Can you disprove the law of conservation of mass? Pupils observe the teacher weigh each part of a reaction. Then, the teacher weighs the result of the reaction and everyone sees that the products do not equal the reactants. Then they must decide if the teacher made a mistake or if the scientific law is wrong and prove their positions.

Concepts

conservation of mass, chemical changes, physical changes

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• After the lesson, discuss where the mass for plant growth comes from

Classroom Considerations

• Relies on prior knowledge of matter, the periodic table, and identifying the difference between physical and chemical changes
• Have extra balloons available as students may tear use them incorrectly before they discover the answer

Pros

• Includes answer keys
• Uses materials that are easy to find
• Requires higher level thinking and problems solving skills

Cons

• None

Common Core

SL.6.2 SL.7.2 SL.8.2 RST.6-8.3 RST.6-8.4