STEM 434/534 Lesson Planning Template
(Complete answers in purple font)
Name: Katie Stottlemyer Grade: 3 Topic: Matter
Brief Lesson Description: Students will experiment with how different solids dissolve more easily in hot water rather than in cold water.
Specific Learning Outcomes: Students will understand how the temperature of water can affect how well the solid dissolves in water
How did this lesson develop because of your examination of research and data about employing culturally sustaining pedagogical
strategies? (Think equal opportunity, student interests, race, gender, disabilities, etc.)
This lesson developed because all students were able to participate with no restrictions.
Narrative / Background Information
Prior Student Knowledge: Students will have a prior understanding of the states of matter and that solids can dissolve into some liquids.
Science VA SOL Health VA SOL NGSS (You may have to look to a different
3.3 The student will investigate and Community/Environmental grade level for the connection)
understand how materials interact Health 2-PS1-1. Plan and conduct an investigation
a) Explain what happens observable properties.
with water. Key ideas include a)
solids and liquids mix with water in with waste and recycled
different ways; and b) many solids materials.
dissolve more easily in hot water
than in cold water.
Science & Engineering Practices: (You must tie engineering practices into your plan)
We can show how states of matter can change by heating or cooling. We can do this by heating an ice cube and it is turning into a liquid.
We can further turn that into a gas by heating up the water. This shows how the temperature makes a difference with the states of matter
which is a good introduction to the experiment we will be conducting.
Possible Preconceptions/Misconceptions:
A misconception could be that they assume that the solids dissolve the same in both hot and cold water.
Another misconception could be that they believe that all solids can dissolve in liquid.
LESSON PLAN – 5-E Model
ENGAGE: Opening Activity – Access Prior Learning / Stimulate Interest / Generate Questions: (Discrepant events are awesome to use
here)
I will start the activity by asking questions about matters such as:
What is matter?
What is a solid?
What is a liquid?
What solids can dissolve into a liquid?
Do you think solids dissolve better in hot water or cold water?
EXPLORE Lesson Description – Materials Needed / Probing or Clarifying Questions:
I will then have the class look to the front where I will do a demonstration of the experiment we are about to conduct. I will take a cup of
hot water and add salt to it. Simultaneously I will get a cup of cold water and add salt to it. Then we will stir them both and see which one
dissolves better. I will ask the students which one they think will do better.
After the demonstration, I will tell the students what materials they need and have them and their partners gather their needed materials.
Each student will need:
2 cups of cold water and 2 cups of hot water.
1 Salt
1 Sugar
1 stirrer
Probing questions:
Which do you think will dissolve faster? Why do you think that?
What does salt water remind you of? Does saltwater make you think of the beach?
Have you ever done anything like this?
Why do these solids dissolve in water?
Can we recycle any of these materials used today? Why is recycling Important?
EXPLAIN: Concepts Explained and Vocabulary Defined:
I will provide step-by-step instructions throughout the experiment. I will tell them when to add the salt and sugar to their water and when
to record the date.
I will answer any questions the students have along the way and help them in any way they need.
The students will be asked what they learned throughout the experiment.
Which one dissolved faster?
Why did it dissolve faster in this liquid than the other?
What else did we learn today?
Vocabulary:
Matter
Solid
Liquid
Recycle
ELABORATE: Applications and Extensions:
A whole class data sheet will be on the board where students can report their findings. They will then discuss their findings with the group
next to them before we talk about it as a whole group. Once they finish discussing their findings with each other we will turn to a whole
group discussion of everyone's findings from the experiment.
EVALUATE:
Formative Monitoring (Questioning / Discussion):
What happened when we mixed the salt into the hot and cold water?
What did we learn today?
Summative Assessment (Quiz / Project / Report) (Include a rubric):
They will be filling out a report sheet for the whole experiment. This will contain their findings and data.
After the experiment, they will fill out an exit ticket answering the question of what they learned today. It will be a reflection.
Plan for differentiation: (Be sure to specifically address the following learners)
Students with high-incidence disabilities (e.g., autism, ADHD, mild learning disorders)
students will be working in pairs so that they can work together and help one another. I will pair students with certain disabilities
with a student who will help them and have a good understanding of what they are doing. I will also be helping whenever any
student needs it.
ELL
I will give explicit and detailed instructions. I will also be walking around the classroom and available to answer any questions they
might have. I will have written and spoken instructions so that they have whichever way they understand more.
Gifted learners
For gifted learners, I will provide extra material for them to work on so they can think more critically about the states of matter.
Elaborate Further / Reflect: Enrichment:
How will you evaluate your practice?
This will be evaluated by the sheet they fill out while doing the experiment and the exit ticket they will complete at the end of the
experiment. The exit ticket is a formative assessment that will help me evaluate their understanding of what they learned.
Where might/did learners struggle in the lesson?
Students might struggle with the reasoning behind why it dissolves better in hot water rather than cold. They may not be able to
understand why this event occurred in the experiment.
How can the lesson be strengthened for improved student learning?
It can be strengthened by adding more solids to dissolve into the water. Finding more things to try that way they can have more
trials and more data to back up their reasoning. They can also do more trials of the experiment to provide them with more
supporting data.
Did the lesson reflect culturally sustaining pedagogies? If not, how can this be enhanced?
Yes, because all students were able to participate and work together. There was inclusion in this experiment, and they can look
into different solvents for the water that may be from different cultures.
Materials Required for This Lesson/Activity
Quantity Description Potential Supplier (item #) Estimated Price
2 Cups of cold water
2 Cups of hot water
1 Salt
1 sugar
1 Stirrer
