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Are magic potions real?
Chemical Magic Unit | Lesson 1 of 5

Are magic potions real?

Chemical Magic Unit | Lesson 1 of 5
Lesson narration:
Scroll for prep

DISCUSS (1 of 2):

Do you think there could really be a potion that does something amazing or valuable? (Do you think there are really liquids or mixtures that can transform things?) Why or why not?

DISCUSS (2 of 2):

If you could make a potion, what would you want it to do?

GET A SUPPLY:

Everyone get 1 dull, brown penny. Then:

DISCUSS:

Suppose you wanted to make this dull, brown penny bright and shiny. Can you think of any liquids in your house that might do that?

Why do you think those liquids might work?

DISCUSS:

Do you think oxygen turns the penny dark brown all the way through, or just on the surface? How could you figure it out?

DISCUSS:

How could you figure out which of these three ideas is true? Wind Map

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alchemist


1 of 10

a name for people in the past who studied the combination of chemicals
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mixture


2 of 10

a combination of two or more things

mix


3 of 10

to combine two or more things

states of matter


4 of 10

the different forms of matter that include solid, liquid, and gas

liquid


5 of 10

a state of matter, such as water when you can pour it

gas


6 of 10

a state of matter, such as water when it is steam

oxygen


7 of 10

a type of gas that animals use to breathe and that plants release
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matter


8 of 10

anything that takes up space; can be in different forms such as solid, liquid, or gas
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experiment


9 of 10

a test used to discover new information about a question
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model


10 of 10

a pretend version of something that scientists use when the real thing is too big, small, or complicated to work with
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Featured Reviews

“Our students loved the transformation element to this--it made them feel "like real scientists" they said. Very engaging for my EBD self-contained students. ”
“My students were so into this lesson and seemed to all be engaged with the activity and the discussion surrounding it which is very hard with my group of students to do.”
“All of my students were interested in the content, engaged in academic discussion following the investigation, and showed solid understanding on the assessment.”
“The students were amazed by the chemical reaction from the penny when dipped in the salt/vinegar solution. There were lots of science talk about why this could happen and could we used other metals like tarnished silver. I will definitely do this lesson again!”
“I love that the worksheets are customizable! I added lemon juice and a "make your own" that we decided as a class. It was a mixture of all the others. That extra ownership made it extra engaging! The original lesson is also great because it's hands on and well organized, as all mysteries are!”
“The kids were so engaged and had great ideas and predictions. None of them seemed deflated or discouraged when they were wrong. They were so excited to figure out the answer.”
“Very engaging relating to stories; asking kids to THINK, PREDICT, DISCUSS powerful. Presenting possible thoughts/explanations and testing them out.”
“The penny into the salt/vinegar cup blew the kids away when they saw the difference in the penny's coating. They loved it! Another easy, cost-effective hand's on experiment. Thank you Mystery Science!”
“The link between the hands-on and the life experience. It was great that the objects needed for the experiment were everyday objects as well.”
“Kids were totally engaged and the discussions were great. I love that you build those higher level thinking questions into the presentation with time to discuss.”
“The best part was the open-ended questions posed throughout the investigation. It lesson was highly engaging as the students were drawn towards to videos. It was also very helpful having the demonstration displayed for the students prior to doing the experiment themselves. Really beneficial for the ELL learners. ”
“The students were engaged and wanted to do their own testing at home. Thanks for the opportunity to give the students this hands on experience. =)”
“My students LOVED learning about the alchemists.They were intrigued with the fact that air turned the pennies brown. I enjoyed it because the video is step by step. It was very detailed and easy to follow!Plus, I was able to wear my wizard's costume;0) ”
“The best part was seeing the students' faces when they saw their pennies transform. I like the fact that these experiments are done using very affordable materials as well. ”
“Hearing the student's conversations about science was amazing. I was so impressed on how on task they stayed and how their conversations were centered around the lesson. ”
“The best part of this lesson is the fact that the change is very quick. The materials are also very easy to gather and it's a good way to keep the kids engaged with what the essential question/anchor is.”
“The lesson was so easy to follow, my students were engaged, and it created great & thoughtful discussion by my students. Eager to do another!”
“I love that the students had to critically think about what was happening to the penny on a deeper level. Some of their ideas sparked great discussions!”
“I love the step-by-step for the students. They loved doing the experiment and the accompanying worksheet really solidified the concepts.”
“Hearing the gasps from the vinegar groups was priceless! Kids are amazed by reactions! This was a great lesson on properties of matter and physical/chemical changes. I look forward to teaching it every year”
“This lesson was easy to follow and fun. Our class did both parts and they were blown away how the particles reacted in the second part. Thank you. ”
“Students were engaged! Being the first lesson, they had difficulties questioning why things happened in the experiment, but the way the lesson is set up, it fostered their thinking and they began asking more engaging questions!”
“I really enjoyed the articles about Alchemists vs Chemists ( From Alchemy to Chemistry: The Origins of Today's Science and Can You Turn Iron into Gold?). I was able to help my students understand the development of chemistry and Scientific Method through these articles. They make great Close Readings. So, when my students completed the mystery activity, they were very able to understand it. We really enjoy Mystery Science!!”
“The videos started off great by creating interest in my kiddos. They began to explain the concept of chemical reactions very slowly and with an investigative approach. I LOVED the fact Mystery 1 left the audience with a question to think about overnight!!”
“My students were amazed when they saw the results of their tests. They started discussing results and reasons before the questions were even posed. I'm looking forward to the next step of this adventure.”
“Children loved the experiment and were thrilled when the vinegar and salt potion cleaned their copper coins”
“The experiment of dipping in the penny to a bowl of water. ”
“Wow! I used this lesson last year and loved it; this revised lesson is fantastic! I really liked the lab sheet in which students created models and revised them. This is very NGSS aligned. Way to go, Mystery Science, in revising your program to make it more rigorous! ”
“The kids were excited to observe their pennies and compare the various results. ”
Lesson narration:

Grade 5

Chemical Reactions & Properties Of Matter

Conservation of Matter

5-PS1-1, 5-PS1-2

Activity Prep

Print Prep
LESSON REVISED 1/11/18. If you prepped before then, use the previous version.
In this lesson, students meet the alchemists, a historic group that used “potions” to try to transform materials. In the activity, Test Like An Alchemist, students test liquids to see which ones will clean the tarnish off a penny. Then, when one penny changes from dark and dirty to bright and shiny, they’ll have a chance to think about where the tarnish went.
Preview activity

Exploration

15 mins

Wrap-Up

15 mins

Grade 5

Chemical Reactions & Properties Of Matter

Conservation of Matter

5-PS1-1, 5-PS1-2

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Chemistry Lesson 1: Are magic potions real?

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