Chemical Cafe

Contributor
Type Category
Instructional Materials
Types
Informative Text , Lesson/Lesson Plan , Experiment/Lab Activity
Note
This resource, vetted by NSTA curators, is provided to teachers along with suggested modifications to make it more in line with the vision of the NGSS. While not considered to be "fully aligned," the resources and expert recommendations provide teachers with concrete examples and expert guidance using the EQuIP rubric to adapted existing resources. Read more here.

Reviews

Description

In this set of learning experiences arranged in a the linear 5 E lesson format, students will perform a series of investigations to further their understanding of the structures and properties of matter;and more specifically, what happens to matter when a chemical change occurs.. This particular resource integrates reading and writing well in the sequence of learning experiences. There are multiple places for speaking and listening standards to be addressed.

Intended Audience

Educator and learner
Educational Level
  • Grade 5
Language
English
Access Restrictions

Available for purchase - The right to view, keep, and/or download material upon payment of a one-time fee.

Performance Expectations

5-PS1-4 Conduct an investigation to determine whether the mixing of two or more substances results in new substances.

Clarification Statement: none

Assessment Boundary: none

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this performance expectation.

Comments about Including the Performance Expectation
This resource is considered explicit because students investigate and in some of the stations, actually conduct the investigation to determine whether the mixing of two or more substances results in a physical or chemical change. Safety needs to be considered for a few reasons, the first being the culminating component of these learning experiences is built around food. School policy needs to be followed. On page 220 of Picture Perfect Science there is an excerpt from Safety in the Elementary Classroom: Second Edition from the American Chemical Society. Please read and follow procedures.

Science and Engineering Practices

This resource appears to be designed to build towards this science and engineering practice, though the resource developer has not explicitly stated so.

Comments about Including the Science and Engineering Practice
During the “engage” phase students might be asked “What changes occur to paper when burned to make it a different substance?” Students might work in partnerships and draw a model of their thinking at this time on chart paper. They would bring their models to a scientist meeting to discuss with each other. Adding a driving question to each station would provide more context and relevance for students. Students might also use scientist notebooks to record their observations and drawings as the worksheets are limiting due to space constraints. After the stations are completed students could use different color pencils or markers to revise their model about changes occurring when paper burns. All the data students collect serves as the basis for evidence, which is reflected in the revisions of their model drawings. Students are also engaging in practice "Obtaining, evaluating and communicating information" when they read the chemical change article. After all the learning experiences are completed students might go back to their models and make final revisions to demonstrate their understanding. Scientists meetings would provide the opportunity for student to student discourse where they could probe each other’s thinking and build on the ideas of their peers ( other scientists). While engaged in these learning experiences students are thinking, acting, reading, writing just the way scientists do. Being explicit about this will help build a culture of learning in science.

Disciplinary Core Ideas

This resource is explicitly designed to build towards this disciplinary core idea.

Comments about Including the Disciplinary Core Idea
Station 2, 5, 6 and 7 are examples of chemical changes that occurs when two or more substances are mixed together. A scientist meeting could be held where students identify the different changes that occurred at the stations and the evidence they have for their choice. During this meeting the teacher could ask “Were all the changes that occurred at the station the same?” By doing this the mixing or two more substances without adding heat could be made more explicit. Teacher also needs to be explicit with students about making pancakes. The chemical change does not occur until the heat is added. Without the explicitness there might be some confusion. Reading of the chemical change article and having students do the Frayer model brings ELA integration seamlessly into the learning experiences.

Crosscutting Concepts

This resource appears to be designed to build towards this crosscutting concept, though the resource developer has not explicitly stated so.

Comments about Including the Crosscutting Concept
There are many opportunities for talking about cause and effect with students during these learning experiences. At each of the stations, students might identify the cause for the change as well as the result or effect. As teacher is reading "Pancakes,Pancakes" to students not only might they identify physical or chemical change but they could also state the cause and effect of that change. When students make their final revisions on the suggested model they could indicate in the cause and effects in their drawings or models.

Resource Quality

  • Alignment to the Dimensions of the NGSS: These lessons engage students in authentic and meaningful scenarios that reflect the practices of science… In the Explain phase students are encouraged to use their previous experiences as the basis for their chemical change examples. This develops deeper understanding of the DCIs by identifying and building on student's prior knowledge.

  • Instructional Supports: The instructional support is considered to be strong. and includes the following: targeted standards, background information, learning objectives, key vocabulary with definitions, a list of materials and procedures. As mentioned previously, reading of the chemical change article and having students do the Frayer model brings ELA integration seamlessly into the learning experiences. Teachers also need to consider the needs of their students and think about how they might differentiate the instruction to best meet those needs.

  • Monitoring Student Progress: The “evaluation” piece of the learning experiences is the summative assessment . There are many opportunities for formative assessment in the learning experiences but they are not explicit and they do not make suggestions for how instruction might need to change. Formative assessments to consider might be reviewing students'science notebooks, listening and taking notes during student to student discourse in scientists' meetings.

  • Quality of Technological Interactivity: This resource does not include a technologically interactive component