OpenSciEd Unit 7.2 · Lesson 04 · 4.A
Look for: See Key for Analyzing Our Data Collection Met…
From Teacher Edition
Facilitation guidance from the lesson plan — what to notice in student thinking and how to respond while teaching.
Building towards
4.A. Evaluate and use accurate methods of data collection to define an optimal proportion of reactants that result in the greatest temperature change and least amount of reactants left over.
What to look / listen for
See Key for Analyzing Our Data Collection Methods for sample student ideas.
What to do
If students are struggling with articulating why examining the solids and liquids after the reaction is useful in answering our question, cue them to look at the chemical equation and identify what we end up with at the end (copper and no aluminum by itself). Pose questions, such as, “If there is a lot of aluminum left, what does that mean in terms of the reaction?” If students don’t suggest comparing their remaining solids and liquids to those of other groups, refer to different blue objects in the classroom, and ask for different students to describe the colors. This should help reveal the need to compare to more-accurately describe the solution.