Year Level: 2
Students: approx. 26
Time: 40mins
Context: Many younger students have only ever been exposed to the term ‘mixtures’ when referring to mixtures made in the kitchen. They often think of cakes, omelettes, pancakes; essentially anything with a ‘batter’. Students are exposed to hundreds of mixtures a day and don’t know it because they have simply never been told otherwise. This is how I believe the alternate conception I stated above has arisen.
LESSON OUTCOME:
I am trying to meet the requirements of the Australian Curriculum (ACARA, 2012) Code for:
Science Understanding - “Different materials can be combined, including by mixing, for a particular purpose” …show more content…
One student from each group is in charge of collecting the items required from the front of the classroom. These items and the steps students need to follow are listed in the PrimaryConnections (2012) worksheet ‘Just add water’ in Appendix G. They should fill out the worksheet in Appendix B before, during and after the experiment is conducted as necessary. Students are to write on the handout in Appendix B, the amount of cornstarch (in tbsp), they used to produce their slime.
The ‘Explain’ stage – 10mins
Teacher is to decide upon the ‘gooiest slime mixture’. Discuss the results and challenges that the students encountered. Did they prove or disprove their hypothesis (what they thought would happen)? Explain that the properties of a mixture are dependent on the amount of materials they use in their mixture. Examples can be used; e.g. I could make a very, chocolaty cake by adding more chocolate, I can dilute (weaken) the strength of cordial by adding more water.
Optional: Teacher can play the video “Lemonadium” which is found at the following link; http://www.science4us.com/elementary-physical-science/matter/materials-and-mixtures/ (Science4Us.com, 2015). It will give examples of mixtures students will come across on a daily basis. Ask students if their understanding of a mixture has changed. The class discussion acts as a formative assessment.
The ‘Evaluate’ stage – …show more content…
Ask students questions about the outcome, when two named materials are mixed together. For example: Some examples are cornstarch and water are mixed together to create a slime/glue, detergent and water can be mixed to make a dish washing liquid etc. The final class discussion and the worksheet from Appendix B. form the Summative Assessment as it shows students can put their understand of mixtures to practise. This can be factored when reflecting on/evaluating the effectiveness of the investigation: does it meet the “5 Steps of Investigation?” (Hackling, Rev. ed. 2005) – Appendix