Eighth Grade Acids and Bases Lesson

Lesson Title: Acids and Bases Introduction

Grade: 8th Grade
Teacher: Sarah Wallace
Time Required 43 Minutes

Science-NGSS:
Content Objective: The learner will be able to explain the difference between an acid
and a base and where they each fall on a pH scale.

Assessment:
1.) Worksheet from pHet simulation
2.) Venn Diagram at end of week

Adaptations for Diverse and Special Needs: Lesson will be adapted for any students
who may need it. This will include bigger text on some worksheets and being able to use
laptops to take notes if needed.

Key Vocabulary Materials

Acid Teacher lap top
Base Journals
Neutral Projector
pH Level Reading

http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/s
cience/matter/acids-and-bases.htm
Venn diagrams
ChromeBooks
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/acid-base-
solutions/latest/acid-base-solutions_en.html
Worksheets for phet simulation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAJsZWhj6G
I

Anticipatory Set (Do Now):

1.) Complete the short reading by highlighting, underlining, or circling the key concepts and
words that you find (text found at the bottom of page).
2.) Share one important difference you found between an acid and a base with your table partner
Lesson Sequence:
1.) We will watch this video on Acids and Bases together:
http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/matter/acids-and-bases.htm
2.) I will ask students to please tell me some of the acids and bases that they heard in the video that
they have seen in their houses.
3.) Each student will be given a Venn Diagram. On the left it will have Acids, in the middle it will
have pH Scale, and on the right it will have Bases. Students will be given 8 minutes to work with
one partner to come up with some defining features of each of these using their readings and their
knowledge from the video. We will use these to help us all week long.
 4.) Students will be paired up and given a computer. In our google classroom, I will have posted the
link for this website: https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/acid-base-solutions/latest/acid-base-
solutions_en.html
a. I will have students start in hidden view and answer the questions about the pH scale
first. Once they have done that, they can move in to the other views and explore further.
5.) Pairs of students will have time to work in this simulation for about 10-15 minutes and will need
to fill out the worksheet attached below that asks them questions about the difference between
strong and weak acids and bases.

Exploring/Extending:
1.) If we have more time, I will show this YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAJsZWhj6GI

Closure:

1.) We will have a discussion of what the term neutral means and how you might achieve a neutral
substance. This is a term we didnt talk about so far so it will be an opportunity to have some
exploratory discussion and get students thinking about the lesson we will do the next day.

Lesson Feature Check List

(Highlight)
Preparation Scaffolding Group Options
Adaptation of content Modeling Whole class
Links to background Guided practice Small groups
Links to past learning Independent practice Partners
Strategies incorporated Comprehensible input Independent

Integration of Processes Application Assessment

Reading Hands-on Individual
Writing Meaningful Group
Speaking Linked to objectives Written
Listening Promotes engagement Oral
Viewing
 Acids and Bases

They are compounds you find everywhere, yet have very different properties.

When you put acids into water, you create a solution. During this reaction, the acid will
actually release one of its protons, or Hydrogen ions (H+). This means that the positive
and negative ions are no longer balanced, causing the solution to become acidic.

Common acid traits are:

tasting sour
corrosive

When a base is put into water, it accepts a proton, forming a Hydroxide ion (OH-).

Common traits of bases:

slippery to the touch

bitter-tasting

pH Scale

As you can imagine, its important to know how acidic solutions are, so we know how to
handle them. Thats where the pH scale comes in.

The scale ranges from 0 to 14 and solutions with a pH number less than seven are
considered acidic (acids). Those with a pH number greater than seven are basic
(bases/alkaline). If a solution happens to fall right in the middle, with a pH number of
seven, it is neutral.
Acids and Bases

1) Describe two properties of a base.

2) Describe two properties of an acid.

3) Describe the difference between a weak base and a strong base.

4) What color does the litmus paper turn for an acid? For a base?

5) Describe the difference between a weak acid and a strong acid.

6) What do you notice about the OH- in this simulation?