GEMS Liquid Explorations

(1) Scientific processes. The student participates in classroom and field investigations following home and school safety procedures. The student is expected to:

(A) Demonstrate safe practices during classroom and field investigations; and

(2) Scientific processes. The student develops abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry in the field and the classroom. The student is expected to:

(A) Ask questions about organisms, objects, and events;

(B) Plan and conduct simple descriptive investigations;

(E) Communicate findings about simple investigations.

(4) Scientific processes. The student uses age-appropriate tools and models to verify that organisms and objects and parts of organisms and objects can be observed, described, and measured. The student is expected to:

(A) identify and use senses as tools of observation

CONCEPT STATEMENT: Students will compare oil and water drops on different surfaces and attempt to mix the liquids.

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to:

identify and list the properties of a liquid.
compare properties of different liquids.

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: Enforce the no tasting rule, students should not taste the liquids they are being given to observe.

SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS, HANDOUTS:

Newspaper to cover tables
Water bucket or sink access
1 pitcher, 1-2 quart capacity
1 clear, 8-10 ounce cup
Wax paper (approximately 7 yards)
1 cup of cooking, salad or baby oil
1 tray
Paper plates
Chalkboard or poster paper

For each student pair:

1 4-10 ounce container to hold water (cup or plastic bowl)
1 high-rimmed bottle cap
2 drinking straws
2 paper plates
Science Journals
Magnifying glasses

ENGAGEMENT		Time: __5 min___
What the Teacher Will Do	Probing Questions	Student Responses Potential Misconceptions
Remind students of the previous lessons and discuss the observations liquids. Give students 2 different liquids to observe.	What do you notice about these liquids? Describe them? Are they similar or are they different? What makes them different?	Students will work in groups and compare and contrast the oil and water drops (observe water and oil drops on paper and wax paper). Groups will observe each liquid separately and together on different surfaces.

EXPLORATION		Time: ___15 min___
What the Teacher Will Do	Probing Questions	Student Responses Potential Misconceptions
Demonstrate using straws as homemade droppers and distribute half cups of water and bottle caps of oil. Observe and question students doing independent investigations of liquids.	What does it look like, feel like, how does it move? What does a water drop look like on the wax paper? On the paper plate? What does an oil drop look like on the wax paper? On the paper plate? Can you push the two different drops together?	Students will independently explore and observe the water and oil drops, attempt to combine them using the straws as droppers.

EXPLANATION		Time: ___5 min___
What the Teacher Will Do	Probing Questions	Student Responses Potential Misconceptions
Demonstrate for students how water and oil drops will not mix.	What happens when you try to push the two different kinds together?	Students will observe teacher-led exploration and ask questions.

ELABORATION		Time: __5 min___
What the Teacher Will Do	Probing Questions	Student Responses Potential Misconceptions
Record student observations and talk through to draw out conclusions.	Did the drops look the same on wax paper as they did on newspaper? Why do you think the oil and water didn’t mix?	Students will describe their observations and make guesses about why the two liquids won’t mix.

EVALUATION		Time: __10 min ____
What the Teacher Will Do	Probing Questions	Student Responses Potential Misconceptions
Teacher will have the students record observations of oil and water drops in science journals (draw pictures of what the different drops look like).	What did you learn about liquids from this experiment? Do you still have questions about liquids?	Students will write down what they have learned about liquids and any questions they still have.