Welcome to Ms. Hale's 4th grade class!  We are embarking on an adventure where we are discovering how matter can change forms.  In this project based learning, we will be conducting experiments on solids, liquids, and gases!  At the end of this unit, students will give presentations where they, with the help of a group, conduct their own experiments.  In these experiments, they will showcase how matter, of their own choosing, changes from a solid, to a liquid, and then to a gas!

Name: Alyssa Hale                                             Date: 12/5/12

Grade:  4^th                                                          Subject: Science

Content Standard/Benchmark:  Science 4.1.8:  Students demonstrate that the processes of heating and cooling can change matter from one state to another. 

Rationale for lesson:  This lesson is important because it teaches students that matter can change forms.  This lesson is part of project planning instruction where students are learning about solid, liquids, and gases. 

Objectives: 

·       Students will work in groups of three of four to discover how matter changes from a liquid to a gas.

·       Students will hypothesize how matter changes from a liquid to a gas. 

Links to prior knowledge and experiences:  Students will have to understand how to hypothesize and understand what the properties of matter are.

Language demands:  Students will create an experiment where matter changes from a liquid to a gas. 

Additional vocabulary:  Gas, liquid, hypothesis, matter, and experiment.

Assessment:  Students will fill out a worksheet where they fill out their hypothesis, procedure, and results from the liquid to gas experiment. 

Differentiation:  For students that struggle with attention deficit disorders, the instructions will be included on the worksheets if they miss the teacher giving directions.  Also the instructor should pick the groups for the students to make sure students are paired beneficially. 

Materials:  Lab equipment including: beakers, safety glasses, heat protective pads, water, and heat source (stove).

Instruction:  Ask students if they have ever guessed about something they did not know.  Why did they guess what they did?  Was their guess correct?  Tell students that in science there is a scientific word for these educated guesses.  They are called hypotheses.  Tell students that today they will be making some hypotheses about an exciting experiment they’re going to do involving liquids and gases.  Ask students to name some liquids they know.  Ask students to name so gases they know.  Make a list of both liquids and gases on the board.

Next divide students up into lab group of three or four.  Hand students a packet where they are asked to state their hypothesis, the procedure of the experiment, and the results.  Tell students that today they are going to change a liquid into a gas.  Give each student a beaker and tell them to fill it halfway with water.  Tell each student to put on protective glasses or goggles. 

Before students begin the experiment have them make a hypothesis about how this liquid, water, will turn into a gas.  Have them write one sentence with their educated guess in their packet under the hypothesis area. 

Next have students place the beaker with water in it on the heating area (stove top) in the lab. Tell students to observe what happens to water when heat is applied to it.  Tell students to carefully take the beaker off the stove top when there is only a small amount of water remaining.  Have student include all their observations in their packet. 

Lastly bring the glass back into the large group.  Have a large group discussion about what happened to the water when heat was applied to it.  Ask several students what their hypothesis was.  Ask them if they were correct in their hypothesis and how they know. 

Closure:  Have students fill out the rest of the packet if there is time, or have them finish for homework tomorrow.  



Name:  Alyssa Hale Date: 12/5/12

Grade: 4 Subject Area:  Science

Content Standard/Benchmark:

Science 4.2.1:  Students research answers to science questions and present finding through appropriate means.
Science 4.1.8 Students demonstrate that the processes of heating and cooling can change matter from one state to another.

Rationale for lesson:  This lesson is important because it teaches students to find information on their own and be active learners.  This lesson builds on previous lesson where students have been learning how to change a liquid to a solid and a liquid to a gas.  This lesson will relate to future lessons where students present their research to the class.

Objectives:
• Students will take a field trip to the Science Zone (111 W Midwest Ave Casper, Wyoming 82601) in Casper Wyoming where they will observe different experiments involving solids, liquids, and gases.

Links to prior knowledge and experience:  Students have worked with solids, liquids, and gases prior to going on this field trip.  They have also filled out packets where they recorded their observations and gained experience making a hypothesis.

Language demands:  Students will observe different experiments and apply their knowledge to fill out a research packet on matter.

Additional vocabulary:  Solids, liquids, gases, experiment, hypothesis.

Assessment:  Students will go on a field trip to Science Zone.  While they watch the various exhibits and experiments conducted at the Science Zone, they will fill out a packet where the record their observations, make hypotheses, and record the results of the experiments.

Differentiation:  Students will be in pairs as they fill out their packets and explore the various exhibits at the Science Zone.  Those who struggle with comprehension will be paired with those who have a higher skill in comprehension.

Materials:  Research packets.

Instruction:
Before students go on the field trip, go over the research packet with students.  Pair them up where students with a higher level in comprehension are paired with those with lower comprehension levels.
Explain to students that they must visit at least four exhibits while they are at this field trip.  They must make a hypothesis at each one, record the procedure, and record their observations and the result at each station.  Tell student to feel free to discuss ideas with their peers and bounce ideas off each other.  Tell them not to feel afraid to ask those working at the museums questions.  The more research they include in their packets the better!

Closure/extension:  When students return from the field trip to school, have a short discussion on what they observed if there is time.  Have students finish their research packets for the next class period if they have not already done so.

Name:  Alyssa Hale                                                                                              Date: 12/5/12

Grade: 4^th                                                                                                            Subject Area: Science

Content Standard/Benchmark: 

Science: 4.2.4:  Students properly use safety equipment and recognize hazardous and safety symbols while practicing standard safety procedures.

Science:  4.2.1: Students research answers to science questions and present findings through appropriate means.

Rationale for lesson:  This lesson is important because it teaches students how matter can change form.  This lesson relates to previous lessons on solids, liquids, and gases.  This lesson relates to future lesson where students share their findings on solids, liquids, and gases with the class in their groups.

Objectives:

·       Students will conduct an experiment where matter changes form.

·       Students will hypothesize about how the matter will change form.

·       Students will use appropriate safety equipment in this Gak experiment.

Links to prior knowledge and experiences:  Students must understand appropriate safety procedures to follow in experiments.  Students must be able to measure material.

Language demands:  Students will conduct an experiment and students will hypothesize.

Additional vocabulary:  Gak, borax, experiment, hypothesis.

Assessment:  Students will conduct an experiment where they make gak.  Students will fill out a worksheet where they record their hypothesis, procedure, and results.

Differentiation:  The instructor should group students according to their comprehension levels where students with lower comprehension levels should be paired with those who have a higher comprehension level.  This way, students who have a lower level will benefit from those who have a higher level, and students with a higher level will engage in higher level thinking as they assist their group members.

Materials:

 Mix together)2 cups Elmer's Glue, 1 ½ cups warm water, Separately (mix together)1 cup warm water, 3 teaspoons Borax, Add Borax mixture to glue mixture. Mix up with hands in large Ziplock Bag. Hint: If you desire color. . .add food coloring to the water before mixing with the glue. Keep sealed for storage. Add water if the mixture becomes dry.

Instruction:  Have students get into their lab groups of four or five.  Hand out a worksheet where students will record their hypothesis, procedure, and results.  Give these directions to students and have them follow the procedure. 

Squirt about 1 tablespoon of Elmer's glue into a sandwich size ziploc bag. Dilute with 1 tablespoon of water. Make a strong Borax solution (20 mule team from grocery store) (1 teaspoon Borax in 1 tablespoon of water) and add to the diluted glue. Close the bag and have students work with their fingers until well mixed. The glue will transform into a glob of slimy, gelatinous mass. Pour off excess liquid into a container for disposal later - not the sink, because there may still be cross linking which can clog up the drain. Play! WHY: Elmer's glue is an adhesive polymer made of polyvinyl acetate, which can be modified by a chemical process called cross linking. The 20 mule team Borax (sodium tetraborate decahydrate) can be used as the cross linking agent. Properties of long chain molecules change when they are cross-linked. Elmer's glue changed into slimy glob. A natural polymer, rubber latex, is cross-linked by sulfur in a process discover by Charles Goodyear. That process is known as vulcanization.

Closure/extension:  Have students return to the large group and discuss what happened in their experiment and why they think it happened.  Give students time to fill out their research worksheets, but if they do not finish then have them finish it for homework as it will be due for the next class period. 

http://wolfweb.unr.edu/homepage/crowther/opchem/gak.html