5-E CLASSROOM STEM ACTIVITY: GEM STORYTELLINGBy Dr. Alexandra Owens

14 EARLY SPRING 2018 // STEMJOBS.COM

JEWELRY // SALLY EATON-MAGANA

SHINE ON YOU CRAZY DIAMOND

If you panned for gold as a child, received a beautiful piece of jewelry for a special occasion, or are just fascinated by sparkling precious stones, there are many specializations in the field of gemology to satisfy your interest in those “little bundles of perfection.”

Sally Eaton-Magnana’s job as senior research scientist at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is to unwrap that little bundle of perfection, or precious stone, to reveal its history and tell its story to the gem’s owner.

Although it sounds a bit like an Indiana Jones movie, Sally’s job is really very scientific. She works in a laboratory where she collects data and does research to grade diamonds submitted to the GIA for study. First she evaluates what are known as the four Cs—color, clarity, cut, and carat weight—of the diamond. Sally also determines if the diamond is natural, meaning earth-grown, or synthetic, meaning laboratory grown. “That determination is one of the most significant factors of a diamond’s value,” explains Sally. “We invest a lot of time

collecting data and spectra (color and light) on each diamond to ensure we make an accurate determination for every diamond. In addition, we perform our own research on treated or synthetic diamonds for fundamental research on the atomic scale defects that cause color in diamond.”

Sally majored in chemical engineering in college and did not intend to pursue a career in gemology and jewelry. But when a college professor asked her to do undergraduate research in his lab, “I jumped into that research wholeheartedly,” remembers Sally. “His research was to grow synthetic diamond by a chemical process called vapor deposition, taking methane gas and turning it into a diamond.” She pursued gemology for her master’s degree and received her Ph.D. in chemical engineering, but she studied under Professor John Angus who was a pioneer in this type of synthetic diamond growth. This work involved using diamonds not for jewelry, but as an electronic sensor of chemical weapons. “I did this research in the years following 9/11 and it was an important topic at that time.”

Unwrapping Little Bundles of PerfectionBY SUE HAMILTON

STEMJOBS.COM // EARLY SPRING 2018 15

SALLY EATON-MAGANASENIOR RESEARCH SCIENTIST

DEGREE: PH.D. IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERINGYEARS IN THE INDUSTRY:

12 (+ 2 AS POST-DOCTORAL RESEARCHER)

STEM TYPE: EXPLORER

“INNOVATIVE ENGINEERS ARE DEVELOPING SOME EXCITING NEW PRODUCTS AS THE MARKETS EXPAND, NEW GEM SOURCES ARE FOUND, AND NEW TREATMENTS ARE DEVELOPED.”

Work collaborating with the curator of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History came next for Sally. She had the experience of studying the blue diamonds at the Smithsonian, including the famous Hope Diamond. “The Hope Diamond glows red, like a fiery coal, after exposure to ultraviolet radiation,” Sally explains. “This phosphorescence had been documented numerous times, but never studied before. That research was my first exposure to gem diamonds and I have wanted to stay in this field ever since.” Getting to study the Hope Diamond was the highlight of Sally’s professional career.

High school students looking into this field have many opportunities and Sally encourages them to look at all avenues, “whether it’s traveling the world looking for new gem sources, using 3-D printing to create fabulous new jewelry designs, faceting a new work of art on the polishing wheel, speaking about gems, selling them to the public, or playing detective in a laboratory.”

STEM skills used in this field are based

in geology, but Sally has also used her background in chemistry and materials science. Engineering is now playing an important role as many new instruments and technologies have been introduced for the cutting and polishing of gemstones, as well as new instruments to detect the type of diamond, explains Sally. These instruments may be used in a gemological lab, by a jewelry retailer, or even a gem prospector in the field. “Innovative engineers are developing some exciting new products as the markets expand, new gem sources are found, and new treatments are developed,” she reports. Math and computational skills are also important for use in studying the three-dimensional geometry of faceted gems.

Sally has found her research at the GIA to be not only a STEM-skilled research position, but the opportunity to gather all the clues, play detective, and solve a problem. “Each gemstone or piece of jewelry has a story of its own. Each individual in this field gets to be a storyteller for that gem.”

5-E CLASSROOM STEM ACTIVITY: GEM STORYTELLINGHere are some ideas for how middle school teachers could use this story as a launching point for integrated STEM learning. Our activities follow the 5-E Learning Cycle Model.

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Ask students to picture a piece of jewelry or gemstone in their mind and consider the following questions: a. Where did the gemstone come from? b. How was it cut? c. What determined the design? Have students read the article “Unwrapping Little Bundles of Perfection” in STEM Jobs magazine. Discuss the following questions: a. What is the role of a researcher at the Gemology Institute of America? b. How are synthetic diamonds created? c. What are uses of diamonds other than jewelry? d. What STEM skills are needed for a career in a gemological lab? Show the video “Lab-Grown Diamonds” found at edu.STEMjobs.com/teacher-resources to teach students more about synthetic diamonds. Tell students that the objective of this activity is to research and tell the story of an iconic gem, and then use this gem to design a piece of jewelry.

Part 1: Engage

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Break students into groups of three or four. During the research portion of this lesson, students may work on their own device if available. Allow students to select a famous or historic gemstone of interest, or assign a gemstone to each group. Ensure that no two groups are researching the gemstone. Gemstones may include, but are not limited to: a. Hope Diamond b. Koh-i-Noor Diamond c. Black Prince’s Ruby d. The Delhi Purple Sapphire e. The Eye of Brahma Diamond f. Hortensia Diamond g. The Cora Sun-Drop Diamond h. The Star of India i. The Cullinan Diamond j. The Tiffany DiamondAsk students to research their gemstone, including its design, history, origin, and four Cs. Provide time for students to research and share with their group members.

Part 2: Explore

Part 3: ExplainHave groups create a short presentation of their research to share with the class. Encourage students to tell the story of their selected gemstone. Presentations should cover the history, origin, the four Cs, and setting design. Further detail should be included for the 4 Cs, including causation of color on the atomic scale, any data regarding spectra, and mathematical representations of both the cut and carats. Each member should share the information that they were responsible for. Students should use presentation software such as PowerPoint or Google Slides. Once presentations are complete, ask student groups to tell the story of their gemstone to the class. Allow students to ask any clarifying questions of group members.

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Students will be evaluated for their presentations and drawings using the following rubric. Provide the rubric at the beginning of the lesson to clarify expectations and objectives. Each group will be graded, therefore all students in the group will receive the same score.

Part 5: Evaluate

Ask groups to consider how they would design their own piece of jewelry using the gemstone they researched based on what they learned. Challenge students to create a scale drawing of their design, including details of gemstones and each setting. Display each drawing around the classroom and hold a gallery walk for students to view each group’s design. If possible, display student work in a common space in the school.

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Scoring Rubric

_____ /20 Gemstone Storytelling Was the information presented accurate? Did the presentation include the design, history, origin, and four Cs of the gemstone? Was the presentation clean and easy to understand?

_____ /20 Gemstone Design Was the design inspired by the gemstone presentations? Did the drawing include a scale that was accurate? Did the design include details of the cut and carats? Was the drawing clean and easy to understand?

_____ /10 Participation Did each student contribute to the overall project? Did each student assist in research, presentation, and drawing creation?

_____ /50 Total

Gem Storytelling

Standards Addressed:Common Core State Standards - Math

Common Core State Standards - ELA

Next Generation Science Standards

CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP1 Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively.CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP4 Model with mathematics.CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.G.A.4 Represent three-dimensional figures using nets made up of rectangles and triangles, and use the nets to find the surface area of these figures. Apply these techniques in the context of solving real-world and mathematical problems.CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.G.A.1 Solve problems involving scale drawings of geometric figures, including computing actual lengths and areas from a scale drawing and reproducing a scale drawing at a different scale.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.7 Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.4 Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.5 Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.4 Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.5 Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.4 Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.5 Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.

MS-ESS3-1. Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth’s mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.Science and Engineering PracticesConstructing Explanations and Designing Solutions. Construct a scientific explanation based on valid and reliable evidence obtained from sources (including the students’ own experiments) and the assumption that theories and laws that describe the natural world operate today as they did in the past and will continue to do so in the future.Disciplinary Core IdeasESS3.A: Natural ResourcesHumans depend on Earth’s land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for many different resources. Minerals, fresh water, and biosphere resources are limited, and many are not renewable or replaceable over human lifetimes. These resources are distributed unevenly around the planet as a result of past geologic processes.

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Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills - Math

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills - Science

Standards Addressed (Cont.):

6-8.1.A apply mathematics to problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace.6-8.1.B use a problem-solving model that incorporates analyzing given information, formulating a plan or strategy, determining a solution, justifying the solution, and evaluating the problem-solving process and the reasonableness of the solution.6-8.1.D communicate mathematical ideas, reasoning, and their implications using multiple representations, including symbols, diagrams, graphs, and language as appropriate.

6.6 Matter and energy. The student knows matter has physical properties that can be used for classification.7.6 Matter and energy. The student knows that matter has physical and chemical properties and can undergo physical and chemical changes.8.5.A describe the structure of atoms, including the masses, electrical charges, and locations, of protons and neutrons in the nucleus and electrons in the electron cloud8.5.B identify that protons determine an element’s identity and valence electrons determine its chemical properties, including reactivity8.5.C interpret the arrangement of the Periodic Table, including groups and periods, to explain how properties are used to classify elements

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