Chemistry / Lesson Plan

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Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to understand the basic concepts of chemistry and conduct simple experiments using household materials.

Materials and Prep

  • Water
  • Vinegar
  • Baking soda
  • Lemon juice
  • Food coloring
  • Cups
  • Plastic spoons
  • Measuring spoons
  • White vinegar
  • Clear plastic bottles
  • Markers
  • Paper towels

Make sure to have adult supervision during the experiments.

Activities

  1. Colorful Volcano: Create a volcano using the clear plastic bottle as the base. Decorate the bottle to resemble a volcano using markers. Mix baking soda and food coloring in a cup. Pour vinegar into the bottle and quickly add the baking soda mixture. Observe the colorful eruption.

  2. Lemon Power: Squeeze lemon juice into a cup. Dip a strip of paper towel into the lemon juice. Attach the ends of the strip to the positive and negative terminals of a battery. Observe if the paper towel strip glows or not.

  3. Bubbling Fizz: Fill a cup with water and add a spoonful of baking soda. Slowly pour vinegar into the cup and observe the bubbling reaction. Add food coloring for extra fun.

Fourth Grade Talking Points

  • "Chemistry is the study of matter and how it changes."
  • "Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass. It can be a solid, liquid, or gas."
  • "Atoms are the tiny building blocks of matter. They are so small that you can't see them with your eyes."
  • "Chemical reactions happen when atoms join together or break apart to form new substances."
  • "In the volcano experiment, the baking soda and vinegar react to produce carbon dioxide gas, which causes the eruption."
  • "The lemon power experiment shows how the acid in lemon juice can create a small amount of electrical energy."
  • "When baking soda and vinegar mix, they create a chemical reaction that produces carbon dioxide gas, which causes the bubbling fizz."