Preview · the opening missionThis lesson teaches science and English together (CLIL: content and language integrated learning). It is written for students learning English at about CEFR A2–B1.
| Students will… | |
|---|---|
| Science | Show that salt dissolved in water is still there even when we can't see it, and that water evaporates faster when it is spread wide, in the sun and in the wind. |
| Language: words | Use the key words: salt, sea water, dissolve, evaporate, water vapour, crystal, sun, wind, wide, shallow. |
| Language: speaking | Describe a change: The water disappeared, and white crystals appeared. Compare: The wide plate lost more water than the narrow cup. |
| Language: writing | Write advice using should and because, with a number from the data. |
Before the lesson: teach the key words with real things (a spoon of salt, a cup of water, a wide plate and a narrow cup). Stir salt into water in front of the class and ask, Where did the salt go? The Key words worksheet has English and Vietnamese, with a space for students' own language and a drawing.
Look inside the PDF
Sample pages, stamped “preview”. The download is the clean, full lesson.
In the full lesson PDF
- Mission (5 min)
- Predict (5 min)
- Hunt (25 min, plus 10 minutes tomorrow)
- Reveal (10–15 min)
- Act (10 min)
- Background for the teacher
- Assessment
- Student sheet
- Worksheet: Key words
- Worksheet: Talk about it
- Worksheet: Label the salt field
- Worksheet: Try it at home
On the student sheet
- My predictions
- Part A: Draw what you see
- Part B: Our results
- Class results
- Graph it
- My advice to Uncle
- Exit ticket
- Key words
- Talk about it
- Label the salt field
- Try it at home
US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white. The student sheet is on its own page, ready to photocopy.
Free with an account (any 3 lessons), or US$19 / C$25 for all 3 lessons in this unit.
What students show by the end
- Collects fair data
- Explains dissolving and evaporation
- Uses evidence to advise
From the lesson’s rubric, which scores each one as not yet, getting there or got it.
Questions teachers ask
How long does “How do salt farmers turn the sea into salt?” take?
60 min, plus a 10-minute check the next day. Group size: teams of 3.
How much prep does it need?
15 minutes: mix a jug of 'sea water' (about 35 g of salt in 1 litre of warm tap water, stirred until clear) and a small jug of strong salt water (about 3 tablespoons of salt in 250 mL). Find one sunny spot and one shady spot where dishes can stay overnight without being moved.
What materials do I need?
Black or dark blue paper, or dark plastic plates; small paintbrushes or cotton buds; small cups for the three liquids (sea water, strong salt water, plain tap water), labelled; wide, shallow dish or plastic lid, about 20 cm across, with a rim; narrow cup, about 6 cm across; measuring cylinder or measuring jug marked in mL (a 10 mL syringe also works); and 4 more. Cost: about $10 for a class of 30.
Which curriculum standards does it cover?
NGSS (US): 5-PS1-1, 4-ESS2-1, 4-ESS3-2, 3-5-ETS1-2 and 3-5-ETS1-3.
What’s in the lesson PDF?
A teacher guide that walks you through mission, predict, hunt, reveal, act, background for the teacher and assessment, then a student sheet (“My predictions”, “Part A: Draw what you see”, “Part B: Our results”, “Class results”, “Graph it”, “My advice to Uncle”, “Exit ticket”, “Key words”, “Talk about it”, “Label the salt field” and “Try it at home”) on its own page, ready to photocopy. It’s US Letter and prints cleanly in black and white.
Can I try it for free?
Yes. A free account includes any 3 full lessons of your choice, and this can be one of them. After that, this unit is US$19 (C$25) for all 3 lessons, yours to keep, or every lesson is US$79 (C$109) a year.