PS1.B

Balancing Equations: A Hands on Activity

Liz Belasic15 Comments

balancing-equations-answers-public

Balancing Chemical Equations Activity – one of my long time favorite activities. Students will learn how to read formulas, count atoms, create and read chemical equations, and balance chemical equations using a hands on activity with color coded formulas cards.

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Lesson Resources: Create one set of materials for each pair of students. Store in a large zip-top bag

  • Worksheet: handout with directions (pdf)
  • Formula cards (pdf) – laminate and reuse each year
  • Coefficient cards (pdf) – laminate and reuse each year
  • Answer Key for the balanced equations (pdf)
  • Google Slides (NEW) – Balancing Equations Answer Key Public Link
    • These slides can be used to review answers at the end of the lesson
    • You can also print the slides then laminate to use as Task Cards at a hands on station with beads to represent each atom
    • For more advanced students, you can use molecular models and build each model.
  • Practice balancing equations worksheet (pdf) and more from ScienceSpot.net

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https://www.instagram.com/p/BvfHwICgiUfro_4i4_XtVN2oHfiJIbvP_DX8QM0/

Acids & Bases Venn Diagram Activity

Liz Belasic1 Comment

Acids&BasesVennDiagram

Updated 4/13/2020

Distance Learning – Google Slides in Google Classroom

  1. I made a slight modification of this activity by making it an interactive Google Slide.
  2. In Google Classroom, assign the activity and make a copy for each student.
  3. Students are able to drag the text boxes (using the arrow keys worked best) into the Venn Diagram.
  4. Grade for completion or accuracy.

[Template] Acids & Bases Venn Diagram (ONLINE).jpg

Materials:

  • New Version
    • Acids & Bases Google Slides (Public)
    • Handout – print pages 3 & 4 or page 5 Acids & Bases Venn Diagram pdf
    • Glue & scissors if using as cut ‘n paste activity
    • Optional – red & blue colored pens or pencils
  • Older Versions
    • Acids & Bases Venn Diagram worksheet (pdf)
    • SmartBoard file download (link)

This is a fun activity to get students thinking about the properties of acids and bases based on their prior knowledge. Then using what they know, can they figure out the rest of the properties?

I like to do this activity as a friendly competition and see how many each pair of students can answer correctly. Before the students place items into the Venn diagram, I ask them to look at the properties and write a red “A” next to the property if they think it belongs to an acid, a blue “B” if they think it belongs to bases, and “AB” if it belongs to both categories.

Once they have completed categorizing the properties on their own, have each student share their answers with their seat partner. What was the same? What was different? Have them discuss their reasoning for each answer and try to come to a consensus. (You can add an additional step by asking partners to compare answers with another set of partners.) When they are ready, reveal each answer, one at a time, and discuss. Students will write (or glue in) each property into the Venn diagram.

Please click on the tags below to find additional lessons on Acids, Bases, and pH.

 

Identifying and Balancing Chemical Reactions

Liz Belasic1 Comment

Types of Chemical Reactions (Public)

Tracy has a nice lesson plan and handout on identifying chemical reactions posted on her website: http://sciencespot.net/Pages/classchem.html#chemreactions .  I modified the ppt slides she had posted for her 8th graders to use with my 6th graders as a guided lesson.

I used this lesson after we had already learned how to balance chemical equations using the hands on lesson I created and described below (also found on my Chemistry page):

Balancing Chemical Equations Activity – one of my long time favorite activities. Students will learn how to read formulas, count atoms, create and read chemical equations, and balance chemical equations using a hands on activity with color coded formulas:

We worked through the problems together and I called on students to first identify the chemical reaction and then balance the equation. After a few slides, they began to recognize the types of reactions quickly and had a good understanding of how to identify and balance the equations.

  • Click here for the ppt: Google Slides (Public)
  • to save the slides, you can select “file” then “Make a copy” or “download as”

Cabbage Juice Lab – pH indicator

Liz BelasicLeave a comment

My students have enjoyed the Cabbage Juice Lab over the years – and yes, it does smell!

Materials per group of 3-4 students:

  • Student Handout (pdf)
  • Cabbage Juice in an Erlenmeyer Flask with a pipette
  • micro-wells or small clear bathroom cups
  • litmus paper – blue and red
  • toothpicks
  • ‘garbage’ cup
  • beakers and pipettes for each solution
  • Substances to test – diluted in water
    • You can have all of these set up at one station and students can pick one up and take one to their desk for testing, then return it to the station and choose another substance- you don’t have to have a complete set for each group.
      • vinegar
      • lemon juice
      • lime juice
      • pickle juice
      • baking soda
      • salt
      • sugar
      • detergent
      • hand sanitizer
      • alka seltzer tablets
      • bleach
      • ammonia

cabbage_juice_lab

Additional Resources:

Candle Observation Lab

Liz Belasic1 Comment

candle_observation_lab

Materials – per 2 students

  • Student Handout (Candle Observations)
  • votive candle
  • small beaker
  • large beaker
  • ruler
  • matches & beaker with water for spent matches
    • I light the candles for the students in this age group (6th)

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Procedures

  1. Discuss how candles work and the fire triangle (link)
  2. Discuss combustion and the chemical reactions that takes place when a candle burns
  3. Explain the lab procedures and remind students of safety protocols
  4. Students will record qualitative and quantitative observations of an unlit candle (5 minutes), burning candle (10 minutes), and a covered burning candle until it goes out and the wax hardens (5 minutes)
    • all students will place the larger beaker over the candle at the same time and watch as the candle goes out
  5. Share observations and discuss
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Image via The Naked Scientist

I like to use this lab as part of my physical and chemical changes unit, it is such a classic and the kids make some great observations and ask lots of good questions.

Links:

Physical and Chemical Changes Sorting Activity

Liz Belasic5 Comments

Physical_vs_Chemical_Changes_Sorting_Activity

Materials

  • Physical and Chemical Changes Sorting Worksheet & Cards (pdf)
    • Laminate and cut cards apart, place in zip-top bags
      • 1 set per 2-3 students
    • Answers for Physical Change are: cracking eggs, slicing bread, ice  melting, glass breaking, boiling water, fresh lemonade, mowing lawn (cutting the grass)
  • Optional – privacy screen made of one manila folder cut in half and stapled together

View my Properties of Matter resources for related lessons (page)

This is a fun partner activity that I use as part of my Chemistry unit to get students thinking about the differences between physical and chemical changes. Each pair of students is given a set of cards with images and descriptions of either a physical change or a chemical change. (see photo above)

Each pair goes through the cards and discusses/decides where the each card will be placed. Once they have categorized the cards, students call me over verify their work – I will either say “Yes, they are all in the correct category!” or “Not quite yet, try again.” I give a small clue each time I come over. For example, I will say something along the lines of “You have 2 in the incorrect column” or “You have too many in the Physical Change category, which ones should be moved to the Chemical Change category?” or “Two cards need to be flip/flopped to the other category, all the other cards have been placed correctly” or “All of the cards that are placed in the Chemical Change group belong there, but not all of them are there quite yet, what else can you move to that category?” – I won’t tell them the specifics of what needs to be changed. This forces the students to re-evaluate their choices and make changes as needed until all of their cards in the correct category.

Every few minutes, I will give the whole class a clue. This allows them to check their progress and verify one answer at a time. One card that many students have difficulty with is the boiling water card – and that is usually the first clue I will give out once I have had a chance to check every group’s progress. Each pair of students continues working together until all the cards are placed in the correct category. Once I’ve verified their placements, they add the answers to their notes and answer the questions for the activity and we discuss our results.

Students sorting physical & chemical change cards