Separating mixtures

Lesson: Science

To finish our topic on materials, the class were given the challenge of separating 5 materials: salt, sand, steel, rice and rock.  Groups were given a variety of equipment to solve the challenge and had to use their knowledge of those materials to separate the mixture in a sensible order.  The most difficult problem was how to separate the salt and the sand.  In the end, groups dissolved the salt in water to make a salt solution, passed the mix through a filter and then used a candle to evaporate the water.  We all had a lot of fun!