Mississippi Science P.5.5C.2
The Standard
- P.5.5C
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of the difference between physical and chemical changes.
Analyze and communicate the results of physical changes to a substance that results in a reversible change (e.g., changes in states of matter with the addition or removal of energy, changes in size or shape, or combining/separating mixtures or solutions).
2026 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science · Organization of Matter and Chemical Interactions
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students compare a material before and after it melts, changes shape, or mixes with water. They describe what changed and explain how to reverse it.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can describe how ice changes as it melts and explain how to freeze it again. They can explain that salt is still present when it dissolves in water and describe how to recover it.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think melted ice is a different substance because it looks different. They may think dissolved salt is gone, or that burning paper can be reversed like folding paper.
How to Assess It
- Show students an ice cube and water from a melted cube. Ask them to write what changed, what stayed the same, and how to reverse the change.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Have pairs flatten a ball of modeling clay, reshape it, and sketch what changed and what stayed the same.
Ask students to write an answer to: Is melted ice still water, and what observation supports your answer?
Give pairs cards showing melted ice, dissolved salt, folded paper, and burned paper; have them sort by reversibility and name a reversal.
Have students observe ice melting in a water bottle at lunch, then explain how to freeze the water again.
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Printable P.5.5C.2 Worksheet
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