston, Massachusetts when she was
a young girl. She was inspired to pursue a career in engineering after her tenth-grade
biology class and visiting an MIT research lab with her father, who was also an engineer.
Dr. Bhatia is unique because she is trained as both a physician and engineer, with
degrees from Harvard, MIT, and Brown University.
Her laboratory at MIT leverages ‘tiny technologies’ of miniaturization to yield inventions
with new applications in tissue regeneration, stem cell differentiation, medical diagnostics,
predictive toxicology, and drug delivery. Some of their inventions include human micro-
livers that can model drug metabolism, liver disease, and the liver’s interaction with
pathogens. They have also created nanosensors that can detect tumor tissue types,
which leads to earlier detection of cancerous tumors. Bhatia hopes that this will one day
revolutionize how cancer is detected and treated. In 2015, she gave a TED talk about this
technology.
She and her trainees have created more than 40 issued or pending patents through their
research. They have also launched multiple biotechnology companies to improve human
health through the use of miniaturization in medicine. Bhatia is an active mentor and
advocate for diversity in her fields. She was the recipient of the Harvard Medical School
Diversity Award and the Harvard-MIT Thomas McMahon Mentoring award. Other honors
include the Lemelson-MIT Prize, known as the ‘Oscar for inventors,’ and the Heinz Medal
for groundbreaking inventions and advocacy for women in STEM fields.