Assessment
Monitor your students’ work as they put together their molecular models. Are they correctly identifying forms of energy on either side of the reaction? Do they understand that all materials used in the reactants must be present in the products? Notice students’ ability to identify molecules that have C-C and C-H bonds as materials that have chemical energy. Use 4.3 Grading Molecular Models for Potato Photosynthesis Worksheet to assess their work. Students should be able to follow instructions and complete the worksheet correctly, so it is reasonable to grade this worksheet.
Tips
- During the demonstration, stress that although we are using twist ties to represent energy, energy actually is not made of matter/molecules!
- You may want to laminate the Molecular Models 11 x 17 Placemat. These will be used multiple times in each unit.
- Although we ask students to identify C-C and C-H bonds as high in energy, it is important to recognize that releasing most of that energy requires a reaction with oxygen. It is more accurate to say that the chemical system of glucose and oxygen has more potential energy than the chemical system of carbon dioxide and water.