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Knowledge and Skills Statement

Matter and energy. The student distinguishes between element and compound, classifies changes in matter, and understands the properties of solution.

the unique combination of chemical symbols and subscripts that describe which and how many of each element are bonded together in a compound

substance that occupies space, has mass, and is composed of microscopic particles

a substance in which a solid, liquid, or gaseous substance is evenly distributed (or dissolved) within a liquid or sometimes a gas or solid

Research

Brown, Tom, Greg Rushton, and Marie Bencomo. “Mighty Molecule Models.” Science and Children 45, no. 5 (2008): 33–37. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43174819

Summary: "Mighty Molecule Models" explains a hands-on investigation into building compound molecules. Students begin by modeling atoms of elements and exploring the idea of elements bonding to form new molecules and compounds.  Students propose chemical formulas based on the models constructed.  This article supports learning at this grade level and teacher conceptual development beyond this grade level.