Year 8 Chemical Change Unit

Science / Level 8 / Science Understanding / Chemical sciences

Content description
Chemical change involves substances reacting to form new substances
Elaborations

identifying the differences between chemical and physical changes

identifying evidence that a chemical change has taken place

investigating simple reactions such as combining elements to make a compound

recognising that the chemical properties of a substance, for example its flammability and ability to corrode, will affect its use

Science / Level 8 / Chemical sciences achievement standards

They provide evidence for observed chemical changes in terms of colour change, heat change, gas production and precipitate formation.
They understand the difference between chemical and physical change
They use equations to describe simple chemical reactions
They can identify reactants and products of an equation

Session
(58 mins)

Focus

8.1- 8.2
Chemical and
Physical Change

What will students know

and be able to do?
Understanding physical and
chemical properties
Outline examples of physical and
chemical properties
Distinguish between physical and
chemical change

What are the main learning

activities?
Learning Investigation 8.2- A
Burning Candle
Observing a candle burning and
identifying the chemical and
physical changes occurring

Pre topic quiz- questions to be

completed in their workbooks

Questions 1-5 from Science Quest 8

Learning investigation 8.2 (p.252)

Understanding chemical change as

a change in which the bonds
between atoms or molecules are
broken and new ones are formed

2
8.3
Chemical
Reactions

Define chemical reactions as

chemical changes when a new
substance is produced

Understand reactants and products

Describe simple reactions through

worded equations

What are the

assessment tasks?

Understanding that the candle wax

is melting from the flame (physical
change) it is then drawn up
through the wick and evaporates
(physical change) from the heat
then the wax vapour combines
with oxygen and burns (chemical
changes)

Complete Learning Investigation 8.2

from Science Quest 8 (p.252)

Students to submit practical report

write up in their textbooks
Students submit responses to
discussion questions in their workbook

Explaining how a candle burns

Describing Chemical Reactions

worksheet
Writing worded chemical
questions from descriptions
Visually representing the atoms in
chemical reactions pairing/bonding
with other atoms to create products

Science Quest 8.4 Describing

Chemical Reactions Worksheet
Science Quest 8.3
Questions 1-4

Session
(58 mins)

Focus

What will students know

and be able to do?

What are the main learning

activities?

What are the

assessment tasks?

8.3
Chemical
Reactions

Observe and identify evidence a

chemical reaction has taken place

Distinguish between the reactants

and products of a chemical
reaction

Describe the changes detected

when a chemical reaction is
occurring and the products of the
reaction

Identify factors that can speed up

the rate of a reaction

Describe methods of speeding up

or slowing down the rate of
reactions

Define catalyst and how it is

incorporated into a chemical
reaction

Identify the difference in the rate

of reaction when heat is applied to
a chemical reaction

Understand how heat effects the

rate of a reaction

8.4- Fast and slow

reactions

8.4- Fast and slow

reactions
5

Chemical Reactions experiment

Investigation 8.3-8.6 from Science
Quest 8
Performing chemical reactions
and observing changes that occur
Recording products of the
reactions
Writing a report and answering
discussion questions

Written report on Learning

investigation 8.3-8.6 Chemical
Reactions experiments to be
submitted in their textbooks

Assignment due at the end of the unit

Working on Assignment
Students choose a chemical
reaction and research the
reactants and products, ways of
speeding up and slowing down
the reaction

The Disappearing Cross

Observing the difference in the
rate of reaction of hydrochloric
acid and hypo solution when heat
is added
Adding heat to the reactions and
observing the difference in
reaction rate

Including answers to discussion

questions

Report on the disappearing cross

experiment
Including discussion questions and
observations

8.5-8.6- Rusting
and Combustion
6

Working on
Assignment

Revision and
catch-up class

Post topic test and

presentations of
assignments

Recognise that rusting and burning

are types of chemical reactions

Understand rusting as a type of

corrosion

Understand oxidation, using

burning as an example of an
oxidation reaction

Understand a certain chemical

reaction

Identify reactants and products in a

chemical reaction

Understand methods of speeding

up and slowing down a reaction

Working on Assignment
Finishing off practical report
from last class
Assignment if all work
completed

Practical report
Assignment

Working on the Assignment

Assignment is due at the end of the unit

Revise content learned throughout

the unit

Assignment is due next lesson

Post topic test is next lesson

Understand each dot-point covered

throughout the unit

Revision of the content covered

in the topic through revision
questions
Working on their assignment

Complete a satisfactory test that

depicts student understanding of
the unit

End of unit test

Post topic test

Present outstanding assignments

that depict student understanding
of the unit