NanoSense Curriculum Units

*Each unit includes lesson plans, essential questions to drive learning, active learning experiences (labs, visualizations), student and teacher readings, slide presentations for class discussion, worksheets, quizzes, and performance assessments.

Size Matters: Introduction to Nanoscience     »» view full contents

DESCRIPTION:

This unit provides an introduction to nanoscience, focusing on concepts related to the size and scale, unusual properties of the nanoscale, and example applications. Upon completing this unit, students will understand:

1. The study of unique phenomena at the nanoscale could vastly change our understanding of matter and lead to new questions and answers in many areas, including health care, the environment, and technology.
2. There are enormous scale differences in our universe, and at different scales, different forces dominate and different models better explain phenomena.
3. Nanosized materials exhibit some size-dependent effects that are not observed in bulk materials.
4. New tools for observing and manipulating matter increase our ability to investigate and innovate.

UNIT LENGTH:

5 lessons, up to ten 50-minute classroom periods if all lessons are used. Not all lessons are required. Use the lessons most appropriate for your students

Clear Sunscreen: How Light Interacts with Matter     »» view full contents

DESCRIPTION:
This unit explores issues related to size and scale, specifically the effect of the size of nanopowders on the interactions of energy and matter (e.g., the absorption of light, addressing the electromagnetic spectrum and associated wavelengths). For example, old sunscreens use "large" zinc oxide particles, which block ultraviolet light but scatter visible light, giving the cream a white color. If nanopowders of zinc oxide are used instead, the cream is transparent, because the diameter of each nanoparticle is smaller than the wavelength of visible light.

Upon completing this unit, students will understand:

1. How the energies of different wavelengths of light interact differently with different kinds of matter.
2. Why particle size can affect the optical properties of a material.
3. That there may be health issues for nanosized particles that are undetermined at this time.
4. That it is possible to engineer useful materials with an incomplete understanding of their properties.
5. There are often multiple valid theoretical explanations for experimental data; to find out which one works best, additional experiments are required.
6. How to apply their scientific knowledge to be an informed consumer of chemical products.

UNIT LENGTH:

5 lessons, up to 11 50-minute classroom periods if all lessons are used. Not all lessons are required. Use the lessons most appropriate for your students.

Clean Energy: Converting Light to Energy     »» view full contents

DESCRIPTION:

This unit explores the issue of energy production as a pressing global issue and how nanoscience could enable important breakthroughs in energy generation and conversion. In particular, traditional and newer "nano" solar technologies are introduced and explored.

Upon completing this unit, students will understand:

1. Clean alternative energy technologies must be developed to provide sufficient energy to meet growing global demand, and must be sustainable both environmentally and economically.
2. Nanoscience could enable important breakthroughs in solar energy technology through low cost, novel energy conversion mechanisms.
3. Surface area to volume ratio is a function of particle size and shape. Increasing surface area normally increases the rate of reaction because there are more sites available for simultaneous reaction.
4. Energy is neither created nor destroyed--it can only be converted into different forms.

UNIT LENGTH:

2 lessons, up to 3 50-minute classroom periods if all lessons are used. Not all lessons are required. Use the lessons most appropriate for your students.