Case #2

Benjamin Puckett and Kelly McKee

1.

Overview of Lesson
a. In this lesson, students will begin to learn the basics of acids and bases and the
reaction that occurs when they are mixed. They will learn this by listening to a
little introduction and then participating in small lab where they will create a
lemon fizzy drink by combining an acid and a base. Students will then be assessed
on their understanding by journaling about some questions.

2.

Description of Learners, Learning Environment, Intended Learning Goals, and Lesson

Content
a. The students in this program are considered at risk students and are this program
after school so they are going to be tired of sitting still and listening. They are
fifth graders from the local middle school and there are approximately 15-20
students in the classroom. Each student in the program is also paired with a
mentor that will aid them during the activity, which will take place in a small
classroom with small portable whiteboards and one teacher station containing one
computer and one projector. There is also wireless Internet available in the room.
The intent of this lesson is to teach the students about STEM programs and the
possibility of higher education, specifically using a science lesson. The goal is to
teach the students about acids and bases and what they do if they are mixed
together. The students will learn this by doing a lab where they will observe
lemons (acid) and baking soda (base) and what they feel like separately, then
observe what happens when they are combined. The hope is that this lesson peaks
their interest in STEM as a career and higher education being a possibility.
Learning Objectives
a. Given various food items, students will be able to determine which is more basic
and which is more acidic just by using their senses.
b. At the end of this lesson, students will be able to identify how basic or acidic a
solution is, given litmus paper and a pH color scale.
c. Given a similar reaction, students will be able to determine what is given off and
created in an acid base reaction

3.

4. Standards (Common Core: grade 6-8)

a. Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking
measurements, or performing technical tasks.
b. Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary
of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
c. Analyze the authors purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure,
or discussing an experiment in a text. http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-

Literacy/RST/6-8/
5. Required Materials (amount will vary per class size)
a. vinegar
b. 10-15 lemons
c. baking soda(measured into 10-15 servings of a teaspoon)
d. clear plastic cups
e. measuring cups and stirring
f. water
g. sugar
h. litmus paper
i. pH color scale
j. sharpie marker
k. journal
6.

Procedures
A. Begin the lesson with a demonstration of an acid base reaction by mixing vinegar
and baking soda. (do this over a tray).
a. fill a beaker or cup with about 10 mL vinegar
b. pour 5-10 mL of baking soda in the beaker and watch
c. explain that this was an example of an acid and base reaction
B. Then, go on to talk about acid base reactions through the powerpoint
a. PowerPoint attached
i. acids taste sour vs. bases feel soapy and taste bitter
ii. acids are 0-7 on pH scale and bases are 7-14
iii. we can use litmus paper to determine the relative pH of certain
substances
iv. when acids and bases are mixed, there is usually a physical change
like formation of bubbles.
C. After the initial lesson is taught and questions are answered, give each student
half of a lemon, a teaspoon of baking soda, a cup, some water, some sugar, and
stirring sticks.
D. Have each student lick the lemon and rub the baking soda between their fingers to
determine which is the acid and which is the base (self evaluation discuss with
mentor)
E. Then, give each student a piece of litmus paper and project the color scale on the
board
F. Have each student rub one side of the litmus paper on the lemon and put baking
soda solution on the other side of the litmus paper

G. Have them compare their litmus paper color to the scale on the projector and
determine if each sample is acidic or basic and determine the number on the pH
scale (self evaluation: mentors discuss what their answer is)
H. After they have decided this, proceed to making the lemon fizzy drink
a. Have each individual student squeeze as much of the juice from his or her
lemon(s) into their plastic cup. (Note the amount of juice produced by
marking the side of the cup with sharpie)
b. Then, have the students pour in an equal amount of water as lemon juice
to the cup
c. Stir in the teaspoon of baking soda.
d. Give the mixture a taste and add in some sugar if you think it needs to be
sweeter.
I. After they have made the fizzy drink, explain what happened to make the drink.
a. Carbon dioxide was released to make the bubbles in the drink. That is
what makes them fizzy.
7. Assessment
a. There are self evaluation techniques within the procedures, labeled, and the
mentors can track whether they understand it fully
b. For their assessment, students will write the answers to the journal questions
listed below in their journals so we can see what they got out of the lesson. The
general manager of that group will sign off on the questions to ensure they are
correct and dont need further discussion.
b. Journal Questions
i. What are the bubbles that form when you add the baking soda to the
lemon mixture called?....carbon dioxide (CO2)
ii. How do you think the bubbles formed?...a chemical reaction occurred
when an acid (lemon) was added to the base (baking soda)
iii. Do you think you will get similar results if you substituted the lemons for
an orange?
iv. How do you read litmus pH paper?
v. Acids taste____ while bases feel_______.
vi. Are you interested in becoming a scientist or going into something dealing
with science, technology, engineering, or math?
8.

References and Reference Material

a. Mitchell, J.N., Tran, N.A., Atwood, A.K., Prevost, A., & Phelps, Allen. (2013).
Beliefs and expectations about engineering preparation exhibited by high school
STEM teachers. The Research Journal for Engineering Education. 99(4), 409426.
This journal article was written in response to a qualitative research experiment based on the
responses from high school engineering and science teachers with a background of both PLTW

course and non-PLTW course teaching. The study wanted to look further into what influence
STEM teachers in their content and instructional method decisions. The study found that family
background, student interests, and prior academic achievement were the key factors that affected
the instructional content of a STEM lesson, but the research also found that socioeconomic status
of the students played a role in the instruction too, even though teachers claimed it played no
role. This research found that there is a conflicting idea of the role that STEM plays in K-12
education since some see it as a key role in problem solving and communication while others see
it as a way for students to learn about basic technology integration. This article helped us
remember that we needed to take into account the background and education levels of these
students. These students are only 5th graders and they have been in school all day so we needed
to make it as engaging as possible and they are at risk students so we need to make this lesson
an escape for them to have fun but also teach them something in the process.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.2168-9830.2010.tb01071.x/abstract
b. Brown, R., Brown, J., Reardon, K.& Merrill, C. (2011). Understanding STEM:
current perceptions. International Technology and Engineering Educators
Association. 70 (6), 5-9.
This article is discussing research done on the perception of STEM education by most educators
and administrators in schools. In most schools, they found that there wasnt a consensus on the
purpose of STEM education and the role it played in students educational success. Many
researchers believe that by increasing STEM classes in schools there would be increased interest
in the STEM fields and also increased success in problem solving skills as well as real world
integration. The goal is for the United States to rise to the top in education and technology
rankings once again. This article helped us create our science lesson because we used this idea as
inspiration. We were attempting to make the lesson interesting and fun in the hopes to draw more
students to show interest in science or STEM in general. We allowed the students a little bit of
self discovery within the lesson and they get to see science working first hand at their desks
when they make their fizzy drink.
Inspiration resources:
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/experiments/lemonade.html
http://chemistry.about.com/od/k12gradelessons/a/Acids-And-Bases-Lesson-Plan.htm
http://www.education.com/science-fair/article/make-fizzy-lemonade/
Alternative lab ideas
a. red cabbage lab
b. vinegar and baking soda
c. random household item test
i. http://www.funsci.com/fun3_en/acids/acids.htm