Science Content Standard(s) being addressed:   
E. Students will understand the structure of matter and the changes it can undergo. 

Grade Level 4 

Habits of the Mind Skills:  Self -Regulation  Being aware of your own thinking  Planning  Being sensitive to feedback  Evaluating the effectiveness of your actions.  Being aware of necessary resources Critical Thinking  Being accurate and seeking accuracy  Being clear and seeking clarity  Being open minded  Resisting impulsivity  Taking and defending a position  Being sensitive to others Creative Thinking  Engaging intensely in task  Pushing the limits of your knowledge and ability   Generating new ways of viewing situations   Apply past knowledge to new situations

 

Thinking and Reasoning Skills       Inductive Reasoning       Experimental Inquiry

Benchmarks/Performance Indicators: 

2. Students will be able to explain how matter changes in both chemical and physical ways. 

Performance Task: 

Using washable markers, paper towels, and water, students will explore an example of a physical change. 
 

Procedure/Directions: 

Tell students that they will be examining a mixture (black ink) to determine what colors are contained within it. Give each group a white paper towel and ask them to cut it into strips one inch wide. Each group will take one strip, measure two inches from the long end, and make a small dot using their black magic marker. 
Taping this strip to a pencil, they will place the pencil over a jar of water and lower the very end of the strip into the water. It should NOT touch the dot. Students will observe over ten minutes as the water climbs the strip, and will use a graphic organizer to record what they see. They will let the strips dry. Groups will then repeat the procedure using different colored washable markers. 

Vocabulary to be Stressed: 

mixture 
physical change 

Checkpoint Assessments: 

Question and Answer 
      Mixtures are made of substances that can be physically separated. Why is the black ink in a washable magis marker a mixture? 
      Why is this experiment an example of a physical change? 
      What does this have to do with the color wheel you studied in art class? 

Chart 
      Describe with words and diagram(s) another example of physical change. 

Teacher Observation 
      - of groups working 
      - of class discussion about the experiment and about the groupwork 

The Graphic Organizer 
      - quality of the recording 
      - design (if created by the groups) 
 
  

How work was performed:  
In class  
In a group  
With teacher input/feedback  
With peer feedback

Teacher Notes: 
Students could be asked to design their own graphic organizers if they are experienced with their use. Otherwise, one should be provided for them. 

Pairs often work better than groups of three or four. 

Estimated Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour