This multimedia lesson for Grades 7-10 explores the physical
forces that act in concert to create snowflakes. Students build
an apparatus that creates conditions similar to a winter cloud
and produce their own snow crystals indoors. By watching the
snow crystals grow, they learn about how snowflake size and
shape is determined by the forces that act on water molecules at
the atomic and molecular levels. Digital models and snowflake
photo galleries bring together a cohesive package to help kids
visualize what's happening at the molecular scale. Editor's
Note: This lab activity calls for dry ice. See Related Materials
for a link to the NOAA's "Dry Ice Safety" Guidelines, and for a
link to snow crystal images produced by an electron microscope.
Lewis structures, VSEPR, condensation, covalent bond, crystals,
electron sharing, ice, physics of snowflakes, snow formation,
valence electrons, valence shell Metadata instance created
January 2, 2013 by Caroline Hall January 2, 2013 by Caroline
Hall AAAS Benchmark Alignm