WEBSITE AND CLASSROOM BLOG CREATION TOOLS

Name: The Flipped Classroom Using a Blog

Grade Level: 9-12
Content Area: Chemistry
Technology Used (check all that apply):
Blog Wiki Other Website Creation Tool (list):
Standards/Topics Addressed: SC3. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about how the
Law of Conservation of Matter is used to determine chemical composition in compounds and
chemical reactions.
a. Use mathematics and computational thinking to balance chemical reactions (i.e., synthesis,
decomposition, single replacement, double replacement, and combustion) and construct an
explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical reaction based on the outermost electron states of
atoms, trends in the periodic table, and knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties.
Brief Description of Learning Experience:

Students will check their classroom blog every night for important announcements, reminders, and
homework. Students will see the latest blog posting for a Flipped Classroom assignment that was posted
Friday. Students will listen to the audio and complete the assignment. Students must watch a linked
YouTube tutorial on balancing chemical reactions, and then practice balancing three equations posted on
the website. Students are expected to come to class with the reactions balanced and come with questions.

Students will then complete a hands-on balancing reactions activity to help them understand matter
conservation during a reaction. After the activity, students will be introduced to a project that they will have
one week and 3 days to complete. They must utilize Audacity, using school technology, to create a brief
audio tutorial on how to balance a chemical reaction. Students will then post their original work on the
classroom blog as a resource for other students and future chemistry students to use. With parent
permission, students can share their product in other ways to a broader audience. This project will count as
a summative grade.
Blooms Level of Critical Thinking Required (check all that apply):
See http://epltt.coe.uga.edu/index.php?title=Bloom%27s_Taxonomy
Remembering Understanding Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating

Student Engagement/Level of Technology Implementation (LoTi):

This overall lesson achieves LoTi Level 4-Integration. (A five can be achieved, if students post online
outside the blog with parent permission.) Students use technology, such as, calculators, Audacity, and
their online class blog to complete the project. Students use this technology to show their
understanding of balancing chemical reactions in element A of the standard. Students are required to
use all levels of Blooms Taxonomy to complete the project. Students assume the role of teachers by
creating a tutorial for learners struggling to balance equations. Students find this meaningful, since
they are creating a product that other students can use. Each student will create their own original,
unique audio file; no students final products will sound the same. Students can collaborate with
other students and teachers for help.
Importance of technology:
The blog kicks off the start of the project by introducing them to balancing reactions through the Flipped
Classroom model. The blog site is necessary, since it offers a safe place students can post their final audio
file product that can be used to help current classmates and/or future students. The project could be
completed without the blog, but the flipped classroom model helps students to learn outside the classroom
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 WEBSITE AND CLASSROOM BLOG CREATION TOOLS
on their own, which increases information retention and depth of understanding. Also, without a class blog
to safely post their final project, the meaningfulness and motivation for the project decreases, since their
audio tutorial cannot be viewed by other students. This lesson requires the use of the Audacity program,
which teaches the student how to create audio files for future school assignments or personal use.
Internet Safety and Student Privacy:
Student internet safety can be a concern, when using online blogs and finding resources online. However,
students will be encouraged to not share personal information on the web and will be directed to safe and
approved websites for finding resources. Edublogs creates a safe place for students; Edublogs allows them
to communicate with other classmates and access the blog without needing to share personal information.
Students are also protected, when using the school computers, because schools block inappropriate
websites. Students in high school are also over the age of 13.
Describe your personal learning goal for this activity.
By the end of the activity, the goal is for students to be able to accurately balance chemical reactions and be
proficient at creating and editing original audio work. Students struggle in the beginning with balancing
equations in the flipped classroom. Students continue to practice with balancing chemical equations during
class and master the concept and idea of conservation by the end of the in-class lesson. Students knew what
it felt like to struggle and need help. They knew what it felt like to view a tutorial that may or may not have
helped. They take these experiences to create a tutorial that helps students that struggled in the same way
they did. They know what was said or done to get the material to click for them. This project will also allow
them to demonstrate their learning and understanding of the law of conservation in regard to balancing
reactions.
Other comments about your proposed activity: N/A.