Fifth Grade Mini-Unit 1 – Physical and Chemical Changes

Elaborated Unit Focus

In this unit, students will carry out investigations that demonstrate examples of physical change. Students will also
construct arguments based on observations that the physical changes in the state of water are due to temperature
change. Lastly, students will carry out investigations that determine if a chemical change has occurred based on
observable evidence.

At the end of this unit, students will bake pancakes and observe both the physical and chemical changes that are
Culminating Task
involved in the process while noting the evidence that determines whether the changes are physical or chemical.

S5P1. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to explain the differences between a physical change and
a chemical change.

a. Plan and carry out investigations by manipulating, separating and mixing dry and liquid materials and
communicate collected data to demonstrate examples of physical change.
GSE for Science
(standards and b. Construct an argument based on observations that the physical changes in the state of water are due to
elements) temperature changes, which cause small particles that cannot be seen to move differently.

c. Plan and carry out an investigation to determine if a chemical change occurred based on observable evidence
(color, gas, temperature change, odor, new substance produced).

Cross-cutting Concepts
1. Patterns. Observed patterns of forms and events guide organization and classification, and they prompt questions
about relationships and the factors that influence them.

2. Cause and Effect. Mechanism and explanation. Events have causes, sometimes simple, sometimes multifaceted.
A major activity of science is investigating and explaining causal relationships and the mechanisms by which they are
mediated. Such mechanisms can then be tested across given contexts and used to predict and explain events in new

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 contexts.

3. Scale, proportion, and quantity. In considering phenomenon, it is critical to recognize what is relevant at different
measures of size, time, and energy and to recognize how changes in scale, proportion, and quantity affect a system’s
structure or performance.

4. Systems and system models. Defining the system under study - specifying its boundaries and making explicit a
model of that system- provides tools for understanding and testing ideas that are applicable throughout science and
engineering.

5. Energy and matter: Flows, cycles, and conservation. Tracking fluxes of energy and matter into, out of, and within
systems helps one understand the systems’ possibilities and limitations.

6. Structure and Function. The way in which an object or living thing is shaped and its substructure determine many
of its properties and functions.

Literacy standards
ELAGSE5RI4: Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant
to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
ELAGSE5RI7: Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an
answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.
ELAGSE5RI10: By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies,
Connection to Literacy science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Standards for Science
ELAGSE5W2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
(reading and/or
writing) ELAGSE5W4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience.
ELAGSE5W7: Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of
different aspects of a topic.
ELAGSE5SL1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with
diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

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 Booksource
Available Literature to
● Picture Perfect Science - Karen Ansberry, Emily Morgan
enhance instruction
● Pancakes, Pancakes - Eric Carle

Essential Questions and Related Supporting/Guiding Questions

1. What are the characteristics of physical and chemical changes?

Essential Question 2. What evidence do each of these changes show to indicate that they have occurred?

1. What are physical properties and how do we measure them?

2. How would you change the condensed water droplets from the demonstration back into a solid?
3. What happens to the particles when liquid water changes to a solid?
Guiding Questions
4. What are some ways to mix matter?
5. What are some ways to separate mixtures of matter?
6. How are physical and chemical changes alike and different?

● Plan and carry out investigations by manipulating, separating and mixing dry and liquid materials and
communicate collected data to demonstrate examples of physical change.
● Construct an argument based on observations that the physical changes in the state of water are due to
Learning Targets
temperature changes, which cause small particles that cannot be seen to move differently.
● Plan and carry out an investigation to determine in a chemical change occurred based on observable
evidence (color, gas, temperature change, odor, new substance produced)

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Troup County Schools 2017-18
5th Grade Science
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 Instructional Activities
Lesson 1: Intro to Physical Changes
Activating Strategy: Smash it!
● As class begins make a show of eating a peppermint in front of the class, raving about how sweet and tasty
it is! Really play it up and build up their excitement, do not be afraid to be cheesy and have some fun!
The goal is to make them jealous and want a piece for themselves.
● Pull out another peppermint as if you are about to share and set it on a block of wood. Quickly pull out a
hammer that has been hidden and SMASH the peppermint! Give students time to react, then truly give
everyone a peppermint.
● Hold a class discussion about the properties of the peppermint after allowing students to pair and share
their ideas amongst themselves (taste, smell, texture, odor, shape, size, color, etc.) before and after
smashing it. Within this discussion identify the smashing of the peppermint as a physical change,
explaining the observable evidence that makes it a physical change.

Science Journal Entry: What made the peppermint activity a physical change? Describe all of the changes that
took place.

● Provide student groups with as many tangible objects as possible or provide pictures when not. Allow
them to identify their properties, discuss how they may be changed and how those changes are measured.
Make sure to provide examples of solids, liquids, and gases for students to observe/discuss (Play-Doh,
paper, rocks, pencils, tangrams, paper clips, books, water, cotton balls, sponges, cubes, counting
manipulatives, pictures of steam, pictures of the sky/clouds/fog, etc. - any variety of objects of different
shape, size, and material).
● Students will create a table in their journal to record their discussion of the items. Their tables should look
like the table below.

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 Object Properties How the How the Properties are Measured(tools)
Properties can
be Changed

Size:
Shape:
Color:
Texture:
State of Matter:
Odor:
Density:
Volume:

Size:
Shape:
Color:
Texture:
State of Matter:
Odor:
Density:
Volume:

● Whole group discussion: Allow students to share a few responses about the objects from their charts.
Discuss the concept of MATTER and how it is related to properties, changes and measurement.

Science Journal Entry: What are physical properties and how do we measure them in different objects?

Lesson 2: Separating and Mixing Dry and Liquid Materials

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Activating Strategy: Salt Water Separation
● Teacher will set up an investigation about how heat is used to separate a salt water mixture.
● Materials: pie pan, water, salt
● Ask the following question to the class, “If I mix together salt and water, how can I separate them?” Allow
the class to discuss amongst themselves and share a few predictions with the whole group.
● Combine salt and water in a pie pan, stir gently until salt is dissolved. Ask students why the salt
disappeared after it was stirred into the water. (Be sure to discuss the concept of dissolving)
● Ask students to give examples of solids dissolved in liquids and liquids dissolved in liquids.
● Tell the students you are going to put the pie pan outside for a few days. Predict what will happen when
you place the mixture outside in the sun and record in their journals. Set pie pan aside and continue with
stations below. Bring pan back to class in a few days to discuss their observations and predictions.

Mixing and Separating Matter

● Divide class into 5 groups that will rotate through each of the 5 stations below. Supplies will need to be
placed at each table prior to beginning this activity and mix the materials listed. General directions for
each station will be that students will need to use the materials provided to separate each of the items,
noting in their journal how it was accomplished. Before rotating to the next station, students should reset
(mix materials back together):
○ Station 1: Paper Clips, Tangrams, and Pennies
■ Materials: small magnets, mixture: paper clips, tangrams, and pennies
○ Station 2: Split Peas and Sand
■ Materials: strainer, container for mixture, paper cups, mixture: split peas, and sand
○ Station 3: Water and Pepper
■ Materials: mixture: plastic pitcher of water and pepper, cone shaped coffee filter, plastic cups
○ Station 4: Iron Filings and Sand
■ Materials: magnet, mixture: tub of sand and iron filings
○ Station 5: Lucky Charms (Teacher Directed)
■ Materials: Lucky Charms
■ Teacher Instructions: Direct students to separate the cereal from the marshmallows based
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 on their properties without any other direction. Have students share their reasoning for their
separated groupings. Discuss how they separated the mixture.(by hand) After discussion
allow students to experiment with a few other physical changes. Ask students to taste a piece
of cereal, then direct students to crush, break, smash, etc. other pieces and have them taste
some of the smaller broken parts. Now ask the students, “What properties have changed?
and, What properties have stayed the same? “Be sure in your discussion to emphasize that all
of these are physical changes, that nothing new (new matter) is made and that in most the
changes can be undone. Ask students to discuss and record in their journals various
mixtures(pizza, trail mix, fog, salad, clouds, Kool aid/water, laundry in a dryer/washer,
spaghetti/sauce, etc)

Science Journal Entry: What are some ways to mix matter? What are some ways to separate mixtures of
matter?

Look for students to discuss various states of matter and how they can be mixed/separated in their responses.

Lesson 3: Water Changing States

Activating Strategy: Boiling Water
● Pose the question: What do the particles of water do when you add heat or take it away? Allow students
to respond in their journals.
● Teacher will now demonstrate the effects of adding and removing heat from water, beginning in its solid
state.
● Materials: hot plate, pot, pie pan, ice
● Students should make a prediction of what they think will happen to the water and its particles as heat is
added and then taken away.
● Heat up the ice in the pot until it turns to water. Students should illustrate the ice in their journals with a
description of the observable evidence that heat is being added (What is happening to the ice and its
particles? - Look for the students to write about change of state, melting, and the movement of the
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 particles increasing)
● Allow water to boil. Students should illustrate the water in their journals with a description of the
observable evidence that heat is being added (What is happening to the water and its particles? - Look for
the students to write about change of state, boiling, and the movement of the particles increasing).
● Teacher should capture the steam (water vapor) in a pie pan allowing it to condense. Students should
illustrate the rising water vapor and water droplets on the pie pan in their journals with a description of
the observable evidence that heat is being removed (What is happening to the water and its particles? -
Look for the students to write about change of state, evaporate/condense, and the movement of the
particles decreasing during the condensation phase).
● Have a whole group discussion to clear up any misunderstandings at this point and emphasize vocabulary
(change of state, evaporate, condense, water vapor, boiling, heat energy, particles) You may also want to
have an illustrated flow chart of this process on the Promethean Board to show so students can compare
their drawings/labeling with a model.

Science Journal Entry: How would you change the condensed water droplets from the demonstration back
into a solid and how will the particles react? What happens to the particles when water changes from a) a
solid to a liquid, b) a liquid to a gas, and c) a gas to a liquid ?

● As a follow up activity (if needed for more review) have students observe ice in a Ziplock bag, describing
the various states of matter, and what causes it to change state.
● You may also use this point of the unit to make ice cream in a bag with your class. Be sure to check with
your school in advance about purchasing materials. http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-
Homemade-Ice-Cream-in-a-Bag/

Lesson 4: Intro to Chemical Changes

Activating Strategy: Burnt Marshmallows
● Materials: marshmallows, pie pan/foil lined bowl, utility lighter
● Once class begins start eating a few marshmallows in front of the students playing up how delicious they
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 are. Say, “Man, these would be so much better toasted!”
● Using the lighter and a pie pan or foil lined bowl, begin toasting a marshmallow with a utility lighter.
When lightly toasted walk pan around the room and allow students to smell the odor of the toasted
marshmallow. Then, proceed to char the outside of the marshmallow (do not allow marshmallow to flame
up much in the charring process to avoid fire alarm detection). Once again you will allow students to smell
the marshmallow.
● Have students work together in groups to describe the changes to the marshmallow. Then, pose the
question, “Is this a physical change?” Allow student to discuss/debate amongst themselves based on the
observable evidence.
● Whole group discussion will direct students understanding that this is a new type of change, a chemical
change. Have students talk about why this is a chemical change and not a physical change. Make sure to
emphasize here that the change cannot be undone and that new matter was created (observable burnt
area on marshmallow, and that heat was used to burn the marshmallow).

Science Journal Entry: In 3 minutes, write how are physical and chemical changes alike and different?

● What’s the Matter? –Use pages 3-4

○ Complete the experiment above following the directions and using materials listed on page three.
Allow students to answer all questions on pages three and four, excluding vocabulary words
“qualitative” and “quantitative” on page 4, question 6.

Science Journal Entry: How do you know that a gas is produced as a result of mixing baking soda and
vinegar?

Lesson 5: Evidence of Chemical Changes

● Divide students into groups at your discretion and complete the experiment linked below. You will need
to set up for this experiment prior to class.
● http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments/steelwoolvinegar.html
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Science Journal Entry: What is the evidence of a chemical change for this activity? (Strong odor, heat, gas,
rust-new substance)

Culminating Task

Culminating Activity: Students will make pancakes and draw conclusions based on evidence of the physical
and chemical changes throughout the process. Students will also author a unique creative story based on
application of concepts investigated during the pancake activity.

Remember the essential questions:

What are the characteristics of physical and chemical changes?
What evidence do each of these changes show to indicate that they have occurred?

Change Cafe
Background:
Learners explore the differences between chemical and physical changes by observing a variety of changes in
matter. Learners observe the physical and chemical change of cooking pancakes.

Teacher Instructions
Chemical Café Pancakes – This is out of the Picture Perfect Science book. The pages give directions and
explanations of activity. (p227, 233-234. We will evaluate through the authoring piece, not the New Menu Items
found on p. 234)
***You will need to order the following items in advance through a purchase order at your school;

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-Plates
-Forks
-Pancake Mix (Add water only)
- Griddle or frying pan and hot plates
Student Instructions
Task 1: As students enter divide them into groups and have them sit together for the duration of Tasks 1 and 2.
Teacher will read aloud Pancakes, Pancakes! (If you don’t have the book, you can google it on YouTube) as
described on page 233 of Picture Perfect Science beginning with “Explain.” Once read aloud, students will
complete a prediction chart in their journals as follows using the recipe provided in the link below:

http://www.food.com/recipeprint.do?rid=25690

Recipe Step Chemical Change(X) Physical Change(X) Evidence

Beat the Egg

Add milk and

margarine

Add dry ingredients

and mix

Heat butter on a
griddle

Test pan with drop

of water

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 Batter bubbles

Cut Pancake

Eat a bite of the

pancake

Students will mark predictions as to whether steps within the recipe are chemical or physical changes by putting
an “X” under their choice. They will then back up their prediction with the evidence they used to determine
their choice. Discuss student predictions as a whole group.

Task 2: To complete Task 2 students will remain in the same group as Task 1. Follow “Elaborate” section of
“Chemical Change Cafe” on pages 233-234. You will need to bring an electric griddle to make pancakes or a non-
electric griddle to use with the hot plate. Students should do any written work in their journal. Hold a whole
group discussion to clear up misunderstandings and students will notate in their predictions chart correct
responses.

Task 3: Students will write a unique creative story that involves the application of the concepts that were
investigated during the pancake activity in Tasks 1 and 2. In their writing they will need to be sure to answer the
essential questions:
What are the characteristics of physical and chemical changes?
What evidence do each of these changes show to indicate that they have occurred?

The focus of the writing piece should remain on how the process of cooking has both physical and chemical
changes. Students can write about cooking any food item that includes both of these changes where they
provide the evidence for each type of change (i.e. cakes, brownies, cookies, scrambled eggs, waffles).

Teachers will collect the final product for grading purposes.

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