Instructional Design Teaching Unit

ID of the Learning Problem

The target audience for the Instructional Design Unit are 8th grade students at Effingham County Middle
School. The target audience will consist of 16 Gifted and Talented students from a neighboring science
class. These students are of a variety of ethnicities and genders.
The main area that will be addressed is Acids and Bases. The students have had very little experience
with this information as it is not a standard that is required to be taught until 10th grade Physical science
course. The following standards are being addressed with this Instructional Design Unit:
SPS6: Student will investigate the properties of solutions
d. Compare and contrast the components and properties of acids and bases.
e. Determine whether common household substances are acidic, basic, or neutral.
AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner:
1. Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge
2. Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new
knowledge.
3. Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic
society.
AASL & AECT Standards - Information Literacy Competency Standards:
Standard 1: The student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and
effectively.
The student recognizes the need for information
The student recognizes that accurate and comprehensive information is the basis for
intelligent decision making.
The student formulates questions based on information needs.
The student identifies a variety of potential sources of information.
The student develops and uses successful strategies for locating information.
Standard 2: The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and
competently.
The student determines accuracy, relevance, and comprehensiveness.
The student distinguishes among fact, point of view, and opinion.
The student identifies in accurate and misleading information.
The student identifies a variety of potential sources of information.
Standard 3: The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively.
The student organizes information for practical application.
The student integrates new information into ones own knowledge.

The student applies information in critical thinking and problem solving.

The student produces and communicates information and ideas in appropriate formats.

This unit was chosen as an enrichment and differentiation unit for the gifted students that would
otherwise not be exposed to this material. The unit will be conducted in a 100% online learning
environment which will expose the students to an alternative learning method.
A very brief formal needs assessment was taken by the 16 participants and it was quickly identified as an
area of weakness for the students. Three questions were asked on the pre-assessment and the
following results were recorded:
Question
#1
#2
#3

Answered Correctly
4
0
3

Answered Incorrectly
12
16
13

There are two goals in developing the unit:

1. To develop an understanding of Acids & Bases and the measurement of pH to allow for a 90%
correctness on the summative assessment.
2. To enrich and expand the knowledge of the students that are gifted and are not exposed to an
online learning environment.
Entry Skills and Prior Knowledge:
Entry Characteristics:
Prerequisite skills & knowledge:
Students can successfully operate a computer using Google Chrome.
Students can interact appropriately with an online learning environment.
Students can read on the required level to obtain a working level of vocabulary
usage.
Most learners have little knowledge of the molecular structure of acids & bases.
Most learners have no knowledge of the pH scale and what a neutral substance is.
Most learners have previous knowledge of the taste of acidic substances.
Potential Misconceptions:
Students may believe that acidic and basic substances are not dangerous.

Attitudes Toward Content & Academic Motivation:

The students that are participating in this unit are very positive about the experience as they are being
pulled from their regular classroom and being allowed to complete activities that are completely
different from the general populace. The students have been encouraged to accept this opportunity as

a positive learning experience and the unit has been introduced as a reward for being self-motivated,
self-regulated learners.
Education Ability Levels:
The students participating in the unit are all Gifted and Talented identified students which should allow
them to obtain the information in the unit at an accelerated rate. These students are of above average
intelligence and have no learning deficiencies.
General Learning Preferences:
These students are eager to learn and are self-motivated learners with the ability to problem solving
with advanced skills.
Attitude Toward Teachers and School:
The 16 students that were chosen for the unit were chosen because of their advanced learning and
previous experiences. The group consisted of 6 females and 10 male students. Their attitude toward
learning new material and the online experience is positive.
Description of Task Analysis:
The learning unit was decided upon based on the lack of scientific understanding of acids and bases and
the pH scale. The task analysis was performed using a topic analysis. The primary educator was
consulted to determine the key concepts and sequence in which the concepts should be introduced.
Because of the advanced intelligence and learning capability of the students, it was determined that
vocabulary acquisition was not necessary. The students would be allowed to go directly to content
acquisition in the form of completion of notes. Following the introduction to content, students would
begin to develop the content knowledge through a series of online activities and formative assessments.
The culmination of the unit will be a summative assessment that will be taken on day 5.
Instructional Objectives:
Objectives Goals:
1. Students will demonstrate the understanding of the characteristics of acids and bases with 90%
accuracy.
2. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the chemistry involved in the pH scale with 90%
accuracy.
3. Students will use a variety of methods to determine if certain household substances are acids or
bases with 90% accuracy.

Generative
Strategy: Note
taking activity

Generative
Strategy:
Determine real

Generative
Strategy:
Complete

Generative
Strategy:
Complete

Generative
Strategy:
Develop an

to determine
key concepts
of acids and
bases.
Complete
notes using
video.

world affects
of Acids &
Bases.
Complete
questions
using scientific
articles.

online
WebQuest and
answer
questions.
Determine key
concepts of
Acids & Bases.
Determine the
scientific
meaning of pH.

Goal:

To increase the
knowledge of
the concepts
of acids and
bases.

To develop an
understanding
of how acids
and bases
affect our lives.

To develop an
understanding
of pH.

Objectives:

To develop the
understanding
of why liquids
are acidic,
basic, or
neutral from a
chemistry
perspective
Completion of
note questions

To predict how
acids will affect
our lives

To develop an
understanding
of pH and how
liquids are
acidic, basic, or
neutral.

Completion of
article
questions
Audio/Visual
activities, use
of technology,
real-world
connections

Completion of
WebQuest

Assessment:

UDL:

Audio/Visual
Presentation,
online activity,
use of
technology

online
interactive
activities.
Determine
whether
common
household
substances are
acids or bases.
Collect data and
complete
worksheet.
To develop an
understanding
of which
common
household
substances are
acidic and
which are basic
To show how
acids, bases,
and neutral
substances can
be identified

Completion of
interactive
activities
Audio/Visual
Audio/Visual
activity,
activity,
interactive
interactive
instruction, use instruction and
of technology
activity, use of
technology

online blog
posting to
demonstrate
an
understanding
of key
concepts.
Take
summative
assessment.

To
demonstrate
an
understanding
of acids and
bases.

To explain
acids, bases,
and neutral
substances.

Blog and
summative
assessment
Use of
technology,
use of Web
2.0 tool

The learners will be assessed using a combination of formative and summative assessments for
objective listed below.
Objective 1: Students will demonstrate the understanding of the characteristics of acids and bases with
90% accuracy.
Assessment: The learners will complete questions after watching a video describing acids, bases, and
neutral liquids. They will determine the chemical cause of acids, bases, and neutral substances.
Objective 2: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the chemistry involved in the pH scale with
90% accuracy.
Assessment: The learners will complete a combination of activities including reading an article regarding
the real-world affects of acids and bases on humans and will complete a Webquest which will help to
determine which substances are acidic, basic, and neutral. The activities will also familiarize the learners
with the pH scale.
Objective 3: Students will use a variety of methods to determine if certain household substances are
acids or bases with 90% accuracy.
Assessment: The learners will complete an interactive activity to determine which common household
substances are acidic, basic, and neutral.
Students will be assessed using online assessments for each of the objectives listed below:
Objectives:
Students will demonstrate the understanding of the characteristics of acids and bases with 90%
accuracy.
2. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the chemistry involved in the pH scale with 90%
accuracy.
3. Students will use a variety of methods to determine if certain household substances are acids or
bases with 90% accuracy.
1.

Assessment #1:
Day 1
Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xeuyc55LqiY. Complete the following video notes
on Acids & Bases.
1. How is having the proper pH in your body important?
2.

What does pH stand for?

3.

What is the chance of having a Hydronium atom in plain tap water?

4.

What does it mean to have a pH of 7?

5.

What do we call a liquid with a pH higher than 7?

6.

What do we call a liquid with a pH lower than 7?

7.
What happens when you add Hydrochloric Acid to water? What increases in the
water?
8.

What happens when you add a base to water? What decreases in the water?

9.

What does Ph really measure?

10.
If you increase the amount of hydrogen ions in a solution you ________________
the pH.
11.
If you decrease the amount of hydrogen ions in a solution you
________________the pH.
12.

Why is pH variation an important issue for our oceans?

Assessment #2
Day 2
Task #1
Visit the following website http://abcnews.go.com/Health/super-spicy-snacks-send-kidsemergency-room/story?id=20899643 and answer the following questions
In what way do spicy foods affect the pH in your stomach?
What are some of the long-term effects of frequently eating a large amount of spicy foods?
Task #2
Visit the following website
http://www.visionlearning.com/en/library/Chemistry/1/Acids-and-Bases/58 and answer the
following questions:
How did Boyle describe the characteristics of acids and bases?
How can you neutralize an acid? What is produced during this process?
Give 3 acids and their pH from the scale at the bottom of the article.
Give 3 bases and their pH from the scale at the bottom of the article.

Assessment #3

Day 3
3 Introduction to Acids & Bases: A WebQuest
1. http://www.visionlearning.com/library/module_viewer.php?c3=&mid=58&l=
The word acid comes from the Latin word _____________________ meaning
__________________.
Boyle stated that acids taste ___________________, are corrosive to
_____________________, change the color of litmus to _______________,and become
less acidic when mixed with _______________.
He described bases as feeling ________________________, changing litmus to the color
______________, and becoming less basic when mixed with an ___________.
About 200 years later, Arrhenius proposed that water can dissolve many compounds by
separating them into their individual _____________. He suggested that acids contain
_____________ and can dissolve in water to release _________________.
Bases dissolve in water to release _______________________ ions into the solution.
1. http://www.chem4kids.com/files/react_acidbase.html
Every liquid has __________ & ____________ traits. One exception might be
__________________________. It is just water. However, the ____________ ions and
_________________ ions cancel each other out.
1. http://chemistry.about.com/od/acidsbases/a/acidbaseformula.htm
Give the formula for the following acids:
Hydrofluoric AcidHydrochloric AcidHydrosulfuric AcidNitric AcidSulfuric AcidAcetic AcidBoric AcidGive the formula for the following bases:
Sodium HydroxidePotassium HydroxideCalcium HydroxideIron (II) Hydroxide1. http://chemistry.about.com/od/acidsbases/a/acidsbasesterms.htm
Scroll down to Properties of Acids.
Complete the following sentences for Acids
Tastes _________________
Changes litmus from blue to _____________.
Solutions are __________________________ (conduct electricity).
React with bases to form ___________________ + _______________. Neutralization
Create _______________ gas when reacting with an active metal.
Five (5) Common acids (scroll down):
Properties of Bases
Tastes _____________________.
Feels _______________________________.
Dont change the color of __________________________.
Solutions are _____________________________ (conduct electricity).

React with acids to form ____________________ + ______________________.

Neutralization
Four (4) Common Bases:
1. http://chemistry.about.com/od/acidsbases/a/phtable.htm and
http://www.visionlearning.com/library/module_viewer.php?c3=&mid=58&l
Scroll down on the site above until you get to the pH scale
Using the sites above, answer the questions below:
1. pH range of acids ______________________
2. pH of a neutral substance ______________
3. pH of a basic (alkaline) substance ______________________
Use information from the sites above and list the following substances according to pH.
The lowest pH should be listed first and the highest base listed last. HCl and NaOH are
given as examples.
Substances:
Correct Acid-Base pH list
Pure water
1 HCl
Apples
Ammonia
Lime (Calcium Hydroxide)
Milk
HCl
Vinegar
Baking Soda
NaOH
Human Blood
Lemon juice
Battery Acid
Milk of Magnesia
Rain water
Egg whites
Drano
14 NaOH
1. http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/blacidquiz.htm
Take the quiz.
Place score here __________________.
1. http://chemistry.about.com/library/weekly/bl060603a.htm
Take the quiz.
Place score here ____________________.

Assessment #4

Day 4
Interactive Activities
Task #1:
Go to http://www.lawrencehallofscience.org/kidsite/portfolio/alien-juice-bar/ and test different
liquids.
Give 3 examples of some of the liquids that you placed in each category:
Acids:
Bases:
Neutral:
Task #2:
Go to http://www.mcwdn.org/chemist/acidbase.html and complete the following table:
Acids

Bases

Task #3:
Go to http://pbskids.org/zoom/games/kitchenchemistry/virtual-start.html and complete the
kitchen chemistry experiments.
What answer did you determine was correct for the Big Question based on your
experiments?

Assessment #5 (Post-Assessement)

Day 5
Summative Assessments
Task #1
Go to
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/science/chemical_material_behaviour/acids_bases_metal
s/activity/ and complete the interactive activity. Make sure you take the quiz at the end.
On the same site, take the test that is under the interactivity activity. Make sure to take a
screenshot of your score and post it below. Hold the windows button down and press the
print screen button. Then past the picture into this document.
It should look like this.

Task #2
Go to the blog site http://kidblog.org/MrsWardsClass-32/ and respond to the following blog
post:
Compare and contrast the characteristics of acids and bases. Make sure to indicate the pH
scales of several substances that fall into each category.