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Learning Activities (5) Building blocks of a lesson plan that include before, during, and after strategies to actively engage students in learning a concept or skill. Classroom Resources (14)


ALEX Learning Activities  
   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 5 :
5 ) Observe and analyze characteristic properties of substances (e.g., odor, density, solubility, flammability, melting point, boiling point) before and after the substances combine to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Subject: Science (8)
Title: The Difference Between Physical and Chemical Properties
Description:

In this activity, the students will activate prior knowledge using ABC brainstorming changes in matter.  students will use Readworks "Mix the Old With the New” to learn about chemical properties.  The students will read an article and answer questions about chemical properties.  Finally, students will construct a summary paragraph from what they learned. 

 This activity was created as a result of the ALEX Resource Development Summit.




   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 5 :
5 ) Observe and analyze characteristic properties of substances (e.g., odor, density, solubility, flammability, melting point, boiling point) before and after the substances combine to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Subject: Science (8)
Title: What Just Happened?
Description:

This learning activity should be used during a lesson on chemical and physical reactions. The students will observe and analyze the characteristic properties of vinegar and baking soda.  They will also conduct an experiment and determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

This activity was created as a result of the ALEX Resource Development Summit.




   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 5 :
5 ) Observe and analyze characteristic properties of substances (e.g., odor, density, solubility, flammability, melting point, boiling point) before and after the substances combine to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Subject: Science (8)
Title: Where's My Shine?
Description:

This learning activity should be used during a lesson on investigating chemical and physical changes.  The students will dissolve metal oxides formed on the surfaces of a penny into an ionic solution in order to investigate chemical and physical changes. This learning activity can be used as an assessment.

This activity was created as a result of the ALEX Resource Development Summit.




   View Standards     Standard(s): [ARTS] VISA (8) 10 :
10) Collaboratively discuss how a person's aesthetic choices are influenced by culture and environment and how these influences impact the visual images that one creates.

Example: Discuss the influence of Japanese animation on drawing techniques and styles of American youth.

[ARTS] VISA (8) 5 :
5) Plan select, organize, and design images and words to make visually clear works of art using traditional and/or digital methods.

[SC2015] PS8 (8) 5 :
5 ) Observe and analyze characteristic properties of substances (e.g., odor, density, solubility, flammability, melting point, boiling point) before and after the substances combine to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Subject: Arts Education (8), Science (8)
Title: Photo-Sensitive Chemical Reactions
Description:

In this activity, students collaborate to plan a piece of art which reflects personal and cultural significance. Students work together to produce a cyanotype silhouette print using light-sensitive chemicals. During the cyanotype process, students will trace the chemical reaction backwards to identify the activation energy and how energy transfers. Students then write an explanation of the selection process for each item in their group's artistic composition.

This activity was created as a result of the ALEX Resource Development Summit.




   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 5 :
5 ) Observe and analyze characteristic properties of substances (e.g., odor, density, solubility, flammability, melting point, boiling point) before and after the substances combine to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Subject: Science (8)
Title: Chemical Changes Crash Course
Description:

The YouTube video uses a cake to demonstrate the changes it undergoes during a chemical reaction. The digital tool will be used as part of the core lesson in order to ensure the students can identify the characteristics of a chemical reaction.

This learning activity was created as a result of the Girls Engaged in Math and Science University, GEMS-U Project.




ALEX Learning Activities: 5

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ALEX Classroom Resources  
   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 5 :
5 ) Observe and analyze characteristic properties of substances (e.g., odor, density, solubility, flammability, melting point, boiling point) before and after the substances combine to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Subject: Science (8)
Title: Neutralizing Acids and Bases
URL: https://www.middleschoolchemistry.com/lessonplans/chapter6/lesson9
Description:

In this lesson, students will use citric acid and sodium carbonate solutions to see that adding a base to an acidic solution makes the solution less acidic. Students will then use a base to help them identify which of the two acidic solutions is more concentrated.

Students will be able to explain, on the molecular level, that pH is affected by the concentration of the H3O+ ions in water. They will also be able to explain why adding a base to an acid or an acid to a base can make the pH of the solution closer to 7.



   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 5 :
5 ) Observe and analyze characteristic properties of substances (e.g., odor, density, solubility, flammability, melting point, boiling point) before and after the substances combine to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Subject: Science (8)
Title: pH and Color Change
URL: https://www.middleschoolchemistry.com/lessonplans/chapter6/lesson8
Description:

In this lesson, students will see a demonstration of a color change using universal pH indicator. Students will change the concentrations of an acid and a base and use the universal indicator to test the pH of the resulting solutions. Students will see an animation showing that water molecules interact and separate into the H3O+ ion and the OH ion. Students will see that the pH of a solution is related to the concentration of these ions in water.

Students will be able to explain, on the molecular level, that pH is a measure of the concentration of the H3O+ ions in water and that adding an acid or a base to water affects the concentration of these ions.



   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 5 :
5 ) Observe and analyze characteristic properties of substances (e.g., odor, density, solubility, flammability, melting point, boiling point) before and after the substances combine to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Subject: Science (8)
Title: Carbon Dioxide Can Make a Solution Acidic
URL: https://www.middleschoolchemistry.com/lessonplans/chapter6/lesson10
Description:

In this lesson, the teacher blows into a universal indicator solution until it changes color. Students interpret this color change and explain that the solution becomes acidic. Students explore whether carbon dioxide from other sources, namely carbonated water and a chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar, can also make a solution acidic. Students then apply their observations to the environmental problem of ocean acidification by doing research on this issue.

Students will be able to explain that carbon dioxide from any source reacts chemically with water to form carbonic acid. They will also be able to use the color changes of universal indicator to monitor the changing pH of a solution during a chemical reaction.



   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 2 :
2 ) Plan and carry out investigations to generate evidence supporting the claim that one pure substance can be distinguished from another based on characteristic properties.

[SC2015] PS8 (8) 5 :
5 ) Observe and analyze characteristic properties of substances (e.g., odor, density, solubility, flammability, melting point, boiling point) before and after the substances combine to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Subject: Science (8)
Title: Using Chemical Change to Identify an Unknown
URL: https://www.middleschoolchemistry.com/lessonplans/chapter6/lesson6
Description:

In this lesson, students will use test liquids on different known powders and observe their reactions. Then students will use these characteristic chemical changes to help them identify an unknown powder.

Students will be able to identify and control variables to develop a test to identify an unknown powder. Students will be able to explain that a substance reacts chemically in characteristic ways and that these characteristics can be used to identify an unknown substance.



   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 5 :
5 ) Observe and analyze characteristic properties of substances (e.g., odor, density, solubility, flammability, melting point, boiling point) before and after the substances combine to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Subject: Science (8)
Title: Can Liquids Dissolve in Water?
URL: https://www.middleschoolchemistry.com/lessonplans/chapter5/lesson7
Description:

In this lesson, students will place isopropyl alcohol, mineral oil, and corn syrup in water to see if any of these liquids dissolve in water. Students will extend their understanding and definition of “dissolving” and see that certain, but not all, liquids can dissolve in water.

Students will identify and control variables to help design a solubility test for different liquids in water. Students will be able to explain, on the molecular level, why certain liquids, but not all, will dissolve in water. They will also be able to explain that the solubility of a liquid is a characteristic property of that liquid.



   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 5 :
5 ) Observe and analyze characteristic properties of substances (e.g., odor, density, solubility, flammability, melting point, boiling point) before and after the substances combine to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Subject: Science (8)
Title: Can Gases Dissolve in Water?
URL: https://www.middleschoolchemistry.com/lessonplans/chapter5/lesson8
Description:

In this lesson, students will observe the dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) in a bottle of club soda. They will help design an experiment to compare the amount of CO2 that stays in cold club soda compared to warmer club soda.

Students will be able to explain, on the molecular level, how a gas dissolves in water. They will also be able to explain why the gas comes out of solution faster in warm water than in cold water.



   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 5 :
5 ) Observe and analyze characteristic properties of substances (e.g., odor, density, solubility, flammability, melting point, boiling point) before and after the substances combine to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Subject: Science (8)
Title: What Is Density?
URL: https://www.middleschoolchemistry.com/lessonplans/chapter3/lesson1
Description:

In this lesson, students will observe a copper and an aluminum cube of the same volume placed on a balance. They will see that the copper has a greater mass. Students will try to develop an explanation, on the molecular level, for how this can be. Students are then given cubes of different materials that all have the same volume. Students determine the density of each cube and identify the substance the cube is made from.

Students will be able to calculate the density of different cubes and use these values to identify the substance each cube is made of. Students will be able to explain that the size, mass, and arrangement of the atoms or molecules of a substance determines its density.



   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 5 :
5 ) Observe and analyze characteristic properties of substances (e.g., odor, density, solubility, flammability, melting point, boiling point) before and after the substances combine to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Subject: Science (8)
Title: Finding Volume: The Water Displacement Method
URL: https://www.middleschoolchemistry.com/lessonplans/chapter3/lesson2
Description:

In this lesson, students use the water displacement method to find the volume of different rods that all have the same mass. They calculate the density of each rod and use the characteristic density of each material to identify all five rods. Then students consider the relationship between the mass, size, and arrangement of atoms to explain why different rods have different densities. Students will be briefly introduced to the periodic table.

Students will be able to explain that materials have characteristic densities because of the different mass, size, and arrangement of their atoms. Students will be able to use the volume displacement method to find the volume of an object.



   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 5 :
5 ) Observe and analyze characteristic properties of substances (e.g., odor, density, solubility, flammability, melting point, boiling point) before and after the substances combine to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Subject: Science (8)
Title: Density of Water
URL: https://www.middleschoolchemistry.com/lessonplans/chapter3/lesson3
Description:

In this lesson, students measure the volume and mass of water to determine its density. Then they measure the mass of different volumes of water and discover that the density is always the same. Students make a graph of the relationship between the volume and the mass of water.

Students will be able to measure the volume and mass of water and calculate its density. Students will be able to explain that since any volume of water always has the same density, at a given temperature, that density is a characteristic property of water.



   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 5 :
5 ) Observe and analyze characteristic properties of substances (e.g., odor, density, solubility, flammability, melting point, boiling point) before and after the substances combine to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Subject: Science (8)
Title: Density: Sink and Float for Solids
URL: https://www.middleschoolchemistry.com/lessonplans/chapter3/lesson4
Description:

In this lesson, students will investigate a wax candle and a piece of clay to understand why the candle floats and the clay sinks even though the candle is heavier than the piece of clay. Students will discover that it is not the weight of the object, but its density compared to the density of water, that determines whether an object will sink or float in water.

Students will be able to determine whether an object will sink or float by comparing its density to the density of water.



   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 5 :
5 ) Observe and analyze characteristic properties of substances (e.g., odor, density, solubility, flammability, melting point, boiling point) before and after the substances combine to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Subject: Science (8)
Title: Density: Sink and Float for Liquids
URL: https://www.middleschoolchemistry.com/lessonplans/chapter3/lesson5
Description:

In this lesson, students will observe three household liquids stacked on each other and conclude that their densities must be different. They will predict the relative densities of the liquids and then measure their volume and mass to see if their calculations match their observations and predictions.

Students will be able to determine whether a liquid will sink or float in water by comparing its density to the density of water.



   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] PS8 (8) 4 :
4 ) Design and conduct an experiment to determine changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added to or removed from a system.

[SC2015] PS8 (8) 5 :
5 ) Observe and analyze characteristic properties of substances (e.g., odor, density, solubility, flammability, melting point, boiling point) before and after the substances combine to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Subject: Science (8)
Title: Temperature Affects Density
URL: https://www.middleschoolchemistry.com/lessonplans/chapter3/lesson6
Description:

In this lesson, students place hot and cold colored water into room-temperature water. They observe that the hot water floats on the room-temperature water and the cold water sinks. Students will combine the concepts of temperature, molecular motion, and density to learn that hot water is less dense than room-temperature water and that cold water is denser.

Students will be able to explain, on the molecular level, how heating and cooling affect the density of water.



   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (5) 3 :
3 ) Examine matter through observations and measurements to identify materials (e.g., powders, metals, minerals, liquids) based on their properties (e.g., color, hardness, reflectivity, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, response to magnetic forces, solubility, density).

[SC2015] PS8 (8) 5 :
5 ) Observe and analyze characteristic properties of substances (e.g., odor, density, solubility, flammability, melting point, boiling point) before and after the substances combine to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

Subject: Science (5 - 8)
Title: Matter's Physical Properties: Interactive Lesson | UNC-TV Science
URL: https://aptv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/ilunctv18-sci-ilmattersphysicalproperties/matters-physical-properties-interactive-lesson-unc-tv-science/
Description:

What are the “physical properties” of matter, and how can they be measured and observed? Students will learn about some basic characteristics of matter—including those that depend on the amount of a substance and those that don’t—with this interactive lesson.



ALEX Classroom Resources: 13

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