Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Components and Phases

Assumptions: This Active Lesson Plan assumes: a 100-minute class, prior student study with both the Book and the start of Project development, and that only one activity (among the three suggested) will be chosen to be conducted during the class, as each activity is designed to take up a significant portion of the available time.

Objectives

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The objectives stage is crucial to align expectations and direct the focus of both students and the teacher. By clearly defining what is expected to be achieved, students can better organize their prior knowledge and participate more actively in proposed activities. Additionally, this section serves to establish a clear context for the discussions and practices that will follow, ensuring that all involved understand the importance and applicability of the topics addressed.

Main Objectives:

1. Empower students to differentiate the components of a mixture from the phases present, through the analysis of practical examples such as the mixture of liquid water, ice, and salt.

2. Develop the ability to identify and count the number of components and phases in various mixtures, applying these concepts in everyday situations and simple experiments.

Side Objectives:

1. Encourage collaboration and dialogue among students during practical activities to reinforce peer learning.
2. Promote students' curiosity and interest in chemistry through practical and relevant examples.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The introduction serves to engage students and connect the prior knowledge acquired at home with practical application in the classroom. The proposed problem situations encourage students to think critically about the topic, while the contextualization shows the relevance of studying mixtures and their phases in everyday life and real applications. This prepares the ground for more meaningful and contextualized learning, increasing students' interest and motivation.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Imagine you are in a café and order a coffee with milk and sugar. How could you describe the components and phases of this mixture?

2. In the summer, when we prepare a lemon juice with mint, ice, and sugar, what are the components and the phases present in the drink after well mixed?

Contextualization

Understanding how components interact in mixtures and how phases are formed is crucial not only in chemistry laboratories but also in everyday situations, such as in cooking, water treatment, and the food industry. Additionally, the study of mixtures is fundamental for understanding many natural phenomena and technological processes, such as alcohol distillation and the separation of components in chemical reactions.

Development

Duration: (70 - 80 minutes)

The Development stage is designed to allow students to practically and interactively apply the concepts of components and phases of mixtures that they have previously studied at home. Through the proposed activities, they will have the opportunity to work as a team, develop observation, analysis, and argumentation skills, and reinforce their learning through playful and contextualized experiences. This stage is crucial for consolidating knowledge and forming a solid understanding base in Chemistry.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended to carry out only one of the suggested activities

Activity 1 - The Great Hunt for Phases and Components

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop observation and classification skills to identify components and phases of complex mixtures.

- Description: In this activity, students will be challenged to identify and classify the components and phases of various mixtures present at workstations set up in the classroom. Each station will represent a different environment (kitchen, laboratory, etc.), and students will need to use their observation, data collection, and logical reasoning skills to determine what is a mixture, component, and phase.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of no more than 5 students.

• Explain that each station has different mixed materials and that they must identify and record what the components are and how many phases each mixture presents.

• Provide each group with an observation notebook and a checklist with the types of mixtures they should analyze.

• Allow students to circulate through the stations, spending about 15 minutes at each to complete their observations.

• After data collection, each group should present their findings to the class, justifying their answers based on the concepts discussed.

Activity 2 - The Mystery of the Scientific Kitchen

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Stimulate critical thinking and the practical application of the concepts of components and phases in a playful and familiar context.

- Description: Students will become detectives in a kitchen set up in the classroom, where they must investigate several 'crime scenes' (common mixing situations in cooking) and determine what the components and phases present in each mixture are, using clues and laboratory equipment.

- Instructions:

• Prepare the simulated kitchen with various common ingredients and kitchen utensils.

• Divide the students into groups and distribute 'detective' kits containing gloves, magnifying glasses, small tape measures, and notebooks.

• Present each 'crime scene' to the groups, describing what happened in the mixture and providing some visual clues.

• Groups must inspect the area, collect clues, and use their knowledge to determine the components and phases of each mixture.

• Each group presents their conclusions, justifying them based on the evidence collected.

Activity 3 - Phase Builders

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Visualize and better understand mixtures and their phases through model building, promoting active and engaged learning.

- Description: Using materials like sand, water, salt, and oil, students will build three-dimensional models representing mixtures and their phases. Each group will have to assemble and describe their model, explaining how the different materials behave and interact.

- Instructions:

• Provide each group with a large box of materials (sand, water, salt, oil) and containers they can use to mix them.

• Ask each group to build a model that represents a specific mixture (for example, water and oil) and identify the components and phases.

• Circulate among the groups to assist and clarify doubts.

• Each group presents their model to the class, explaining the choices made and describing the components and phases of the mixture.

• Encourage other students to ask questions about the presented models.

Feedback

Duration: (10 - 20 minutes)

This stage of the lesson plan is essential for consolidating student learning, allowing them to articulate what they observed and discuss their conclusions. The group discussion helps reinforce knowledge, allows for the exchange of ideas and perspectives among students, and helps the teacher evaluate students' understanding of the topic. Additionally, this collective reflection helps connect theory with practice, making learning more meaningful and applicable.

Group Discussion

At the end of the practical activities, promote a group discussion with all students. Start the discussion by recalling the lesson objectives and encouraging groups to share their discoveries and experiences. Use questions like 'What was the most challenging aspect of identifying phases in mixtures?' and 'How can the understanding of components and phases be applied in real situations?' to guide the conversation and stimulate deeper reflections.

Key Questions

1. What are the main characteristics that help differentiate the components of a mixture and their phases?

2. How would you apply the knowledge about components and phases in other areas beyond chemistry?

3. Was there any surprise or unexpected discovery during the activities that changed your understanding of the subject?

Conclusion

Duration: (10 - 15 minutes)

The purpose of this stage of the lesson plan is to ensure that students have a clear and consolidated understanding of the discussed content, as well as to understand the connection between theory and practice. Additionally, it is important to reinforce the relevance of studying mixtures and their phases, showing how these concepts are applied in real and everyday situations. This conclusion helps reinforce learning and motivates students by demonstrating the importance and applicability of chemical knowledge in their daily lives.

Summary

In this final stage, it is essential to summarize and recap the content covered about the components and phases of mixtures. This summary will help consolidate knowledge and ensure that students understand the fundamental concepts discussed during the lesson. The teacher should emphasize the main discoveries and the characteristics that distinguish each phase and component in different types of mixtures.

Theory Connection

Today's lesson was structured to effectively connect theory with practice. Through playful and practical activities, students were able to directly apply the theoretical knowledge about components and phases of mixtures in everyday situations and simple experiments. This approach helped solidify the understanding of concepts, clearly showing how theory translates into practical and relevant applications.

Closing

Finally, it is crucial to highlight the importance of studying components and phases of mixtures. These concepts are not only fundamental for understanding essential chemical processes, such as distillation and separation of substances but also have direct applications in various areas, from cooking to the chemical industry. Understanding these fundamentals allows students a clearer and more critical view of the world around them.