Grade Level: 1st

Topic: Matter (Dissolving Solids in Water)

Essential Questions: (What question(s) will students grapple with as they learn through this
lesson?)

What information about the properties of matter can be gathered by observation?

How can objects within each state of matter be different?

Primary Content Objectives:

Students will know: (facts/information)

Water dissolves some solids (powder, sugar, baking soda)

Water does not dissolve some solids (sand, rocks)
Whether or not a substance dissolves in water is a property of matter

Students will understand: (big ideas)

Objects within a state of matter can have different properties from one another
Properties of matter are used to describe objects

Students will be able to do: (skills and behaviors)

Predict and test which solids will dissolve in water and which will not
Examine and illustrate what occurs when different solids are mixed with water
Articulate that not all solids dissolve in water

Related state or national standards: (Examples include State Standards of Learning, Common
Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards or National Curriculum Standards for
Social Studies)

VA SOL 1.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic, and the
nature of science by planning and conducting investigations in which
i) observations and data are recorded, analyzed, and communicated orally and
with simple graphs, pictures, written statements, and numbers; and
j) simple investigations and experiments are conducted to answer questions
VA SOL 1.3 The student will investigate and understand how different common materials
interact with water. Key concepts include:
b) some solids will dissolve in water, but others will not

Assessment: (How (and when) will students be assessed? What evidence will you collect to
determine whether students have met the lesson objectives? Will the assessment(s) be a preassessment (diagnostic), formative (ongoing feedback) or summative?)

The teacher will assess the students prior knowledge on the different properties of matter
they have discussed in previous lessons. If needed, before introducing the new property
of matter, the teacher can spend time reviewing the other properties. This will be a preassessment.
The teacher will ask a serious of questions at the end of the experiment to gauge whether
they need to clarify any information before the end of the lesson. This assessment will be
formative.
The students will be completing an experiment worksheet, which they will hand in at the
end of the lesson. This worksheet will be summative and let the teacher see if that student
was able to make predictions, observe, and explain what actually happened in the
experiment.
The students will complete an exit ticket at the end of the lesson answering a series of
questions that focus on the learning objectives of this lesson. While this assessment is
summative, the teacher will also use it to help plan the next lesson in the unit on matter.

Materials and Resources: (List here all materials that you will need in order to successfully
teach this lesson. Include technology and website links, texts, graphic organizers, student
handouts, physical manipulatives, etc.)

Experiment worksheets
Exit Tickets
6 clear cups of water
Powder split in 6 different cups
Sugar split in 6 different cups

Sand split in 6 different cups

Rocks split in 6 different cups
Baking soda split in 6 different cups
Pepper split in 6 different cups
6 spoons (1 for each table)
A board to write on and writing utensils

Key Vocabulary and Definitions:

Solids: have a definite size and shape

Solubility: ability of an object to dissolve
Solvent: substance that does the dissolving
Solute: substance that dissolves
Dissolve: to cause to disappear; to cause a solid to be reduced to liquid form

Lesson Procedures:
1. Introduction and goal orientation:
Have any of you ever made Kool-Aid before? You have a pitcher of water and a packet of
the Kool-Aid powder. What happens when you mix the two together? Have students
respond (they mixed together; the powder dissolved) Today we are going to experiment
with mixing different solids with a liquid (water), predict what we think will happen, and
record our findings.
2. Connecting to prior knowledge and experiences: (Questions or activities that help
students make links)
We have been learning about matter and the differences between solids, liquid, and
gases. We have learned that we can describe matter by its properties. Lets think of some
of the different properties of matter we have talked about. Students respond while the
teacher either writes them down on a board or refers to a list made in a previous lesson.
Since we are going to be experimenting with solids, lets talk about a property of solids:
its shape. We know that solids have a definite size and shape, but do all solids have the
same size and shape? Its important to know that there are differences in properties
within one state of matter. Refer to two objects in the class that have different shapes (a
desk and a chair)
3. Tasks and activities: (What challenging tasks and activities will students engage in as
they construct knowledge, learn new skills or behaviors and develop understandings?)

We are going to learn about a new property of matter today: solubility. Solubility means
that an object is able to dissolve. Write the word on the property chart and have the
students say the definition back to you. Ask what it means to dissolve.
There are two other words that we are going to learn and use when talking about the
solubility of an object. The first word is solvent. This is the substance that does the
dissolving. Today, our solvent is going to be water. The other word is solute. Solute is
what we will call the solids that dissolve.
Experiment: Split up the students into 6 groups and hand them each their experiment
worksheet. There will be six stations to each group goes to. At each station will be one
type of solid and a clear cup of water. Explain to the students that at each station they are
going to predict what they think will happen to the solid: will it dissolve or not? One
person from the group will pour the solid into the cup of water and stir with a spoon.
They will record what happened (did it dissolve or not) and draw a picture illustrating
what happened. The teacher will model one example of how to fill out the chart with a
random solid object.
o As the students are conducting the experiments, the teacher, teacher aid, and any
volunteers will help monitor the students.

4. Closure: (How will you wrap up the lesson and reinforce key ideas? Closure may include
some form of assessment or exit slip)
After they have gone through each station, the students will return to their seats and
complete the exit ticket that is at each of their desks. The exit ticket will be a list of
questions regarding what they just learned and the experiment they completed.
After each student has had time to answer the questions, the teacher will gather all the
students on the rug. The teacher will draw a chart on the board and label one side Solute
and the other side Not Solute. In a think-pair-share activity, have the students discuss
with a partner what solute means again. Then, ask the class these questions:
o What solids go under the solute side? Which go under the not solute side?
o What observations can you make about the chart?
o Did all of the solids dissolve?
Reinforce that they just learned about another property of matter
The students will hand in the experiment worksheet and their exit ticket, which will be
used as an assessment.

Accommodations for individual differences: How will you modify the content (what is
learned), the process (how the content is mastered) or product (how the learning is observed and
evaluated) to support diverse learners? Describe additional supports that can be used for reteaching if needed, and a challenging extension for students for demonstrate mastery quickly or
show evidence of a lot of prior knowledge.

Visual supports: Have vocabulary terms written on an anchor chart and visible for the
students
Assign the students in groups so that there are a variety of level skills in each group so
that the students can help one another with the experiments. The teacher and any other
parent volunteer will be observing and offering their assistance to any student who seems
to be struggling with the experiment.
If the lesson needs to be re-taught, the students can use their experiment worksheets to
make a photo journal of what happened in the experiment to have that added visual to
help them.
Students can also make a flipbook of the different properties of matter they have learned
about (if not already done so in a previous lesson)
Extension: Why is it important to know which solids dissolve in water? What are some
ways that we benefit from something dissolving in water? What are some ways that we
benefit from something that doesnt dissolve in water? Think of a solid that you want to
test to see if it dissolves and design an experiment (can be an independent study project)