Bernard Zell 7th graders are flexing their detective muscles as they start their first big science project of the year: the Curious Case of the Mystery Powder! Each student is receiving a sample of an unknown substance and they have been tasked with determining its identity. The catch? Not every student has the same mystery powder, so their answers will all be different. 

The 7th-grade science students have spent the past few weeks investigating characteristic properties and how they can be used to identify pure substances. In this project, they will apply that knowledge to their problem by testing their powder’s solubility, reactivity with other substances and density. They will then use data they collected from known substances to determine their powder’s identity. 

The project culminates with students writing a scientific argument explaining their conclusion because, as we know, in science it is not enough to know something yourself; you have to be able to prove it to others with evidence.