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Science lesson plan · 5th grade (Year 6 in England) · 45 minutes

What makes things dissolve faster? Read the results

Materials and their properties

CCSS NGSS.5-PS1-4CCSS NGSS.SEP 4England: KS2 Y5 Properties and changes of materialsEngland: KS2 Y5–Y6 Working scientifically

Objective and success criteria

Students will: What makes things dissolve faster? Read the results.

  • 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: Dissolving and solutions

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

Materials: A tray of everyday objects, Sorting hoops, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 5 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Dissolving and solutions). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Is rice soluble or insoluble in water? (soluble (dissolves in water) / insoluble (does not dissolve)) → insoluble (does not dissolve)Prompt: Imagine stirring it into a glass of water. Would it disappear from view?
  2. 5 g of sugar is dissolved in 250 g of water. What is the mass of the solution, in g? → 255 gPrompt: When something dissolves, does it disappear or is it still there?
  3. In salt water, what is the solvent? (the cup / water / salt / salt water) → waterPrompt: The solvent is the liquid that does the dissolving.

Hook · 5 min

  • Pass round objects made of different materials and ask why each one was chosen.
  • Share the objective: What makes things dissolve faster? Read the results. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 10 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: To test if temperature affects dissolving fairly, what must you keep the same?
  • Step 1: Change only the temperature; keep everything else the same.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: the amount of water, the type and amount of sugar, and the stirring
  • Answer: the amount of water, the type and amount of sugar, and the stirring
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 10 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. Can you keep dissolving more and more sugar in one cup of water for ever? (Yes, water never fills up. / Yes, but only cold water. / No, sugar never dissolves. / No, eventually no more will dissolve and it settles at the bottom.) → No, eventually no more will dissolve and it settles at the bottom.Prompt: Have you seen sugar left at the bottom of a sweet drink?
  2. True or false? Stirring speeds up dissolving. (True / False) → TruePrompt: Temperature, stirring and particle size: what does each do?

You do: independent practice · 10 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 5 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. How does stirring help sugar dissolve faster? (It turns the sugar into salt. / It makes the sugar bigger. / It moves fresh water next to the sugar. / It cools the water.) → It moves fresh water next to the sugar.Prompt: Without stirring, sweet water stays around the sugar.
  2. True or false? Dissolving makes the total mass smaller. (True / False) → FalsePrompt: Temperature, stirring and particle size: what does each do?

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: Dissolving and solutions.
  • Use concrete materials: a tray of everyday objects.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • 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-5.

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

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What makes things dissolve faster? Read the results

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    True or false? Crushed sugar dissolves faster than a whole cube.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  2. Question 2

    At which temperature did the sugar take longest to dissolve?

    Seconds for a sugar cube to dissolve02040608010012010710 °C6530 °C5050 °C1670 °C
    • A. 10 °C
    • B. 30 °C
    • C. 50 °C
    • D. 70 °C

  3. Question 3

    To test if temperature affects dissolving fairly, what must you keep the same?

    • A. only the cup colour
    • B. the amount of water, the type and amount of sugar, and the stirring
    • C. nothing
    • D. the temperature

  4. Question 4

    True or false? Sugar dissolves faster in hot water than in cold water.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  5. Question 5

    How many seconds faster did the sugar dissolve at 70 °C than at 10 °C?

    Seconds for a sugar cube to dissolve02040608010012011110 °C6330 °C4450 °C1570 °C

    Answers

  6. Question 6

    Granulated sugar dissolves faster than a sugar cube of the same mass. Why?

    • A. Granulated sugar is a different substance.
    • B. Water dislikes cubes.
    • C. Cubes are heavier.
    • D. Smaller pieces have more surface touching the water.

  7. Question 7

    True or false? Cold water dissolves sugar fastest.

    • A. True
    • B. False

  8. Question 8

    A sugar cube was dropped into water at four temperatures. What pattern do the results show?

    Seconds for a sugar cube to dissolve02040608010012010710 °C8530 °C4150 °C1870 °C
    • A. Temperature makes no difference.
    • B. The hotter the water, the faster the sugar dissolves.
    • C. The colder the water, the faster the sugar dissolves.
    • D. Sugar only dissolves at 70 °C.

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Answer key: What makes things dissolve faster? Read the results

  1. 1. A. True

  2. 2. A. 10 °C

  3. 3. B. the amount of water, the type and amount of sugar, and the stirring

  4. 4. A. True

  5. 5. 96 s

  6. 6. D. Smaller pieces have more surface touching the water.

  7. 7. B. False

  8. 8. B. The hotter the water, the faster the sugar dissolves.