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This lesson begins with students activating prior knowledge. In the Turn/Talk/Record section students work with their elbow partner first to examine closely the chemical formula for the Blue Copper Sulfate crystals. Students will be learning to balance equations in a future lesson so taking the time to examine the quantity of each of the elements will help lay a foundation for future learning. I have included a drawing of the formula so students can check their element count.
Blue copper sulfate crystals have the formula: CuSO₄*5H₂O. Write the number of each element in the formula
____Cu ____S ____O ____H

In this decomposition lesson, students will heat the Blue Copper Sulfate Crystals to remove the water. Students are asked to recall their understanding of hydrate / dehydrate we examined in the Decomposing of Sucrose lesson.
Copper sulfate pentahydrate has water molecules as part of the chemical formula. So as the name implies, we have hydrated copper sulfate. If copper sulfate pentahydrate is hydrated then what can we say about it if we remove the water?
What is the first sign that you are dehydrated? Students know from health class or sports that the first sign of dehydration is thirst and they should hydrate by drinking water. This connection to self is a hook to background knowledge. Students can build upon their understanding of new material by making a connection to what they already know.

Before students begin the procedure, we review their answers to the first three questions. We walk through the steps for the procedure and the safety concerns regarding the heating of substances in a test tube.

I move around the room to light the candles and make sure that students are recording their observations. Safety is a high priority with my young chemists, so I am vigilant especially when students are handling the test tube over a flame.

Students are encouraged to attempt the chemical reaction table on their own. Students correct their work when we fill these out together after all students groups finish the procedure. The equation table is a great way for students to connect their visual observations with the language of a chemist.

In this video, I explain how the lesson is setup for student success as we look look at a sample of student work.

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This lesson begins with students activating prior knowledge. In the Turn/Talk/Record section students work with their elbow partner first to examine closely the chemical formula for the Blue Copper Sulfate crystals. Students will be learning to balance equations in a future lesson so taking the time to examine the quantity of each of the elements will help lay a foundation for future learning.

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This lesson begins with a Turn/Talk/Record. Students activate prior knowledge by discussing and recording their answers with their elbow partner. In this lesson, I want to be sure that students have some understanding of hydrogen peroxide and how it is commonly used. Students also explore their understanding of a catalyst.

I ask students to stop before they begin the procedure. At that time I ask for student volunteers to share their responses to the questions - An umpire in a baseball game is like a catalyst. Explain how the umpire is a catalyst. Why would some people be called catalysts? Students are able to explain how an umpire or referee is like a catalyst for a sporting event. They are a little unsure about their understanding of people as catalyst. With a little prompting, we explore how people can be a catalyst for change both positive and negative. My students focused on people who spread rumors as catalyst explaining that while the catalyst is not affected by the rumor, they can change the life of others.

The student begin the procedure and I walk around to each table to make sure they are looking closely and making good observations. The bubbles surrounding the apple and the potato are present but sometimes difficult to see unless students are making careful observations. If students do not see the bubbles around the apple and potato, I prompt them to add a bit more hydrogen peroxide and make another observation.

Since we have worked together on the Decomposition of Sucrose and the Decomposition of Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate to fill out the reactant and products table, I encourage students to attempt this one on their own. Students ask clarifying questions as I circulate around the room helping them grapple with thinking like a chemist.

In the student sample, I found that if there were only a few bubbles present, then the student did not answer that the test material was a catalyst. We reviewed the answers during the next class period and made the corrections. The students made the connection between the appearance of bubbles and the identification of a catalyst.

In this video, I walk through the student sample and explain the strategies behind the format of the student lesson.

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This lesson begins with a Turn/Talk/Record. Students activate prior knowledge by discussing and recording their answers with their elbow partner. In this lesson, I want to be sure that students have some understanding of hydrogen peroxide and how it is commonly used. Students also explore their understanding of a catalyst.

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This lesson begins with activation of student background knowledge. Students Turn/Talk/Record their answers to a series of questions designed to develop a simple definition of carbohydrates as hydrated carbons and discover sugar to be a hydrated carbon.

What does it mean to be dehydrated?

What does it mean to be hydrated?

Students should be able to answer these questions easily. Next students are asked to apply their background knowledge to define carbohydrate.

How would you define carbohydrate? Hint - we might also say that sugar (sucrose) is a hydrated carbon.

Some of the sweet treats we like, cookies and cakes, contain carbohydrates. What happens when we leave cookies or cakes in the oven too long? Describe what they look like. Have you ever roasted marshmallows? What happens to this carbohydrate when you roast it? What does it look like if you roast it too long? The goal here is for students to see that heating the marshmallow causes it to become dehydrated. The blacken substance remaining is the carbon.

Next students are introduced to the chemical formula - Sugar (sucrose) has the chemical formula of C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁. A chemical formula is a way to write the atoms making up a molecule. The C₁₂ is Carbon and the H₂₂O₁₁ can be reduced to H₂O or water. Why is sucrose a carbohydrate? Students are skeptical that there is water in sugar even though they clearly see the chemical formula has Hydrogen and Oxygen C₁₂H₂₂O11.

I give students a few minutes to complete these questions with their elbow partner, then ask for student volunteers to share their answers aloud. I want to insure that students have been able to apply their background knowledge and extend their thinking to define carbohydrates and set the stage for their observations as they decompose sucrose at the start of the lesson.

Activating background knowledge is a great strategy to use when introducing new content.

Before students start their procedures, I casually ask what is the color of sugar. All my students answer, "white". Anticipating this answer, I have setup several microscopes with a slide of sugar and invite students to take a moment to check. They are surprised that sugar is like a crystal and it is clear. I explain that light is scattered by the imperfections of the sugar crystals making them appear white. Another discrepant event for students.

I keep a collection of homemade slides ready for student exploration. These are recycled file folders. I punch a hole in the center and then attach a piece of high quality clear tape. The sugar, salt and other dry materials stick to the tape.

I also ask students, "What color do you associate with water and carbon?" Students answer as expected that water is clear and carbon is black. This questioning create a bit of cognitive disequilibrium with my students as they question how sugar can be made from carbon and water.

Students are reminded to put on their goggles and we review the procedures. I remind them that I will light the candle and show them how to gently extinguish the flame at the end of the procedure. We review our classroom safety procedures.

In this video, you will see the students using the tea candles for the decomposition of sucrose.

What students should observe is the steam rising from the heated sucrose. Sometimes students confuse the steam with smoke so I make sure I walk around during the procedure to make sure they are seeing steam. I am always amused at the startled look on their faces when I ask them for the chemical formula for steam. Some students quickly answer H ₂ O while others need to be prompted to think of steam as a form of water.

Since this is our first lesson on chemistry, I walk the through the rest of the questions with the students. I have no expectation that they will have experience with chemical equations or how to draw the chemical elements. The table helps students see multiple representations of their procedure designed to help them transition to thinking like a chemist.

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This lesson begins with activation of student background knowledge. Students Turn/Talk/Record their answers to a series of questions designed to develop a simple definition of carbohydrates as hydrated carbons and discover sugar to be a hydrated carbon. What does it mean to be dehydrated? What does it mean to be hydrated?

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NGSS Background

This lesson is based on California's Middle School Integrated Model of NGSS.

NGSS Performance Expectation: MS-PS1-5 - Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved.

Disciplinary Core Idea: PS1.B: Chemical Reactions - The total number of each type of atom is conserved, and thus the mass does not change.

Science and Engineering Practice 2: Developing and Using Models

Crosscutting Concepts: Energy and Matter

Chemical reactions are mysterious things that happen at a molecular level that may be hard for students to grasp. Atoms must abide by the Law of Conservation of Mass, which states that atoms cannot be created or destroyed in chemical reactions, atoms are simply rearranged (PS1.B).

Balancing chemical reactions is a skill that improved with repetition. Periodic Table Puzzle pieces are used to show students that atoms are rearranged in chemical reactions (MS-PS1-5, SP2). The Law of Conservation of Mass applies to matter and explains a fundamental concept in chemistry, but can also be applied to the conservation of energy ( CCC Energy and Matter - Matter is conserved because atoms are conserved in physical and chemical processes).

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NGSS Background This lesson is based on California's Middle School Integrated Model of NGSS. NGSS Performance Expectation: MS-PS1-5 - Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved.

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To introduce the conservation of mass, I have the students "talk to the text" and climb the "Ladder of Discourse". Talking to the text is a way students document their thinking as they read. When they read they try to climb the "Ladder of Discourse". Each "rung" in the ladder increases in complexity in student thinking. Check out the Ladder of Discourse Description of Rungs for more details.

The highest levels on the "Ladder of Discourse" are "Found it!" and "Discourse". "Found it!" represents students making scientific connections or answers to scientific questions. "Discourse" occurs in students connecting to the Crosscutting Concepts that the NGSS has identified. Students use the Crosscutting Concepts to develop scientific questions or connections that go beyond the text. The student above is attempting to connect to Structure and Function as they ask, "Does the structure of the molecule affect how much energy is released? Double bonds?". In addition, they connect to the idea of " Scale, Proportion, and Quantity" when they ask, "Is the energy of a reaction in proportional? If the products are doubled is the energy doubled?".

The labs that follow will provide the students with more experience with these concepts. One concept I like to review before proceeding, however, is the reaction at the top of the second page of the notes page. On the students copy, the molecules will not be in color. I have found it helpful to project the color picture of the molecules in the reaction and have the students discuss the following questions as a class:

What color atoms do you notice on the reactant side of the equation? (Red, Black and White)

What color atoms do you notice on the product side of the equation? (Red, Black and White)

(Note that they are the same colors in the reactants and products)

What do the different color "spheres" represent? (atoms/elements)

For each of the following questions, I physically touch each atom with a meter stick and count them to make it very visual for the students.

How many red atoms are there on the reactant side? (4)

How many red atoms are there on the product side? (4)

How many black atoms are there on the reactant side? (1)

How many black atoms are there on the product side? (1)

How many white atoms are there on the reactant side? (4)

How many white atoms are there on the product side? (4)

(Note all are the same on each side of the equation and state the Law of Conservation of Mass.)

Then, I look at the written version of the reaction. Discuss the meaning of coefficient and subscript. Talk through the same questions listed above but replace the colors with the atom names (red=oxygen, black=carbon, white=hydrogen). Students will begin to see patterns and some will determine that you can multiply the coefficient by the subscript to determine the number of atoms. While this is great, I make sure that I connect this idea to the picture above. So, if a student says there are 4 oxygen's because they multiplied 2 x 2, I use a meter stick to count on the picture above the 4 oxygen atoms. It helps students visualize that a coefficient represents the number of molecules when I can visually point to the two molecules above. And, in the same sense, it helps them see that the subscript is the number of atoms of that element in one molecule when I point to the two oxygen atoms in each of the oxygen molecules.

Following this discussion, I provide the students with the Once You Pop, You Can't Stop Lab. I emphasize a few things before beginning:

1. Wear goggles!

2. Read all procedures carefully!

3. Reference the text (the notes page) on any question that you need help with.

More detailed descriptions of each lab station are included in the following sections along with procedures, pictures of lab set ups, teacher tips, videos and pictures of the reactions, and student work.

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Once You Pop, You Can't Stop! Lab Rotation

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The lab stations that focus on chemical reactions and conservation include using a battery to light steel wool on fire, forming a green precipitate by mixing two clear solutions, "magically" lighting the end of a skewer on fire, and more!

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I have completed this demonstration in the past as both a discussion based experience as well as a demonstration in which the students complete a lab document and answer questions as the demo progresses. I have found success in both formats! Just in case you are interested in having the students complete questions related to "The Amazing Ivory Soap Bar", I have included a lab document and answer key in the resources!

Show students that you have a variety of soap brands such as Zest, Caress, Irish Springs, and Ivory. Place each of the soap brands in an aquarium or separate beakers of water one at a time (save Ivory for last). After placing each in the water (all but Ivory will sink), ask questions such as, " How would you compare the density of the water to the density of this brand of soap?" and " How would you compare the arrangement of the molecules in the brand of soap to those in the water?". After placing the Ivory soap in, say, "Ivory soap actually has a marketing slogan founded in science. It is " Ivory soap....the soap that floats!". Show the students the picture of this old advertisement. I say, " I love this advertisement, but I would love it even more if they had said, "Ivory soap.....the soap whose mass to volume ratio is less than that of water's! " (Wink, wink)

Next, ask, " Why do you think Ivory soap is the only soap that floats? What is it about its composition that allows it to do this?". Students will have lots of ideas, but eventually students typically say, " There might be air pockets." Explain that that is correct! Ask, " Why would having a gas inside cause it to become less dense?". Students should reply, " Because the molecules of a gas are more spread out than those of a solid. "

Place the Ivory soap in the microwave for a couple minutes (It cannot be an old bar, it must be new!). As it is in the microwave, ask the students, " What do you predict is happening to the molecules of the soap as we add thermal energy?". Students might offer suggestions such as, " the molecules move faster and spread apart". Then, ask, " What physical properties might be affected by that?". Students might respond, " the volume increases", or " the density decreases ".

Open the microwave door and get ready for the " Ooohs!" and " Ahhs!". The soap will have filled the microwave! Let students know that if they were going to try this at home they need to keep two things in mind. One, ask their parents first! Two, it will not work with any other brand of soap. Other brands will burn in the microwave. Allow the soap to cool a little bit. While it cools, it will shrink in size slightly. Ask students, " Why is it shrinking a little? ". Students should identify that because it is getting colder, the molecules are getting closer together so the volume is decreasing.

Break of little pieces of the soap and let students touch it. They love this! Before doing this, I prep the students with a couple of requirements:

1. They are responsible for cleaning up the mess they make.

2. It can be used as soap still! If you have some on your hands, just wash your hands in the sink!

3. No, you can't eat it. (Gotta love middle school students...someone always asks!)

After clean up, allow students time to complete the lab sheet.

Below is a video of Steve Spangler modeling the Ivory soap bar demonstration:

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I have completed this demonstration in the past as both a discussion based experience as well as a demonstration in which the students complete a lab document and answer questions as the demo progresses. I have found success in both formats!

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We begin this lesson with the Turn/Talk/Record strategy we used in Checking Temperatures. The students will turn to talk - engage in scientific discourse - with their elbow partner.

The questions they are talking about create a need for the lesson:

Students will put some warm water in one cup and cold water in another, by looking at the cups can you tell which one if filled with the warm water?

1. How might you figure out which cup had warm water in it without touching the water?

2. What do you think is going on inside the warm water that makes it different from the cold water?

I stop students and ask them to share out their answers. They would like a thermometer to figure out which cup has warm water and which cup has cold water.

Students prepare three cups of water. One cup is cold, one warm - about room temperature and the third is warmer but not too hot to touch. They measure the temperature of the water in each cup using the Celsius scale.

The students place food coloring in each of the cups at exactly the same time. Observations are made after 30 seconds, 1 minute and 2 minutes. Students record their observations using both words and a sketch.

Asking students to sketch their findings helps focus their attention on the details.

Student Calculations

Using a mathematical relationship discovered by scientists students calculate the speed the water molecules in each of the cups. The speeds are compared to a car, the speed of sound and the speed of light.

We follow-up with a few questions to clarify our understanding.

Why does the food coloring spread? The water molecules are moving. What do we call the energy of motion? Kinetic energy. Which water sample had the highest kinetic energy? The warm water had the highest kinetic energy. How do you know? The warm water pushed the food coloring molecule around the cup the fastest. What other way can you tell that the warm water molecules have more kinetic energy? Temperature is a measure of average kinetic energy.

I have included a short video ( link here in the resource section or click on the video below) showing the experiment using liquid food coloring instead of food coloring tablets. My students wanted to know if the liquid food coloring would act the same as the tablets. And they wanted to know if the color of the food coloring made a difference in the movement of the molecules. Audio was not included in the video so we could discuss the observations in class.

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Temperature is the measurement of the average energy of particles in a system. but just how fast are they moving? Faster than a speeding car? Faster than the speed of sound? Faster than the Plan your 60-minute lesson in Science with helpful tips from Deborah Gaff

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Introduction and Connection to the NGSS and Common Core

In this lesson, explore endothermic and exothermic reactions, phase changes, and how solutes affect freezing/boiling points by making ice cream. In preparing for this lab, students obtain information from text as they work on using some text strategies called "Talking to the Text" and the "Ladder of Discourse".

This lesson is designed to address the following NGSS and Common Core standards:

MS-PS1-2 Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

MS-PS1-4 Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6-8 texts and topics.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.9
Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.10 By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2.A
Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories as appropriate to achieving purpose; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
Science and Engineering Practices:
In reading and completing the "Ladder of Discourse" on their Skill 4 Notes Document, students use strategies to obtain scientific information and evidence from text ( SP7). In addition, during class discussion, students back up their explanations in the lab document with evidence from their qualitative observations ( SP8).
Crosscutting Concepts:
When students discuss what they saw in the lab in comparison to what they read in the text, students can begin to see patterns in the way that adding a solute can impact the boiling and freezing points of substances. Thus, students can begin to see that macroscopic patterns are related to the nature of microscopic and atomic-level structure ( Patterns).

In creating patterns of energy transfer that occur in both phase changes and endothermic and exothermic reactions, students track how energy moves during various phase changes ( Energy and Matter).

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Students explore how solutes affect the freezing point of substances and how phases changes are related to the shift in thermal energy as they make ice cream! Plan your 60-minute lesson in Science or dissolving with helpful tips from Leigh Roehm

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Place a balloon full of pop in a microwave and allow the students to watch as you heat it for a couple minutes (A marshmallow works too :). Ask students to make observations and look for evidence of how adding thermal energy affects the physical properties of substances and how the particles are arranged. The balloon should expand and eventually pop!
Fishbowl: Provide Students With Roles
Next, explain to the students that you are going to go through a Fishbowl Activity to discuss what was just witnessed. Choose a group of students and sit down at a table with the class surrounding the table.

*Prior to doing this, provide the students with a slip of paper that says their role during the fishbowl. Students may participate as they feel is correct in a group conversation; however, they must at some point exhibit the behavior that they have on their slip of paper. Here are some examples of roles I might give:

1. At some point in the discussion, get out your Density Reference Sheet, point to a place in the text that provides evidence, and read it to the group.

2. At some point in the conversation, talk to someone else about something you saw on Twitter or your favorite (appropriate) app when a member of your group is talking.

3. At some point in the discussion, ask the question, " Is there any evidence in the text that can support this?"

4. At some point in the discussion, make a point about the molecules and physical properties but use words like "it and they" repeatedly instead of using science vocabulary.

5. At some point in the discussion, say to another group member that just offered an idea. "That was a horrible idea. I think you're wrong."

6. Don't say anything at all in the conversation unless someone directly asks you for your opinion.

7. Pay attention to who has spoken and who has not. Say to a person who hasn't spoken, "You usually have really good ideas. Did you see any evidence you could share?"

Sometimes I even give students more than one slip of paper. The key is that the students understand that they are to actually act as if they believe is appropriate group discourse at all times in the conversation. The only exception is completing the task provided on their slip, which only needs to be done once. The remainder of the time, they should just act as if they are demonstrating excellent group discourse. (Other than the student that is not supposed to talk unless spoken too.)
Fishbowl Discussion Questions:

What physical properties changed when heat was added? What evidence do you have to support that?

How did adding thermal energy affect the motion and arrangement of the molecules? What evidence do you have to support that?

Did the volume of the ball increase? What evidence do you have to support that?

Did the density of the balloon increase? What evidence do you have to support that?

With you acting as a group member as well, engage in conversation with the group in the fishbowl and let the discussion questions lead you as a guide. Let the conversation develop. Provide no feedback as the conversation is taking place. Your interactions are key. Make sure that you interject with comments that are important for the group to hear (even if they are wrong).
Fishbowl: Group Feedback on Discourse
Following the discussion, ask the students outside the fishbowl to provide feedback on the discussion in the format of "Three Stars and a Wish" (We go through multiple rounds of this). Students offer three positive group discourse actions they saw and one wish they would like to see improved. Explain to the group that it is important to provide feedback in a respectful way and not to judge those in the group. Emphasize that each group member was given a role of how to act so they may have been making mistakes on purpose! (This takes pressure off the fishbowl participants.)

The following video is one of my classes' fishbowl conversation. In the video, I added callouts/speech bubbles that indicate the behaviors that students noted in the Three Stars and a Wish reflection discussion. In addition, I add callouts indicating some examples of students acting out their provided roles.

(The students in this video reference "pg 9". This is the Skill 4 Notes Page in the Resource section. Students have already used this document extensively and are familiar with chemical and physical properties prior to this discussion. If your students aren't familiar with these yet, they should first go through this mini lesson becoming familiar with the text so that it can be a valuable reference during the discussion.)

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Place a balloon full of pop in a microwave and allow the students to watch as you heat it for a couple minutes (A marshmallow works too :). Ask students to make observations and look for evidence of how adding thermal energy affects the physical properties of substances and how the particles are arranged.

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MS-PS1-2: Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

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Explain to students that they will be going through a series of lab stations that will ask them to look at the physical and chemical properties of substances going through reactions. I always ask them to "channel their inner scientist" and thoroughly read the procedures as well as look back at the text ( Skill CH.4 Notes Page and True False Statements) to look up and obtain any information they need to answer the lab questions. I have students rotate through the stations at their own pace in groups of 3 - 5. My students are used to lab rotations as we use them every week; if this is your student's first experience, you may want to rotate them yourself to make sure they manage their time efficiently.

**It is important for you to note that my students have gone through this Ladder of Discourse Mini Lesson using the Skill 4 Notes page in the resource section. Understanding this text is essential to students completing this lab rotation independently.
How does temperature affect the speed of molecules?

1. Put on your goggles and safely light the Bunsen burner under the ring stand.

2. Set a beaker containing 100 ml of water on the stand.

3. Heat the water to a temperature of 50 degrees Celcius.

4. Into another beaker, pour 100 ml cold water from the tap and add ice cubes. Remove the ice cubes after approximately one minute.

5. Add ONE drop of food coloring to each beaker and observe the different rates of dissolving.

Teacher Tips: Emphasize one drop of food coloring. If students place more than one drop in, it can skew the results. Also, the ice cubes will interfere with the dissolving of the cold water. Make sure that the cold water is very cold, but that the ice cubes have been removed from the water. This will allow for a very obvious display of the different rates of dissolving as shown in the picture.

Is hot water less dense than cold water?

1. Using tongs, remove one of the "hot balloons" from the water on the hot plate.

2. Take a "cold balloon" from the bucket of ice.

3. Put both of the balloons in the bucket of room temperature water.

Teacher Tips: The hardest part about this lab is getting the cold balloon to its densest point that it will sink. Placing warm water in the bucket works best to aid with this. Emphasize to the students that after dropping the balloons in the water that they should not leave them in the bucket when they rotate. It is important that the balloons get back into the hot and cold containers so that they can maintain their temperatures.
Making Thermometers

1. Wrap your hands around the thermometer. Keep them tight around as much of the thermometer as you can. Watch the water in the straw.

2. Once the liquid has reached the top of the straw, remove your hands, place the bottle in the ice water bucket, and watch the water in the straw.

Teacher Tips: Snapple bottles work really well for creating these; however, I have made them with flasks before. Add food coloring to water and wrap clay around a straw. Make a seal with the clay and push the clay down until you see the water rise a little in the straw and not "fall" back down. When heated, the water should move up the straw all the way to the top! It takes a minute to warm these up if using your hands. I have in the past used a hot pan of water or a Bunsen burner to speed the process. If you do this, just be careful of the Snapple bottle shattering at the bottom if goes from hot to very cold.

Adventures with Pepper

1. Fill a beaker with 200 ml of water.

2. Shake some pepper on the surface of the water. Do not shake or stir the liquid! The pepper should be floating on top of the water.

3. Dip the toothpick in the dish soap, and carefully touch it to the center of the surface of the water. Enjoy your adventures with pepper!

Crazy Colloid
Experiment with the "Crazy Colloid" to determine the properties that could help classify whether the substance is a solid or a liquid. "Crazy Colloid" is simply a mix of corn starch and water. I find that it is best if I mix it for each group. It is important to get the right consistency. When I mix it I add about a quarter cup of corn starch and mix in about an equal part of water. Honestly, I just eye ball it. I add water slowly until I can do the "Quick Poke Test" and "Slow Poke Test" below. If I get it too watery, I just add a little more corn starch. If it is to powdery or solid, I add more water. Here are some tests you should perform:

1. Quick Poke Test - Poke your finger quickly in the liquid.

2. Slow Poke Test - Poke your finger slowly through the liquid.

3. Pour Test - Pour the substance on the counter.

4. Shape Test - Try to form the substance into a ball.

5. Bounce Test - Try to bounce the ball.

The more students "play" with the crazy colloid, the dryer it will get. To bring it back to life, simply add a tiny bit of water. A little water goes a long way to revive it!

Are you thinking...."My students did this in elementary already?" Whether your students have used this before in elementary school or not, they love it. And, this will be the first time they used this mixture to discuss properties of matter so the discussions surrounding it will be brand new.

This is a messy experiment that requires some clean up and help from your students. But, it's worth it....it's all in the name of science!

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Explain to students that they will be going through a series of lab stations that will ask them to look at the physical and chemical properties of substances going through reactions.

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Introduction and Connection to the NGSS and Common Core

On Day 1 this multi-day lesson focuses on mixtures. Students develop and carry out a procedure for separating a mixture of sand, salt, iron filings, and marshmallows by physical means. On Day 2, students develop ideas about factors that can increase the rate of dissolving. Finally, students work on "sounding like a scientist" as they write evidence based scientific paragraphs.

This lesson is designed to connect to the following NGSS and Common Core Standards:

MS-PS1-2 Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

MS-PS1-4 Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2 Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2.D Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.2.E Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone.
Science and Engineering Practices:
When students write about the relationship between factors that affect the rate of dissolving, students construct, use and present written argument supported by empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support their claim ( SP7). This also ties to the Science Practice Constructing Explanations, as students include qualitative and quantitative relationships between variables that predict(s) how factors affect the rate of dissolving ( SP6).
Crosscutting Concepts:
Students experiment with temperature, surface area and shaking/stirring and collect data to determine their effect on the rate of dissolving. ( CCC Cause and Effect: Events have causes, sometimes simple, sometimes multifaceted. Deciphering causal relationships, and the mechanisms by which they are mediated, is a major activity of science and engineering.)

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Mixtures Labs Day 1: Separating Mixtures and Rates of Dissolving

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Introduction and Connection to the NGSS and Common Core On Day 1 this multi-day lesson focuses on mixtures. Students develop and carry out a procedure for separating a mixture of sand, salt, iron filings, and marshmallows by physical means. On Day 2, students develop ideas about factors that can increase the rate of dissolving.

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Explain to students that they will be going through a series of lab stations that will ask them to look at the physical and chemical properties of substances as they go through reactions. (This set of labs are some of my students' favorites all year! They are so much fun!)

I always ask students to "channel their inner scientist" and thoroughly read the procedures as well as look back at the text (Skill 4 Notes Page) to look up and obtain any information they need to answer the lab questions. I explain that this is a lab of independence, both in the manner in which they will rotate and in the fact that the students will answer all questions based on their reading of the text and not based on my direct instruction. I have students rotate through the stations at their own pace in groups of 3 - 5. My students are used to lab rotations as we use them every week; if this is your student's first experience, you may want to rotate them yourself to make sure they manage their time efficiently.

Descriptions of each station are included below. There are detailed directions in the Crack That Marble Lab Directions in the resource section. I post these directions at each station.
Station 1: Crack that Marble! Lab Description:
Students heat up a marble in a pan on a hot plate and then place it in a beaker of ice water causing the marble to shatter!
Safety:
The marbles and pan are extremely hot. Emphasize that students get their marble using tongs and not their hands. Also, they need to follow the procedure to let the marble sit in the ice water for a few minutes. The marble will still be hot! If students drop the marbles, they will shatter into pieces and marbles are made of glass.
Teacher Tips:
The cheaper the marble, the better. I get mine from the local dollar store. I have purchased from Amazon before, but the nicer marbles just don't have as dramatic an effect. Marbles must get extremely hot. I put a ton of marbles in the pan before school starts so that they are all really hot by the time class starts.

Station 2: Hot Air Balloon
Lab Description:
Students place an empty two liter bottle with a balloon on top over a hot pan and it expands. Then, they place it in an ice bucket, and the balloon deflates.
Safety:
The pan is hot. Tongs must be used to hold the bottle; students will want to use their hands.
Teacher Tips:
The balloon might not blow up very large; it still demonstrates thermal expansion. Stretching the balloons help.
Lab Description: Teacher Tips:
Students try to blow a piece of paper into a two liter bottle but it blows back towards them!

If students do not use short, quick exhales, they will be able to get it in. Also, if they do not blow directly into the bottle and are at an angle, it won't work. Emphasize they must follow the directions for exhaling exactly.
Lab Description:
Station 4: Milk Jug Transparency
Safety:
Students heat a milk jug over a Bunsen burner and it turns from translucent to transparent! When cooled, it turns back!
Teacher Tips:
Goggles must be worn at the Bunsen burners. If the piece of milk jug gets to the point it starts melting or "dripping" it can affect the burner. Tongs must be used to pick up the pieces of milk jug.

Take a cleaned out milk jug and cut it into slips. These slips can be reused all day. Emphasize that the milk jug slip must be held over the flame, not in the flame. Students may need a review of what transparent and translucent mean.
Lab Description:
Station 5: Bottle Balloons
Teacher Tips:
Students place Coca-Cola in a baby bottle, cover the holes in the nipple, and shake. The nipple blows up like a balloon!
Lab Description:
Practice this yourself ahead of time. The nipples work better after a few uses when they can get "stretched out". Also, as you practice you can see the best way to hold the bottle so you can show the students. Emphasize to the group that someone with a steady hand should do this. If a student "panics" when holding the bottle and move their fingers, the pop could spray. Tell students that when they are done shaking, they should point the bottle down into a sink before removing their fingers.
Safety:
Students use different strengths of magnets to experiment with ferrofluid. It is so cool!
Teacher Tips:
Keep the containers sealed. Students should not touch ferrofluid and it stains clothes.

Ferrofluid can be purchased from any online science store.

Student responses and answer keys are included in the resource section. In addition, in the reflection, I go through student work and point out some ways that this lab gave me insight into what real student mastery of concepts might look like.

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Crack That Marble! Properties of Matter Labs

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In this high impact and fun series of labs, students crack a marble, melt a milk jug and expand a baby bottle to identify physical and chemical properties. Plan your 60-minute lesson in Science or Matter and its Properties with helpful tips from Leigh Roehm

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A Look at Student Work
Qualitative Observations:
Students write down a large variety of observations. However, it is important that they are noting the changes in color and temperature as well as the idea that gases are being produced when they see bubbles or smoke.
Patterns: Signs of a chemical change.
After looking at the observations they made in the previous questions, students recognize that all of these reactions included color change, temperature change, and gas production. Thus, they develop the idea that if any reaction demonstrates these changes, they could reason it might be a chemical reaction.

It is important to clarify with students that temperature change can mean that it increases in temperature or decreases in temperature. As these three reactions all "got hotter", students need to connect to the idea that some reactions can cause the surroundings to get colder. Make sure students are not stating that "getting hotter" is a sign of a chemical reaction, but simply that a "change in temperature" can indicate a chemical change.
Venn Diagram: Physical Change vs. Chemical Change
In this diagram, students identify that both the chemical reactions we saw today as well as boiling include a temperature change and gas production. Hopefully, what they notice is that in boiling the gas is still water, but in the reactions today, a new gas was formed. Also, students should note that when we boil water, we add energy but in the reactions today, the reactions produced energy on their own without us adding any heat.

This question makes students really have to think. In addition, without a strong foundation in what is actually occurring during a phase change, it will be challenging for students to complete this diagram. If you are not sure your students have a strong foundation in phase changes, a quick review might be in order!
What is a chemical change?
Every year I have students that get so wrapped up in the "5 signs of a chemical change" that they lose sight in the fundamental difference between a chemical and physical change. Thus, in this question, students should note that boiling results in gas production and a temperature change. If they solely considered this, they would identify that boiling is a chemical reaction. However, it is important that they recognize that the key to something being a chemical reaction is that something new is produced that has different chemical and physical properties than the reactants. Therefore, even though boiling water produces a gas, it is still water, it is simply water in its gaseous state. And, while there is a temperature change in boiling, this occurs as we add energy, it is not due to the breaking or forming of bonds.

After developing this initial definition, it will be important for you in an upcoming lesson to model and demonstrate to students how bonds are broken and formed in chemical reactions. On this first day of my unit, my goal is that students identify that in a chemical reaction new substances are formed and that gas production, temperature change, and color change often are signs that a chemical reaction is taking place.

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Students watch three exciting demonstrations that allow them to come up with signs of a chemical reaction on their own! The demonstrations include Elephant's Toothpaste, The Iodine Clock, and Rocket Engine. Your students will be in awe of these reactions!

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MS-PS1-5: Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved.

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MS-PS1-4: Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.

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MS-PS1-2: Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.