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Reay Primary School, Hackford Road, Brixton, London SW9 0EN
Using a Visualiser in Year 6 Science: Reversible & Irreversible Changes
Learning objectives:
Learn that mixing materials can cause them to changeMake careful observations, record and explain these using scientific knowledge andunderstanding
Lesson plan:WHOLE CLASS INTRODUCTION: Introduce the lesson by demonstrating what happens whenlemon juice and biological washing powder are mixed together. Place cup of lemon juiceunder the visualiser and add washing powder – zoom in to maximum magnification to observeresults.Discuss: What is happening to the liquid? What is happening to the solid? What might be beingreleased into the air in bubbles? Is the solid dissolved? How can you tell? What other things doyou observe?GROUP PLANNING: Then, present the children with a range of materials
(sand, flour, baking powder, powder paint, salt, plaster of Paris)
ask them to mix each with water or vinegar,describe and try to explain what has happened. Children to plan investigation as a fair test.How will you observe results closely?How will you record your results?(think about appearance, temperature etc)GROUP PRACTICAL WORK: Practical investigation using planning frames. Differentiate byadding factors info to lower ability group and provide large frame for statemented child. TA tosupport new EAL child as much as possible during intro by practically explaining dissolving usingwater and salt/sugar. .PLENARY: Ask children to group materials into categories and be ready to explain theirobservations under the visualiser,
eg those which dissolve in water, those which don’t dissolve and those where there appears to be a different sort of change.
Talk with children about theirgroupings and introduce the idea of changes which are different from dissolving.Extend more able group by asking them to feedback findings for their groups, especially inrelation to lessons learned re planning and observation. Demonstrate on visualiser.
RESOURCES:
 SOLIDS: Each group needs a small quantity of sand, flour, baking powder, powder paint, salt,plaster of Paris in a cup (about a tablespoon is plenty.)LIQUIDS: a paint pot of water for each group, half a cup of vinegar (or however much will goaround).
SUBJECT KNOWLEDGE:
Plaster of Paris and cement react chemically with water to make newsubstances: plaster and concrete. When vinegar is added to bicarbonate of soda, lemon juiceto washing soda, and Andrews salts to water, the bubbles of gas produced are carbon dioxide.
How did the visualiser support and extend the learning in the lesson?
The visualiser was a key component of this lesson. The opportunity to observe the introductory
 
Reay Primary School, Hackford Road, Brixton, London SW9 0EN
experiment clearly on the whiteboard engaged all the children immediately. The teacher wasable to model good observational skills and language using an example that all the childrenhad observed. The children’s resulting discussion was extended by their ability to see theexperiment magnified. They were able to use the modelled language and their ownexperience of observing the experiment to talk precisely about the changes occurring in themixture. When they were doing their own investigation, they did not have microscopes. It wastherefore useful to be able to see the gas release close up so that each child knew the sort ofdetail they might need to be looking for.Part way through the planning, it became clear that a number of children had not retained aclear understanding of dissolving from the previous term’s work. It was easy for the teacher todemonstrate a practical example underneath the visualiser with salt and water. The children’sunderstanding was instantly clarified and they were able to move on with their planning for thelesson’s investigation.The use of the visualiser during the plenary was also important. Groups had discussed theirconclusions and a small number of children were given the opportunity to come and use thevisualiser to explain their observations and results. The uncomplicated equipment meant thatthese children used the magnifier and light for themselves. They were able to demonstrateexactly what they had seen by repeating 2 experiments. This prompted further discussionaround possible scientific explanations of their observations.Although it would have been possible to teach the lesson without the visualiser, there is nodoubt that its use enhanced the pace of the lesson, as well as the quality of the children’sobservations. It contributed significantly to their progress by the end of the session.
Magnifiedimageallowedthe wholeclass toobservethe carbondioxideescapingfrom themixture oflemon juiceandwashingpowder – muchexcitementensued!
 
Reay Primary School, Hackford Road, Brixton, London SW9 0EN
Other examples of lessons planned with the visualiser:
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Literacy – useful for modelling improving and editing children’s work. It saved time onscanning for the whiteboard.
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Literacy – showed examples of a variety of text types quickly, saved time on planningand scanning.
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Numeracy – I was able to display handwritten success criteria and other work todemonstrate parts of independent work.
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History – useful for artefacts, especially the magnification feature
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Topic/art work – able to zoom in on illustrations from a book which we were using asinspiration for class work.
Children’s comments
Year 6 children explained why they would like to keep the visualiser in their classroom all thetime:
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It’s good when you can see your work on the visualiser.
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The teacher can explain something on the visualiser to save telling everyone individually(referring to modelling editing and improving writing).
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We definitely should keep it, it makes work easier.
Benefits of the visualiser:
Using blackpaperunderneaththe cupmade iteasier forthe childrento see
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