Exploring Properties of Elements in a Fun Grade 5 Science Lesson

It's a great science class for the fifth grade where they learn properties of gold, iron, sulfur, and carbon (diamond) and find details that could cause these elements to become essential in their daily lives. Its luster and malleable attributes, strength and diversity, peculiar odor with antibacterial properties, hardness and brilliance, respectively, in its practical application, will just be among the many interesting properties. Interactive discussions and activities will help students understand these elements and their importance in the universe in a more profound way!

Properties of Elements – 1

David wanted to be a scientist when he grew up. After all, didn’t he grow up as a wide-eyed child at his grandfather’s pharmacy? The family owned the pharmacy, and David used to hang around the place whenever he got the chance. He was particularly enchanted by the generic names of the medicines that were sold in the pharmacy. He always wondered about the constituent parts of things. That is how he became very interested in elements. Thankfully, his grandfather and science teacher were very helpful in clearing his doubts. One fine morning, David saw his science teacher alone in the science laboratory.

David: Good morning, Mr. Ately. Are you busy?

Mr. Ately: Good morning, David. Not at all. I was just cleaning some of this equipment.

David: I was wondering if I could talk to you and clear some of my doubts.

Mr. Ately: Yes, of course. What do you want to know?

David: It is about elements. Yesterday you said in class that the things we use in our daily life are made of elements or compounds or mixtures usually.

Mr. Ately: You are right. Look at this wedding ring on my finger. Can you tell me what it is made of?

David: Gold? So gold is an element?

Mr. Ately: Yes. As you can see, it is commonly used to make jewelry. And it is suitable to be used in making jewelry because of its properties.

David: Let me guess. It is always yellow and always solid. And it is a metal?

Mr. Ately: Yes. Furthermore, it is ductile, hence can be made into ornaments. Also, my ring does not rust or corrode when exposed to water or heat or anything like that. What does that tell you?

David: It is resistant to corrosion?

Mr. Ately: Absolutely.

David: Very interesting. What are some other commonly used elements?

Mr. Ately: Let us take the case of iron. As you perhaps know, it is a grey, metallic solid. It conducts heat and electricity very well too.

David: No wonder that some of the cooking utensils at home are made of iron.

Mr. Ately: Yes. Iron is also very strong and ductile. A lot of things are made of iron because it is strong. For example, the front gate of our school is made of iron. Nobody can break in easily.

David: Our house also has an iron gate.

Mr. Ately: I see. You might be interested in knowing that iron is a magnetic substance.

David: Wow! Can you tell me about a couple of other elements too?

Mr. Ately: Sure. Take sulfur.

David: I have not heard of that one.

Mr. Ately: Ok. Sulfur is interesting. It is a non-metallic solid. It is yellow.

David: Oh! Is it non-metallic?

Mr. Ately: Yes. And it is soluble in organic solvents like alcohol, but not in water.

David: I see. Is sulfur used in daily life for anything?

Mr. Ately: Yes, of course. It is used in vulcanization.

David: What is vulcanization?

Mr. Ately: It is the process by which rubber is made stronger, by adding sulfur to it. This process means that rubber can have a wider ranger of uses. For example, vulcanized rubber can be used in the soles of shoes, tyres and toys. Sulfur helps to make rubber tyres tougher.

David: How about diamond, Mr. Ately?

Mr. Ately: As you know, diamond is the hardest natural substance. Do you know that it is actually carbon?

David: Yes, Mr. Ately. I have always wondered how such a sparkly thing like diamond can be made of carbon which is the element in graphite too.

Mr. Ately: Nature never ceases to amaze us. By the way, the carbon in diamond is a non-metallic solid. And it can be polished to form the shiny, reflecting and transparent solid that we call diamond.

David: Does it conduct electricity?

Mr. Ately: No, it doesn’t. But diamond has a use because of the fact that it is a very hard solid. Diamond-tipped drills are used to cut through very hard metals and rocks.

David: How about graphite?

Mr. Ately: Graphite is a black, non-metallic solid. Do you know why your badminton racquet frames are made of graphite?

David: Is it because it is lightweight?

Mr. Ately: Absolutely.

David: That is wonderful. Thank you, Mr. Ately. Talking to you is really a pleasure.

Mr. Ately: No problem, David. You can come to me any time you have a doubt.