An Educator's Reference Desk Lesson Plan
Date: May 1994
Grade Level(s): 5
Subject(s):
As a veteran science teacher, I have always found the structure of matter to be the most difficult lessons to make exciting. Although students do not have difficulty learning the terms that describe the structure of matter, they do have difficulty understanding how these concepts relate to their lives. They cannot grasp why reasonable people believe in unseen atoms.
PURPOSE:
An understanding of the structure of matter is the gateway to the understanding of the natural universe. Although there are really few practical reasons for understanding the structure of matter, perhaps the most important reason to learn this material concerns students' future decisions on public issues related to energy and waste.
OBJECTIVES:
(Note that this is the third of three lessons in this particular unit) Students will learn about mixtures, including solutions and suspensions.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS:
Fruit, party mix, drink mix, brownie mix, egg, water, and oil
RESOURCES: Discussion of mixture
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
Beginning activity-(Students are grouped) Group A is given a variety of fruits and told to make a mixture; Group B is given a bowl of party mix and told to separate items; Group C is given a variety of drink mixes and told to make mixtures; Group D is given ingredients to brownies and told to make a mixture.
TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:
After groups have completed their activity, a discussion of results is held, lesson from book is taught. The culminating activity is done on the different types of mixtures (suspension and solution) using water and a variety of items such as sugar, salt, oil, flour, talcum powder etc. Mixing items in cups of water observing reactions.
May 1994
These lesson plans are the result of the work of the teachers who have attended the Columbia Education Center's Summer Workshop. CEC is a consortium of teacher from 14 western states dedicated to improving the quality of education in the rural, western, United States, and particularly the quality of math and science Education. CEC uses Big Sky Telegraph as the hub of their telecommunications network that allows the participating teachers to stay in contact with their trainers and peers that they have met at the Workshops.