The learning aims for this unit are:

  • Students learn a simple definition of chemical substances (and chemical reactions, depending on the curriculum).
  • They learn how to characterize substances using different systematic approaches such as observation or experiments.
  • They familiarize themselves with the steps of IBSE using experiments and learn how to document an experiment (protocol schemes).
  • The students take on the role as “household detectives”, investigating where they can find chemicals in their homes, what chemicals do to certain stains etc.

    In order to benefit from this learning process, the following activities should be gone through chronologically by all students.

    Therefore, the activities are only described in a few words here and can be found in detail in the classroom material.

    To start, divide the class into groups of “detective teams”. The following activities that can be carried out by those teams.  While 1.1. to 
    1.3 are essential for all, the others can be chosen, arranged or divided by the teachers in different ways. The material describes a storyline that can be given or told to the students to structure their work.