Week 15

 What did you learn this week?

This week, I learned that during a chemical reaction, the total amount of matter remains the same before and after the reaction takes place. To help explain this to a 5th grader, we conducted an experiment where we weighed baking soda, vinegar, and a bottle separately. Then, we combined the baking soda and vinegar inside the bottle and waited 30 seconds before weighing everything again. Even though a chemical reaction occurred, the total weight remained the same. This demonstrated the concept of the conservation of matter—matter cannot be created or destroyed, only changed.

How can you apply what you've learned to your teaching in the future?
I can definitely use this experiment in my future classroom to make science more hands-on and engaging. Students can use a scale to weigh baking soda and vinegar separately, and then mix them while the bottle remains on the scale. Before starting, I would ask them to make predictions—will the weight increase, decrease, or stay the same? After the reaction, they can use the results as evidence to support their reasoning and write about whether a chemical reaction changes the amount of matter. This activity would help them see that even though a new substance is formed, the total number of atoms remains the same, which means the weight doesn’t change.

What questions do you still have?
I still wonder how to clearly explain to a 5th grader that even though two substances combine and create a new substance, the overall weight doesn’t change. It feels counterintuitive—even I think it would weigh more! How do you help students understand that atoms are just rearranging, not disappearing or being added? This concept can be tricky for young learners, and I’d like to find simple, relatable ways to explain it.



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