lucky iron fish

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I hope you’re having a good vacation – you've earned it!
 
You might have received an amazon.com gift card or other monies for the holidays – you can use some of it to purchase the lab book Chemistry on a Budget.
 
This book contains inexpensive chemistry labs to expand your repertoire.  You can buy this lab book for $23 at amazon.com or lulu.com.
 
http://www.amazon.com/Chemistry-Budget-Marjorie-R-Heesemann/dp/0578129159/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389410170&sr=1-1&keywords=chemistry+on+a+budget

http://www.lulu.com/shop/marjorie-r-heesemann/chemistry-on-a-budget/paperback/product-21217600.html
 
There are two versions of each lab, one with a ten-question conclusion and one with directions for a full lab report.  This way the teacher has the option!  Each lab is two pages to allow for one two-sided handout. 
 
It will take a week or so to get to you, so Order Now!
 
*Some of you have purchased my lab book – be sure to check out Page 141 !
 
The Periodic Table is an essential tool for the study of Chemistry.  Past blog posts include:

02/23/2014      The Periodic Table
04/01/2015      NOVA video "Hunting the Elements" (2012)
12/03/2015      Periodic Table Trend Activities
12/11/2015      Video: "The Mystery of Matter" (2015)

As well as:
09/24/2015      Facts about the element Mercury
12/17/2015      Current Event -- Lead Poisoning
 
As you discuss the elements of The Periodic Table, various health benefits or concerns can be topics of discussion.  Recently, there was a report on National Public Radio about iron supplements and the development of the “Lucky Iron Fish” :
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/12/25/434942455/in-cambodia-lucky-iron-fish-for-the-cooking-pot-could-fight-anemia
 
According  to the American Society of Hematology:
“Iron [Fe] is very important in maintaining many body functions, including the production of hemoglobin, the molecule in your blood that carries oxygen. Iron is also necessary to maintain healthy cells, skin, hair, and nails.
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Iron from the food you eat is absorbed into the body by the cells that line the gastrointestinal tract; the body only absorbs a small fraction of the iron you ingest. The iron is then released into the blood stream, where a protein called transferrin attaches to it and delivers the iron to the liver. Iron is stored in the liver as ferritin and released as needed to make new red blood cells in the bone marrow. When red blood cells are no longer able to function (after about 120 days in circulation), they are re-absorbed by the spleen. Iron from these old cells can also be recycled by the body.”
http://www.hematology.org/Patients/Anemia/Iron-Deficiency.aspx
According this this site:
“Iron deficiency is very common, especially among women and in people who have a diet that is low in iron.”
 
Here is a 7-minute YouTube talk by Gavin Armstrong, the inventor of the “Lucky Iron Fish” :

Here is the website describing and selling the “Lucky Iron Fish”
http://www.luckyironfish.com/
 
 “Foods rich in iron include:

• Red meat
• Pork
• Poultry
• Seafood
• Beans
• Dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach
• Dried fruit, such as raisins and apricots
• Iron-fortified cereals, breads and pastas
• Peas

Your body absorbs more iron from meat than it does from other sources. If you choose to not eat meat, you may need to increase your intake of iron-rich, plant-based foods to absorb the same amount of iron as someone who eats meat. “
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/iron-deficiency-anemia/basics/prevention/con-20019327
 
Many foods are supplemented with iron to avoid anemia. These include Iron-fortified cereals, breads and pastas.
 
Here is a 6 ½ minute video showing a magnet removing the iron in breakfast cereal:

This demonstration is accomplished with a neodymium magnet – the magnets available to you may not be strong enough.  Check in your department to see if the Earth Science teachers have any that you can borrow!
 
Here is a Scientific American article describing an experiment showing the iron in cereal:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/get-the-iron-out-of-your-breakfast-cereal-bring-science-home/
This lab doesn’t use a blender but a plastic bag.
 
You might want to complete this as a demonstration instead of a class lab.  I’d love to hear how it works in your classroom!
 
*Remember, this Blog contains several entries that would be helpful to your chemistry classroom.  Remember, you can check out the Topic List to help you to find past Blog entries.
 
Also, Write To Me about your successes, challenges, or questions in the Chemistry Classroom.
 
You might have received an amazon.com gift card or other monies for the holidays – you can use some of it to purchase the lab book Chemistry on a Budget which is very useful to your Chemistry classroom with labs and class article ideas.


Happy New Year!
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