Chemical Reactions
Discovery Education Unit: Hindenburg Explosion
Embedded Files
Literacy / Driving Question Board Connections
Nonfiction Science Literacy Resources
Graphic Organizers / Thinking Maps
Driving Question Boards
Multilingual Learner Language Expectations
MS-PS1-1: Atomic Composition Model
Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures. (Scale, Proportion, and Quantity)
Clarification & Boundary Statements
Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on developing models of molecules that vary in complexity. Examples of simple molecules could include ammonia and methanol. Examples of extended structures could include sodium chloride or diamonds. Examples of molecular-level models could include drawings, 3D ball and stick structures, or computer representations showing different molecules with different types of atoms.
Boundary Statement: Assessment does not include valence electrons and bonding energy, discussing the ionic nature of subunits of complex structures, or a complete description of all individual atoms in a complex molecule or extended structure is not required.
MS-PS1-2: Chemical Properties and Reactions
Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred. (Patterns)
Clarification & Boundary Statements
Clarification Statement: Examples of reactions could include burning sugar or steel wool, fat reacting with sodium hydroxide, and mixing zinc with hydrogen chloride.
Boundary Statement: Assessment is limited to analysis of the following properties: density, melting point, boiling point, solubility, flammability, and odor.
MS-PS1-3: Synthetic Materials
Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society. (Structure and Function)
Clarification & Boundary Statements
Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on natural resources that undergo a chemical process to form the synthetic material. Examples of new materials could include new medicine, foods, and alternative fuels.
Boundary Statement: Assessment is limited to qualitative information.
MS-PS1-5: Conservation of Atoms in Reactions
Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved. (Energy and Matter)
Clarification & Boundary Statements
Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on law of conservation of matter and on physical models or drawings, including digital forms, that represent atoms.
Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include the use of atomic masses, balancing symbolic equations, or intermolecular forces.
MS-PS1-6: Thermal Energy Design Project
Undertake a design project to construct, test, and modify a device that either releases or absorbs thermal energy by chemical processes. (Energy and Matter)
Clarification & Boundary Statements
Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the design, controlling the transfer of energy to the environment, and modification of a device using factors such as type and concentration of a substance. Examples of designs could involve chemical reactions such as dissolving ammonium chloride or calcium chloride.
Boundary Statement: Assessment is limited to the criteria of amount, time, and temperature of substance in testing the device.
Anchor Phenomenon / Local Colorado Phenomenon Connections
DRIVING QUESTION: What caused the Hindenburg to explode?
Anchor
After making observations about the Hindenburg explosion and recording alternative arguments for what caused the explosion, students generate questions about what may have caused the Hindenburg to explode and place their questions on a Driving Question Board. The Driving Question Board should serve as the foundation of learning throughout the lesson bundle.
Discovery Education Lesson / Connections to Anchor Phenomenon
Exploring the Hindenburg Explosion / What caused the Hindenburg to explode?
Exploring the Burning of the Hydrogen / How does hydrogen burn?
Modeling Chemical Reactions / How do oxygen and hydrogen change into water?
Energy / How do metals burn?
Burning a Scale Model Hindenburg / What caused the Hindenburg to burn so quickly?
Outscider National Park Phenomena Connections
Mammoth Cave National Park - Minerals / Chemical Reactions
Mammoth Cave National Park - Minerals / Chemical Reactions
Engage: Discussion Guide
Explore: Saturation Point Lab
Explain: Water Hardness Lab
Elaborate: Mapping Water Hardness in Your Community
Evaluate: Water Filtration Design Challenge
Local Colorado Phenomena Connections
To address the NGSS standard MS-PS1-2, which focuses on analyzing and interpreting data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred, consider these local Colorado phenomena:
Garden of the Gods Rock Formations: Explore the chemical weathering processes that have shaped these iconic red rock formations. Discuss how chemical reactions with water and air have altered the minerals over time.
Colorado Mines and Mineral Extraction: Investigate how chemical reactions are used in the extraction and processing of minerals. This could include the use of cyanide in gold mining or the reactions involved in copper extraction.
Colorado River Water Quality: Examine how pollutants and natural elements react in the Colorado River, affecting water quality. This could include studying how phosphates and nitrates from fertilizers enter waterways and cause chemical changes.
Snow Melting and Road Salt: Analyze how the use of road salt impacts the melting of snow and ice. Discuss the chemical reactions between salt and water, and how it affects the environment.
Hot Springs: Investigate the chemical reactions that occur in Colorado's hot springs, such as those in Glenwood Springs. Discuss the role of minerals and gases that dissolve in the water and their effects on the spring's properties.
These local phenomena provide a tangible way for students to connect their learning to real-world examples.
Using SchoolAI, Gemini, ChatGPT to find local Colorado Phenomena
Use the following prompt, adjust accordingly. "I am a middle school science teacher looking for a local Colorado phenomena to address NGSS standard (enter standard you are looking for... example MS-PS1-4)"
Using SchoolAI
1) Navigate to Assistants
2) Select Curriculum Coach
3) Use the prompt above
Career Connections
Career Connections
Connecting what students are learning to careers not only deepens their engagement in school but also helps them make more informed choices about their future. Browse the following related career profiles to discover what scientists really do on the job and what it takes to prepare for these careers. For additional profiles visit your Year at a Glance Page.
Local Colorado Career Connections
Consider these Colorado-based career connections related to chemical reactions for your 8th-grade science curriculum:
Chemical Engineers: Tour or invite professionals from companies like Ball Corporation or CoorsTek, which have facilities in Colorado and focus on materials and chemical processes.
Environmental Scientists: Connect with scientists from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, who work on sustainable chemical processes.
Pharmaceutical Researchers: Engage with researchers from UCHealth or the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus involved in drug development and chemical analysis.
Brewing Science: Colorado is known for its breweries, such as New Belgium Brewing Company, where you can explore fermentation and chemical reactions in brewing.
Mining and Metallurgy: Visit or contact professionals in the mining industry, like those at Freeport-McMoRan, to learn about chemical reactions in ore processing.
These connections can provide students with a real-world perspective on how chemical reactions are applied in various industries.
Hands On, Minds On Connections
Discovery
Discovery Hands-On Refurbishments
PASCO
St Vrain Science Center
TedEd Video
Simulations
GIZMOS
Happy Atoms
Happy Atoms Lesson Plans - a physical and digital chemistry teaching tool that allows students to learn, see, and explore the world of chemistry. (Kits are with 6th Grade Teachers)
Nearpod Lessons / Activities / Videos
LabXchange Lessons / Activities / Videos
Teacher Notes / Assessments
Discovery Hands-On Refurbishments
To Extend Student Learning
6) Junior Investigations Additional Remediation, Extension, Differentiation Resources
Teacher Prep: Content Background Unit Storyline Driving Question Boards English Language Learner Support
3 Dimensional Science Assessments
This spreadsheet is a collection of existing assessments from across the country designed to support implementation of NGSS and similar state standards. The openly available tasks represent a wide range of task types and purposes. Some of these assessments are similar to what your students will experience on their 8th grade CMAS Exam. It is a good idea to introduce these types of assessments to students at all grade levels to better prepare them for success demonstrating their science knowledge. Combined 3D Task Inventory
NGSS 6-8 Assessment Task (Layers in a Test Tube)
CDE: Grade Level Expectations
Prepared Graduates:
Prepared Graduates:
1.1: Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding structure, properties and interactions of matter.
1.3: Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how energy is transferred and conserved.
Grade Level Expectation:
Grade Level Expectation:
1-1: The fact that matter is composed of atoms and molecules can be used to explain the properties of substances, diversity of materials, states of matter and phase changes.
1-6: Energy changes to and from each type can be tracked through physical or chemical interactions. The relationship between the temperature and the total energy of a system depends on the types, states and amounts of matter.
1-2: Reacting substances rearrange to form different molecules, but the number of atoms is conserved. Some reactions release energy and others absorb energy
Colorado Department of Education - Middle School Science Standards
Connecting Thinking Maps to Science Instruction
To help students Think Like a Scientists, they need to know how to question and gather evidence in order to refine and revise what they know and understand. The information below provides suggestions for connecting Thinking Maps to our science concepts. The thinking maps listed are general connections and should not be seen as the only maps that could be used. To better understand how to use Thinking Maps in Science, reference pages 188 to 196 in your Thinking Maps Teacher Guide. Each Thinking Map listed below includes the page number where it can be found in your Thinking Maps Teacher Guide
Graphic Organizers (Science Practices & Cross-Cutting Concepts)
Thinking Maps Guide Thinking Maps Guide (Spanish)
Thinking Map Resources (Spanish)
Patterns
Critical Questions: Is there a pattern? What caused the pattern? What predictions can I make? How does this pattern compare to others?
Possible Thinking Maps:
Flow or Bridge Maps for analyzing patterns (Page 54)
Tree Map for classifying (Page 42)
Bridge Map for relationships (Page 66)
Multi-flow Map for causes of patterns and making predictions (Page 60)
Double Bubble Map for comparing / contrasting patterns (Page 36)
Cause and Effect
Critical Questions: What evidence is there for this cause and effect relationship? What are other possible causes? How is this relationship similar to others? How does changing one event affect the results?
Possible Thinking Maps:
Multi-flow Map for cause and effect (Page 60)
Partial Multi-flow Map (Page 60)
Circle Map for Brainstorming (Page 24)
Double Bubble Map for cause and effect (Page 36)
Scale, Proportion, Quantity
Critical Questions: How does this system look at a smaller or larger scale? What is new and what is the same? What is new and what is the same? How does this scale relate to you? What happens if we change the quantity involved?
Possible Thinking Maps:
Multi-flow Map for cause and effect (Page 60)
Tree Map for details at different measures (Page 42)
Double-Bubble Map (Page 36)
Brace Map for analyzing parts at different scales or proportions (Page 48)
Bridge Map for relationships (Page 66)
Systems and System Models
Critical Questions: What parts and sub-systems make up this system? What interactions and processes involve this system? How is this system alike or different from others? What are the effects of modifying one part of the system?
Possible Thinking Maps:
Brace Map for taking systems apart (Page 48)
Flow Map for organization of the system (Page 54)
Double-Bubble Map to systems (Page 36)
Multi-flow Map to analyze impact of modifying systems (Page 60)
Energy and Matter
Critical Questions: How are energy and matter related in this system? Where does the energy for this system come from? Go?
Possible Thinking Maps:
Flow Map for tracking energy (Page 54)
Partial Multi-Flow Map for effects of changes (Page 60)
Bridge Map for relating energy and matter (Page 66)
Partial Multi-flow for causes of energy (Page 60)
Structure and Function
Critical Questions: How does the function depend on the structure? Are there other structures that serve the same function?
Possible Thinking Maps:
Brace Map to analyze structure (Page 48)
Partial Multi-Flow Map to explain how the structure causes the function (Page 60)
Double Bubble Map for different structures (Page 36)
Stability and Change
Critical Questions: What causes change in this system? Stability? Is the stability static or dynamic? What are possible catalysts for changing the stability?
Possible Thinking Maps:
Partial Multi-Flow Map for change (Page 60)
Circle Maps for defining dynamic and static stability (Page 24)
Flow map for evolution of a system (Page 54)
Double Bubble to dynamic and static stability (Page 36)
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