Kirk’s Lesson on Chemical Reactions
Lesson Objective:
Course/Grade Level: 8th grade
Materials: Students working in 8 groups of 4 lab benches.
Standard(s) addressed: Sample
NGSS PE:
MS- PS1-2
Science and
Engineering
Practice 3
RST.6-8.1
WHST.6-8.7
PS1.A: Structure
and Properties of
Matter
PS1.B: Chemical
Reactions
Cross Cutting
Concepts
Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and
after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has
occurred.
Planning and carrying out an investigation
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical
texts
Conduct a short research project to answer a question, drawing on
several resources and generating additional related, focused questions
that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
Each pure substance has characteristic physical and chemical properties
(for any bulk quantity under given conditions) that can be used to identify
it. (MS-PS1-2),(MS-PS1-3) Supplemental DCI ESS3.C, LS4.D
Substances react chemically in characteristic ways. In a chemical
process, the atoms that make up the original substances are regrouped
into different molecules, and these new substances have different
properties from those of the reactants. (MS-PS1-2),(MS-PS1-3)
Supplemental DCI ESS3.C, LS4.D,(MS-PS1-5)
 Patterns: Microscopic Patterns are related to the nature of
microscopic and atomic level structure. (Patterns of reactions)
 Cause and Effect
 Scale Proportion and Quantity
 Energy and Matter
 Structure and Function
CCSS-ELA and CA ELD Standards Addressed: Sample
Comprehension and Collaboration
CCRSpeaking/Listening
1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations
and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas
and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media
and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of
evidence and rhetoric.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that
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CCR- Reading
CCR- Writing
CCR- Language
listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization,
development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience.
5. Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to
express information and enhance understanding of
presentations.
6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks,
demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or
appropriate.
Key Ideas and Details
1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to
make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence
when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the
text.
2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their
development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and
interact over the course of a text.
Craft and Structure
4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and
analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences,
paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section,
chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts
independently and proficiently.
Text Types and Purposes*
1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive
topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient
evidence.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey
complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the
effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
Production and Distribution of Writing
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7.
Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects
based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the
subject under investigation.
Conventions of Standard English
1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English
grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Knowledge of Language
3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language
functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for
meaning or style and to comprehend more fully when reading or
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CA ELD Interactions
listening.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiplemeaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing
meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized
reference materials, as appropriate.
A. Collaborative (engagement in dialogue with others)
1. Exchanging information/ideas via oral communication and
conversations
2. Interacting via written English (print and multimedia)
3. Offering opinions and negotiating with/persuading others
4. Adapting language choices to various contexts
B. Interpretive (comprehension and analysis of written and spoken
texts)
5. Listening actively and asking/answering questions about what
was heard
6. Reading closely and explaining interpretations/ideas from
reading
C. Productive (creation of oral presentations and written texts)
9. Expressing information and ideas in oral presentations
10. Composing/writing literary and informational texts
11. Supporting opinions or justifying arguments and evaluating
others’ opinions or arguments
12. Selecting and applying varied and precise vocabulary and
other language resources
5-E Lesson Plan components:
Engage: Connect to Prior Knowledge and Experience
Estimated Time
58 min
Descriptions:
Students will make observations of baking soda, calcium chloride, granulated sugar, and water. Students
will combine the four substances, observe what happens and write a scientific explanation.
Teacher’s Role
Teacher Questions
Students’ Role
Concepts
Part 1:
Part 1:
Part 1:
When a chemical
reaction occurs
 Provide students with When teacher sees
 Follow directions on
students at the point of
something usually
“What happens to
handout
working on their scientific  Make observations of changes to have
Properties when I
explanation…
new properties.
combine
chemical reaction
substances?”
 Explain what they are
What did you observe?
Examples:
handout
seeing
Bubbles, temperature
Bubbles form
 Explain chemical set
 State their claim and
change, not all
Heat is given off
up in front of
give evidence from
dissolved
Solubility changes
students
their observations to
 Explain safety
support their claim
What is a claim?
concerns
 Use scientific
what you think is
 Tell students to
knowledge to
happening
follow directions on
connect the claim
handout and make
with the evidence
observations, explain What evidence supports
that?
what they think is
Part 2:
happening, write a
 Students write down
Part 2:
claim, give evidence
their questions and
to support claim, and Tell students to read the
post them
questions that are posted  Students read and
give reasoning.
and think about which
3
Part 2:
might be testable and
 Tell students to write which might not be.
down new questions
Ask students to pick a
brought up their
question that they are
exploration on
interested in and go
sentence strips and
stand by it. (can be
tape on wall
different from original
 Facilitate separation
group).
of questions into
testable/not testable
categories (post
grouping on wall)
 Looking at testable
questions, group into
similar type question
groups
Explore: Hands-on Learning, Contextualize
Language, Use of Scaffolding, Use of Multiple
Intelligences, Check for Understanding
Description:
Teacher’s Role
discuss questionstestable/not testable
Estimated Time
58 min
Students’ Role
Teacher Questions
Explain: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing to
Communicate Conceptual Understanding
Description:
Estimated Time
20 min
Teacher’s Role
Students’ Role
Teacher Questions
Evaluate: Thinking Maps, Summarize Lesson and
Review Vocabulary, Variety of Assessment Tools
Description:
Assess learning goal
Teacher’s Role
Teacher Questions
Check for understanding
What is a chemical
reaction?
Concepts
Concepts
Estimated time
7 min
Students’ Role
Demonstrating what they
learned about chemical
4
Concepts
reactions
What evidence can you
use to determine if a
chemical reaction
occurs?
Extend: Group Projects, Plays, Murals, Songs,
Estimated Time
Connections to Real World, Connections to other
Curricular Areas
Description:
Students design a way to make a piece of chalk, large enough to write their name on the board.
(engineering)
OR
Show me a new property using what you know about solubility. (make chalk)
Teacher’s Role
Teacher Questions
Students’ Role
Concepts
Resources: Sample:


Beauchamp, A., Kusnick, J., & McCallum, R. (2011). Success in science through dialogue,
reading and writing. Davis, CA: Regents of California.
Bybee Rodger (1997) Achieving Scientific Literacy: From Purposes to Practices
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