Chemistry That Applies

Chemistry That Applies is a six- to ten-week instructional unit designed for students in grades 8-10 to understand the law of conservation of matter. The unit consists of 24 lessons organized in four clusters (though in the study, only the first 18 lessons were covered). Working in groups, students explore four chemical reactions: burning, rusting, the decomposition of water, and the reaction of baking soda and vinegar. Students conduct hands-on laboratory experiments, obtain and record data in individual notebooks, analyze the data, and use evidence-based arguments to explain their findings. The unit engages students in a structured sequence of hands-on laboratory investigations interwoven with other forms of instruction. Teachers implementing the intervention participated in two days of professional development and were given a box of lab materials, instructions for implementation, and follow-up meetings during the school year.