Your next great Lessn starts here.

Physical vs. Chemical Changes in Matter – Matter and its transformations – Physical change examples – Tearing paper, melting ice – Chemical change indicators – Color change, gas production – Observing changes in daily life | This slide introduces the concept of matter undergoing different types of changes. Begin by explaining that matter is anything that takes up space and has mass. Then, differentiate between physical changes, which do not alter the substance itself (like tearing paper or melting ice), and chemical changes, which result in new substances (indicated by color changes, gas production, or temperature change). Encourage students to think about and discuss changes they observe in their daily lives, such as rusting metal or cooking food, to determine if they are physical or chemical changes. This will help them apply the concepts learned in class to real-world situations.

Exploring Matter and Its Forms – Everything is made of matter – Matter: solids, liquids, gases – Common states of matter we see every day – Matter can change forms – Can a solid become a liquid? Or a gas? – Investigating matter changes – Let’s see how matter changes with examples | This slide introduces the concept of matter and its different forms to the students. Begin by explaining that everything they can touch and see is made of matter. Highlight the three common states of matter: solids, liquids, and gases, and provide everyday examples of each. Engage the students by asking if they have observed matter changing from one form to another, like ice melting or water boiling. Use this discussion to lead into the concept of physical changes in matter. Encourage students to think of examples and be ready to discuss how these changes occur in the next class.

Physical Changes in Matter – Physical changes don’t make new substances – Examples: ice melting, paper tearing – Ice becomes water, paper becomes smaller pieces – Dissolving sugar in water – Sugar mixes with water but can be separated – Freezing water & melting chocolate – Let’s observe these changes together! | This slide introduces the concept of physical changes, emphasizing that these changes alter the form of a substance but do not result in the creation of a new substance. Use everyday examples to illustrate this point, such as melting ice, tearing paper, and dissolving sugar in water, which are relatable and observable for fourth graders. Encourage students to think about the reversibility of these changes. For the class activity, demonstrate freezing water into ice and melting chocolate, allowing students to observe the changes in state and discuss their observations. This will help them understand that despite these changes, the substance itself remains the same.

Chemical Changes in Matter – Chemical changes make new substances – A chemical change results in substances that weren’t there before. – Examples: burning, rusting, baking – Burning wood turns it to ash, rust changes iron, baking dough makes cake. – Original materials are hard to recover – Once changed, it’s difficult to get the original wood, iron, or dough back. – Chemical changes are often permanent – These changes usually can’t be undone, like burning paper. | This slide introduces students to the concept of chemical changes, emphasizing that new substances are created as a result. Use everyday examples like burning wood, rusting iron, and baking a cake to illustrate how the original materials change at a molecular level and cannot be easily reverted to their original form. Highlight that chemical changes are typically permanent, unlike physical changes. Encourage students to think of other examples of chemical changes they may have observed in their daily lives.

Comparing Physical and Chemical Changes – Physical change characteristics – Can be undone, like melting ice to water – Chemical change characteristics – Can’t easily reverse, like burning wood to ash – Is boiling an egg physical or chemical? – Boiling an egg changes it in a way you can’t undo – Discuss reversibility and new substances – Physical changes don’t make new materials, chemical changes do | This slide aims to help students differentiate between physical and chemical changes. A physical change is a type of change where the form of matter is altered but one substance is not transformed into another, such as freezing water into ice. These changes are usually reversible. On the other hand, a chemical change results in the formation of one or more new substances, and these changes are often irreversible, like a rusted iron. Use the example of boiling an egg to illustrate these concepts; once an egg is boiled, it cannot be returned to its raw state, indicating a chemical change. Encourage students to think about other examples of physical and chemical changes they observe in their daily lives.

Let’s Experiment: Physical vs. Chemical Changes – Observe two types of changes – Physical change: Salt in water – Salt disappears but can be recovered – Chemical change: Vinegar meets baking soda – Bubbles form, new substances are made – Discuss observations in class | This slide introduces a hands-on class activity designed to help students understand the difference between physical and chemical changes through direct observation. For the physical change, students will see that dissolving salt in water doesn’t create a new substance; the salt can be recovered by evaporating the water. For the chemical change, mixing vinegar with baking soda results in a reaction that produces bubbles (carbon dioxide gas) and cannot be reversed, indicating a new substance has been formed. Encourage students to take notes on their observations and be ready to discuss how these experiments illustrate the concepts of physical and chemical changes. Possible activities: 1) Have students draw the setup before and after the changes. 2) Let them touch and feel the temperature change in the chemical reaction. 3) Ask them to predict what might happen before performing the experiments. 4) Have them write down the differences they observed between the two experiments. 5) Facilitate a discussion on reversible and irreversible changes.

Observations and Conclusions: Experiment Findings – Observations from our experiments – We saw color change, temperature change, and bubbles forming. – Signs of chemical changes – Color shifts, gas release, and temperature variation signal chemical changes. – Reversing physical changes – Some physical changes like melting ice can be reversed by freezing. | In this slide, we summarize our observations from the experiments conducted. Students should be able to identify the signs of chemical changes, such as a change in color, the release of gas (bubbles), or a change in temperature. They should also understand that while chemical changes often result in new substances that can’t easily be changed back, physical changes can sometimes be reversed. For example, water can change state from solid to liquid and back again. Encourage students to think about other examples of reversible physical changes and to consider why some changes can’t be undone.

Class Activity: Change Detectives – Become a classroom Change Detective – Hunt for physical & chemical changes – Physical: tearing paper, melting ice. Chemical: rusting iron, baking a cake. – Gather evidence of changes – Take notes or pictures as clues – Present findings to the class | In this engaging class activity, students will act as detectives searching for evidence of physical and chemical changes around the classroom or school. Provide examples of both physical (e.g., tearing paper, melting ice) and chemical changes (e.g., rusting iron, baking a cake) to help them start their investigation. Encourage them to observe carefully and take notes or pictures as clues. After the investigation, each student will present their findings to the class, explaining why they believe each change is physical or chemical. This activity promotes critical thinking, observation skills, and public speaking. Possible variations of the activity could include group work, creating a detective notebook, or even a scavenger hunt.

Review: Physical vs. Chemical Changes – Recap key lesson points – Think of more change examples – Consider changes like melting ice or a rusting bike – Q&A session – Summarize today’s learning – Review the differences between physical and chemical changes | This slide aims to consolidate the students’ understanding of the differences between physical and chemical changes. Begin by summarizing the main points discussed during the lesson, such as the definitions and characteristics of each type of change. Encourage the students to think of additional examples from their daily lives that illustrate physical and chemical changes, like ice melting into water or a nail rusting. Open the floor for a question and answer session to address any uncertainties the students may have. Conclude by summarizing the day’s learning objectives and highlighting the importance of recognizing these changes in the world around them.

Homework Challenge: Physical vs. Chemical Changes – Create a poster on changes – Show a physical change example – Like melting ice becoming water – Show a chemical change example – Like a rusting iron nail – Include descriptions & illustrations | Students are tasked with creating a poster that visually represents and compares physical and chemical changes. They should include at least one example of each type of change, with clear illustrations and descriptions to explain the processes. For a physical change, students might depict ice melting, paper being cut, or clay being molded. For a chemical change, examples could include an iron nail rusting, a banana ripening, or vinegar reacting with baking soda. Encourage creativity in their illustrations and thoroughness in their descriptions. This activity will help solidify their understanding of the differences between physical and chemical changes by allowing them to visualize and explain these concepts. Be prepared to facilitate a show-and-tell session in the next class where students can present and discuss their posters.