Objective

By the end of this lesson, the student will understand the basics of how chemical reactions work through simple experiments, and will learn to observe and describe what happens during the experiments.

Materials and Prep

• Vinegar
• Baking soda
• A clear cup or container
• Food coloring (optional)
• A spoon for mixing
• Paper and crayons for drawing results

Before starting the lesson, explain to the student that we will be mixing things together to see what happens. Make sure to have a space that can get a little messy, like a kitchen table.

Activities

• Vinegar and Baking Soda Volcano: Pour a few spoonfuls of baking soda into the clear cup. Then, slowly add vinegar and watch what happens! The mixture will bubble and fizz like a volcano. You can add food coloring to make it more colorful!

• Mix and Observe: After the volcano, try mixing a little bit of baking soda with water in another cup. Then, add vinegar and see if it reacts differently. What do you notice?

• Draw Your Experiment: After the experiments, use paper and crayons to draw what you saw. You can draw the volcano or how the bubbles looked. This will help you remember what happened!

Talking Points

• "What do you think will happen when we mix these two things together?"
• "Look at all those bubbles! Why do you think they are happening?"
• "Do you think the reaction will be the same if we change the amounts? Let's find out!"
• "What colors did you see when we added food coloring? How did that change things?"
• "Can you tell me what you are feeling? Excited? Curious? That’s great!"
• "What did you learn from our experiments today? Can you tell me in your own words?"