Properties of Mixtures Activities for 5th Grade Science

This engaging 5E lesson for TEKS 5.6B helps students explore how some mixtures retain the physical properties of their substances, using examples like iron filings and sand or sand and water. Aligned with the 2021 TEKS standards, the lesson follows the 5E Model—Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate—through interactive discussions, bilingual vocabulary activities, and a hands-on station lab with nine multimodal tasks, including experiments, readings, videos, and research. Editable PowerPoints and interactive notebooks support clear explanations, while student-choice projects let learners practice separation methods like sorting, sifting, and evaporation. Assessments meet STAAR 2.0 requirements and offer differentiated formats, making this lesson ideal for both in-class and virtual learning. The resources below will give students a comprehensive understanding of the properties of mixtures. All of the following materials are also included in the Kesler Science Membership.

The Kesler Science 5E Lesson for TEKS 5.6B is an engaging chemistry unit that helps students demonstrate and explain how some mixtures maintain the physical properties of their substances, such as iron filings and sand or sand and water. This flexible, low-prep lesson includes editable presentations, worksheets, choice projects, and assessments designed for differentiated, student-led learning.

Aligned with the 2021 TEKS standards, the lesson uses the 5E Model—Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, and Evaluation. Students engage through class discussions and vocabulary activities in English and Spanish. The hands-on station lab offers nine multimodal activities, including experiments, reading passages, videos, and research tasks, allowing students to explore mixtures and separation methods. Output stations encourage organizing, writing, illustrating, and assessing knowledge.

Editable PowerPoints and interactive notebooks support the explanation phase, while student-choice projects extend learning through separation techniques like sorting, sifting, and evaporation. Assessments align with STAAR 2.0 requirements and include differentiated formats for diverse learners. This lesson is suitable for both in-class and virtual learning environments.

Engage your 5th-grade students with this modular, student-led station lab aligned with the 2021 TEKS 5.6B standard on the properties of mixtures. This interactive lesson allows students to demonstrate and explain how some mixtures maintain the physical properties of their substances, encouraging independent and small-group learning through nine differentiated activities.

The lab features a variety of stations designed for both in-class and virtual learning. Input stations introduce concepts through hands-on activities, videos, readings, and research tasks. Students engage by exploring mixtures, watching videos with follow-up questions, reading passages in English or Spanish, and analyzing data to determine separation methods.

Output stations allow students to demonstrate their understanding by organizing information, creating illustrations of different separation methods, writing responses, and completing assessments. A bonus challenge station offers extension activities like crosswords, games, and mini-projects for advanced learners.

This low-prep, high-engagement resource supports active learning and critical thinking, making it adaptable for both physical classrooms and virtual settings.

The Properties of Mixtures Student Choice Projects align with the 2021 TEKS chemistry standard 5.6B, offering 5th-grade students the opportunity to select a project that matches their preferred output style. The project page outlines six student-led options and a “design your own” project, with an editable rubric for teacher, peer, or self-assessment. This resource is also part of the Properties of Mixtures Complete Lesson for TEKS 5.6B.

These flexible, multimodal projects allow students to creatively demonstrate their understanding, and teachers can adjust the rubric to fit grading needs. Two versions of the project page provide differentiation—one with modified options for students needing extra support and another offering challenges for advanced learners.

The resource includes nine project choices plus a “design your own” option, teacher directions for support, and an editable rubric assessing vocabulary, concepts, presentation, clarity, and accuracy. Projects are designed to use standard classroom supplies like paper, markers, and scissors, with many options available for digital completion.

The Mixtures Science and ELA Integrated Writing Activity engages 5th-grade students in creatively demonstrating their understanding of mixtures through a print advertisement prompt. Aligned with TEKS, this activity helps students explore how some mixtures retain the physical properties of their ingredients, such as iron filings and sand or sand and water. Designed for both in-person and virtual learning, it promotes science reasoning and writing skills in a fun, interactive way.

This resource includes teacher directions with an answer guide, project ideas, and rubrics; projection and print handouts with pre-writing strategies and templates; and a digital PowerPoint version compatible with Google Slides for remote learning. It works well as a cross-curricular activity, pre-test assessment, student choice project, or enrichment for early finishers. Ideal for extra credit, make-up work, TELPAS samples, or differentiation, this activity encourages creativity and engagement. Student work can be displayed on bulletin boards or compiled into an anthology for added recognition.

WIKI Tickets© formative assessments are a fun and engaging way to check student understanding of physical science concepts for 3rd–5th grade. This set includes 37 assessments, each available in five formats: a full-screen projection version, three printable handout sizes, and an interactive digital version compatible with PowerPoint and Google Slides. Designed to align with NGSS and TEKS standards, every standard is covered with at least one ticket, and some topics include multiple assessments for deeper exploration. A helpful table of contents is also included to show the alignment with specific standards.

These assessments cover a wide range of topics, including forces and motion, forms and transfers of energy, states and properties of matter, electrical circuits, magnetism, gravity, and waves. Additional concepts such as conservation of mass, mixtures and solutions, reflection and refraction, and the Sun’s energy are also addressed. WIKI Tickets© can be used as exit tickets, bellringers, or quick comprehension checks and are adaptable for in-person, 1:1 digital, or virtual learning environments. Whether projected, printed, or assigned digitally, they offer a flexible, ready-to-use tool for assessing student progress.

Year-Round Resources

These year-round activities will increase your students' understanding of many middle school science topics. All of these activities are also included in the Kesler Science Membership.

Visual Data & Graphing

You're not alone if your students struggle with understanding graphs, charts, and tables. It's a skill that takes an enormous amount of practice. This resource will help students build a strong foundation in analyzing data and creating their own data visualizations.

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Bell Ringers and Warm-Ups

These middle school science bell ringers are an excellent way to engage your students as soon as they walk into your classroom. This comprehensive FULL YEAR resource includes everything you need to start off each science class with an interesting warm-up activity.

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Review Board Games

Each game board has been carefully designed to keep students engaged. There are 10 different action spaces on each board and dozens of question cards. All of the actions are related to science concepts and keep the students motivated throughout the game.

Each game is ready to play. Simply print out the board and the cards and let the students enjoy reviewing nine different units.

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Essential Questions and Standards

Below are the essential questions and standards associated with the lessons and activities included in the atoms unit. This topic is only one of more than 100 middle school science topics included in the Kesler Science Membership.

Essential Questions

Why do mixtures maintain the physical properties of their substances?
How can a mixture's different ingredients be separated based on their physical properties?

Standards

TEKS Science - 5.6B Properties of Mixtures