Classification of Matter, In-Print

Chemistry 6-12

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I have come to really like In-Print materials. Why? Consistency. The materials are perfect for sparking interest, building self-confidence, and keeping the newly or existing knowledge sharp.

There is not much science a new reader (LE) will feel comfortable approaching without the help of a facilitator. The Classification of Matter material comes with a lesson designed by Dr. Spears, which suggests all the prerequisites (atom, elements, periodic table, mass), and advise on how to avoid misconceptions. The lesson is scripted so if you feel that your learners will understand most of the content, feel free to read it aloud. The language is slightly less complex than most materials available, but not watered down.

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For this lesson, I used pure gold vs. alloys (14, 18, and 24 carat gold) as an example to explain atoms/elements vs. compounds, pure substance vs. mixture. It was really new to the children to learn about mixtures that can be homogeneous vs. heterogeneous. We were surprised to know granite, wood, and clouds are heterogeneous mixtures ! But hey, we learn everyday… My learners had the pleasure to use some technology to learn scientific terms pronunciation. Google offers a neat tool where not only you can hear how a term is pronounced, but you also get to practice pronouncing it, with detailed feedback following. Simply look up a definition in the Google search bar, click on the 🔊 icon.

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So the set comes with the following:

• 1 long vertical chart (pure substances, mixtures)
• 16 sorting cards (4 for each category: elements, compounds, homogeneous mixture, heterogeneous mixture) with description on the back
• 2 extra labels to study separately from the chart
• 1 scripted thorough lesson with extra resources

What better way to illustrate that matter has specific characteristics than a classification chart!

Now time to take the children outside with journals to classify their environment using these characteristics! 🌱