Make your own balancing equations book
Student Assignment:
Instructions:
Students are to write out an explanation of how to balance an equation. A list of equations, separated by difficulty are listed below the examples.
For my example of what I want students to do, the equation I'm showing how to balance is:
3Zn(OH)2 + 2H3PO4 --> Zn3(PO4)2 + 3H2O
I tried doing this at various websites so students can get an idea of what happens at the website. This is not an exhaustive list of what is available. If you want to use something not on this list, please clear it by me first because one goal of this project is to expose you to how to get a book published online. Even though I don't see us making any money on our balancing equations books, once you know how to do this technique, who's to say you won't publish books about Minecraft?
Students are to write out an explanation of how to balance an equation. A list of equations, separated by difficulty are listed below the examples.
For my example of what I want students to do, the equation I'm showing how to balance is:
3Zn(OH)2 + 2H3PO4 --> Zn3(PO4)2 + 3H2O
I tried doing this at various websites so students can get an idea of what happens at the website. This is not an exhaustive list of what is available. If you want to use something not on this list, please clear it by me first because one goal of this project is to expose you to how to get a book published online. Even though I don't see us making any money on our balancing equations books, once you know how to do this technique, who's to say you won't publish books about Minecraft?
Standards or goals:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
How it applies here:
Students analyze the equations, count up the atoms on each side of the arrow, and determine which molecules need to be added to balance their equation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
How it applies here:
Students analyze the text of a balanced equation, pull it apart into its components, and then reassemble it so that it meets the requirements for being a balanced equation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.2
Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.
How it applies here:
If students choose to work with an equation that has polyatomic ions, then they will be analyzing how that character is treated during balancing. It can be treated as a unit if it appears on both sides of the arrow. If it gets split up or rearranged, then there is another way to approach the text.
Goals:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.9-10.1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
How it applies here:
Students analyze the equations, count up the atoms on each side of the arrow, and determine which molecules need to be added to balance their equation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.1
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
How it applies here:
Students analyze the text of a balanced equation, pull it apart into its components, and then reassemble it so that it meets the requirements for being a balanced equation.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.2
Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.
How it applies here:
If students choose to work with an equation that has polyatomic ions, then they will be analyzing how that character is treated during balancing. It can be treated as a unit if it appears on both sides of the arrow. If it gets split up or rearranged, then there is another way to approach the text.
Goals:
- Students will visually show how to balance an equation.
- Students will write out their process, step by step, for balancing their equation.
- Students will put coefficients and subscripts in the right place
- Students will evaluate their peers' books to give constructive feedback
Sites you can use to make an eBook:
My favorites:
My favorites:
- I was able to upload a file to issuu, who converted it to a book: http://issuu.com
- Youblisher takes a pdf and turns it into a book. http://www.youblisher.com
Holy Smokes, Batman! Issuu seems to be da bom'! It is free, its embed code works, and it even has a cool format. I am now in love with issuu. I seem to have an issue with issuu :-). Here is a link to their website: http://issuu.com/home
I was able to upload the docx version of my "book" and it digested it perfectly. What a relief! I did not think I'd be able to do this.
I was able to upload the docx version of my "book" and it digested it perfectly. What a relief! I did not think I'd be able to do this.
It looks like youblisher also lets you embed your documents. It looks really tiny here, but when you click on the image, it opens up quite nicely to a book.
Less favorite places to publish an ebook:
It looks like lulu will let you upload a document to be turned into an ebook. http://www.lulu.com/create/ebooks The only problem I'm having is I did not read their directions before uploading my doc so it got rejected. If you have the patience, it looks like a very good site.
http://bookbuilder.cast.org/ I don't actually recommend this one because I could not get past page 3 and even after publishing it, the pages did not show up the way I designed them. Plus for some reason, my computer was being overly sensitive to having Flash components. I downloaded the book so the files should have been on my computer, but it still kept making me go online.
http://www.bookrix.com/ The book I made to explain balancing equations was done here. It is not bad, but you can't control spacing on the pages like page breaks. It also can't handle subscripts. It is far easier to use and more reliable than CAST UDL Book Builder.
I apparently made one at Blurb, but I don't want to pay $10, nor do I want students to pay anything to share their books. So that was more mental gymnastics than anything else.
I made one through Liberio, but can't tell if you can really access it. It did not recognize my cover, and I'll try to fix that. You can download the book at: https://liber.io/v/liberioEpub_5510a608e0b47
It looks like lulu will let you upload a document to be turned into an ebook. http://www.lulu.com/create/ebooks The only problem I'm having is I did not read their directions before uploading my doc so it got rejected. If you have the patience, it looks like a very good site.
http://bookbuilder.cast.org/ I don't actually recommend this one because I could not get past page 3 and even after publishing it, the pages did not show up the way I designed them. Plus for some reason, my computer was being overly sensitive to having Flash components. I downloaded the book so the files should have been on my computer, but it still kept making me go online.
http://www.bookrix.com/ The book I made to explain balancing equations was done here. It is not bad, but you can't control spacing on the pages like page breaks. It also can't handle subscripts. It is far easier to use and more reliable than CAST UDL Book Builder.
I apparently made one at Blurb, but I don't want to pay $10, nor do I want students to pay anything to share their books. So that was more mental gymnastics than anything else.
I made one through Liberio, but can't tell if you can really access it. It did not recognize my cover, and I'll try to fix that. You can download the book at: https://liber.io/v/liberioEpub_5510a608e0b47
| example-for-student-version-of-balancing-an-equation_liberio.epub |
| melissa-getz-balancing-equations.epub |
The file as printed as a pdf:
| an_example_of_how_to_balance_an_equation.pdf |
I'm also thinking of uploading your books to VoiceThread so you can give feedback to each other. I know the sample I put here can use many fixes.
Equations students can balance:
20 Experience points level:
As + NaOH --> Na3AsO3 + H2
V2O5 + HCl --> VOCl3 + H2O
HClO4 + P4H10 --> H3PO4 + Cl2O7
Ca3(PO4)2 + H2SO4 --> CaSO4 + Ca(H2PO4)2
15 Experience points level:
Ba(NO3)2 + H3PO4 --> Ba3(PO4)2 + HNO3
AlCl3(aq) + NaOH(aq) --> NaAlO2(aq) + NaCl(aq) + H2O(l
Hg(OH)2 + H3PO4 --> Hg3(PO4)2 + H2O
H3PO4 + HCl --> PCl5 + H2O
10 Experience points level:
Au2S3 + H2 --> Au + H2S
Fe2O3 + H2 --> Fe + H2O
Mg + AgNO3 --> Mg(NO3)2 + Ag
SiO2 + HF --> SiF4 + H2O
N2 + O2 + H2O --> HNO3
CO + H2 --> C8H18 + H2O
H2SO4 + Pb(OH)4 --> Pb(SO4)2 + H2O
Na3PO4 + HCl --> NaCl + H3PO4
Ba3N2 + H2O --> Ba(OH)2 + NH3
5 Experience points level:
Mg(ClO3)2 --> MgCl2 + O2
AgNO3 + H2S --> Ag2S + HNO3
Al + N2 --> AlN
Zn + HCl --> ZnCl2 + H2
CH4 + O2 --> CO2 + H2O
Al + O2 --> Al2O3
Al +HCl --> AlCl3 + H2
AgI + Na2S --> Ag2S + NaI
TiCl4 + H2O --> TiO2 + HCl
20 Experience points level:
As + NaOH --> Na3AsO3 + H2
V2O5 + HCl --> VOCl3 + H2O
HClO4 + P4H10 --> H3PO4 + Cl2O7
Ca3(PO4)2 + H2SO4 --> CaSO4 + Ca(H2PO4)2
15 Experience points level:
Ba(NO3)2 + H3PO4 --> Ba3(PO4)2 + HNO3
AlCl3(aq) + NaOH(aq) --> NaAlO2(aq) + NaCl(aq) + H2O(l
Hg(OH)2 + H3PO4 --> Hg3(PO4)2 + H2O
H3PO4 + HCl --> PCl5 + H2O
10 Experience points level:
Au2S3 + H2 --> Au + H2S
Fe2O3 + H2 --> Fe + H2O
Mg + AgNO3 --> Mg(NO3)2 + Ag
SiO2 + HF --> SiF4 + H2O
N2 + O2 + H2O --> HNO3
CO + H2 --> C8H18 + H2O
H2SO4 + Pb(OH)4 --> Pb(SO4)2 + H2O
Na3PO4 + HCl --> NaCl + H3PO4
Ba3N2 + H2O --> Ba(OH)2 + NH3
5 Experience points level:
Mg(ClO3)2 --> MgCl2 + O2
AgNO3 + H2S --> Ag2S + HNO3
Al + N2 --> AlN
Zn + HCl --> ZnCl2 + H2
CH4 + O2 --> CO2 + H2O
Al + O2 --> Al2O3
Al +HCl --> AlCl3 + H2
AgI + Na2S --> Ag2S + NaI
TiCl4 + H2O --> TiO2 + HCl