Forgotten Genius

Student Handout

What It Takes to Change

Changes in matter are happening all around you. But not everything changes in the same way. Some changes in matter are physical; others are chemical. Find out more about these types of changes in this activity.

Procedure

1. In this activity, you will move around the room in teams to different stations, where you will observe the properties of several substances before and after a change. You will then use these observations to help you identify each change as physical or chemical. You will support your claim with evidence from your observations.

2. Choose one team member to record your team's observations on your "Data Chart" student handout.

3. Start at the station designated by your teacher and follow the directions on your "Station Instructions" handouts for each station.

4. When you have completed all the stations, discuss your observations as a team. Come to an agreement about whether each change was physical or chemical and discuss what observational evidence supports your claim. Finish filling in the chart with your answers.

5. After the chart has been completed, your team will participate in a class discussion about the types of changes that occurred at each station.

6. After you have completed the stations part of the activity, you will complete the "Changes in Everyday Life" student handout individually.