4th Grade Polymers Lesson Plan

Topic: Polymers

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will understand the structure and properties of polymers and how they are synthesized.

Materials

• Plastic scissors
• Plastic straws
• Clear plastic sheets or plastic wrap
• Scotch tape
• Push pins or tiny nails
• Clear liquid soap or detergent
• Hot water
• White glue
• Thin translucent plastic sheets (such as plastic wrap or sandwich bags)

Warm-up

• Show students a piece of plastic and ask them what they notice about its appearance and feel.
• Ask them if they have ever seen plastic being made or noticed plastic bottles or containers in their everyday lives.
• Ask them to think about how plastic might be made and what it is made of.

Direct Instruction

• Explain that plastic is a type of material that is made up of many small molecules called polymers.
• Polymers are made up of repeating units of monomers, which are smaller molecules that unite to form the polymer.
• Because the monomers repeat over and over, the polymer chains can be very long and can have a wide range of properties, such as flexibility, hardness, and transparency.
• Give examples of different types of polymers and their characteristics, such as plastic bags being flexible and clear, while a bulletproof vest is hard and opaque due to the presence of polymer chains made up of different monomers.

Guided Practice

• Divide students into small groups and give each group a different type of polymer (such as plastic, rubber, or concrete).
• Have the students research their assigned polymer and create a visual representation (such as a mind map or concept map) of its structure, including the monomers that make up the polymer chain and the repeating units within the monomers.
• Have each group share their visual representation with the class and discuss any similarities or differences in the structure of the different polymers.

Independent Practice

• Have students choose one type of polymer to research in more detail.
• Have students create a poster or presentation to share with the class on their chosen polymer, including information on its structure, uses, and properties.

Closure

• Review the main points of the lesson: polymers are large molecules made up of repeating subunits, they have a wide range of uses, and they are very resistant to heat and UV light.
• Ask students to share any interesting facts they learned about polymers during the lesson.

Assessment

• Observe students during the lab activity and discuss their findings with them to assess their understanding of the concept of molecular weight and their ability to calculate the molecular weight of a polymer using the formula MW = Mw/Mn.