Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Thermochemistry: Entropy

Assumptions: This Active Lesson Plan assumes: a 100-minute class, prior student study with both the Book and the start of Project development, and that only one activity (among the three suggested) will be chosen to be conducted during the class, as each activity is designed to take up a significant portion of the available time.

Objectives

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The Objectives stage is essential for establishing the direction of learning, focusing on specific skills that students must develop. By clarifying what is expected to be achieved, this section guides both the teacher and students in the preparation and execution of practical activities in the classroom. It also serves as a benchmark to assess the success of teaching and learning at the end of the lesson.

Main Objectives:

1. Develop in students the ability to understand entropy as a measure of the degree of disorder in a system.

2. Enable students to identify and calculate the entropy in different systems and thermodynamic conditions.

Side Objectives:

1. Encourage the practical application of entropy concepts in real or hypothetical situations, promoting critical analysis.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The introduction serves to engage students with the content they previously studied, using problem-based situations that encourage the application of entropy concepts in practical, everyday scenarios. Additionally, the contextualization aims to show the relevance of studying entropy, connecting it with real situations and curiosities that spark the interest and curiosity of students. This stage prepares the ground for a deeper exploration of the topic during practical activities in the classroom.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Imagine you have a full glass of water and an empty glass. You leave both glasses outside on a sunny day. After a few hours, what do you expect to find? How could entropy help explain this change?

2. Consider a room that was cleaned and organized before a party. During the party, many people come in and out, food is served and consumed, and loud music plays. After the party ends, what would the room look like? Apply the concept of entropy to describe the change in the state of the room.

Contextualization

Entropy is a fundamental concept not only in chemistry but in many areas, including physics and biology. It describes the tendency of systems towards disorder and is crucial for understanding processes ranging from star formation to the functioning of our own bodies. For example, entropy explains why a broken egg does not come back together by itself and why time only moves in one direction in daily life. These real examples help illustrate the relevance and applicability of entropy, motivating students to explore the topic more deeply.

Development

Duration: (75 - 85 minutes)

The Development stage is designed to allow students to apply theoretical concepts of entropy in a practical and interactive manner. Through playful and challenging activities, students are encouraged to think critically and work as a team to solve complex problems, thus consolidating their understanding of entropy. This practical approach aims not only to reinforce learning but also to enhance problem-solving and communication skills.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended to carry out only one of the suggested activities

Activity 1 - The Entropy Race

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Apply theoretical knowledge of entropy in practical and playful situations to improve understanding of the concept.

- Description: In this playful activity, students will be divided into groups of up to five people to participate in an obstacle course that simulates different states of entropy. Each 'obstacle' will be represented by a station where students must solve a challenge related to entropy, and when they solve it correctly, they can advance to the next stage of the race.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of no more than five students.

• Explain that each station of the race represents a different state of entropy.

• Each group must solve the proposed challenge at each station to move on.

• The challenges may include mathematical problems to calculate the entropy of a given system, or hypothetical situations where students must apply their knowledge of entropy to predict the outcome of a change in the system.

• The first group to complete all challenges and cross the finish line will be considered the winner.

Activity 2 - The Mystery of the Messy Box

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop logical reasoning skills and the application of entropy concepts in a problem-solving scenario.

- Description: Students, organized into groups, will be tasked with unraveling a 'mystery' inside a box. The 'box' is actually a series of opaque containers where objects are mixed in different ways, representing different levels of entropy. Each group must use clues and their knowledge of entropy to determine the original order of the objects in each container.

- Instructions:

• Organize students into groups of five.

• Provide each group with a box of mixed objects and a set of clues related to the properties of the objects and the entropy of the system.

• Groups must use the clues and their knowledge of entropy to determine the initial configuration of the objects in each container.

• Each group will present their solution and explain how entropy was used to reach that conclusion.

• The most accurate and well-justified solution wins.

Activity 3 - Entropy Reaction Simulation

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Empirically explore the concept of entropy and reinforce students' ability to apply the concept in practical situations.

- Description: Groups of students will simulate chemical reactions under different entropy conditions using materials such as balloons, elastics, and containers. They must predict the behavior of the materials under different conditions and explain their predictions using the concept of entropy.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to five students.

• Give each group a set of materials that represent different chemical systems.

• Ask groups to design and conduct simple experiments to observe entropy changes under different conditions.

• Students must predict the results of each experiment based on their theoretical knowledge and justify their predictions.

• Each group will present their experiment and explain how entropy influences the observed result.

Feedback

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

The purpose of this feedback stage is to consolidate the learning achieved from the practical activities, allowing students to articulate and share their understandings and questions. This discussion helps assess the class's understanding of entropy, clarifies misunderstood concepts, and promotes deeper learning through the exchange of ideas and perspectives among students. Additionally, this stage helps evaluate the effectiveness of practical activities in achieving the proposed learning objectives.

Group Discussion

To initiate the group discussion, the teacher can ask each group to share their most significant discoveries and learnings from the activities. You can start by asking: 'What were the biggest challenges your group faced when applying the concept of entropy in the activities? How did you overcome those challenges?' Encourage students to explain how the theory of entropy helped solve the proposed practical problems and reflect on the importance of entropy in real and hypothetical systems.

Key Questions

1. How does entropy relate to disorder and order in physical and chemical systems?

2. Can you provide practical examples of how entropy can be observed in everyday or industrial systems?

3. How can understanding entropy influence the design of processes or systems to maximize efficiency and minimize waste?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The Conclusion stage is essential for consolidating learning, linking theoretical concepts with the practical activities carried out. By summarizing and recapping key points, the teacher helps students solidify their understanding and connect the knowledge acquired with real and everyday applications. This stage also serves to reaffirm the relevance of entropy as a fundamental concept in various areas of knowledge.

Summary

In the conclusion, the teacher should summarize the main points discussed about entropy, emphasizing that it is a measure of disorder and increases over time in isolated systems. They should recap how entropy can be calculated and how it influences natural and technological processes.

Theory Connection

The teacher should highlight how practical activities like 'The Entropy Race' and 'The Mystery of the Messy Box' were designed to connect theory with practice. It should be emphasized how these activities simulated different states of entropy, allowing students to apply their theoretical knowledge in playful and practical scenarios.

Closing

Finally, the teacher should discuss the importance of entropy in daily life, highlighting that understanding this concept is crucial for numerous applications, from the functioning of engines to food preservation. This discussion serves to reinforce the relevance of studying entropy and how it permeates various aspects of modern science and technology.