Science/Lab Lesson Plan

SCIENCE!
Grade Level: 4th Grade
Estimated Time: 40-50 minutes

Overview:

Objective/
Purpose:

Description of
Learners and
Learning
Environment:

Through these activities, we are providing the students a break

from the traditional classroom setting and providing a fun,
hands-on learning environment, while hitting state science
standards for 4th grade.

1. After completing each experiment, the students will

understand and be able to fully explain why each reaction
occurred.
2. Given a list of detailed materials and procedures, the
students will be able to accurately perform each
experiment with the help of their peers.
3. Students will be able to completely answer the questions
given via their journals.
Learners:
4th grade boys and girls
At-risk students
Members of College Mentors for Kids
Learning Environment:
Purdue University/Memorial Mall
In the grass area closer to the Stewart Center
With other 4th grade students and Purdue college
mentors

Science/Lab Lesson Plan

Materials:

Materials for all experiments and after the activity:

Direction sheet for all three of the experiments
Safety goggles
Paper and pencil for each student for written journal
following the activity
Paper towels for clean up
Water
Soap to clean table/stool
Disinfectant wipes
Elephant Toothpaste
1/2 cup 6% hydrogen peroxide
2 tsp. yeast (1 packet)
3 tbsp. warm water
Dish soap
Food coloring (optional)
Empty 16oz plastic bottle
Funnel
Tray or container to catch the foaming fun
Oobleck
16 oz Cornstarch, sometimes called 'cornflour'
cup Water
Large Mixing Bowl
Food coloring (optional)
Air-tight container (for storage)
Table for the activity to take place
Plastic gloves for students to use if they want to (not
mandatory
Mentos and Diet Coke
Diet Coke
Mint Mentos
Stool where students will complete the experiment

Science/Lab Lesson Plan

Procedures:

Before beginning the activity:

Make sure you have all of the materials that will be
needed for the experiment (including materials for clean
up).
Have a copy of the instruction sheet for each student
completing the experiment and every college mentor for
them to instruct with (bring a few extras as well!)
Go out to Memorial Mall and set up three different
stations for the three different experiments.
Break students up into groups of three: one group for
each station. (You can have multiple experiments going on
at each station depending on amount of students there.)
Pass out the instruction sheet to each student
participating in the experiments.
Make sure there are multiple college mentors at each
station ready to guide the students through each
experiment.
Elephant Toothpaste
Make sure the station is prepared with all of the required
materials.
Make sure the tray is laid out for the experiment to take
place on.
First, hydrogen peroxide can irritate skin and eyes, so
make sure everyone puts on safety goggles.
Have yourself or another college mentor carefully pour
the hydrogen peroxide into the bottle.
Add 8 drops of your favorite food coloring into the
bottle.
Add about 1 tablespoon of liquid dish soap into the bottle.
Swish the bottle around a bit to mix up the materials
inside.
In the separate small cup provided, combine the warm
water and the yeast together
Mix the yeast and warm water together for about 30
seconds.
Now the adventure starts! Take the funnel and set it on
top of the bottle with the hydrogen peroxide and liquid

Science/Lab Lesson Plan

dish soap.
Pour the yeast water mixture into the bottle with the
help of the funnel.
Watch the foaminess begin and have the students
observe what happens.
Discuss the results.
Diet Coke and Mentos
Make sure you have the diet coke and mint mentos.
Again, make sure everyone has their safety goggles on.
Have the stool set up with the two liter of diet coke
sitting on top.
Open the bottle of diet coke and then open the top of the
mint mentos package.
Have all of the students stand at least six feet away from
the stool and experiment.
Have yourself or another college mentor pour the entire
package of mentos into the two liter of diet coke.
Immediately take a few steps back and watch what
happens. There will be an immediate reaction.
Have students observe and discuss results.
Oobleck
Make sure the table is set up with all the materials
needed.
Take the instructed amount of corn starch (16oz) and
place it into the large mixing bowl.
Take the smaller cup and pour the correct amount of
water(1/2 cup) into it.
(Optional) add 2 or 3 drops of your favorite food coloring
to the cup of water.
Slowly pour the water into the bowl of corn starch.
Allow students who want them out on the plastic gloves.
Stir Oobleck with hands until completely mixed.
Play and experiment!

Science/Lab Lesson Plan

Allow students to experiment with each other and
question/comment the Oobleck.
Clean up by having students clean the Oobleck off of
their hands.
Put the Oobleck into a tightly sealed container to keep.
Clean off table and make sure the station is ready for the
next group.

Assessment:

Standards:

The college mentors will be going around to each of the

stations and asking the students specific questions about
the steps they are taking and how they are completing
the experiment.
College mentors will also have a short discussion following
each experiment about the outcome of the experiment
and what the students learned.
Students will complete a journal reflection following the
activities. They will talk about each experiment and
discuss what they learned and got out of the lesson. Each
student will be asked three main questions about each
individual experiment:
1. In each experiment, what caused the chemical reaction to
happen?
2. Looking at your answers for question 1, why did these
things cause the chemical reaction to happen?
3. What was your favorite part of the experiment? Was
there one station you found more interesting than the
others? Why?
3-5.DP.6 Create the solution through a prototype.
3-5.DP.7 Test and evaluate how well the solution meets the goal.
3-5.DP.11 Communicate how to improve the solution.

Science/Lab Lesson Plan

References:

Standards: Eichinger, D., & Sheetz, C. (n.d.). Biology for Elementary

School Teachers - BIO 20500.
http://www.cometogetherkids.com/2012/02/elephanttoothpaste-foaming-science.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Oobleck
http://tinkerlab.com/diet-coke-mentos-experiment/
1) PREPARE AND INSPIRE: K-12 Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Math (STEM) Education for America's
Future. (2010). 76(4), 42-46. Retrieved November 5, 2014,
from ProQuest Research Library.
2) Nadelson, L. (2013). Teacher STEM Perception and
Preparation: Inquiry-Based STEM Professional Development
for Elementary Teachers. Journal of Educational Research,
Vol 106(2), P 157-168.

Summaries of
Articles

1) This article really focuses on how America is falling behind

other countries in terms of education, specifically STEM, and
how it is crucial that we change that. The skills that students
obtain from STEM classes are important for the future. The
article calls for more STEM education for all students,
including students who are considered advanced and those
who are considered at-risk. This article relates to our lesson
because we are working with 4th grade students who are
considered to be at-risk. We are tackling this issue in a fun,
interesting way in order to promote the desire to learn.
2) The second article talks about how students foundational
knowledge of the STEM studies is formed in their elementary
education. But paradoxically, elementary teachers have
constrained background knowledge, confidence, and efficacy
for teaching STEM and may limit student learning in these
areas. The authors created and implemented a professional
development program to address K5 teacher confidence for,
attitudes toward, knowledge of, and efficacy for teaching
inquiry-based STEM.

Creators:

Abigail Webster
Tyler Sandmann
Samantha Newman