Chemical Tests

Lesson 1
Thinking About Chemicals

Students share what they think about chemicals and what they would like to know about chemicals.

1. Grade Level Expectations:

GLE 1.1.1 Understand how to use properties to sort natural and manufactured materials and objects.

2. Concepts

Students share what they think about chemicals and what they would like to know about chemicals as well as observing unknown chemicals and describing properties.

3. Lesson set up and Management

Materials:

Replace the 4 sheets of newsprint with a large flip chart tablet of blank paper so the charts and list for the whole unit are together for easy access.
Signs with each material and the amount needed to be picked up at the materials center are helpful.

Student Management:

Assign one partner to be the materials manager and have that student pick up the materials from the materials center after you model how to do it.

4. Teacher Tips

It might be helpful to start a Chemical Tests Word Bank on a chart in the classroom as students identify and are exposed to words in their Glossary.
PREPARATION #1
- Add the lesson # to the upper right-hand corner of all your teacher generated charts. When you are asked to refer back to the chart throughout the unit, the lesson # will make it easier.
PREPARATION #3 AND #4
- Read over the step in the teacher’s manual and practice making the “goo” ahead of time to be ready for the lesson.
PROCEDURE #9
- When teachers get ready to discuss student observations about the mystery chemical, it is a great time to review scientific observation words versus opinion words (example- hard vs. pretty)

5. Literacy Support

Writing Support:

Students will get a chance to record their thinking on the following scenario in their science notebooks: A Label has peeled off a container of white powder in your kitchen. Describe some ways you could find out what the powder is.
- This is used as a pre-unit assessment and will be revisited during post-unit assessment.
Students can create a vocabulary bulletin board with words that can be used to describe objects. A thesaurus can be a great way to extend or expand their word banks. This is a particularly useful activity for ELL children.

Reading Support:

Last updated 05/03/2007