Lesson Reflection

This week I implemented my structured inquiry lesson with a group of middle school students. The lesson introduced students to the indicators of a chemical change. During the activity, students combined several reactants and observed the reaction. Through their observations, they were able to create a list of indicators of a chemical reaction. The students were fascinated by the color and temperature changes that they encountered, which "hooked" them in to the discussions that followed.

Below you can view a sample handout from a student. You will notice that students recorded the physical properties of the reactants, predicted the outcome, recorded observations, and described the physical properties of the product.





Below is a picture of my engagement activity. I combined potassium iodide and lead nitrate, both which start out as clear liquids, to form a brightly colored liquid and a precipitate that was visible upon settling.


Next, the students combined several reactants and recorded their observations.


A picture of a student observing a reaction. This one is of hydrogen peroxide and yeast.