Jill Tanner

Unit: Matter

Grade Level: First

Length of Lesson- 1 day for experiment and 1 day for completion of the assessment

Performance Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Observe and describe the different states of matter while growing borax crystals.
• Classify solids and liquids using their attributes.
• Describe the properties of a crystal.
• Write a “how to” using the observations made during the experiment.

Learning Standards

Standard 1 -Analysis, Inquiry, Design

Standard 4 -Scientific Concepts

Background Information

           When dissolved in water borax crystals seem to disappear. They have however, broken into tiny molecules which cannot be seen. As the water becomes cooler and evaporates, the borax molecules come closer until they begin regrouping into a regular arrangement.  As the crystals grow, more form as more water is lost.

Materials

• 2 aluminum cake pans
• Borax
• Hot water
• 1 pipe cleaner per student
• Masking tape to label each students pipe cleaner

 Teaching Procedures 

1. Review the properties of liquids and solids by reading the Liquids poem and the Solids poem. Elicit a list of liquids and solids identified by the students.

2. Show the students the ingredients you will be working with today. Have the students describe the states of matter of the ingredients.

3. Give each student a pipe cleaner, labeling one end with their name.  Have the students draw on their prior knowledge of geometry to bend the pipe cleaner into a shape.  Make sure to leave a stem on the shape.

4. Explain to the students that they are going to watch matter change states. Prepare chart paper for students to record their observations.

5. Pour the hot water into the cake pans. Slowly add the borax and allow each student to take turns stirring. Stir the mixture until there are few crystals remaining at the bottom of the pan.  Submerge the pipe cleaner shapes leaving the stem sticking out of the pan. Do not allow the pipe cleaner shaped to touch each other.

6. Throughout the day ask the children to observe and record their observations on the chart paper.

7. When there is a good growth of crystals remove the pipe cleaners and allow them to dry.

Follow Up Activities

• Paint with crystal solution on dark construction paper. Watch while the crystals appear when the paper dries.
• As a class grow rock candy using string and granulated sugar.

Assessment

• Students will write a “How to” story on the topic How to Grow Crystals using sequence words and including the states of matter at each phase of the experiment.

 Closure

            Students will come together and discuss the process which was used to create the crystals. They will identify the states of matter that occurred during the lesson using the observation chart as a reference.