Middle School Curriculum
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SEPUP Texas Edition, Science Grade 6, Chemistry Unit
30-40
In this unit, students will learn about elements and how they react with each other to form new substances. They will learn what elements are common and not very common on the earth. Finally, students will learn how to safely handle chemicals in the classroom laboratory.
Content in SEPUP Texas Edition, Science Grade 6, Chemistry Unit is organized into 11 activities, as follows:
| Activity Title | Activity Type | Activity Overview | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | What Is a Chemical? | Talking It Over | Students complete a survey about chemicals and then process and analyze the class’s results. Through the discussion they are introduced to the definition of chemicals and the concept that everything is chemical. The survey also elicits their current understanding of classroom safety and what they will learn about classroom safety in a unit on chemistry. A safety agreement is introduced for students and parents or guardians to sign. |
| 2. | Classifying Matter | Investigation | Students work with cards with photographs and descriptions of 15 common materials to categorize matter as elements, compounds, or mixtures. They are introduced to the definitions of these three categories of matter. |
| 3. | Investigating Elements | Laboratory | Students investigate the properties of a set of elements. They investigate such physical properties as appearance, malleability, luster, and conductivity. They observe the physical properties of the elements to classify them as metals, metalloids, and nonmetals. They relate these classifications of the elements to their positions on the periodic table. |
| 4. | Elements All Around You | Investigation | This activity introduces students to the elements that comprise the largest portion of the solid earth, living matter, oceans, and the atmosphere. The teacher demonstrates how to create circle graphs from a table of data on the elemental composition of the solid earth. Then each student within a group of four graphs the elemental composition of one of the following: the earth’s crust, atmosphere, oceans, and living organisms. Finally, students identify the earth’s most common elements on a periodic table of the elements. |
| 5. | Elements, Compounds, and Mixtures | Reading | Students read about elements, compounds, and mixtures. They learn how symbols are used to describe the elements and are introduced to chemical formulas. The reading further explains physical properties that differentiate metals, nonmetals, and metalloids. To improve their reading comprehension students follow the Stopping to Think literacy strategy. |
| 6. | Evaluating Materials | Investigation | Students evaluate aluminum, glass, and plastic as materials for producing drink containers. They discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each material as they analyze and graph information on its production from natural resources, production costs, physical properties, and recyclability. They use this evidence to select one material and then discuss the trade-offs of their decision. |
| 7. | Measuring Volume | Reading | Students develop an understanding of volume by working with six different objects. They calculate the volume of these objects by using two methods—measurement and calculation or the water-displacement method. |
| 8. | Measuring Mass, Calculating Volume | Laboratory | Students use balances to determine the mass of each of six objects. Then they use the masses along with their volume measurements from Activity 7, “Measuring Volume,” to calculate the density of these objects. They identify the material in each object by comparing its calculated density with known densities of several materials. They are introduced to density as a characteristic physical property of a material that is independent of the size of the sample. |
| 9. | Signs of Chemical Change | Laboratory | The class reviews the safety guidelines for working with chemicals in the science classroom. Using appropriate safety precautions, students investigate five chemical changes. For each one they identify the signs of chemical change and the elements present before and after the reactions. Students discover that in a chemical change, new substances form that have different properties from the starting substances. They are introduced to the idea that the elements in the substances at the beginning and end of the reaction are the same, but that they have rearranged into new chemical combinations. |
| 10. | Chemical or Physical Change? | Talking It Over | Student groups consider eight scenarios that describe changes in matter. They apply evidence and logical reasoning to determine whether each scenario describes a chemical or a physical change. They reach consensus in small groups, and then groups present to the class and the class reaches consensus. |
| 11. | Mixing Hot and Cold Water | Talking It Over | Students discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different types of reusable water bottles. They take into consideration personal preference, safety, and cost. To inform their decisions students record information about the bottles and compare them. They provide evidence and discuss the trade-offs of their decision. |
A full suite of course tools is available for teachers, as follows:
Student Book
The Chemistry Unit Student Book guides investigations and provides related readings. The Student Book uses a variety of approaches to make science accessible for all students. SEPUP’s integrated literacy strategies help students process new science content, develop their analytical skills, make connections between related concepts, and express their knowledge orally and in writing.
eStudent Book
Available in both a downloadable version, or accessible through our website
Teacher's Edition
The SEPUP Teacher’s Edition takes you through each activity in the Student Book and helps you see the development of concepts within the big picture of the units and the course you are teaching. It helps you set up the equipment from the kit, organize the classroom, conduct activities, and manage practical details, all of which enhance students’ learning environment. The Teacher’s Edition is packaged as a series of loose-leaf binders that you can personalize with annotations, rearrangements, and insertions. It provides full support for teaching the program. Additional support resources can also found in the Teacher’s Edition.
Complete Materials Package
All SEPUP materials packages are designed with teachers, students and environmental considerations in mind. Traditional laboratory style classrooms are not necessary to teach SEPUP. Materials packages include most of the items needed for the activities. They support multiple classes – typically up to five classes of 32 students (160 total students) – before consumables need to be replaced. It’s important to note that materials are consumed at various rates; therefore, it will not be necessary to replace all consumable items every year. Exclusive to SEPUP programs are the molded tray liners that keep everything in place and easy to locate – even in a hurry.
Online and Technology Tools
These include the Exam View suite of assessment tools and more than 100 web links for each of the three SEPUP 6-8 courses, to be used for basic instruction and enrichment.
| SEPUP Texas Edition, Science Grade 6, Chemistry Unit | Item # | Price | Quantity |
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