Lesson plan of Solutions: Types of Solution

Objectives (5 - 7 minutes)

1. Comprehending the Basic Concepts of Solution: Students should be able to have an understanding of what a solution is, what components make up a solution (solute and solvent), and how these components interact with each other.

2. Distinguishing Solutions from Other Mixture Types: Students should be able to distinguish solutions from other types of mixtures, such as suspensions and colloids, based on their unique properties and behaviors.

3. Identifying and Describing Different Solution Types: Students should be able to identify the different types of solutions (saturated, unsaturated, and supersaturated) and describe their differing characteristics.

   Secondary Objectives:

   • Developing Critical Thinking Skills: Throughout the lesson, students will be encouraged to think critically about the concepts presented, making connections to both real-life situations and other chemistry knowledge.

   • Encouraging Teamwork: The Flipped Classroom approach encourages student collaboration. They will work in groups for the hands-on activities, promoting interaction and teamwork.

Introduction (10 - 15 minutes)

1. Prior Knowledge Review: The instructor should start the lesson with a quick review of the concept of mixtures and their classification, as understanding this concept is essential for the current lesson. They can ask students quick questions, prompting them to recall and actively participate in the review.

2. Problem Situation 1: Next, the instructor can introduce a problem situation: "Imagine you have a teaspoon of sugar and a cup of water. If you mix the sugar into the water and it completely disappears, what do you have?" This question is intended to get students thinking about the concept of a solution and what happens when one substance dissolves into another.

3. Contextualization 1: The instructor should contextualize the importance of the topic. They can, for instance, mention how understanding and manipulating solutions is essential in different areas, such as in medicine (preparing medication), in food industry (food processing), and even in our daily lives (cooking meals, cleaning the house, etc.).

4. Fun Fact 1: The instructor can then introduce a fun fact: "Did you know that our blood is a solution? It is composed by water (the solvent) and several dissolved substances, like oxygen, glucose, mineral salts, and others (the solutes). This allows these substances to be carried all around our bodies from one place to another. Amazing, isn’t it?" This curiosity aims to spark students’ interest and show how the concept of solutions is present in our everyday lives, even though we might not always realize it.

5. Topic Introduction: Finally, the instructor should introduce the lesson topic. They can state: “Today, we are going to further our understanding of solutions. We will see what makes them different from other types of mixtures, like suspensions and colloids, and we will learn to identify and describe different solution types. For this, we will use the Flipped Classroom approach, in which you will be the main characters of your own learning. Are you ready?" This Introduction’s goal is to prepare students for what is to come, generating curiosity and interest for the subject matter.

Development (20 - 25 minutes)

1. Hands-on Activity 1: “Coffee, Sugar and Water” (10 - 12 minutes)

   • Preparation: The instructor should prepare three transparent glasses beforehand, each containing a different substance: coffee powder, sugar, and salt. Also, a recipient with hot water will be needed. Besides that, the instructor should have a spoon and a permanent marker at hand.

   • Instructions: The students, divided into groups of 4 to 5, will be given the task of preparing three solutions: coffee with water, sugar with water, and salt with water. Each group will receive one glass containing one substance, and the recipient with hot water. The idea is that the students add the substance to the glass of water, stir it with the spoon until it completely dissolves, and then, mark on the glass the level of the solution formed.

   • Execution: The students, guided by the instructor, should perform the activity following the instructions. During the execution, the instructor should circulate around the room, providing support and clarifying doubts.

   • Discussion: After carrying out the activity, the instructor should promote a classroom discussion, asking students about what they observed and what they concluded. The questions should stimulate reflection and application of the theoretical concepts presented in the lesson’s Introduction.

2. Hands-on Activity 2: “Solutions Lemonade” (10 - 12 minutes)

   • Preparation: The instructor should prepare a jar with water, a lemon cut into slices (or lemon juice), sugar, ice, and disposable cups beforehand.

   • Instructions: The students, still in their groups, will receive a lemonade recipe, but with a challenge: the amount of sugar to be added will not be defined. The students’ task will be to find the amount of sugar that will make the lemonade neither too sweet (saturated) nor too little sweet (unsaturated).

   • Execution: The students, guided by the instructor, should perform the activity, adding sugar to the lemonade little by little, stirring, and tasting, until they reach the desired point. The instructor should reinforce that the idea is to find the maximum amount of sugar that dissolves in the water, with no residue left at the bottom of the jar.

   • Discussion: After carrying out the activity, the instructor should promote a classroom discussion, asking students about what they observed and what they concluded. The questions should stimulate reflection and application of the theoretical concepts presented in the lesson’s Introduction.

3. Hands-on Activity 3: “Solutions in Everyday Life” (5 - 6 minutes)

   • Preparation: The instructor should prepare a list of everyday life situations that involve the use of solutions, such as preparing food, cleaning the house, taking medication, among others, beforehand.

   • Instructions: The students, still in their groups, will receive the list of situations and should discuss and write down which solution types are present in each of them.

   • Execution: The students, guided by the instructor, should perform the activity, discussing and writing their conclusions. The instructor should circulate around the room, providing support and clarifying any doubts.

   • Discussion: After carrying out the activity, the instructor should promote a classroom discussion, asking students about their conclusions. The questions should stimulate reflection and application of the theoretical concepts presented in the lesson’s Introduction.

Return (8 - 10 minutes)

1. Group Discussion (3 - 4 minutes): The instructor should gather all students and promote a group discussion. Each group will have up to 3 minutes to share the conclusions of their hands-on activities. During the presentations, the instructor should encourage other students to ask questions and share their own observations and thoughts.

2. Connection to Theory (2 - 3 minutes): After the presentations, the instructor should make the connection between the hands-on activities and the theory presented in the lesson’s Introduction. They can, for example, revisit the concepts of solution, solvent, solute, and the different solution types (saturated, unsaturated, and supersaturated), showing how those concepts were applied in the activities done by the students.

3. Individual Reflection (1 - 2 minutes): The instructor should then propose that the students do an individual reflection, mentally answering the following questions:

   • What was the most important concept you learned today?
   • Which questions are still unanswered?

   This reflection’s goal is for the students to internalize what they have learned and to identify any doubts or difficulties that might have arisen during the lesson.

4. Sharing Reflections (2 - 3 minutes): Afterwards, the instructor should ask some students to share their reflections with the class. The instructor should pay attention to any doubts or difficulties that might have been mentioned by the students, planning how to address these on the next class.

5. Closure (1 minute): To end the class, the instructor should summarize the main points discussed, reinforce the topic’s importance for everyday life, and invite students to keep on exploring the subject matter at home, for instance, observing and identifying different solution types in their daily routines. The instructor should also remind the students to prepare themselves for the next class by reviewing the concepts learned and thinking about possible questions or doubts they would like to clarify.

Conclusion (5 - 7 minutes)

1. Content Summary (1 - 2 minutes): The instructor should start the class’ Conclusion summarizing the main points covered. They should revisit the definition of solution, the components of a solution (solute and solvent), and the different solution types (saturated, unsaturated, and supersaturated). The instructor can use the board to make visual notes that help reinforce these concepts in the students’ minds.

2. Theory-Practice Connection (1 - 2 minutes): Next, the instructor should highlight how the class connected theory and practice. They should reinforce how the hands-on activities done by the students allowed for the application of theoretical concepts, and how the group discussions enriched the students’ understanding of the subject matter. The instructor can, for instance, mention observations made by students during the activities and how these related to the theory.

3. Supplementary Materials (1 - 2 minutes): The instructor should then suggest some supplementary materials for students who want to further their understanding of the subject. These materials can include chemistry textbooks, scientific articles, educational videos, science experiment websites, among others. The instructor should briefly explain each resource and how it can be useful for studying the subject matter. For example, they can suggest a chemistry textbook which further explains the different solution types, or a science experiment website which provides hands-on activities related to the topic.

4. Relevance of the Subject Matter (1 minute): Finally, the instructor should reinforce the subject’s importance for everyday life. They can, for example, mention how the knowledge of solutions is essential in different areas, like in medicine, in food industry, in agriculture, and others. Besides that, the instructor can highlight how understanding and manipulating solutions is useful in several everyday life situations, like when cooking meals, cleaning the house, and even taking care of one’s health (preparing medication or mixing cleaning products, for instance).

   The instructor should end the lesson by reinforcing the importance of continuous study and curiosity to learning and by encouraging students to continue exploring the subject matter at home.