Melting Point Exploration

---

Grade Level

7th Grade

Duration

120 minutes

Class Size

25 Students

---

Common Core Standards Alignment

Science Standards (Next Generation Science Standards - NGSS integrated with Common Core Literacy)

• MS-PS1-1: Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures.
• MS-PS1-3: Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society.
• MS-ETS1-2: Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Common Core ELA Standards (for Scientific Literacy)

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.3: Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.7: Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research.

---

Learning Objectives (“I Can” Statements)

• I can describe the physical changes a substance undergoes when it melts.
• I can carefully observe and record data about melting points using scientific methods.
• I can analyze melting point data to determine it as a property unique to substances.
• I can communicate my findings clearly using graphs and explanations.
• I can explain real-world applications of melting points, such as the use of road salt in winter.

---

Success Criteria

• Accurately describe the melting process of butter in writing during the Do Now activity.
• Participate actively in group predictions and data collection with clear, recorded data.
• Correctly identify melting points from temperature/time graphs.
• Explain with evidence why melting point is a characteristic property of a substance.
• Engage in discussion and answer probing questions with conceptual understanding.
• Produce a simple report or presentation summarizing investigation and real-world connections.

---

Materials Needed

• Samples of butter, soap, chocolate, and candle wax
• Hot plates or warm water baths (supervised)
• Digital or analog thermometers (one per group)
• Pre-labeled data tables and blank graph sheets
• Stopwatch or timer
• Whiteboard and markers
• Video or live demonstration setup
• Research materials (books, printed info sheets) on road salt for extension
• Chart paper for group presentations

---

Lesson Plan Outline

1. Do Now (10 minutes)

Prompt: "Describe everything that happens as a piece of butter melts."

• Students write down observations or prior knowledge independently.
• Share a few responses to activate schema and prepare for observations.

2. Hook / Connection (10 minutes)

Scenario: Display a chocolate bar and a candle. Ask, “Why does one melt in your hand and the other doesn’t?”

• Facilitate brief discussion focusing on heat transfer and melting points.
• Emphasize curiosity and scientific questioning.

3. I Do – Teacher Modeling (15 minutes)

• Conduct a live demonstration or show a video of butter melting, emphasizing careful observation.
• Model how to record temperature over time, noting when the substance starts and finishes melting.
• Highlight key vocabulary: melting point, physical change, temperature plateau.

4. We Do – Group Prediction and Recording (15 minutes)

• Divide class into 5 groups, assigning each group one substance (butter, soap, chocolate, candle, or additional safe item).
• Groups predict approximate melting temperature and melting duration.
• Fill out prediction tables as a shared activity.

5. You Do – Investigation & Data Collection (30 minutes)

• Groups conduct melting experiments using hot plates or warm water baths under supervision.
• Use thermometers to measure temperature every 30 seconds until melting completes.
• Collect and record data in pre-labeled tables.
• Groups plot temperature vs. time graphs to identify melting points (look for plateau).

6. Probing Questions & Mastery Check (15 minutes)

Conduct whole-class discussion guided by questions:

• How do you know the substance is melting and not dissolving or evaporating?
• What patterns did you see in your data?
• What does the melting point tell us about the substance’s identity?
• Why might some substances have higher melting points than others?

7. Closure – Synthesis & Application (10 minutes)

• Ask: “Which material had the highest melting point? Which had the lowest?”
• Discuss how different melting points affect real-world uses (e.g., candle wax vs. chocolate).
• Connect to extension by introducing question: “Why is salt spread on icy roads in winter?”
• Assign students to think about how melting points and salt relate.

---

Differentiation & Accommodations

Learner Type	Strategy
Visual learners	Use video demo and graphical data displays.
ELL & Language Learners	Provide vocabulary lists and sentence frames (e.g., “I observed that...”).
Students with ADHD	Assign roles within groups to increase engagement (recorder, timer, thermometer handler).
Students with IEPs	Use partner work, graphic organizers, and pre-labeled data tables for ease. Provide guided questioning.
Advanced learners	Challenge to explain molecular interactions affecting melting points or design an experiment with additional variables (e.g., altitude effects).

---

Extension Activity (Optional - 10 minutes or Homework)

• Research and prepare a short report or poster on the chemistry behind using road salt (NaCl) to lower the freezing point of ice on roads, focusing on melting point depression.
• Encourage students to make connections between their melting point investigations and practical applications in safety and community.

---

Assessment

• Formative: Observation of group participation, completion of data tables and graphs.
• Summative: Group explanation answer to probing questions and written summary of melting point as a property of matter.
• Extension project evaluation based on research clarity and connection to melting point concepts.

---

Reflection and Feedback

• After the lesson, prompt students to share something new they learned about melting points and how science helps explain everyday phenomena.
• Collect exit tickets: “One thing I learned today is... One question I still have is...”

---

This highly interactive and investigative lesson plan balances hands-on learning with critical thinking, aligning with Common Core standards while engaging 7th graders in science literacy and practical application.