Past projects 2
Electrify Student Learning Through Electrolysis!
Funded Sep 21, 2021I cannot thank you enough for supplying my general chemistry classes with electrolysis apparatuses this semester! I teach special education inclusion chemistry classes and have a lot of students who are passionate about cars. My students loved, loved, LOVED getting to produce hydrogen gas for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles just like real scientists!
During this unit, students learned about the different batteries, engines, and fuel sources of internal combustion vehicles, hybrid/ battery electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Students got to connect their understanding (and passion) for cars to specific reduction-oxidation (redox) reactions in chemistry and gas laws.
As a teacher, I also have to personally thank you for supplying these electrolysis apparatuses because I have struggled every year teaching redox reactions and gas laws in general chemistry. There is so much math involved with the unit and students have a hard time tying the content into anything meaningful in their lives. This year was so DIFFERENT however. Students were tangibly able to see in REAL-TIME just how significant redox reactions and gas laws are to the function and performance of cars because of these electrolysis apparatuses.
In fact, students enjoyed this lesson so much that they wanted to design their own experiments with the electrolysis apparatuses afterward! Since the production of hydrogen is the limiting factor for the creation of hydrogen fuel cell cars, students want to see how they can maximize the production of hydrogen. So that is what we are studying now! We have dedicated an entire week of class to learning experimental design and engineering principles so that students can implement in real-time their solutions for these real-world problems.
So thank you, thank you, thank YOU again! You have truly made a difference in my and my students' experience in the classroom this year! And I can't wait to do even more with these electrolysis apparatuses next year.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Crouse
Students Against Smog
Funded Oct 18, 2021Thank you so much for supporting our AP Environmental Science classroom this year! Because of your generous donations, my students and I just completed our most exciting lab this year. Your donations allowed us to purchase Gastec car exhaust pumps and chemical test tubes that enabled my students to DIRECTLY measure the emissions of their vehicles. This is data you cannot get unless you have a Gastec car exhaust pump.
Not only did students say this was the most engaging and meaningful lab we have done all year, but they also took away a lot of key understandings as well.
For this lab, students collected gas samples from their exhaust pipes, specifically carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions. They were then able to observe how much the emission data changed depending on the vehicle. The following vehicles were tested:
- SUV
- internal combustion engine vehicle (older)
- internal combustion engine vehicle (newer)
- electric car
- hybrid car
Each one of these tests led to a meaningful class discussion on air pollution in our city. For example, the emission of nitrous oxides (NOx) from our cars contributes to acid rain (nitric acid) and photochemical smog in Los Angeles. Additionally, the low levels of carbon monoxide (CO) in the emission data allowed my students to understand the importance of catalytic converters in cars and how catalytic converters turn CO emissions into less harmful substances before exiting the tailpipe. Lastly, my students got a better visualization of the amount of CO2 that is emitted from our cars and how this directly causes global warming.
This lab was especially meaningful to our students because living in Los Angeles, we experience photochemical smog quite often. Students were able to see clearly how our vehicle emissions directly lead to the formation of this photochemical smog in the city.
This was hands down the most exciting lab of the school year for my AP Environmental Science students. Thank you so much for your incredible donations and support of this project! Air pollution is the trickiest topic to teach in AP Environmental Science because it is far more complex than simply global warming. Students have to understand car exhaust emissions, photochemical smog, acid rain, thermal inversions, stratospheric ozone depletion, etc. to be successful for our AP CollegeBoard Exam. And this year, you made it possible for me to teach these concepts in a meaningful way.
Thank you, THANK YOU for supporting our classroom! You created a learning experience my students will never forget!”
With gratitude,
Ms. Crouse
This classroom project was brought to life by General Motors and 3 other donors.