Chemistry Workshop

Year 5 to 9

Hands-on workshop for up to 30 students = 90 minutes

Find out about reactions using some special (and some not-so-special) chemicals. Find out a little bit about atoms, and how little they are. Discover indicators, acids and bases, and how we group solids, liquids and gases.

Room requirements

Set up time: 60 minutes. Pack up time: 45 minutes. Change-over time in between repeat sessions: 15 minutes. Please let your presenter know the locations of your smoke detectors. Floorspace big enough for 30 students to sit and watch, with at least 2 large tables at the front and 6 more tables spread around the room, a garbage bin and running water close by.

Australian Curriculum links

Science Understanding

Year 5

Chemical sciences: Solids, liquids and gases have different observable properties and behave in different ways. Comparing solids and liquids by investigating differences, such as the ability to flow or maintain shape and volume. Observing that gases have mass and take up space demonstrated by using balloons or bubbles. Exploring the way solids, liquids and gases change under different situations such as heating and cooling. Recognising that some materials such as foam are composite materials and cannot be easily classified. Recognising that substances exist in different states depending on the temperature.

Year 6

Chemical sciences: Changes to materials can be reversible, such as melting, freezing, evaporating; or irreversible, such as burning or rusting. Describing what happens when materials are mixed. Solubility of common materials in water. Investigating the change in state caused by heating and cooling of a familiar substance.

Year 7

Chemical sciences: Mixtures, including solutions, contain a combination of pure substances that can be separated using a range of techniques. Recognising the differences between pure substances and mixtures and identifying examples of each. Investigating and using a range of physical separation techniques such as filtration, evaporation, and chromatography.

Science as a Human Endeavour

Year 4, 5 and 6

Nature and development of science: Science involves making predictions and describing patterns and relationships. Making predictions about change and events in our environment. Exploring ways in which scientists gather evidence for their ideas and develop explanations.

Science Inquiry Skills

Questioning and predicting, investigating scientifically and predict what might happen based on prior knowledge. Working in groups to discuss things that might happen during an investigation.

Planning and conducting investigations to find answers to questions. Working in groups, testing cause-and-effect relationships. Safely use appropriate materials, tools or equipment to make and record observations, using formal measurements such as seconds (s), grams (g), centimetres (cm).

Processing and analysing data and information, using tables and simple graphs to represent data and identify patterns and trends. Compare results with predictions, suggesting possible reasons for findings. Discussing how well predictions matched results from an investigation and sharing ideas about what was learnt.