Susan Reyna

ELE 301-02: Dr. Conte

Edgewood Elementary School, 5th grade
Mixtures and Solutions Unit: Lesson #4: Saturated Solution: The Science behind
Rock Candy

1. Saturated Solution: The Science behind Rock Candy, 5th grade
2. Lesson Essential Questions: What is a saturated solution? What is a crystal?
What is a crystalline solid? What is an amorphous solid? What is a molecule?
What is nucleation? What is a seed crystal?
3. Standards:
NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards:
5.1.4. D.1 Actively participate in discussions about student data, questions, and
understandings.
PA Core Curriculum Content Standards:
5.A.1.1.1: Explain how certain questions can be answered through scientific
inquiry and/or technological design (e.g., investigate to find out if all clay or foil
boats designs react the same when filled with paperclips).
B. Assessments/Goals:
Assessments:
Teacher observation
Science journals
Goals: Understand how a solution is saturated.
4. Time: 45-50 minutes
5. Materials:
A wooden skewer (you can also use a clean wooden chopstick)
clothespin
2 cups of water
4 cups of sugar
A tall narrow glass or jar
Science journals
6. Prior Knowledge: Students will have an understanding of solution, solvent,
and solute, as well as prior knowledge of what a rock candy is. Students will
have a basic understanding of crystals.
7. Lesson Beginning:
The teacher will write the following riddle on the board: What kind of rock
grows? The answer is: rock candy! This delicious candy is actually
crystallized sugar and you can "grow" it from a sugar-water solution.
Next, the teacher will explain to the students that they will learn how to grow
their own rock candy.
The teacher will explain how rock candy is made. Throughout the
explanation, the following terms will be defined:
a) Amorphous solid
b) Crystalline solid (also known as crystal)
c) Molecule
d) Solution
e) Solute
f) Solvent
g) Saturated
h) Nucleation
i) Seed crystal
The students will be asked to write down the definitions/notes in their science
journals.
8. Instructional Plan:
Lesson Beginning
The teacher will follow these procedures as the students observe and record
their observations in their science journals and complete a lab worksheet:
1. Clip the wooden skewer into the clothespin so that it hangs down inside
the glass and is about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the bottom of the glass. (as
shown)
2. Remove the skewer and clothespin and put them
aside for now.
3. Pour the water into a pan and bring it to boil.
4. Pour about 1 cup of sugar into the boiling water,
stirring until it dissolves.
5. Keep adding more and more sugar, each time
stirring it until it dissolves, until no more will dissolve.
This will take time and patience and it will take
longer for the sugar to dissolve each time. Be sure you don't give up too
soon. Once no more sugar will dissolve, remove it from heat and allow it to
cool for at least 20 minutes.
6. NOTE: While it is cooling, some people like to dip half of the skewer in the
sugar solution and then roll it in some sugar to help jump start the crystal
growth. If you do this, be sure to let the skewer cool completely so that
sugar crystals do not fall off when you place it back in the glass.
7. Carefully pour the sugar solution into the jar almost to the top. Then
submerge the skewer back into the glass making sure that it is hanging
straight down the middle without touching the sides.
8. Allow the jar to fully cool and put it someplace where it will not be
disturbed.
9. Now just wait. The sugar crystals will grow over the next 3-7 days.
1. Students will complete the rest of the experiment at home with a
parent or guardian.
NOTE: Want colored rock candy? Add food coloring to your sugar water and
make sure that it is pretty dark in color for the best result.
The science behind it all: (the teacher will explain at the end).
When you mixed the water and sugar, you made a SUPER SATURATED SOLUTION.
This means that the water could only hold the sugar if both was very hot. As the
water cools the sugar "comes out" of the solution back into sugar crystals on
your skewer. The skewer (and sometimes the glass itself) acts as a "seed" that the
sugar crystals start to grow on.
Students will look at their rock candy once a day. (What do you see? Are
there any crystals growing? Where are the crystals? Did you observe any
growth?) Students will create a data table in their science journals to record
their observations such as the one below:
Days Spent in Jar
Observations
Day 1 (the day the sugar-water solution was
made)
Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

After the seventh day, once students have recorded all of their observations,
they can enjoy eating the rock candy they grew.
9. Differentiation: Students will be working in groups created by the teacher
based on skill level/behavior, students will be given different lab roles based
on differing skill levels in the classroom, and students with special needs will
be given extra assistance and time.
10. Classroom Management/Transition:
Class Dojo
Thumbs up, thumbs down
Lab Team Roles
Popsicle Sticks- name randomizer
Music for transitions
11. Closure:
Students will guess what the length of the rock candy will be by the
seventh day and write their guesses on a sticky note. On the seventh
day, students will have the chance to measure the length of their rock
candy and see if their guess was correct.
The teacher will go over the lab sheet.