Chemical Tests
Lesson 6
Discovering Crystals
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.
GLE 2.1.5 Understand how to report investigations and explanations of objects, events, systems and processes.
(3) Report observations of simple investigations without making inferences.
Easily included:
GLE 2.2.4 Understand how to make the results of scientific investigations reliable.
- Students predict, observe and discuss the filtration results of the mixtures they created in Lesson 5.
3. Lesson set up and Management
Materials:
- Record Sheet 6-A and 6-B are for students to take home and do. You might choose not to do these. So read FINAL ACTIVITIES #5 before making copies.
- Use the "Check Your Science Pail" 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.
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.
- PREPARATION #2
- Use a laminate chart like figure 6-2. It is helpful to make this chart at the beginning of the unit and have it displayed with all other test result charts.
- PROCEDURE #3
- As students are recording their own observations on their tables, carry a record sheet around, listen to their discussions, look at their written observations and record ideas from each group for class discussion during Procedure #4.
- PROCEDURE #4
- Refer to the information you collected from the groups telling the students you gathered these from groups as they were working. Share their ideas to enhance class discussion. Many students that hesitate to share ideas out loud feel valued when they hear one of their ideas. This leads to more participation. Even though the ideas are student generated, gathering ideas as they work allows you to do quality control and focus on strong scientific observation words.
- EXTENSION #2
- Many teachers find the magnified crystal blackline master valuable to share with students even though it is an extension.
Student results from Lesson 6
Writing Support:
- Students will record their observations for what they saw during the filtration testing. They will also write in their science notebooks, telling three ideas they learned about crystals.
- Student can write in their science notebooks comparing and contrasting the five mixtures: How were they the same? How were they different?
Reading Support:
- There is information to read on page 32 and 33 of the student activity book about crystals and their uses.
- Read Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin.
- Read Two Bad Ants by Chris Van Allsburg.
Math Support:
- Connect crystal formation to 3-D geometric patterns/shapes.