MANCHESTER COLLEGE
Department of Education

LESSON PLAN by ____Abby White and Steve Spangler______
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/invisible-fire-extinguisher

Lesson: _________The Invisible Fire Extinguisher__________ Length ___20 Minutes______

Age or Grade Intended _____5th Grade______

Academic Standard(s): 
Science: 5.2.4 Keep a notebook to record observations and be able to distinguish inferences from actual observations. 

Performance Objectives:  
	Students will keep a notebook of three to four sentences from observations of classroom experiments.  

Assessment: 
	Students will turn in their notebooks once a week for teacher to check to see that the students are writing their observations down. If the student has three to four sentences, they will get a check mark.

Advanced Preparation by Teacher: 
-Create a candle holder from coat hanger. 
-Get two plastic soda bottles (1 Letter)
-Get Baking Soda and Vinegar

Materials: 
- Candle 
- Coat hanger
- Two plastic soda bottles
- Matches
- Pliers and scissors
- Baking soda 
- Vinegar
-Spoon and measuring cup

Procedure:
Introduction/Motivation
	How many of you can tell me what three things you need to create fire? (Wait for answer) The three things that you need are oxygen, fuel (in the wick), and heat. We have learned that we can create fire pretty easy. But who knows how to put out a fire? (Answers: Fire Extinguisher, water, towel, Ext.) Today we are going to learn what is inside of those big red fire extinguishers and how they work. Before we get started everyone needs to get out their Science Observation Notebooks. Remember you need to write down two to three sentences about what you have learned from the experiment while we are doing it. 

Step-by-Step Plan: 
1.	Light the candle and lower it into one of the empty soda bottle cylinders. This proves that the candle does not go out when you lower it into the container. Remove the candle and blow it out. 
2.	Today we are going to try to create what is in a fire extinguisher. Pour approximately 3 ounces of vinegar into the cylinder and add one tablespoon of baking soda. “Watch it, it is really cool!” The mixture will immediately begin to fizz and bubble. It's important that you do not pick up the cylinder - just leave it on the table.
3.	After all of the bubbling has stopped, light the candle and slowly lower it into the soda bottle cylinder. Why does the candle go out? Relight the candle and try it again. Carefully observe the place in the cylinder where the candle goes out. The cylinder is filled with an invisible gas called carbon dioxide and this gas extinguishes the flame.
4.	Light the candle and lower it into the second soda bottle cylinder. Just as you observed at the start, the candle should not go out because there's a sufficient amount of oxygen in cylinder. Remove the candle and blow it out. 
5.	Add a little more vinegar and baking soda. Wait for it to stop fizzing. Pick up the cylinder with the invisible carbon dioxide gas and slowly pour the gas into the second cylinder. This is tricky because you're pouring an invisible gas! Just make sure that you don't pour any of the liquid into the second container. 
6.	Light the candle and lower it into the container that used to have the carbon dioxide gas - the candle should stay lit - proving that all of the gas is now gone. Immediately lower the candle into the second container. The candle should go out. 
Closure: Can anyone tell me why the candle goes out now in the second container? The reason the candle goes out is because carbon dioxide, which is created from vinegar and baking soda weighs more than air does. This allows it to flow from one container to the next. Because of this it pushes the oxygen out of the air that is inside of the container and puts out the fire. Why is oxygen important again? Ok now as I told you at the beginning we are going to learn what is in a fire extinguisher. Now the cylinder type that are colored red are filled with the gas that we created today and when you push the top down to make the stuff inside come out it lets out carbon dioxide. We learned that this is heaver than air, so this mixture floats down to the bottom of the fire which puts it out. Does anyone have any questions? Ok now in your notebooks you need to write one final sentence about this science experiment. 

Adaptations/Enrichment: Adaptation: If a student is unable to write three to four sentences, a different amount can be assigned to them. One sentence or two would be acceptable. If they are unable to write sentences at all, the student could draw pictures of what is going on. Enrichment: These students could write more than four sentences. They could be assigned five to six sentences. If this is still not a large enough challenge, they could draw pictures that go with the experiment that would allow someone else to do it from their notes. 

Self-Reflection: Were my students able to comprehend what was being taught to them? Did the experiment work? Were my students engaged in the activity? What would you do differently next time to improve the lesson?