Back to the lesson plan builder
Lesson length30 min45 min60 min
Questions🔀 New questions

Print the plan for yourself; the student sheet prints on its own page after it.

Science lesson plan · 8th grade (Year 9 in England) · 30 minutes

Neutralisation and naming salts

Chemical reactions, acids and bases

CCSS NGSS.MS-PS1-2CCSS NGSS.HS-PS1-2England: KS3 Chemistry: Chemical reactionsEngland: KS4 Combined Science: Chemical changes

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Neutralisation and naming salts.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Acids, alkalis (bases) and the pH scale; Reactants, products and word equations

Leads to: The reactivity series and displacement; Titration calculations

Materials: Teacher demo or video, Indicator color chart, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Acids, alkalis (bases) and the pH scale; Reactants, products and word equations). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Complete the word equation: magnesium + oxygen → ___ (magnesium carbonate / magnesium oxide / carbon dioxide / magnesium chloride) → magnesium oxidePrompt: A metal reacting with oxygen makes a metal oxide.
  2. Universal indicator turns red in a solution. What does this tell you? (It is a strong acid / It is pure water / It is a strong alkali / It is neutral) → It is a strong acidPrompt: Red is at the low-pH end of the colour chart.
  3. Complete the word equation: zinc + oxygen → ___ (zinc oxide / calcium oxide / zinc carbonate / zinc chloride) → zinc oxidePrompt: A metal reacting with oxygen makes a metal oxide.

Hook · 3 min

  • Drop an antacid tablet in water (or show a clip) and ask whether a new substance is being made.
  • Share the objective: Neutralisation and naming salts. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 7 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Name the salt: potassium hydroxide + nitric acid → ___ + water
  • Step 1: nitric acid → nitrate
  • Step 2: So the answer is: potassium nitrate
  • Answer: potassium nitrate
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 6 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. Name the salt: magnesium + sulfuric acid → ___ + hydrogen (magnesium nitrate / magnesium oxide / magnesium sulfate / magnesium chloride) → magnesium sulfatePrompt: The first part of the salt's name comes from the metal.
  2. Which gas is produced when a carbonate reacts with an acid? (carbon dioxide / nitrogen / oxygen / hydrogen) → carbon dioxidePrompt: It turns limewater milky (cloudy).

You do: independent practice · 7 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 3 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. 10 cm³ of an acid starts at pH 2. An alkali is added 10 cm³ at a time. The pH readings are 2, 5, 7. What total volume of alkali made the solution neutral, in cm³? → 20 cm³Prompt: Neutral means pH 7.
  2. Name the salt: magnesium + nitric acid → ___ + hydrogen (magnesium sulfate / magnesium nitrate / magnesium chloride / magnesium oxide) → magnesium nitratePrompt: The first part of the salt's name comes from the metal.

Watch out for

  • Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
  • Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Acids, alkalis (bases) and the pH scale.
  • Use concrete materials: teacher demo or video.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Move on to: The reactivity series and displacement; Titration calculations.
  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-8.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

eurekami

Neutralisation and naming salts

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Name the salt: sodium hydroxide + hydrochloric acid → ___ + water

    • A. sodium sulfate
    • B. sodium nitrate
    • C. sodium oxide
    • D. sodium chloride

  2. Question 2

    Which gas is produced when a carbonate reacts with an acid?

    • A. oxygen
    • B. nitrogen
    • C. hydrogen
    • D. carbon dioxide

  3. Question 3

    20 cm³ of an acid starts at pH 2. An alkali is added 5 cm³ at a time. The pH readings are 2, 3, 5, 6, 7. What total volume of alkali made the solution neutral, in cm³?

    Answercm³

  4. Question 4

    Name the salt: magnesium + hydrochloric acid → ___ + hydrogen

    • A. magnesium oxide
    • B. magnesium chloride
    • C. magnesium sulfate
    • D. magnesium nitrate

  5. Question 5

    Which gas is produced when a metal reacts with an acid?

    • A. hydrogen
    • B. oxygen
    • C. carbon dioxide
    • D. chlorine

  6. Question 6

    20 cm³ of an acid starts at pH 1. An alkali is added 10 cm³ at a time. The pH readings are 1, 3, 5, 7. What total volume of alkali made the solution neutral, in cm³?

    Answercm³

Free from eurekami.com

for the adult only

Answer key: Neutralisation and naming salts

  1. 1. D. sodium chloride

  2. 2. D. carbon dioxide

  3. 3. 20 cm³

  4. 4. B. magnesium chloride

  5. 5. A. hydrogen

  6. 6. 30 cm³