ELEMENTS, COMPOUNDS, AND MIXTURES

Lesson Plan
Rationale:
Students will need to be able to recognize the difference between
elements, mixtures, and compounds in future science classes.

Objectives:
₪ Students will be able to identify a substance as an element, mixture or
compound correctly

Materials:
Worksheet for each student, candy- starbursts, toothpicks ( 6 or 7 each
student).

Teacher Instructions
INTRODUCTION
• In class the last couple of days you have been thinking about MATTER.
o What is matter? (anything that has mass and takes up space)
o Today we are going to take a look at the three classes of matter:
Elements, Compounds, and Mixtures.
• On the handout there is a list of about 15 substances, I would like you to
individually go through the list and write down what you think whether the
item is an element (E), compound (C), or mixture (M).
• After students are done go through a couple of items on the list
o Ask what they are – a lot of times the students will not agree (that is
why we are doing this)

CANDY ACTIVITY
• Give each student about 10 pieces of some type of soft candy (gum drops/
starburst) and 6 or 7 toothpicks
• Tell the students that each color of the candy represents a different type of
atom on the periodic table.
o What is an atom? (the smallest particle that has the properties of an
element)
• We are going to use these candies to show the difference between
elements, compounds, and mixtures
• ELEMENTS:
o Separate the different types of atoms into piles
o By separating the different atoms from each other we have created
piles of elements
 o What is an element? (a substance that cannot be broken down into
a simpler substance by a chemical reaction)
o just like your candy – they cannot be broken down anymore and
still be candy!
• COMPOUNDS:
o How will we make compounds?
o What do the toothpicks represent? (bonds)
o Bonds hold compounds together so use your bonds to make a
compound of your choice
o Draw this compound on the handout (represent all the colors in the
compound)
o Have some students share with the class their compound – point
out many of the structures they have made occur in chemistry like
cubes and rings
o Define compound: a substance made of atoms of more than one
element bound together
o These elements and compounds can be known as PURE
SUBSTANCES
 If you only have iron with iron, it is pure
 If you have only water with water, it is pure
 TO BE PURE  ONLY ONE SUBSTANCE IS PRESENT
• MIXTURES:
o Using compounds and elements make a mixture
o Draw this mixture in the space provided on the handout
o What are the differences between mixtures and compounds?
(mixtures are many elements and/or compounds close together,
while compounds are held together by chemical bonds)
• Go through the list below again to determine if substances are elements,
compounds, or mixtures
• Tell them the correct answers