UTeach Dallas 5E Lesson Plan Template

Title: Which is Which?

Author: Mayra Carrasco
Team Members: Michael Osborn
Date and Time of Lesson: October 29, 2013 12:15-1:15
Grade Level:

5th grade

Lesson Source: BSCS Investigating Physical and Chemical Properties

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (Process and Concept TEKS):

(3.A) Scientific Investigation and Reasoning. The student uses critical thinking and
scientific problem solving to make informed decisions. The student is expected to:
A) In all fields of science, analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific explanations by using
empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and experimental and observable testing,
including examining all sides of scientific evidence of those scientific explanations, so as
to encourage critical thinking by the student
(5.D) Matter and Energy. The student knows that matter has measurable physical
properties and those properties determine how matter is classified, changed, and used.
The students is expected to:
D) Identify changes that can occur in the physical properties of their ingredients of
solutions such as dissolving salt in water or adding lemon juice to water.

Concepts Statement:
Water is a substance of many properties. The test of what is going to happen when
water is mixed with unknown powder. Therefore, being able to distinguish what the
powder is due to the reaction that was created when mixed with water. Talcum powder
leaves the water cloudy, while the salt is in a form of grain a dissolves when mixed in
water.

Objectives:
The students will be able to distinguish between salt, cornstarch, baking soda, alum, and
talcum powder.
The students will be able to describe what happens to the five powders when water is
added.

2010 The University of Texas at Dallas

UTeach Dallas 5E Lesson Plan Template

The students will be able to identify an unknown powder from the property it has when
mixed with water.

Materials List:
Per team:
3 safety goggles

1 bag of the 5 powders

1 plastic tray

2 facial tissues for cleaning the spoon

1 milliliter measuring spoon

paper towels for clean up

6 medicine cups

1 copy of Powder Map 1

1 plastic cup (9 oz.) half filled with water

1 dropper bottle with water

4 copies of Drop Tests Record Page

4 hand lenses

each teammates notebook

10 stirring sticks

4 pencils

2 pieces of wax paper

4 wristbands

Per Lesson:
1 pitcher with water
7 dropper bottles
Masking tape (to label bottles)
1 pail for cleanup
1 permanent marker (to label bottles)

Advanced Preparations:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Make 1 copy of Powder Map 1 for each table

Make 1 copy of Drop Tests Record Page for each student
Place Powder Map 1 on tray
Prepare each powder in a medicine cup by adding 1 milliliter of each into a cup
Fill the dropper bottles

Safety:

Do not smell any of the powders

Do not lick any of the supplies

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UTeach Dallas 5E Lesson Plan Template

Wear goggles at all times

Do not mix any of the powders together

ENGAGEMENT
What the Teacher Will Do

Place the students into groups

of four and give the students
their roles.

Time: 5 Minutes
Probing/Eliciting who
Questions
Who are the materials
managers? Raise your
hand. What does the
materials manager do?

Student Responses
and Misconceptions

Bringing materials and

cleaning up.
Kool-Aid is a powder
mixed with sugar and
water.

As a class describe the things

that the students see every day
that is a powder mixes to cause
make a product.
[Power Point]

What kind of powders are

mixed in with the food or
drinks?
[5 minutes]

[Pass out goggles]

Chocolate Milk is milk

mixed with powder.
Soup is a mix of water
and depending on the
type of soup it is, many
other powders can be
added.
[On iron chef they add so
many powders to food]

EXPLORATION
What the Teacher Will Do
Go over safety and directions
with the students.

Probing/Eliciting
Questions
[3-5 minutes]

Time: 15 Minutes
Student Responses
and Misconceptions

Students wear safety goggles

from the beginning.

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UTeach Dallas 5E Lesson Plan Template

Materials Manager pick up

supplies.
[5 powders water stirring stick
and dropper]
Have students begin with the
instructions. Placing the cups in
the circles in Powder Map 1.
Fill in the first section of the
chart (Before Mixing). Describe
the five powders in each group
with the people in your team.

Add 8 drops and observe the

color of the powders (record on
Drop Test Record Page). After
recorded add 16[I know I say
16 but on the medicine cup it
goes to 15] of water to each
powder (one at a time). Use the
stick to stir after the water is put
in (using a different stick each
time). Record on the During
mixing and After mixing parts
of the chart.

What are some of the

characteristics that the
powders have?
[4-5 minutes]

What is happening to the

powder as the water is
put in?

What is happening after

each powder sits in the
cup for a little while?
[10 minutes]

Answer the two questions that

follow the activity.
Material Managers return the
supplies.

Could you tell those

powders apart after
mixing them in water?
Why?

Set up the trays for the

elaboration section (Michael if I
ask nicely).
Do you think that knowing
how the powders react in

Salt: white, square

crystals
Cornstarch: Fine, white
powder
Baking Soda: Fine, white
powder
Alum: Fine, white crystals
Talcum Powder: Fine,
white powder
Salt: disappears into the
water; Cornstarch: water
is cloudy in a milky white
color; Baking Soda:
disappears into the water;
Alum: disappears into the
water; Talcum Powder:
water is cloudy in a milky
white color
Salt: water is cloudy but
clear; Cornstarch: some
cornstarch settles to the
bottom; Baking Soda:
water is cloudy but clear;
Alum: water is clear;
Talcum Powder: Some
powder settles to the
bottom
Some because there are
reactions that are similar
to each other.

Yes, because from the

observation, the reaction
with water, and the result

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UTeach Dallas 5E Lesson Plan Template

water can help identify

the powder? Why do you
think so?
[answering and going
over questions 5 minutes]

EXPLANATION
What the Teacher Will Do

Probing/Eliciting
Questions

from the water serves as

a guideline of what to look
for in each reaction.
[Answer in the
explanation portion]

Time: 10 Minutes
Student Responses
and Misconceptions

Go over as a group the two

questions above.

Without looking at the chart

with the observations describe
the 5 powders reaction to
water. (With group then a class)

What did they look like in

the water?
[5 minutes]

Salt: disappears into the

water; Cornstarch: water
is cloudy in a milky white
color; Baking Soda:
disappears into the water;
Alum: disappears into the
water; Talcum Powder:
water is cloudy in a milky
white color

Students will define, draw a

picture, and make a personal
connection to dissolving.
Dissolving

Definition

[3-5 minutes]
Picture

Personal
Connection

Become or cause to
become incorporated into
a liquid so as to form a
solution.

Materials manager get the new

materials for the mystery
section.
[Powder A and B, 2 stirring
sticks, water.]

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UTeach Dallas 5E Lesson Plan Template

ELABORATION
What the Teacher Will Do

Probing/Eliciting
Questions
What are the reactions of
the two powders?

Give the students two mystery

powders (salt and talcum
powder). With their
observations from the explore
section they are to identify what
the powders are.

What are the two

powders?
[10-15 minutes]

Time: 10 Minutes
Student Responses
and Misconceptions
Powder A (salt):
disappears into the water
then turns the water
cloudy but clear; Powder
B (talcum powder): water
is a milky white color then
some powder settles to
the bottom
The two powders are salt
and talcum.

Materials manager return the

supplies.

EVALUATION
What the Teacher Will Do
What does talcum look like
when water is mixed in?
a)Milky and Cloudy
b)White and Disappears
c)Stays at the bottom
d)nothing happens

Probing/Eliciting
Questions

Time: 10 Minutes
Student Responses
and Misconceptions

A) Milky and cloudy

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