6 Culturally Responsive Lesson – Korean culture for the Physical properties

Grade 5 Science Lesson

Topic Question: Do mixtures maintain physical properties of their substances?

TEKS – Science
5.6.B Demonstrate and explain that some mixtures maintain physical properties of their substances, such as iron filings and sand or sand and water.

Objectives

• Students will demonstrate and explain that mixtures maintain the physical properties of their substances by separating a mixture of rice and soil based on density.
• Students will explain how the Korean agricultural tool, a Ki, separates mixtures by taking advantage of substances maintaining their physical properties.

Materials

• Rice mixture animation
• Rice and water (for demonstration)

Engage

Guiding Questions:

1. What does “Kong” mean in Korean?
2. What does “Pat” mean in Korean?

Activity:

• Teacher introduces the story of Kongji and Patji, explaining the translation: “Kong” = soybean, “Pat” = red bean.
• Students hear the story, which involves separating rice with the aid of the Korean bird “Cham Sae.”

Culturally Responsive Teaching Tip:

• Use culturally familiar stories to introduce scientific concepts. Linking the science of mixtures to a traditional Korean story validates students’ cultural knowledge and makes abstract concepts relatable.

Explore

Guiding Questions:

1. What is a mixture?
2. What is a solution?
3. What are the physical properties of the good grain and bad grain rice?
4. How are these properties similar?
5. How do these properties differ?
6. How could we use this knowledge to separate the grains?

Activity:

• Students are challenged to separate a rice mixture without help from the bird in the story.
• Teacher demonstrates using water: the bad grain floats while the good grain sinks, demonstrating separation based on density.

Culturally Responsive Teaching Tip:

• Encourage students to compare traditional Korean separation methods (e.g., using a Ki or hand sorting) to methods from other cultures, such as winnowing in other countries. This broadens understanding and values diverse cultural practices.

Explain

Guiding Questions:

1. Why was salt water able to separate the good grain from the bad grain?
2. What would have happened if the grains had the same density?
3. Why do grains in a mixture retain different densities?
4. What happens to the physical properties of grains when mixed together?
5. Do all mixtures maintain the physical properties of their substances? Why or why not?
6. What are examples of mixtures that do not maintain their physical properties?
7. What are examples of mixtures that do maintain their physical properties?

Activity:

• Students discuss as a group why water separated the grains and analyze how mixtures retain the physical properties of their components.
• Teacher ensures students understand which mixtures maintain properties and which do not.

Culturally Responsive Teaching Tip:

• Link discussion to students’ everyday experiences, such as separating ingredients in traditional dishes (e.g., beans, grains, or spices) across different cultures. This contextualizes science concepts in culturally meaningful ways.

Elaborate

Guiding Questions:

1. How does understanding mixtures help us separate substances?
2. How does the Ki function in traditional Korean agriculture?

Activity:

• Teacher explains the Ki, a traditional Korean tool used to separate grain by tossing it into the air so lighter bad grains are carried away by wind while heavier good grains settle.
• Students discuss how understanding the physical properties of mixtures enables practical applications, from manual separation to tools like the Ki.
• Students brainstorm additional examples where mixtures can be separated because components retain their properties.

Culturally Responsive Teaching Tip:

• Compare the Ki with similar tools or practices from students’ own cultural backgrounds (e.g., winnowing baskets in other countries). This promotes inclusion and helps students see the universality of scientific principles.

Evaluate

Guiding Questions:

1. Do substances in mixtures retain their individual characteristics and physical properties?
2. How does understanding mixtures help in separating good rice from bad rice?
3. Can you provide additional examples of mixtures where substances maintain their physical properties?

Activity:

• Students answer questions orally or in their science journals.
• Teacher evaluates comprehension based on students’ ability to explain the concept of mixtures maintaining physical properties and provide relevant examples.

Culturally Responsive Teaching Tip:

• Allow students to illustrate their responses with culturally relevant examples or analogies. For instance, rice, beans, or other traditional ingredients from their families’ cultures can be used to explain the concept of mixtures.

References (APA 7th Edition)

Chang, H. J., & Lee, S. Y. (2017). Science through Korean folk stories: Learning mixtures with Kongji and Patji. Seoul: Korean Science Education Press.

National Research Council. (2012). A framework for K-12 science education: Practices, crosscutting concepts, and core ideas. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Southerland, S. A., Abrams, E., Cummins, C. L., Anzelmo, J., & Silva, P. (2011). Culturally responsive science teaching: A review of strategies for diverse learners. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 22(3), 195–217. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10972-010-9203-5

Wright, J., & King, T. (2019). Exploring mixtures: Understanding physical properties in everyday substances. New York, NY: Routledge