School Improvement in Maryland

Using the State Curriculum: Science, Grade 5

Skills and Processes | Earth/Space | Life | Chemistry | Physics | Environmental

Lesson Seeds: The lesson seeds are ideas for the indicator/objective that can be used to build a lesson. Lesson seeds are not meant to be all-inclusive, nor are they substitutes for instruction.

Standard 4.0 Chemistry

Topic D. Physical and Chemical Changes

Indicator 1. Provide evidence to illustrate that when a new material is made by combining two or more materials, its properties are different from the original materials.

Objective a. Investigate and describe what happens to the properties of materials when several materials are combined to make a mixture, such as table salt and pepper; various kinds of nuts, chocolate pieces, and coconut; sugar dissolved in milk

Lesson Name

Separating a Mixture

Materials needed

Mixture of sand, salt, iron filings, and tiny foam pellets (optional), bowl, spoon, water, magnet, filter paper, hand lenses

Activity

Directions

  1. Give each group or pair of students a sample of the mixture, a magnet, filter paper, water, and a spoon. Tell them that one of the substances is salt. Have students examine the mixture and determine how many substances are in the mixture. (4)
  2. Have each group write a procedure explaining how they will separate the parts of the mixture.
  3. Have each group follow their procedure to separate the mixture.
    Sample procedure:
    • Use the magnet to remove the iron filings.
    • Add water to make foam pieces float.
    • Stir to dissolve salt.
    • Sand will sink so salt water can be poured through filter to separate sand and salt water.
    • Evaporate water to leave salt behind.
  4. Discuss as a class which methods were most successful.

Students should follow all local school system safety guidelines during investigations.

/instruction/lessons/science/grade5/xml/4D1a.xml
Resources for Objective 4.D.1.a:
Clarifications | LESSON SEEDS | Public Release Items |