South Carolina Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (SCPASS)

Science Performance Task – (Mix It Up!) Teacher Resource

PT CODE: S-5-1 Subject: SCIENCE Grade Level: 5

TITLE: Mix It Up! Defining, making, and separating mixtures and solutions

OBJECTIVES
In this performance task (PT), students will do the following:
 Describe the properties of matter using grade-level vocabulary
 Plan and conduct a controlled scientific investigation that allows students to separate
a mixture
 Collect, analyze, and display data in an organized way
 Demonstrate an understanding of the law of conservation of mass

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL PREREQUISITES: This activity should follow the classroom instruction
on physical properties of matter and mixtures (Standard 5.P.2). In addition, students should
have previous experience in writing scientific procedures. (See related resources at the end of
this document.)

DURATION: 90 minutes (approximately) or 2 class periods (with possible follow-up later in the
day [or next day] after the water on the filter paper has evaporated.)

ALIGNMENTS: SOUTH CAROLINA ACADEMIC STANDARDS

 5.P.2A.1 Analyze and interpret data from observations and measurements of the physical
properties of matter (including volume, shape, movement, and spacing of particles) to explain
why matter can be classified as a solid, liquid or gas.
 5.P.2B.1 Obtain and communicate information to describe what happens to the properties of
substances when two or more substances are mixed together.
 5.P.2B.2 Analyze and interpret data to support claims that when two substances are mixed the
total amount (mass) of the substances does not change.
 5.P.2B.3 Develop models using observations to describe mixtures, including solutions, based on
their characteristics.
 5.P.2B.6 Design and test the appropriate method(s) (such as filtration, sifting, attraction to
magnets, evaporation, chromatography, or floatation) for separating various mixtures.
 5.S.1A.2 Develop, use, and refine models to (1) understand or represent phenomena,
processes, and relationships, (2) test devices or solutions, or (3) communicate ideas to others.
 5.S.1A.3 Plan and conduct controlled scientific investigations to answer questions, test
hypotheses and predictions, and develop explanations: (1) formulate scientific questions and
testable hypotheses, (2) identify materials, procedures, and variables, (3) select and use
appropriate tools or instruments to collect qualitative and quantitative data, and (4) record and
represent data in an appropriate form. Use appropriate safety procedures.
 5.S.1A.8 Obtain and evaluate informational texts, observations, data collected, or discussions to
(1) generate and answer questions, (2) understand phenomena, (3) develop models, or (4)
support hypotheses, explanations, claims, or designs. Communicate observations and
explanations using the conventions and expectations of oral and written language.
 5.S.1B.1 Construct devices or design solutions to solve specific problems or needs:
(1) ask questions to identify problems or needs, (2) ask questions about the criteria and
constraints of the devices or solutions, (3) generate and communicate ideas for possible devices

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Science Performance Task – (Mix It Up!) Teacher Resource

or solutions, (4) build and test devices or solutions, (5) determine if the devices or solutions
solved the problem and refine the design if needed, and (6) communicate the results.

ALLOWABLE TEACHER-STUDENT INTERACTIONS: There are three parts to this PT: general
classroom instruction (background knowledge), group lab work, and independent
teacher-scored classwork.

GROUP WORK: The laboratory portion (data collection) of this PT is encouraged to be

collaborative among students.

MATERIALS/RESOURCES: The teacher will need to prepare the following materials for the
investigation before class time. Each group of students will need the following:
 A jar containing a mixture of four ingredients: salt, coarse sand, iron filings, and whole
black peppercorns
 3 empty containers: plastic cups or petri dishes or beakers (if available)
 A magnet: horseshoe or bar magnets work best
 A squirt bottle of warm water
 A funnel
 A piece of filter paper or a coffee filter
 A spoon
 A pair of tweezers (optional)

Each student should receive a copy of the student document. Pages 3–7 are to be completed
and turned in. Keys and scoring rubrics are included in this document beginning on page 3.

Students will be writing a procedure.

They should plan to do the following:

1. Attract the iron filings with the magnet.

2. Pull out the peppercorns using fingers, spoon, or tweezers. (Steps 1 and 2
may be reversed.)
3. Add water from the squirt bottle and stir the mixture to allow the salt to dissolve.
4. Filter the mixture using the funnel and the filter paper.

This will leave students with a saltwater solution. They will either need to let the liquid mixture
sit until all the water evaporates or heat it to force the evaporation of the water, leaving the salt
in the container. Students who do not have heat available should discuss this in the section
about what else they need to complete the investigation.

VOCABULARY (TIER III): Words and language specific to the content addressed by the
performance task. Extended-knowledge terms are marked with an asterisk (*).
 Mixture: a combination of two or more materials that do not chemically react
 Solution: a type of mixture that has a substance dissolved in another substance
 Solvent: a substance that dissolves a solute (example: water)

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Science Performance Task – (Mix It Up!) Teacher Resource

 Solute: a substance that has its particles dissolve into a solution (example: sugar)
 Suspension: a type of mixture that will naturally separate over time
 *Homogeneous: a type of mixture in which the solute is so evenly dissolved in the
solvent that it is difficult to tell one substance in the mixture from another
 *Heterogeneous: a type of mixture in which the different substances are easy to
identify as they are distinct from one another

SCORING GUIDE: Questions 1–6 are checks for understanding and part of the allowable group
work and class discussion. Questions 7–12 (beginning on page 6 of the student document) are
to be completed independently by each student and scored by the teacher.

KEYS/SCORING RUBRICS ALIGNMENT

1. Classification of Mixtures Concept Map 5.P.2B.3

OR

2. Mixture Description 5.P.2B.1

There are thin, long black pieces (iron filings), and round black pieces that have dents in
them (peppercorns), and little white grains (salt) and larger brown grains (sand).
(Students are allowed to draw their answer.)

3. Mass of Mixture 5.P.2B.2

An array of possible answers can be accepted as long as students accurately use
a balance in their measurement, which should include a unit.

4. Procedure 5.S.1A.3
Step 1: Use the magnet to remove the iron filings, and place them in a separate container.
Step 2: Remove the peppercorns using fingers/spoon/tweezers, and place them in a
separate container.
Step 3: Add water to the remaining mixture, and stir it until the salt dissolves.
Step 4: Place the filter paper into the funnel, and place the funnel in an empty container.
Step 5: Pour the mixture with the water onto the filter paper in the funnel. Allow the water to
flow through the filter paper into the container.
Step 6: Remove the funnel with the filter paper and sand from the container of liquid.
Step 7: Allow the water to evaporate from the container. Or boil the water out of a glass
beaker (if available) until only the salt remains.

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Science Performance Task – (Mix It Up!) Teacher Resource

5. Observations 5.P.2B.6
After Step 1: The iron filings were easily attracted to the magnet, leaving the other three
substances behind.
After Step 2: Peppercorns were easy to pick out because they are big.
After Step 3: As the mixture was stirred, the salt crystals seemed to disappear.
After Step 4: The liquid before filtering is cloudy with a lot of solid at the bottom of the
container.
After Step 5: The mixture moved slowly through the filter paper. The liquid that moved
through the filter paper is clear.
After Step 6: A lot of sand is on the filter paper.
After Step 7: Salt is left behind on the dry filter paper.

6. Other Useful Tools 5.S.1A.3

If no heat source (such as a hotplate) was available, one could have been used to heat
the mixture to evaporate the water more quickly.
More time could be provided to observe the complete evaporation of the water, leaving
the salt behind.

Application Questions (scorable independent work)

7. Property Used to Separate the Mixture 5.P.2A.1
Physical

8. Part A: Two Separation Methods Used to Separate the Mixture 5.S.1A.8

See scoring rubric titled “Mix It Up_8_rubric” for scoring of this two-point open-ended
application question.

Part B: Description of How the Substance in the Mixture Were Separated Using the
Separation Method (Student needs two answers.)
See scoring rubric titled “Mix It Up_8_rubric” for scoring of this two-point open-ended
application question.

9. Mass before separating and mass after separating: 5.P.2B.2

Mass before separating and mass after separating should be EQUAL.

10. Classifying Substances 5.S.1A.2

Solvent Solute Solution
water salt salt water

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11. D 5.S.1B.1
Rationale: Filter paper uses size to separate the sand from the mixture, but settling, or
using time and gravity, will also allow the solids to separate, and then the water can be
poured off.

12. Physical State of Substances 5.P.2A.1

and Descriptions of Movement and Spacing
See scoring rubric titled “Mix It Up_12_rubric” for scoring of this three-point open-ended
application question.

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RELATED RESOURCES: other materials, links, etc. that support the PT and/or prerequisite
instruction
Simple Rules for Writing a Procedure
1. Write the procedure so that another student can copy what was done.
2. Number the list of statements in the procedure.
3. Start each statement with a verb.
4. Write each statement as a complete sentence.
5. Do not use personal pronouns (I, you, he, she, we, they, me, him, her, us, and them).
6. Describe one step in the process in each statement.
7. Do not start the procedure with “Gather materials.”

 Extension Activities: Further experience with homogeneous and heterogeneous

mixtures
 Cross-Curricular Connections: pollution, water filtration, desalination, chromatography
 Websites, Resources & Activities:
o Ed.sc.gov (support documents and units)
https://ed.sc.gov/scdoe/assets/File/instruction/standards/Science/Units/5-
Physical-Science--Matter-and-Mixtures.pdf
o Separating mixtures interactive:
https://my.hrw.com/sh2/sh07_10/student/flash/virtual_investigations/hst/mix/hs
t_mix_vi.html

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