Lesson Plan

Chemical or Physical Reaction?

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This Chemical or Physical Reaction? lesson plan also includes:

Ready to take your chemistry class on its first big lab adventure? Dive in to differentiation between chemical and physical changes with a thoughtfully designed set of experiments! Partners conduct a series of reactions, describe their outcomes, and infer whether a chemical or physical change occurred.

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CCSS: Adaptable
Additional Tags
Instructional Ideas
  • Make the lab one of the first of the year to squash any misconceptions the class may have about chemical versus physical changes
  • Demonstrate additional physical changes after the lab is complete to cover a broader range of changes
Classroom Considerations
  • Try having different lab groups start at different reactions to prevent a pile-up as they retrieve their materials
  • Prepare all of the dilute solutions in advance; most have excellent storage times
Pros
  • The activity exemplifies the principles of green chemistry
  • Set up and delivery of the lab is a snap with the detailed materials list, printable materials, and answer keys in the teacher's guide
Cons

Common Core