Johnathan Harvell 1

Chemical Concentration POGIL Lesson Data Analysis

Subject Area: General Chemistry Grade Level: 10-12th
Teacher Evaluators: Glenn Gainley, Tricia Engelhardt
Behavior Evaluators: Erika Chado, Lexi Woodruff, and Mallory Sullivan

A. Reaching Consensus about Proficiency

1. Data Accumulation Method:
For this lesson data analysis, a seven question pre-assessment over the
concepts/applications of chemical concentration was administered by Glenn
Gainley to the 20 General Chemistry students at last 10 minutes of the class
period before the class period in which the POGIL activity was performed. The
POGIL lesson was performed in unison as a class with guided review by myself
intermittently throughout the class period for 80 minutes, and the last 10 minutes
of the class period were used to have the 21 General Chemistry students perform
the five question post assessment; the difference in class size from class period to
class period is due to various students being absent. During the POGIL activity
lesson period, three behavior evaluators were to tally any identified disruptions
created by each table of students, either physically or verbally, at set time
intervals demonstrated in the breakdown of the POGIL lesson runtime in the
lesson plan provided to each evaluator. Three behavior evaluators were used
specifically to allow accumulated data on behavior to be considered as
statistically significant. Two teaching evaluators were present, but did not
participate in the behavior evaluation.

2. What were the students expected to do? Describe what you would consider to
be a proficient response on this assessment? Exactly what would students
need to say, write, or perform for you to consider their work proficient?
For each assessment given, the following questions and answers are considered
acceptable, or passing for criteria set by the classroom expectations and academic
standards.
i. Pre-Assessment
a. Question #1: How would you define chemical concentration?
Chemical concentration can be defined as the specific quantity of a
substance within a certain volume of chemical solution

b. Question #2: What factors do you believe affect chemical

concentration? Explain.
The factors that affect chemical concentration are the following:
the amount of a dissolved substance, the volume of solution of
which a substance is added, reactivity of dissolved substance with
solution
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c. Question #3: Why do you believe it is important to know the

chemical concentration of a particular solution?
It is important to know the chemical concentration of a particular
solution because it can provide necessary information to correctly
perform experiments, calculations, and be able to identify chemical
hazards when presented.

d. Question #4: How do you describe a solute and a solvent?

A solute is the component of solution that is present in the least
amount. It is the substance that is dissolved. A solvent is the
component of solution that is present in the greatest amount. It is
the substance in which the solute is dissolved.

e. Question #5: Calculate the number of moles present in 60

grams of sodium chloride.
60 1
( )( ) = 1.034
1 58
f. Question #6: Calculate the volume of 32 grams of water vapor
at STP.
32 2 () 1 2 () 22.4 2 ()
( )( )( ) = 39.82 2 ()
1 18 2 () 1 2 ()

g. Question #7: Suppose I wanted to create saltwater by placing

the calculated moles of sodium chloride into the calculated
volume of LIQUID water, what do you think the concentration
of the salt water would be? Explain your reasoning, use your
definition of chemical concentration to support your argument.
Based on the definition of chemical concentration, it can be
assumed that the number of moles of NaCl would be distributed
over the entire volume of water, thus it can be said that chemical
concentration of saltwater is amount of salt per unit volume of
water. With this phrasing, the chemical concentration of the
saltwater would be:
1.034
= 0.026
39.82 2 ()
ii. Post-Assessment
a. Question #1: Define molarity. Is it the same as chemical
concentration?
Molarity is defined as the amount of solute per unit of solvent.
Molarity is a measurement of chemical concentration, thus it is the
same.
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b. Question #2: List the factors that influence molarity, and

describe if each factor is directly or indirectly related to
molarity
The amount of solute is directly proportional to the molarity of a
solution. The volume of solvent is indirectly proportional to the
molarity of a solution.

c. Question #3: Describe a scenario in which understanding the

molarity of a chemical solution can be listed as extremely
important.
*Note: This is a creative open question, and can be considered
right as long as the students puts the context of chemical
concentration into the explanation of danger (i.e. the molarity of
saline solution is good to know because too high of saline in the
blood could dehydrate blood cells and cause physiological issues).

d. Question #4: Define solute and solvent, and draw a diagram

illustrating the relative interactions between a solute and
solvent within a solution.
A solute is the component of solution that is present in the least
amount. It is the substance that is dissolved. A solvent is the
component of solution that is present in the greatest amount. It is
the substance in which the solute is dissolved.

Red = chemical solute

Blue = chemical solvent

e. Question #5: Calculate the molarity of the final solution of

aqueous sodium chloride if I take an initial concentration of 1.5
M of NaCl in 25 mL of water, and then add an additional 200
mL of water.
1 1 = 2 2
1 1 (1.5 )(0.025 )
2 = = = 0.167
2 (0.225 )

3. Which academic standards or curriculum expectations are being assessed?

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i. Academic Standards
Colorado State Standards (HS-PS1-4): Atoms bond in different ways to
form molecules and compounds that have definite properties

Next Generation Science Standards (HS-PS1-5): Apply scientific

principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of
changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the
rate at which a reaction occurs.

ii. Curriculum Expectations

With completion of the created POGIL activity in regards to chemical
concentration, students are expected to:
Explain that solute and solvents as two different, essential
components of solubility in solution systems
Interpret that physical changes represented in chemical solutions is
directly affected by the concentration of the solution
Apply knowledge of molarity to demonstrate and calculate the
progression of solution concentration through the aspect of
dilutions

B. Diagnosing/Identifying Student Strengths, Student Needs, and

Instructional Next Steps
1. What patterns or trends are noted?
i. Pre- and Post-Assessment Correct Answer Trends
In Figure 1 below, a bar graph demonstrating the correct answers trends of
both pre-and post-assessments questions are introduced side-by-side. It is
to be noted that, to make sure consistency was established during analysis,
the number correct answer responses for the pre-assessment questions 5, 6,
and 7 were combined to be related to the number correct answer responses
associated with question 5 of the post assessment; this is due to the fact
that all three pre-assessment questions are separated to help show the
individual components of molarity and create a cohesive answer at the end
of the assessment, to which question 5 of the post-assessment requires all
components of molarity to be used in a single answer:
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19
18
20
17 17
18
Cummulative Correct Answers

16

14

12
8
10

8 6 6

6 4 4

4
1
2

0
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5

Respective Assessment Question

Figure 1: Correct Pre-and Post-Assessment Answer Data Trends. (Blue) Pre-Assessment Correct Answers (Red) Post-Assessment
Correct Answers

As can be seen in Figure 1, there is a significant increase in correct answer

responses in the comparison between the pre- and post-assessments that
were performed by the students. This infers that the POGIL activity had
the ability to at least increase some of the students understanding of
chemical concentration in general from their former knowledge base of
chemical concentration when performing the pre-assessment; however, it
is important to note that the post-assessment was performed right after
completing approximately half of the POGIL activity worksheets, thus the
information was still fresh in their mind at this point. With the post
assessment being performed without a minor mental digestion period,
the data presented in Figure 1 could be skewed in the sense that students
were able to give the correct answers out of short term memory, and not of
actual conceptual understanding. On this note, it is seen in Figure 1 as well
that the correct answer responses on question 5 of the post-assessment are
not as high as in the previous questions. Due to the time constraints of the
lesson, only about half of the POGIL activity was accomplished by the
students, and the students did not get to the point of learning the dilution
formula (M1V1 = M2V2). Without having this formula, it is safe to infer
that a majority of the students did not have sufficient information to
answer question #5 correctly; although, it is interesting to see that 6 of the
students were able to articulate the information in another manner to
obtain the correct answer for the problem.
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ii. POGIL Lesson Classroom Behavior Trends

In Figure 2 below, the average classroom behavior categorized through
individual definitions of disruptions can be seen over the time of the
lesson period. Each of the average classroom disruption/disruptive
behavior for each time interval listed in the lesson plan given to each
behavior evaluator was calculated using equation 1. It is to be noted that,
from time 0 min to 9 min, there was no behavioral tallies being taken due
to students watching classroom announcements, and being under the
instruction of Glenn Gainley, not myself:

5
Average Classroom Learning Disruptions

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Time (min)

Figure 2: POGIL Lesson Average Classroom Behavior Trend by Individually Evaluated Tallies of Classroom "Disruptions"

As seen in Figure 2, there is a particular spike in disruptive classroom

behavior. This behavior corresponds to the time at which the students were
supposed to be participating the review of the 3rd POGIL stop sign
questions with myself. Based on the observation notes provided by the
behavior evaluators, there was a consensus that student were tending to do
one of the following things: (1) work on other classwork instead of paying
attention to my instruction up front and (2) were engaging in off topic
conversations. Another relatively small peak around the time of the
students completing the 2nd POGIL stop sign questions was observed as
well with similar tendencies as found with the larger peak in the data
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trend. With this data, it can be inferred that my classroom management

skills are lacking consistency among a traditional lesson period, and will
need to be altered in further lessons to come. If my classroom
management skills were considered consistent within lesson period, then
the observed data trend should appear linear in nature converging at zero
average classroom learning disruptions.
iii. Conclusions
By the data provided in Figure 1 and Figure 2, it is to be inferred that the
completion of the POGIL activity in the allotted time period is primarily
due to my inability to be consistent in my classroom management; it could
be argued that ample time was provided to allow additional class
discussion to occur during the lesson time than previously intended, but
this conclusion is soley defined by the basis of which this study was
performed. For further iterations of the performance of this POGIL lesson,
additional attempts in modifying my classroom management will need to
be engaged to help allow a more linear trend of behavioral data to be
obtained.

For the assessment data, as a consequence of my classroom management,

a majority of the students were not successful in articulating the
mathematics to properly calculate chemical concentration dilutions as
previously intended. This is not of fault of the students; however, it is
clearly possible that some students have the ability to articulate the
information of dilution as needed to perform these calculations without
further guidance. This infers that the POGIL activity created has allowed
for some measureable success in the fact that it has allowed at least some
students to self-discover the concepts and applications of chemical
concentrations needed to be considered above average as compared to the
rest of the student population in the classroom.

2. Based on the diagnosis of student responses at the high, expected, and low
levels, what instructional strategies will students at each level benefit from?
List those instructional strategies in the table below:
The levels of students responses on the pre- and post-assessments are identified
in Table 1 below, along with each student being categorized within each level,
and potential differential instructional strategies in regards to content, process,
and product to be performed in future iterations of the lesson.
Table I: Assessment Response Level Evaluation of POGIL Lesson Students
Level of Assessment High Expected Low
Responses Definition: Students Definition: Students are Definition: Students do not
are able to meet able to meet expected meet expected academic
expected academic standards and curriculum
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standards and academic standards and expectation while still

curriculum curriculum expectations struggling with
expectations while concepts/applications that
being able to were presented to them in
demonstrate knowledge previous lessons.
beyond the scope of the
lesson utilizing key
lesson concepts
Associated Students Cara Aeowyn Daxon
Daniel Annika La. Jesse
Julia Andreina Anika Le.
Macki Brooke Dylan
Turner Emily Kendall
Kelsey
Melissa
Samuel
Savannah
Tate
Trevor
Marcus
Differentiated Instructional Content: Students can Content: Students can be Content: Students can
Strategies begin to determine the posed with material in understand that the chemical
importance of dilutions regards to the types of concentration is based on the
in chemistry in regards intermolecular forces that total volume of the solution,
to experimentation, and help determine the and depended in value based
how these dilutions solubility of a solute within on the amount of stuff in it
may be applied (i.e a particular solvent (i.e. (i.e. the concentration of salt
Beers Law, Kinetic sodium hydroxide is highly water is dependent on how
rates, etc). Students can soluble in water due to large the ocean is and how
begin to explore the polar-polar interactions, as much salt is present in the
application of aqueous well as van der Waals ocean). Students can
solutions in regards to interactions). understand that the amount
titrations, and other of dissolved solid placed in a
volumetric techniques Process: Students can draw liquid solution can be
diagrams of each of the translated at the amount of
Process: Students can posed chemical solutions solute placed inside a volume
perform multiple serial of solvent.
with indicating
dilution style problems, molecules/atoms that
and have them present demonstrate each solute Process: Students can be
the dilutions and solvent within the given a visual
graphically on a solution; after doing so, representation to help
concentration vs. they can illustrate (using illustrate how a solvent
volume of solvent to arrows, etc) the forces aggregated by the solvent,
see the trends that it between particular atoms in and students can be shown
produces. each solute and solvent, and that concentration is the
Students could begin a describe the forces that are amount of reactivity
material with in a solution

lab or read about the use
of volumetric techniques,
and write a short
summary over what they
have discovered in
relation to the
importance of aqueous
solutions in chemistry.
Product: Students will
be able to explain the
effect of the amount of
solute/solvent within a
particular chemical
solution using
mathematical models
they have created in
addition to describing
the process of dilutions
verbally and with basic
calculations.
Students will be able to
create a simple argument
on why volumetric
techniques for aqueous
solutions are important
to understand and utilize
within the scientific
community, with possibly
some real world
applications that they
could create comparisons
for.
*Note: The following students only completed one of the assessments given due to being absent on one of the days of the
intended lesson period; thus, evaluations of their understanding were determined by the answers given on which ever assessment
they completed: Jesse, Marcus, Anika Le., Dylan, and Kendall.
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participating in the
solubility.
Product: Students will be
able to describe the
physical aspects of
solubility at the molecular
level in the context of
atom/molecules present in
solution, formal charges
present, and solubility
rules.
that is not surrounded by
solvent. Student can be
given a physical
demonstration of the
saltwater analogy and be
able to physically see how
the solution may change in
concentration related to
physical properties that they
observe.
Product: Students will be
able to describe the
components of solubility in
relation to physical
products or changes that
they may observe within a
solution; therefore, they can
have a better understanding
of the mathematical
relationship between solute
and solvent as well.