Physical Science Lesson Plan
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Lesson title: “The Edible Periodic Table”
Grade Level: 5th Grade
References: Jackie Barnett
Student Groupings: Students will begin the lesson as a whole group and then
work individually. Students who are SDC (Special Day Class), RSP (Resource
Students Program), and ELL (English Language Learners) will be partnered up
with a peer that is assigned by the teacher.
5. CSES: 5th Grade, Physical Sciences
1d—Students know that each element is made of one kind atom and that
the elements are organized in the periodic table by their chemical
properties.
Investigation and Experimentation
6a—Classify objects (e.g., rocks, plants, leaves) in accordance with
appropriate criteria.
6. Lesson Goal(s): ASW Know how the periodic table is organized.
7. Lesson Objective(s): ASW will Choose an element from the periodic table;
Construct the element; Sketch the element; Identify the properties of the
element.
8. Scientific Concepts:
Essential Question: What are the properties of the element that you chose?
Hypothesis: If I choose ________, then I will have to use _______, _________, and
_________ to create my element.
9. Assessment: Students will complete an Alternative Assessment-the students have
to draw out what their element looks like and write why they use those materials
to build the element, all of the elements information, and one use for the
element, metal, non-metal, or metalloid.
10. Lesson Procedures:
Materials: Large sugar cookies, M&M's, skittles, marshmallows, peanut butter
chips, chocolate chips, sprinkles, frosting, popcorn, raisins, jelly beans, plates,
napkins, 3x5 cards, pencil, crayons, color pencils, or markers, periodic table.
Resources: A white board and dry-erase markers.
Technology: If available, an overhead projector to show how the 3x5 card is
supposed to look.
Steps:
As a whole group, students will be instructed on the purpose of the
periodic table and why it is organized by the elements chemical
properties.
Students will be given the materials to complete the lab.
Students will then write their hypothesis on their 3x5 card.
Students will begin the lab by choosing an element from the periodic
table that has eight or less atoms.
Then they will design their element with the food that was given to them.
Then they will draw what their element looks like after they have created
it.
Also on the 3x5 card they will write the elements information such as:
Atomic Number, Atomic Mass, Symbol, Elements Name, 1 use for the
element, metal, non-metal, or metalloid, and why they used the food they
chose.
11. Learning Cycle:
a. Into (1. Question & 2. Hypothesis): Students will be asked three questions to
introduce the lab: “What is the periodic table?”, “Why is it organized by
their chemical properties?”, and “What is a hypothesis?”. The goals and
objectives for the Edible Periodic Table will be explained. Students will
choose their element. Students will write their hypothesis on their 3x5 card.
This should take 10 to 15 minutes.
b. Through (3. Experimental Design, 4. Data Collection, 5 Data Display):
Students will be given the supplies to complete the Edible Periodic Table
lab - Large sugar cookies, M&M's, skittles, marshmallows, peanut butter
chips, chocolate chips, sprinkles, frosting, popcorn, raisins, jelly beans,
plates, napkins, 3x5 cards, pencil, crayons, and periodic table. Students
will make their element with the given supplies. Students will draw their
element on their 3x5 card and write the elements information, one use for
the element, and why they used those supplies. This should take about 25
minutes.
c. Beyond (6. Data Analysis and 7. Formulating a conclusion): Class will
discuss the usefulness of the periodic table and why they chose that
specific element that they created. 3x5 cards will be handed in and
graded. I will also collect the alternative assignment for the accelerated
learners and grade it on whether or not they chose an element that has
more than eight atoms and if they described the element and explained
why they chose that particular element. This should take about 25
minutes.
12. Adaptions:
Accelerated Learners-- They can do an element that has more than eight atoms
to challenge themselves.
OHI (Other Handicapped Impaired) -- For a student who cannot use their arms,
they will be paired with a student who can use their arms.
Accelerated Learners—assigned as a peer tutor for SDC, RSP, and ELL students.
ELL (English Language Learners)—Paired with a peer to assist with completing the
lab
Deaf Students—Will be paired with a non-deaf student and will be able to tell the
non-dead student which element they want and what they want to use on it.
13. Websites:
It’s Elemental—Element Flash Cards
http://education.jlab.org/elementflashcards/index.html
It’s Elemental—Element Crossword Puzzles
http://education.jlab.org/elementcrossword/index.html
It’s Elemental—Element Word Scramble
http://education.jlab.org/elementwordscramble/index.html
It’s Elemental—Element Matching Game
http://education.jlab.org/elementmatching/index.html
It’s Elemental—Element Concentration Game
http://education.jlab.org/elementconcentration/index.html
Chemical Elements.com—An Interactive Periodic Table of Elements
http://www.chemicalelements.com/
14. Children’s Literature:
“The Periodic Table: Elements with Style.” By Simon Basher & Adrian
Dingle. ISBN: 978-0-7534-1511-5
“The Periodic Table.” By Salvatore Tocci. ISBN: 9780516278520
“The Mystery of the Periodic Table.” By Benjamin Wiker & Jeanne Bendick.
ISBN: 978-1883937713
“The Noble Gases: Helium, Neon, Argon, Krypton, Xenon, Radon
(Understanding the Elements of the Periodic Table).” By Adam Furgang.
ISBN 9781435835580
“The Alkali Metals: Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, Rubidium, Cesium,
Francium (Understanding the Elements of the Periodic Table).” By Kristi
Lew. ISBN 9781435853300
15. ELA Standard: Organization and Focus: 2.1 a. Establish a topic, important ideas,
or events in sequence or chronological order.
16. Arts: Creative Expression: 2.2 Create gesture and contour observational
drawings.
17. Handouts & Presentation:
Periodic Table
Example of what the 3x5 card looks like
Rubric
Periodic Table notes
Rubric
Did the student write out a hypothesis?_____________
Did the student pick an element that had eight or less atoms?________________
Accelerated Learner: Did the student pic an element that had more than eight
atoms?_____________
Did the student explain why they chose the materials they used to create their
element?________________
Did the student give the elements details?_______________
The periodic table
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The periodic table was created by Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869
Provides a useful framework to classify, systematize, and compare all of the
many different forms of chemical behavior.
There are three classifications for the periodic table
o Groups: A group or family is a vertical column in the periodic table.
Groups are considered the most important method of classifying the
elements. In some groups, the elements have very similar properties and
exhibit a clear trend in properties down the group.
 Columns work from left to right and element all in the same column
are said to be in the same family.
 Column I A- Alkali Metals
 Column II A- Alkaline Earths
 Columns III B through I B - Tranistion elements
 Column VII A – Halogens
 Column 0 - Noble Gases
o Periods: A period is a horizontal row in the periodic table. Rows work from
top to bottom and are referred to as periods. They are distinctive because
of their weights and the energy levels of orbitals. As one looks along a row
of the Periodic Table that is where one can see the closest atomic mass
occuring.
o Other: The chemical elements are also grouped together in other ways.
Some of these groupings are often illustrated on the periodic table, such
as transition metals, poor metals, and metalloids. Other informal groupings
exist, such as the platinum group and the noble metals
How to read the periodic table:
o Atomic Number - Simply refers to the number of protons present in the
atom
o Element Symbol - This is the symbol that chemical formulas or equations
use to indicate that certain element. It is very important to know what
symbol refers to what element, so it is highly recommended to memorize
some of the most common symbols.
o Atomic Mass - The average mass of one atom of that element in amu's
(Atomic Mass Units). It is average because different isotopes of the same
element have different masses.
Example of the 3x5 card