OBERVIEW
The chalkboard, your desk, your hand – they are all examples of matter. Chemistry is the study of matter, how matter reacts and combines to create new chemicals, the changes that take place in matter and what makes up matter. By studying chemistry and the chemical reactions of different types of matter, we can create chemicals and products that improve our lives.
LEVELS
Grades 4-5
SUBJECTS
Language Arts
Math
Science
Social Studies
Visual Arts
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CONCEPTS
People use ingenuity and innovation
to make the best use of available resources.
People use tools and technologies to adapt to their environment.
To meet the needs of an expanding human population, societies
practice resource management and employ technology.
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SKILLS
Analyzing
Categorizing
Classifying
Comparing
Contrasting
Data Gathering
Discussing
Identifying Relationships and Patterns
Interpreting
Observing
Organizing Information
Representing
Researching
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DISCUSSION AND STUDY TOPICS
The study of chemistry can be used in the context of many
different areas of learning. Here are some suggestions:
| Science |
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Test the strength of different kinds of paper –
bath or facial tissue, a paper towel, a paper sack, a
piece of writing paper – when they are wet and dry.
Which type of paper breaks or tears first when it gets
wet? Why? What types of paper need to be strong? What
types need to be soft? (class experiment, research
project) |
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What
chemical reactions do you make every day? (research project,
essay topic) |
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Ask students to conduct an "interview"
with a chemical or write a story from a chemical’s
perspective. In the interview or story, the chemical should
reveal its characteristics, how it is created and how
it is used. (essay topic, class activity, class presentation) |
| Social Studies
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What products have you used today
that are made from tree chemicals? What tree chemicals
are in products or objects that are in the classroom,
at home? (research project, class activity, essay topic) |
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What would life be like without
products made from tree chemicals? What products could
you substitute for them? What could you invent that would
take the place of some of these tree chemicals? (research
project, essay topic, class presentation, art project,
short story, video project) |
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Divide the class into groups
and assign each group a local or regional chemical plant
to research and report on. What chemicals do they make?
In what products are these chemicals used? What environmental
and safety factors do they take into consideration when
producing chemicals? What economic or other impact does
the plant have on the community? Invite a representative
from a chemical plant to your classroom to talk about
the facility. (research project, class discussion,
class presentation, field trip, guest speaker)
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Activity Sheets
A WAY WITH WORDS
How many words can you make out of The Right Chemistry?
For example: HEIGHT or STIR
1. I come from wood fiber. I am often combined with other chemicals and used in products like ice cream and shampoo.
What am I?
2.I am one of the basic substances or chemicals that make up matter. I am often called a chemical building block, and I have a permanent place on the Periodic Table.
What am I?
3.Most of the time you think of me in terms of "small," "medium" or "large," but when it comes to papermaking, I play an important role in helping you communicate "clearly."
What am I?
Answers to What Am I?: 1. cellulose 2. element 3. size
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In addition to providing beauty and recreation, forests supply
raw materials to help meet society’s needs for housing,
paper, containers and thousands of other products used by consumers
every day. As one of the country’s leading forest products
providers, Georgia-Pacific
Corporation has a long-term
interest in and commitment to the health of our nation’s
forests. |
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