Learning Plan (Co-Taught)

Science

Elsie Drynan

Grade 4

Makenzie Hintt
Lesson Title: Mixtures and Solutions
About 2 days, 45 minutes each day
Learning Targets

Students will
Students will
observations
Students will
Students will
observation
Students will

know the definition of a mixture

be able to identify a mixture based on physical
know the definition of a solution
be able to identify a solution based on physical
be able to compare and contrast mixtures and solutions

I can list the defining characteristics of a mixture

I can list the defining characteristics of a solution
I can make observations of physical changes
I can organize differences and similarities between a mixture and a
solution using a Venn diagram

Next Generation Science/Engineering Practices:

5-PS1-3. Make observations and measurements to identify materials

based on their properties.
5-PS1-4. Conduct an investigation to determine whether the mixing of
two or more substances results in new substances.

Next Generation Disciplinary Concept Ideas:

PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter
PS1.B: Chemical Reactions
Essential Science Question:

What is the difference between a mixture and solution and what are the
similarities?
Materials/Resources/Digital Media Needed:
Class discussion:
1. Large piece of construction paper to record student responses
2. Markers to write down student ideas
Teacher demonstration of mixtures and solutions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

2 clear plastic cups

About 1 cup of water in each plastic cup
1 tablespoon of glitter (we used pink glitter)
10 drops of food coloring (we used red food coloring)
Sharpies to label the cups
One piece of notebook paper per student so that they can write down
their observations while watching the teacher demonstration.

Students exploration of mixtures and solutions:

Each group will need: (we have about 8 groups)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

2 clear plastic cups

Sharpies to label their cups (label them cup 1 and cup 2)
A cup of water in each cup
A tablespoon of sugar
A tablespoon of colored rocks or sand (we used colorful fish tank rocks)
2 popsicle sticks
A My Definitions worksheet (see attachment)
A My Observations worksheet (see attachment)
A Venn Diagram worksheet (see attachment)

Making ice cream during the extend portion:

Each child will need:
1. 1 tablespoon of sugar
2. cup of cream, milk, or half-n-half (depending on the richness you are
wanting)
3. teaspoon of vanilla extract (or other flavoring)
4. 6 tablespoons of salt
5. Enough ice to fill half of a gallon sized zip lock bag

6.
7.
8.
9.

1 gallon sized zip lock bag

1 pint sized zip lock bag
Fruit to add to their ice cream (we used Cran-raisins)
A spoon to enjoy your ice cream

Learning Sequence (Five Es, Model-It, or Design Cycle)

Engage
Day 1

Estimated
Time
10-15
minutes

Demonstration:
Teacher asks students to pay attention
carefully and to use their paper, pencil and
red writing utensil to draw or write about
what they observe while the teacher is
doing the demonstration.
Teacher does demonstration while students
draw (teacher puts food coloring in one
clear glass of water and puts glitter in
another clear glass of water and stirs both).
Teacher asks students to draw a picture of
what happened or to write an explanation of
what is happening and why. Students will do
this activity independently and not with
group members.
Next, teacher asks students to raise their
hand and verbalize the differences between
the two substances to the class. While
students individually share to the whole
group, teacher will write characteristics that
describe a mixture in one group and
characteristics of a solution in another
group (without telling students the grouping
rule, and not labeling the two categories
mixtures and solutions, to see if students
can figure it out during their experiment).
The characteristics will be written on large
construction paper and left up throughout
the whole experiment so students can use
the correct vocabulary and spelling.
To transition to the next activity, teacher
asks students to try and figure out the
rule for grouping these characteristics the

way they did on the construction paper.

Students will figure this out when doing
their own experiment
Explore
Day 1

Estimated
Time
20-25
minutes

Making mixtures activity in text book:

Before students sit down they will be
numbered 1-8 coming through the door. This
will decide what group they will be in. With
8 groups that will ensure that there are no
more than 3-4 students per group.
After the class discussion/demonstration
students will be able to explore this
phenomenon on their own.
All supplies will be on the desk and
measured out, other than the water. This
way, students will be able to move quickly
into their exploration.
The teacher will hand each student their
My Observations worksheet, for him or her
to record his or her findings and
measurements.
The teachers role is to walk around and
provide support on how to set up the
experiment and record findings, but the
exploration should be student led and
student controlled.
Let students decide how they want to do the
experiment, with them knowing the
expectation is for them to accomplish the
worksheet in 25 minutes.
Students will be responsible to mix in the
sand/rock in one cup, mix in the sugar in
another cup, measure the water (defined as
our constant, students have been working
on constants prior to this exploration)
before mixing in add-ins, and to record what
happens in the different cups.
Students will also need to stir each mixture
for 30 seconds to see what happens to the
add-ins
Their observation worksheet will then be put

in their science notebook for later reference.

Explain
Day 1

Estimated
Time
10 Minutes

Extend
Day 2

Estimated
Time
20-25
minutes

Students will now be asked to discuss their

findings with their group members and what
they agree upon about their finding
Then as a group the class will refer back to
the big construction paper they had filled
out during the engagement. The teacher
can ask, So what is my rule? The teacher
can also ask what two words do we use to
describe these two categories?
At this time the teacher will pass out the
My Definitions worksheet. Now that the
students know the words and there is a lot
of vocabulary listed on the construction
paper they can make their own definitions
for mixture and solution. Definitions should
be similar to:
1. Mixture: Matter made up of two or more
substances or materials that are physically
combined. (Lesson 3, E54)
2. Solution: A mixture in which the particles of
one kind of matter are mixed evenly with
the particles of other kinds of matter.
(Lesson 3, E58)
Anticipate that these definitions will more
than likely include student friendly
language, which they had agreed upon in
their group.
To end the day we will talk about the
definitions we had made, and what is to
come the next day. We will briefly tell the
students that they will be making a type of
solution, but that the solution needs the
help of a mixture to completely dissolve.
Students will be making ice cream and
deciding whether what they had created is a
mixture and solution. (The ice cream is both
because there is a milk, sugar and vanilla
solution, but when you add cran-raisins it
becomes a mixture). Students where told

what we were making the day before and

asked to go home and think about whether
they think it is a mixture or a solution.
The solution is pre-mixed in Zip-lock bags
and the students will just add the cranraisins to their solution before putting it in
the bag of ice.
Once their bag is zipped and ready to go,
they will put their baggie in a gallon size
bag filled half way with ice and with 6
tablespoons of rock salt.
The students will need to zip the gallonsized bag and shake the bag for 3-5
minutes.
Once the ice cream is at the correct
consistency then you can open it and enjoy!
While students are mixing you can discuss
what is happening with the salt and the ice,
this portion will be brief because the class
hasnt yet discussed chemical changes.

***While eating ice cream discuss whether it is a

mixture or a solution. How do we know? Also
discuss the so what. Why does it matter/why is
it useful to be able to identify solutions and
mixtures?
Evaluati
on

Estimated
Time

Day 2

15-20
minutes

Revisit the engage activity, we will have the large

construction paper back up on the board for
student to look at and use in their last activity.
Hand out the Venn Diagram worksheet to all
students. Students will work individually to
complete a Venn diagram that compares and
contrasts solutions and mixtures. At the bottom
of the Venn Diagram, respond to the question:
Why is it useful to know the difference between
solutions and mixtures? The students will need to
use three examples from their Thanksgiving list
made on the smart board and have 3
characteristics which they listed on day one (this
will be for a mixture and solutions, in the both
column student will need to have one example

and one characteristic.

Assessment
Rubric

Learning

Below
Targe
t

Target

See separate
page!

References

Just
Startin
g!

Approac
hing
Target
Getting
There!

At
Targ
et
Your
e
Ther
e!

Abo
ve
Targ
et
Im a
Star!

5 Minute Ice Cream:

Grabianowski, E. (n.d.). How Ice Cream Works. Retrieved
November 20,2014, from
http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/ice-cream3.htm

School Science Book:

Lesson 3: What are Mixtures and Solutions? (2009).
In The Nature of Science (pp. E52-E59). Boston:
Houghton Miller Company.

Assessment Rubric
Learning
Target
I can define
and identify a
mixture.
I can define
and identify a

Below
Target
D
Not complete

Not complete

Approachin
g Target
C
I have 1-2
characteristic
s and 1-2
examples
I have 1-2
characteristic

At Target
B
I have 2-3
characteristic
s and 2-3
examples
I have 2-3
characteristic

Above
Target
A
I have 3-4
characteristic
s and 3-4
examples
I have 3-4
characteristic

solution.
I can
correctly use
a Venn
diagram to
organize
similarities
and
differences
between
mixtures and
solutions
using the
vocabulary I
have learned

Students

Male
1
2

Female

X
X
X

s and 2-3
examples
I have filled
out the Venn
diagram,
missing a
few, and I
have
incorporated
some
scientific
vocabulary

Pre

3
4

Not complete

s and 1-2
examples
I have not
filled out the
Venn
Diagram
completely,
and I have
little to no
scientific
vocabulary.

Post
0

s and 3-4
examples
My Venn
diagram is
completely
filled out and
accurately
organized. I
have used my
scientific
vocabulary.

8
9

X
X

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

0
D

0
C

22

23

24

*Used the same rubric above for pre and post assessment. Only assessed first two
rows for the pre assessment. The 0s are for students who were absent during the
lesson or did not turn in their work.
Reflection:
Part IV:
What I noticed most while grading the pre-assessment and post-assessment
is that the students made a lot more observations during the pre-assessment, and
did not use these observations in their post-assessment. Very few of our students
were able to score over a C on their venn diagram. This could have been a result of
a lack of direction, leading to the students not understanding what was expected of
them. I did notice that all the females but one moved up a letter grade or two, from

the pre-assessment to the post-assessment. Where four males did not advance in
grades and only two males moved up two letter grades from pre-assessment to
post-assessment. Students were able to verbalize the differences in their
observations of mixtures and solutions, but that was not apparent in their venn
diagram. Unfortunately I did not grade their observations when the students did
their own experiments. Looking back I would have graded these because the
students performed far better then they did on their post-assessment.
I chose a females work as an example (see attached photos). As you can see
she was very detailed in her observations when Makenzie and I did the experiment.
She was then able distinguish between mixtures and solutions when doing her own
observations. I can see that she understood the differences, but then in the Venn
diagram she only lists one characteristic and the rest are examples of mixtures and
solutions. This was a common result for all students. When seeing that type of
commonality it is safe to assume that the class as a whole did not understand the
directions given by Makenzie and myself.
Part V:
In the future I would try to give direct instruction about what I expect to see
at the end of a science experiment. I feel as though I did a disservice to the
students by not being as direct as I could have been, which led to a lack of
participation in the Venn diagram. I think that the students understood more about
mixtures and solutions then the Venn diagram (post-assessment) showed. I like that
in the second round of teaching the lesson Makenzie was able to give the students a
word bank. I am curious to know what the post-assessments looked like for that
section (mine was from the first). I also think that I would go back and grade their
definitions instead of their Venn diagram, because this worksheet gave them a
chance to show what they know, and give examples of what a mixtures and what a
solution is. Overall, I think that our students learned a lot about mixtures and
solutions, but our post-assessment was flawed and did not show how much the
students had grown.
In the future I think I would begin to teach this class about forms of energy.
That would be the logical next step after making ice cream and fits into the Next
Generation Science Standards for fourth grade:
4-PS3D: Energy in Chemical Processes and Everyday Life
4-PS3-1: Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed
of an object to the
energy of that object.
4-PS3-2: Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be
transferred from
place to place by sound, light, heat and electric
currents.

4-PS3-3: Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in

energy that occur
when objects collide.
4-PS3-4: Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that
converts energy
from one form to another.
I think that the students would be ready to learn about this having the physical
changes learned and well understood. I also think that moving on to these
standards will improve the students ability to form a useful experiment that
addresses their questions and allows them to test out different energy, like thermal
energy. As a class we could refer back to the ice cream making to see if the student
can make connections between the physical observations and the form of energy
the milk needs to become ice cream and what is providing that energy (salt and
ice). After the students make the connection then they can look for other examples
of thermal energy and as a class we can form an experiment to see thermal energy
in action, easier then the ice cream.