Chemical Tests
Lesson 3
Exploring the Five Unknown Solids
In lessons 3-10 students perform a series of tests to help them determine the physical and chemical properties of the five unknown chemicals.
3. Lesson set up and Management
GLE 1.1.1 Understand how to use properties to sort natural and manufactured materials and objects.
GLE 2.1.2 Understand how to plan and conduct simple investigations following all safety rules.
(345) Follow all safety rules during investigations.
(345) Identify and use simple equipment and tools to gather data and extend their senses.
- Students observe and record the physical properties of their five unknown chemicals.
3. Lesson set up and Management
Materials:
- Use the "Check Your Science Pai" poster board for quick student reference. Add "hand lens" and "black paper."
- Signs with each material and the amount needed to be picked up at the materials center are helpful.
- Have a parent helper cut the sheets of wax paper needed for Lesson 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, and 16 ahead of time.
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.
- 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).
- 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.
- PROCEDURE #6
- It is helpful to model for students how they might organize their observations. One option is using the idea from Figure 3-3. Another option is a Properties Observation Table more like the record sheets they will be using in the following lessons
- As students are recording their own observations, carry a sheet around, listen to their discussions, look at their written observations and record ideas from each group for class discussion during Final Activities.
Listen and take notes as students
make and record observations - Refer to the information you collected from the groups telling the students you gathered these from groups as they were working. Share their ideas and ask where each idea might fit on the class chart. Even though the ideas are student generate, gathering ideas as they work allow you to do quality control and focus on strong scientific observation words.
Writing Support:
- Students will organize and record their observations about each unknown in their science notebooks.
- Students can be challenge to use a variety of observation words for the word bank created in Lesson 1.
Math Support:
- Student can apply their observational skills and their ability of describing properties to geometric shapes.
- When sharing with the students the approximate time they will have for the activity, list the start time on the board and have them practice elapsed time by providing the approximate stop time for you to list under start time.
Last updated 05/03/2007