High School STEM Modules
The goal of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Mobile Laboratory is to provide equipment and the learning environment ideal for helping students understand and solidify fundamental scientific theories in physics, biology and chemistry alongside hands-on experimentation. Listed below are the various science modules performed with students.
Modules
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Positive Staining (10th)Just like microbiologists, students will stain cells to study and characterize them. Positive staining is characterized by the use of a positively-charged basic dye, such as methylene blue. In this experiment, students will be introduced to positive staining by working with onion cells.
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Endothermic & Exothermic Reactions (11th)Students will perform endothermic and exothermic reactions to understand how heat plays a role in the formation and breaking of chemical bonds. Students will also learn to calculate the enthalpy (heat energy change) of a chemical reaction.
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Electrolytes (10th & 11th)When we partake in strenuous exercise, we sweat and lose important salts in our body called electrolytes. Students will determine what is the best way to replenish our body’s electrolytes by testing the conductance (electrolyte concentration) of a sports drink vs. orange juice.
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Groundwater, Hidden Water Supply (9-12th grade)Groundwater is a part of the hydrologic cycle, a hidden yet crtitical water supply. In this module, students will be introduced to the concept of an aquifer (rock/soil), rain infiltration, and water pollution.
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Hydrologic Cycle, Water Quality (9-12th grade)In this module, students will learn about the Hydrologic Cycle/Rain, surface water-groundwater interactions, and water pollution. Students will test water quality with few water quality indicators/parameters.
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Soil Erosion Effects (9-12th grade)The demonstration showcases three clear containers depicting the following ground conditions: a control, a covered surface, and erosion effects. Students will visualize the role of ground cover in protecting soil against erosion by simlating rainfall impact.
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Fluorescent Minerals, Glowing Rocks (9-12th grade)In this module, we will demonstrate fluorescence, a physical property of certain minerals. Students will be shown a set of rocks under regular light, which will look like normal rocks. Then, under dark conditions, the same collection will be illuminated with ultraviolet light, showing the rocks emit vibrant colors.
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