ST.

JOSEPH’S COLLEGE
Special Education Lesson Plan Guidelines

Name of Student: Tatyana Pearson School:

Central Focus:
Given an example of a change of matter, the students will be able to determine whether it’s a
chemical or physical change.
Behavioral Objective:
Given a lab on demonstrating a chemical change, the students will be able to answer 2 out of 3
questions correctly regarding the results of their experiment.
Curriculum Rationale:
In the past, the students have learned about the three different states of matter. They currently
learning the difference between a chemical and physical change. In the future, the students will
learn about the freezing and melting point of matter.
IEP Goals:
I have not been allowed to read the student’s IEP’s.
New York State Common Core Learning Standards:
Reading Science and Technical Subjects
Reading RST.6-8.3: Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments,
taking measurements, or performing technical tasks.
Reading 6-8.2: Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate
summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
MS. Structure and Properties of Matter
MS-PS1-7: Use evidence to illustrate that density is a property that can be used to identify
samples of matter
MS-PS1-8: Plan and conduct an investigation to demonstrate that mixtures are combinations of
substances.

Academic Language:
 Chemical Change- One or more substances are altered into one or more new different
substances.
 Physical Change- is a type of change in which matter is altered but one substance is not
transformed into another.
 Solid – firm and stable in shape, not liquid or fluid.
 Liquid- a substance that flows freely but it constant volume, having a consistency like
that of water or oil.
 Gas- a substance in a state in which it will expand feely to fill the whole container,
having no fixed shape and no fixed volume.
 Calcium Chloride- a white crystalline salt
 Phenol Red Solution- a red dye which is used as a pH indicator.
 Graduated Cylinder- “mixing cylinder” common piece of laboratory equipment used to
measure the volume of a liquid.
Materials:
 Printer
o 15 copies of the Sunset in a Bag Directions and Procedure
o 15 copies of the Sunset in a Bag Lab
 15 Dr. Seuss Dry Erase paddles (Target)
 15 Dry Erase Markers with erasers connected (Target)
 Smart Board
o PowerPoint presentation on Physical and Chemical Changes
o Physical and Chemical Changes YouTube video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIJ2qnUOOwQ
 A box of baking soda
 7 bottles of Phenol Red Solution
 7 Graduated Cylinder
  Warm Water (From inside the classroom)
 7 bottles of Calcium Chloride
 7 Resealable plastic bags (Quart or Sandwich Bags)
 7 teaspoons from measuring cups

Development/ Procedures:
Introduction:
 I will begin by calling a student up front to hold up a pencil. I will ask them to go the
sharpener and sharpen the pencil. “Since they sharpen the pencil what is different about
the pencil?” The response I am looking for is that the pencil is smaller. “Even though the
pencil is smaller, is it still a pencil?
 I will then call up a different student up front and instruct them to put on goggles and
gloves. I will tell them to take the pencil and break it in half. “Even though we broke the
pencil into two pieces, is it still a pencil or is it something different?”
 I will call another student to take the pencil and go to the sink and wet them. “So now
that that the pencil is broken in half and is wet. Is it still a pencil”?
 I will then say, “If I were to set the pencil on fire and let it burn into ash, is it still a
pencil? All the previous things we did to the pencil was a physical change, we just
changed the physical properties of the pencil but it was still a pencil. If we were to burn
this pencil it would turn into a new substance which would be a chemical change. Today
we are going to learn more about physical and chemical changes and we will also do a
lab showing a chemical change”.
Instructional Strategies:
1. I will begin by displaying the PowerPoint and start by asking spiraling questions on topics
that were previously taught to the students “Who can give me one of the three states of
matter?” I will call on three separate students who raised their hand and I will go to the next
slide of the PowerPoint containing which states the three states of matter “Correct the three
states of matter are Solid, Liquid, Gas.”
2. I will ask the students for examples of all three states of matter. Ex: Orange Juice is a
Liquid. A phone is a solid and Steam is gas.
3. The students have previously been taught the difference of a physical and chemical change
but through the PowerPoint I will review the differences.
4. The lab that the students will be doing later in the lesson shows a demonstration of a
chemical change so going over the difference of physical and chemical change is important.
5. Since the students have already been taught this material it will review I will continue to ask
Spiraling questions before going over the materials. “Who remembers what a Physical
Change is?” I will praise the students on their answers and their participation.
6. I will go to next slide and say “A physical change is a change in size, shape or form. In a
physical change only the physical properties change. If you take a watermelon and cut it
into different pieces, is still a watermelon? I only changed the size of the watermelon but it
is still a watermelon.”
7. On the next slide, I will show a picture of an ice cube and next to it the ice cube is melting, I
will ask the students why this is a physical change. I am looking for answers such as “The
ice cube is made out of water. The water in the ice cube was frozen and now it melted but it
is still water.”
8. Next I will ask “Who remembers what a chemical change is? Who can also tell me what the
difference between a chemical and physical change?”. I will praise the students for
participation even if their answer is not correct. If the answer is not correct I will tell them
that it was a good thought but not quite right.
9. I will then say “A chemical change is where one or more of the original materials changes
into other materials. In a chemical change one or more new substances are formed. A great
example of this is fireworks. When you light a firework, it turns into a colorful explosion
which changes it into a new substance. A change in color, sound and smell is usually
evidence of a chemical change.”
10. After exampling the differences between chemical and physical changes I will play the
YouTube video. The video just goes over the differences again and shows more visual
examples. As the video is playing I will hand out dry erase boards and markers to each
student.
11. After the video, I will display the PowerPoint and tell the students “Okay we are going to
do an activity. I will display on the PowerPoint and example of a physical or chemical
 change. I want each you each to write on the board what type of change you think it is. After
you are done I want you hold up your answers.”
12. I will do seven of these questions with the students and each question will be on a slide and
the following slide will be the answers. As the students are answering the questions I will
praise them for getting the answers correct.
13. If almost half the students get the question wrong. I will explain in detail on why the
example was either a physical or chemical change. For example, “If you take wood and
light it on fire, after the fire is over will the wood still be wood? The wood will turn into ash
or part of the wood be burnt. That is why it’s a chemical change because we are turning the
wood into a new substance.”
14. After doing the activity I will instruct the students to get into pairs for the lab that we are
going to do. I will instruct them grab their gloves and safety goggles because we will be
using chemicals.
15. I will then hand out the lab and then I will say “We are going to do the Sunset in a Bag lab.
In this lab, we will be observing a chemical change. We are going to go over the procedure
together.”
16. Each group will get a teaspoon of baking soda, 20ml of warm water, 5ml of phenol red
solution, a plastic bag, teaspoon of calcium chloride and a graduated cylinder.
17. I will give the following directions on the procedure and I will physically show the students
the materials that they will be working with. “Before you begin this lab I want to remind
you all that you are sixth graders and you will be working with chemicals. Do not put any of
these materials in your mouth or near your face. Keep your goggles and gloves on at all
times. So first I want you to take your graduated cylinder and fill it with warm water until
you get to 20mL. Pour the water into the plastic bag, then while you are holding the bag
have your partner measure 5mL of the Phenol red solution. Pour the Phenol red solution
into the bag and then seal the bag. Make sure you seal it completely then gently slosh the
solution around to mix it.”
18. “After mixing carefully open the bag away from your face, then you are going to add
teaspoon of the calcium chloride into bag. After, seal the bag again and make sure its
sealed completely. You will then slosh the contents to mix to the solution. This is where I
want you to record on your observation sheet any changes that you observe.”
19. “Next I want you to open the bag carefully away from your face and quickly add a teaspoon
of baking soda. Again, seal the bag completely and the slosh the content together to mix it. I
then want you to record and changes you observed after you add the baking soda”.
20. I will show the students the materials and what to do but I will not physically do the lab in
order for the students to record their own chemical change and not already know what will
happen.
21. As I am explaining the procedure, the teacher assistant will start to hand out the materials.
22. Before the students start the lab, they will write on their observation sheet what they think
will happen to mixture inside of the bag after they have done the lab.
23. I will then instruct the students to start the lab. As the students are going through the lab I
will walk around the room and observe their findings.
24. I will make sure to constantly remind them of using safety techniques. I will also
compliment students for doing a good job following directions.
25. As the students are completing the lab I want them to be able to write in their observation
that the color of the bag turned orange and then after they added the baking soda the color
turned red much like a sunset. We will go over their findings together and have a group
discussion on why this was a chemical change. This is a chemical change because they
changed the color and turned the substance into a new substance.
26. The students will finish their observation sheet and hand in to me. They will then be
instructed to put the bags in the sink and return the gloves and goggles in the right places.
Closure:
As the lesson is coming to close I will call the attention of the students back to the front. I will
hold up my water bottle ask “What type of matter is the contents inside of my water bottle? What
type of matter is the water bottle itself? If I were to pour my water into pot and boil the water
what type of matter would be produced?” This will help review the three states of matter again. I
will then take a piece paper and crumple it. I will ask “What type of change did I just
demonstrate? It’s a physical change because even though I crumpled the paper it is still a piece
a paper. The only thing I did was changed the shape of the paper. Remember that the substance
stays the same in a physical change.”
Technology Component:
The computer was used to create the PowerPoint and I will display it during the lesson. I will
also use the SMART board to play the Physical and Chemical Change YouTube video.
Adaptive Procedures:
1. If a student has a visual impairment, I will print out the lab and procedures in a bigger font
so they can easily follow along.
2. For students who have intellectual disabilities and have a harder time doing multiple steps
in the procedure, I will have the teachers aid sit with them and go through the lab step by
step with them. This is allowing the students to do most of the work but helping them stay
on track.

Assessment:
Informal Assessment: When doing the dry erase activity with the students I will pay close
attention to what the student write on their boards. This will give me an idea of who is struggling
with the material based on what they answered. As the students are doing their lab I will walk
around and see if any of the students are having difficulty with the directions or any part of the
lab.
Formal Assessment: I will grade the students on the conclude and apply questions on the
observation sheet. I will be paying close attention on how they are able to recognize why the
experiment was a chemical change. I will assess if they answer the questions completely with
multiple facts supporting their evidence.
Re-engagement:
For any of the students who struggled explaining why the experiment was a chemical
change I will change the strategy on how I teach the difference between a physical and chemical
change. Instead of teaching through a PowerPoint, I will bring in physical demonstrations of
physical and chemical changes. I will demonstrate five physical changes in the classroom and I
will demonstrate five chemical changes. This will provide a more visual approach to learning
and allow to students to actually see the changes taking place. I will also call up students to
demonstrate some of the changes so they can feel the materials make their own physical and
chemical changes.