Wasilewski_Science

[|**student work_was_tf2.pdf**] **-**Student work 1 [|**student work_was_tf1.pdf**] -Student work 2 [|edc 457_video LP_Wasilewski.doc] -Lesson Plan
 * Grade 6- Science: Solutions versus Mixtures Inquiry**


 * Analysis of data:** After analyzing the true-false assessment results, the majority of the students seem to have understood the major concepts of the lesson. They understood the major composition differences between solutions and mixtures- that solutions have consistent compostitions while mixtures have inconsistent compositions. They did not understand, however, that when a solid dissolves in a liquid the composition in consistent, and that when solids are combined, they composition is often inconsistent. The assessment shows that students understood the properties of common solutions and mixtures in their everyday lives. The observational checklist shows that almost every group worked collaboratively and in a "hands-on" manner, that they described their findings orally, and that they recorded their observations in words or drawings. Only two groups neglected to record their observations on paper and this was the only drawback of the students' behaviors.


 * Recommendations for future instruction for entire class:** For future instruction of the entire class, I would emphasize the structural differences between mixtures and solutions more thoroughly. Since this science lesson consisted of all new material and was not a continuation of something the students had already learned, I found it difficult to determine how much information was "too much." During future instruction, I would go back to the concepts we had learned through this inquiry and study these at a more molecular and structural level. The lesson touched on the more superficial differences between solutions and mixtures, and I think it is important that the students understand the structures of solutions and mixtures on a more critical level. I would also have the students create more complex solutions and mixtures once they have understood these concepts, and try to separate these substances through methods like filtration and evaporation.


 * Recommendations for future instruction for sampled students:** For the sampled students, I would improve my instruction similarly. I would also try to make connections among characteristics so that the students gain a //conceptual// understanding of the terms //mixture// and //solution// rather than simply //memorizing// their characteristics. For example, I would explain that because solutions have a uniform composition throughout, if you remove //any// amount of the solution and analyze its structure, you will learn that every sample will have the same, exact composition.  As a result, solutions are often difficult to separate from one another because their components often dissolve in one another or change form, which connects back to their compositional uniformity.  This conceptual understanding of the terms will help students to draw conclusions about more complex substances, and the information will serve them long after the test has been taken.