Litmus Lab Slides
Litmus Laboratory
Sorting the World of Chemicals
Acids
Bases
The Mystery Samples
🍋
Sample A: Lemon
How would this taste? Is it sour or sweet?
🧼
Sample B: Soap
How does this feel? Is it slippery or rough?
Scientists sort things into groups called Acids and Bases!
Our Mission
Use a color-changing Indicator to sort household liquids into two groups.
Observation Lab
Watch Closely!
Embedded media
Pause @ 0:19
Look at the color chart. What color is for Acid? What color is for Base?
Pause @ 1:15
What color did the lemon juice turn the paper?
Pause @ 1:45
What color did the baking soda turn the paper?
Scientific Results
🧪
Acid
RED / PINK
🧴
Base
BLUE / GREEN
Activity: Red vs. Blue
Time to sort your mystery substances!
1. Color
Color the litmus strip on your cards based on the video.
2. Cut
Carefully cut out your mystery substance cards.
3. Sort
Place them on the correct side of your Sorting Mat.
The Sour Challenge
🍬
"If I gave you a super sour candy, what color do you think the litmus paper would turn?"
RED?
BLUE?
Think like a scientist!
Litmus Lab Teacher Guide
Litmus Lab Teacher Guide
Introduction to Acids and Bases | 3rd Grade Science
Time
40 Min
Level
Grade 3
Learning Objective
Students will be able to categorize substances into two groups (Acids and Bases) based on observable color changes in litmus paper.
Materials Needed
- Litmus Lab Slides & Video
- Item Cards (Lemon, Vinegar, Soap, Baking Soda)
- Red and Blue crayons/markers
- Sorting Mat
Instructional Sequence
5m
The Hook: Sour vs. Slippery
Show a real lemon and a bar of soap (or use Slide 2). Ask students to describe properties.
Teacher Prompt: "If you tasted this lemon, what face would you make? If you touched this soap with wet hands, what would happen?"
5m
Observation Lab (Video)
Watch the video. Use the pause prompts on Slide 4 to facilitate active viewing.
- Pause @ 0:19: Identify color coding (Red = Acid, Blue = Base).
- Pause @ 1:15: Confirm Lemon Juice turned RED.
- Pause @ 1:35: Compare Vinegar (RED) to Lemon.
20m
Activity: Red vs. Blue Sorting
Students color the small strip on each card according to the video results, then sort them onto their mats.
5m
The Sour Challenge (Closure)
Discuss: "If I gave you a sour candy, do you think it would turn the paper red or blue? Why?"
Quick Answer Key
Acids (RED)
Bases (BLUE)
- Window Cleaner
- Baking Soda
Teaching Tips
Safety Note: Emphasize that in real labs, we never taste chemicals. We only taste things in our kitchen!
Extension: Have students predict the color change for orange juice or liquid hand soap based on what they've learned about taste and feel.
Litmus Lab Sorting Cards
Litmus Lab Test Cards
Name
Date
Instructions: Based on the video, color the rectangle at the bottom of each card with a Red or Blue crayon. Then, cut out the cards to use on your Sorting Mat!
01
🍋
Lemon Juice
Color the Litmus Strip:
02
🧴
Window Cleaner
Color the Litmus Strip:
03
🧪
Clear Vinegar
Color the Litmus Strip:
04
🧂
Baking Soda
Color the Litmus Strip: