5.2.6.A.3 6th grade
Physical Science: Physical science principles, including fundamental ideas about matter, energy, and motion, are powerful conceptual tools for
making sense of phenomena in physical, living, and Earth systems science. (5.2)
Properties of Matter: All objects and substances in the natural world are composed of matter. Matter has two fundamental properties: matter takes
up space, and matter has inertia. (A)
Unit/
Time
Essential
Enduring
Labs, Investigation, and Student Experiences
Chapter
Frame
Question
Understanding
How do the The structures of
properties of materials
materials
determine their
determine
properties.
their use?
Content
Cumulative
Instructional Guidance
Statements
Progress
To assist in meeting this CPI, students may:
Indicators
Pure substances have Determine the
 Conduct laboratory investigations to investigate and identify properties of pure substances
characteristic
identity of an
including density, solubility, boiling point and melting point.
intrinsic properties,
unknown
such as density,
substance using
 Identify constituents of various pure materials or objects using a number of standard
solubility, boiling
data about
laboratory techniques (heating, cooling, dissolving, etc.).
point, and melting
intrinsic
point, all of which
properties.
are independent of
5.2.6.A.3
the amount of the
sample.
Desired Results/Assessments
Sample Assessments
To show evidence of meeting this CPI,
students may answer the following
questions:
You are a forensic scientist who has just
been presented with an unknown
material. It is your job to identify the
5.2.6.A.3 6th grade
substance to the best of your scientific
ability. Begin by examining general
properties, the presence or absence of
which can eliminate whole classes of
substances.
1. A few of the basic starting questions
are:





How does the substance respond
to heat?
Does it dissolve in water?
Does it dissolve in any other
solvent?
If it dissolves in water, how does
the solution behave?
Compare your findings with
those known substances that you
worked with in your classroom
investigations to determine the
identity of the substance.
The Properties of Unknown Substances,
an Interview with Sherlock Holmes offers
a vignette for use as a guide related to the
sample assessment.
http://www.chymist.com/properties.pdf
2. The picture shows a way you could
hook up a battery, three wires, and a
light bulb.
Resources
 Inquiry in Action: Investigating Matter through Inquiry, 3rd edition. Permission is granted in advance
for reproduction for classroom use. Please include “Reprinted with permission from Inquiry
in Action, Third Edition, Copyright © 2007, American Chemical Society.”




http://www.inquiryinaction.org/
National Science Digital Library, Science Digital Literacy Maps The Physical Setting:
Conservation of Matter; note the conceptual strand Changing vs. Constant Properties
http://strandmaps.nsdl.org/?id=SMS-MAP-1332
The Physical Setting: Chemical Reactions, note the conceptual strand Changing Properties
http://strandmaps.nsdl.org/?id=SMS-MAP-1349
National Science Digital Library, Science Refreshers
http://nsdl.org/refreshers/science/
Science Curriculum Topic Study:
Properties of Matter, p. 171
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
Explain how you could use these
things to test an item to see if it is
a conductor of electricity.

How could you tell?