Students test six solids in room-temperature water on this 5th grade investigation: salt, sugar, drink powder, sand, pepper and flour. Page 1 gives three steps and a table with Prediction, Dissolved and What I saw columns. Page 2 sorts the results and asks two written questions, one about flour turning the water cloudy. Pages 3 and 4 hold the key with expected results. It supports NGSS 5-PS1-4.
5-PS1-4
“Conduct an investigation to determine whether the mixing of two or more substances results in new substances.”
Students mix each of six solids with water, record what they see, and use the evidence to sort them in question 1.
Three numbered steps: one spoon of solid in a clear cup, stir for one minute, observe. Students predict Yes or No for each of six solids, then record whether it dissolved and what they saw.
Six cards are sorted into Dissolves in Water and Does Not Dissolve in Water. Two questions follow: how to tell that a solid has dissolved, and why flour does not form a solution.
Expected observations for each solid, such as sand sinking right away and flour making the water cloudy before it settles, plus the sorted columns and model answers.
Predict first
Have students fill in the Prediction column before they touch a spoon. Pepper and flour are the usual surprises.
Groups of four
Six clear cups and a spoon per solid are enough for a group. One student stirs, one times, and two record.
Check the flour again
Look at the flour cups again at the end of the lesson. The water clears as the flour settles, which is what question 3 asks about.
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