Chemical Tests
Lesson 2
Investigating Unknown Solids: Getting Ready
Students assemble the tools they will need as they work to solve the mystery of the 5 unknown chemicals. They will also practice their observing and describing skills with known materials.
3. Lesson set up and Management
GLE 1.1.1 Understand how to use properties to sort natural and manufactured materials and objects.
GLE 2.1.1 Understand how to plan and conduct simple investigations following all safety rules. (345) Follow all safety rules during investigations.
- Students assemble the tools they will need as they work to solve the mystery of the five unknown chemicals.
- Students will practice observing and describing skills with known materials.
3. Lesson set up and Management
Materials:
- Signs with each material and the amount needed to be picked up at the materials center are helpful.
- Make the "Check Your Science Pail" poster board for quick student reference.
- You can eliminate the step of students taking care of the colored dots for the unknown chemicals by having a parent helper color code the jars ahead of time.
- Have a parent helper fill the jars they have color coded ahead of time, so the jars can be placed at the Materials Center for easy pick up. This will eliminate the need for the Jar-filling Station.
- It is a big time saver to have the spoons color coded ahead of time too (kits that have been used before may have this done already).
Student Management:
- If you are going to have students fill their own jars and color code their own spoons, set up the jar-filling stations with one unknown at each station to prevent students from mixing up or contaminating the unknown chemicals.
- Before laminating the mat on page 46 it is helpful to outline each circle and triangle with the appropriate color. This makes it much more student friendly.
- It is essential that you don't reveal the identities of the unknowns until Lesson 12.
Writing Support:
- Students will write brief "What am I?" descriptions of mystery objects to help them work on scientific descriptions based on properties of the object.
Reading Support:
- Students can trade clues with others to read and predict the unknown item.
- Select a variety of poems about objects for students to read. Remove the titles and let students read the information to generate a title/object that fits the clues given in the poem.
Last updated 05/03/2007