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Properties of Matter
Properties of Matter
Nicole Dostaler and Olivia Kravitz
Quinnipiac University
ED 558 Elementary Science: Content and Pedagogy
August 11, 2010
1
Properties of Matter
Table of Contents
Unit Plan Elements Page Number
Unit Plan Summary …………………………………………………………………….... 6
Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………….13
Grade Level …………………………………………………………………………...13
Theme…………………………………………………………………………….…… 13
Unit of Study…………………………………………………………………………...13
Duration of Unit………………………………………………………………………..13
Purpose of Unit………………………………………………………………………...13
Management of the Learning Environment……………………………………………13
Safety Precautions…………………………………………………………………….. 14
How the Unit Responds to Student Diversity………………………………………….15
How the Unit Addresses Differentiated Instruction…………………………………... 16
How the Unit Implements Scientific Inquiry…………………………………………..17
Elements Which Frame the Unit Plan…………………………………………………... 19
Teacher(s)……………………………………………………………………………... 19
Grade Level…………………………………………………………………………… 19
Theme…………………………………………………………………………………. 19
Unit of Study…………………………………………………………………………...19
Duration of Unit………………………………………………………………………..19
Content Standards……………………………………………………………………...19
National Standards………………………………………………………………...19
Content ……………………………………………………………………… 19
Concept(s) which support(s) the Standard……………………………….….. 19
State of Connecticut……………………………………………………………… 20
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Properties of Matter
Content………………………………………………………………………. 20
Concept(s) which support(s) the Standard…………………………………... 20
Performance Objective(s)……………………………………………………………... 20
Essential Question(s)………………………………………………………………….. 20
Related Questions……………………………………………………………………...21
Concepts………………………………………………………………………………. 21
Content…………………………………………………………………………………23
Process Skills…………………………………………………………………………..23
Instructional Strategies………………………………………………………………... 24
Student Products………………………………………………………………………. 27
Student Assessments………………………………………………………………….. 30
Formative Assessment(s)…………………………………………………………30
Summative Assessment(s)…………………………………..…………………… 39
Technology Connection………………………………………………………………. 41
Curriculum Connections……………………………………………………………….42
Community Connections……………………………………………………………… 43
Lesson Plans ……………………………………………………………………………… 44
Lesson 1 Describing Physical Properties ………………………………..……………44
Lesson 2 Observing and Understanding Matter (Learning Cycle) …………………. 56
Lesson 3 The States of Matter……..……………………………….….……...…...…. 78
Lesson 4 Classifying States of Matter …….………………………………………..…94
Lesson 5 Changing States of Matter...…………………………….…………………...109
Lesson 6 Multiple States of Matter.……………………..………….…….…………... 122
Lesson 7 Testing Physical Properties (Learning Cycle) …….………….……………132
Lesson 8 Mysteries of Magnets ……………………………………….………………153
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Properties of Matter
Lesson 9 Pondering Properties of Density (Expected Performance) …….....……… 164
Lesson 10 Summing Up Matter (Summative Assessment)………..……….……….. 175
References……………………………………………………………………………….....194
Appendixes……………………………………………………………………………...… 198
Appendix A: Annotated Reference List…………………….…………….…………... 198
Appendix B: Science Safety Rules (English)…………………………………………. 205
Appendix C: Science Safety Rules (Spanish)……………………………………….…206
Appendix D: Student Participation Observation Rubric …………………………... 207
Appendix E: Competing Cookies Letter Scoring Rubric......……………………….… 208
Appendix F: Competing Cookies Recording Sheet (English) ………………..……… 209
Appendix G: Competing Cookies Recording Sheet (Spanish) ……………….……… 210
Appendix H: What’s the matter? Worksheet (English) …………………...…….…… 211
Appendix I: What’s the Matter? Worksheet (Spanish)...………………..…………… 213
Appendix J: What’s the Matter? Corrected Worksheet…………………….………… 215
Appendix K: What’s the Matter? Rubric……………………………………..………. 217
Appendix L: Solids, Liquids, and Gases! Worksheet (English)...……………..………218
Appendix M: Solids, Liquids, and Gases! Worksheet (Spanish).……………..……… 221
Appendix N: Mystery Materials Walk Worksheet (English).………………....……… 224
Appendix O: Mystery Materials Walk Worksheet (Spanish).………..………..………229
Appendix P: Mystery Materials Walk Teacher Reference Sheet.……………..……… 234
Appendix Q: Ice Observations! Worksheet (English).………………………..……… 235
Appendix R: Ice Observations! Worksheet (Spanish).………………...……..……… 237
Appendix S: Chocolate Observations! Worksheet (English).………………...……… 239
Appendix T: Chocolate Observations! Worksheet (Spanish).………………..……… 241
Appendix U: Changing Matter Letter Scoring Rubric…………....…………..……… 243
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Properties of Matter
Appendix V: Changing Matter Letter Instructions (English/Spanish)………..……… 244
Appendix W: Our Findings! Worksheet (English)…………….…….………..……… 245
Appendix X: Our Findings! Worksheet (Spanish)……………...……………..……… 247
Appendix Y: Soggy Paper Worksheet (English)……………….…….………..……… 249
Appendix Z: Soggy Paper Worksheet (Spanish)……………….……………..……… 252
Appendix AA: Soggy Paper Instructions (Spanish)…………………………..……… 255
Appendix BB: What’s Magnetic? Worksheet (English)……………………...……… 256
Appendix CC: What’s Magnetic? Worksheet (Spanish)……………………..……… 257
Appendix DD: Magnetic Movements! Worksheet (English)……………..…..……… 258
Appendix EE: Magnetic Movements! Worksheet (Spanish)………….……..……… 259
Appendix FF: Let’s Predict! Worksheet (English)…………………………..……… 260
Appendix GG: Let’s Predict! Worksheet (Spanish)…………………………..……… 261
Appendix HH: Float or Sink Worksheet (English)……………………….…..……… 262
Appendix II: Float or Sink Worksheet (Spanish)…………………….………..……… 263
Appendix JJ: Float or Sink Student Evaluation Sheet (English)….…….……..……… 264
Appendix KK: Float or Sink Student Evaluation Sheet (Spanish)………..…..……… 265
Appendix LL: Properties of Matter Summative Assessment Worksheet (English)…. 266
Appendix MM: Properties of Matter Summative Assessment Worksheet (Spanish)….269
Appendix NN: Corrected Properties of Matter Summative Assessment Worksheet.….272
Appendix OO: Properties of Matter Teacher Performance Task Instructions..…….….275
5
Properties of Matter
Properties of Matter
Unit Plan Summary
Teacher(s) Nicole Dostaler and Olivia Kravitz
Grade Level Grade 3
Theme Our Physical World
Unit of Study Properties of Matter
Performance Objective
The Performance Objective for this unit is as follows:
The third grade students will be able to observe, classify and analyze the physical
properties and states of matter for given materials.
Essential Question
The Essential Question for this unit is as follows:
How does the structure of matter affect the properties and uses of materials?
(Connecticut State Department of Education, 2004, p.15).
Summary of the Unit
The students have been exploring “Our Physical World” and this unit addresses the
“Properties of Matter”. Within this unit, students will be exploring the structure of matter in
regards to its three states: solid, liquid, and gas, as well as how to determine the physical
properties of matter. In the two-week series of ten lessons, students will gain the knowledge
and skills necessary to observe, describe, record, classify, and analyze the physical
properties of matter. They will work closely to understand the similarities and differences
present in the properties of states of matter. They will also explore other “hidden” physical
properties of materials, including absorbency, density, and magnetism.
6
Properties of Matter
Summary of the Lessons
Lesson 1: Describing Physical Properties
Lesson Concept: All substances have properties that can be observed and used to
identify them. Some properties of matter are called “physical” properties. Physical
properties can be observed using the five senses. (Connecticut State Department of
Education, 2004, p. 7)
In this lesson, students will be writing a letter to answer the focus question: How do
we describe an object? Students will be using their five senses to identify the physical
properties present in various store-bought cookies. They will compare their
observations with classmates and design criteria to determine how to record the physical
properties seen. They will write letters to the cookie company describing the properties
recognized within the cookies.
Lesson 2: Observing and Understanding Matter (Learning Cycle)
Lesson Concepts: Anything that occupies space and has mass is called matter.
Matter can be found in a solid, liquid or gaseous state. (Martin et al., 2009, p. 430)
Matter is made up of atoms, which are joined together as molecules. Matter can
undergo a physical or a chemical change. (Martin et al., 2009, p. 430) Mass is neither
created nor destroyed. (Conservation of mass, Encyclopædia Brittanica Online, 2010)
In this lesson, students will be completing two experiments to answer the focus
question: What is matter? During the first experiment, they will observe the properties
of matter using unknown substances to see that matter takes up space and exists in
different states. In the second experiment, students will work with moving solids
7
Properties of Matter
(marbles and sand) and liquids (water) to different containers in order to observe that
matter is takes up space and is neither created nor destroyed.
Lesson 3: The States of Matter
Lesson concepts: Particles in a gas are well separated with no regular arrangement.
They vibrate and move freely at high speeds. Particles in a liquid are close together with
no regular arrangement. They vibrate, move about, and slide past each other. Particles
in a solid are tightly packed, usually in a regular pattern. They vibrate (jiggle) but
generally do not move from place to place. (Gases, liquids and solids, Purdue
University Department of Chemistry, 2010)
In this lesson, students will complete a variety of hands-on and guided tasks to
explore the focus question: What is a solid, liquid, and a gas? Students will utilize their
previous experiences with the states of matter to become involved with more in-depth
explorations of each of these states. They will also investigate changing states of matter
(i.e. ice melting into water, balloon filling up with gaseous steam released from boiling
water).
Lesson 4: Classifying States of Matter
Lesson concepts: Anything that occupies space and has mass is called matter.
Matter can be found in a solid, liquid or gaseous state. (Martin et al., 2009, p. 430)
Particles in a gas are well separated with no regular arrangement. They vibrate and
move freely at high speeds. Particles in a liquid are close together with no regular
arrangement. They vibrate, move about, and slide past each other. Particles in a solid
are tightly packed, usually in a regular pattern. They vibrate (jiggle) but generally do
8
Properties of Matter
not move from place to place. (Gases, liquids and solids, Purdue University Department
of Chemistry, 2010)
In this lesson, students will be observing and exploring the properties of various
states of matter as they answer the focus question: How can we determine an object's
state of matter? Students will complete a worksheet as they perform a gallery walk
around the classroom, while observing and classifying various “mystery materials” into
the different states of matter. Students will then go to the computer lab to explore the
properties of matter and how each state’s particles look under a microscope.
Lesson 5: Changing States of Matter
Lesson Concept: Materials exist in different states—solid, liquid, and gas. Some
common materials, such as water, can be changed from one state to another by heating
or cooling. (National Research Council, 1996, p. 127)
In this lesson, students will be exploring bags of substances to answer the focus
question: How can matter change from one state to another? In a series of two
experiments, students will observe substances that melt (i.e. ice, chocolate) before and
after they are heated and cooled. They will weigh, record, and compare the weights of
the substances before and after their states of matter have changed. The students will
then use the computer lab to write a friend a letter explaining how matter can change
from one state to another.
Lesson 6: Multiple States of Matter
Lesson Concept: Materials exist in different states—solid, liquid, and gas. Some
common materials, such as water, can be changed from one state to another by heating
or cooling. (National Research Council, 1996, p. 127)
9
Properties of Matter
In this lesson, students will be exploring an unknown substance to answer the focus
question: Can a material show properties of two states of matter? Students will observe
and work with an unknown substance (ooblek) that demonstrates properties of both a
solid and a liquid. They will have to say which state of matter they believe it is using
the properties they have found and knowledge about each state of matter.
Lesson 7: Testing Physical Properties (Learning Cycle)
Lesson Concepts: All substances have properties that can be observed and used to
identify them. Some properties of matter are called “physical” properties. Physical
properties can be observed using the five senses. (Connecticut State Department of
Education, 2004, p. 7) Some physical properties can be observed “directly” (i.e. color
or shape), while others are revealed through interactions with other materials (i.e.
absorbency or magnetic attraction). (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2004,
p. 7)
In this lesson, students will be conducting and designing experiments to answer the
focus question: How can we test the physical properties of an object? Students will first
conduct an experiment where they test the absorbency of various types of paper (tissues,
napkins, and paper towels). They will discover that not all physical properties are able
to be observed without interacting more deeply with an object. They will work with
their group members to design an experiment to test the strength of the various types of
paper given the provided materials. They will then write a letter recommending one of
the paper types using support from their experiment’s results.
10
Properties of Matter
Lesson 8: Mysteries of Magnetism
Lesson Concepts: Magnets attract and repel each other and certain kinds of metals.
(National Research Council, 1996, p. 127) The like poles of different magnets repel
each other, and the unlike poles attract each other. (Magnetism, Encyclopaedia
Britannica Online, 2010)
In this lesson, students will be completing two experiments to answer the focus
question: What is a magnet and what does it do? Students will be working with
unlabeled magnet bars to understand how they attract and repel from each other.
Students will explore and test objects to understand why some are attracted to magnets
and why some are not.
Lesson 9: Pondering Properties of Density (Expected Performance)
Lesson Concept: The density, or the mass of unit volume, of a substance
determines whether an object will sink or float in water. (Density, Encyclopædia
Britannica Online, 2010)
In this lesson, students will explore a water station where they will answer the
focus question: Why do some objects float, while other objects sink? Students will be
working with a bag of random objects to predict and test whether they will float or sink
in water. They will evaluate the properties of these objects and why it may contribute
to an objects’ ability to do so.
Lesson 10: Summing Up Matter (Summative Assessment)
Performance Objective
The third grade students will be able to observe, classify and analyze the
physical properties and states of matter for given materials.
11
Properties of Matter
Performance Task
The performance task for this lesson asks students to observe the properties of
provided substances as they undergo physical changes through the states of matter (i.e.
water, gelatin powder, etc.). Students will witness water boiling, gelatin powder
dissolving, and gelatin solidifying. Throughout this exploration, they will observe
properties to recognize the state of matter the substance is in, as well as providing
explanations behind their reasoning. Students will sort the materials according to
physical properties seen. They will also use their knowledge of other physical
properties (i.e. ability to float and sink, magnetism, etc.) to determine what materials in
the exploration exhibit these properties.
Assessment for the Task
In the Properties of Matter Summative Assessment Worksheets (Appendix LL &
MM), students will answer questions as they complete the performance task. They will
be scored on a 30-point scale for successful completion. The Performance Objective
for this lessons states that the third grade students will be able to observe, classify and
analyze the physical properties and states of matter for given materials. During the
performance task, students observe materials as they undergo physical changes to
different states of matter. After each of these changes, the students must identify the
state of matter they are observing and provide an explanation to support their
selections. Students will also illustrate the materials in a provided table as they sort
and classify them according to physical properties. Students will also state other
physical properties (i.e. ability to float and sink, magnetism, etc.) seen within the
materials and provide explanations and analysis for their stated findings.
12
Properties of Matter
Introduction
Teacher(s) Nicole Dostaler and Olivia Kravitz
Grade Level Grade 3
Theme Our Physical World
Unit of Study Properties of Matter
Duration of Unit 10 lessons
Purpose of Unit
This unit builds upon the students’ exploration of the theme: “Our Physical World” by
addressing the “Properties of Matter”. The purpose of this unit is to help the students
understand the concepts related to the structure of matter in regards to its three states: solid,
liquid, and gas, as well as how to determine the physical properties of matter. The students
will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to observe, describe, record, classify, and
analyze the physical properties of matter. The students will identify the states of matter,
their unique properties, and how materials and substances can change their state. They will
explore other physical properties of matter, including absorbency, density, and magnetism.
Management of the Learning Environment
The learning environment of this classroom is one that is welcoming to all students in
order to provide a safe atmosphere that students will be willing to share and explore within.
In order to achieve this, students must be managed effectively by the teacher throughout the
school day, especially during science activities where there are more hands-on opportunities.
Students have created a list of scientific safety rules (Appendix B & C) with the teacher at
the beginning of the school year for them to follow. Since they participated in its creation,
they recognize that it is their responsibility to uphold them. These rules are reviewed
13
Properties of Matter
together during every single lesson in order to remind students of their responsibilities to
keep one another safe during the experimentation and exploration. The unit’s science
lessons require a wide variety of materials for students to interact with, which can vary from
foods, chemicals, objects and equipment. Due to the risks involved with students handling
some of these materials, they will be highly regulated by the teacher to avoid a risk of injury
to the students. The teacher will be responsible for the order and amounts that are given to
students while they are exploring during their science lessons. This allows the teacher to
oversee and manage how the students are working with the materials. While the students
are experimenting, the teacher will constantly be overseeing the students working together
and regularly uses a Student Participation Observation Rubric (Appendix D) to record
student behavior as they are working collaboratively with their classmates. This allows the
teacher to have written notes on each student’s progress and behavior.
Safety Precautions
Safety is one of the largest concerns within the classroom. The students will adhere to a
set of safety rules that were developed in conjunction with the teacher at the beginning of
the school year and will be visible at all times by a classroom poster. At the start of every
lesson, the teacher will go over these rules with the students and make sure to reiterate them
throughout the lesson. The rules that the class has developed as an example for this unit
plan can be seen in Appendix B & C and as follows: Students will wear safety goggles,
aprons, and gloves at all times; wait for the teacher to give directions before handling
materials; keep the work area clean; will keep materials away from their faces and mouths;
take turns exploring and experimenting; wash hands after exploration of a substance; and
have fun exploring! (Council of State Science Supervisors, 1999a, p. 6) For every lesson,
14
Properties of Matter
the students will be required to wear ANSI Z87 safety goggles, aprons, and gloves to
prevent being injured from any accidents, which will also be cleaned after every lesson for
next use. (Martin et al., 2009, p. 294, 299) Students will be made knowledgeable as to all of
the locations of the safety equipment at the start of the school year and the procedures to go
through if there is an accident via a safety lesson. Materials will be highly regulated by the
teacher in order to prevent any injuries to the students. The teacher will be the one
responsible for handing out any substances or chemicals to the students and this must be
done with extensive guidance. All of the experiments will occur with more than adequate
space (minimum 24 square feet) for the groups’ stations. (Council of State Science
Supervisors, 1999b, p. 13) Students can easily move freely and access all materials within
this classroom because we also have a wheelchair bound student, Lisa, who will require
extra safety precautions, especially regarding freedom of movement.
How the Unit Responds to Student Diversity
All children are unique and that is no different within this classroom. This unit
responds to student diversity through multiple approaches. The classroom environment
should be welcoming and safe for students year-round, not only during science lessons.
This allows students to feel comfortable contributing to discussions and taking risks with
their class work, allowing them to develop a positive self-concept and view of science.
(Martin et al., 2009, p. 67) All students have access to the same materials, opportunities,
and chances for success during the science lessons. Throughout the year, there will be
relevant mini-lessons that introduce a variety of culturally, racially, and gender diverse
individuals that have made contributions to the scientific field to be role-models for the
students. (Martin et al., 2009, p. 68) The hands-on cooperative learning activities within
15
Properties of Matter
each lesson will help the students interact with one another—to develop respect and support
—and address the learning differences that they may have. Demonstrations will more
accurately allow students to witness the scientific phenomena versus learning science
concepts from a textbook. This allows students to listen to the teachers’ explanations, view
the scientific concepts, and have a firsthand opportunity to investigate it themselves. (Martin
et al., 2009, pp. 69-71) Focus questions, vocabulary concepts, and worksheets are provided
in multiple languages for students that may be ELL, such as our student Alex. The variety
in the learning activities will also help students who have different learning styles, based on
the Multiple Intelligences theory, to achieve success. (Martin et al., 2009, pp.78-80) The
lessons vary from students discussing ideas, questioning, reading, writing, drawing, working
kinesthetically, using mathematical concepts, and more. For example, Lesson 7 has learners
working cooperatively in groups to observe, record, and illustrate properties they see in an
object, mathematically construct graphs about their data, write about their findings, and
work together to design their own experiment. Learners with different strengths should all
find an area of success within the unit.
How the Unit Addresses Differentiated Instruction
This unit addresses the needs of three students with specific, yet very different needs
within the classroom. John is allowed to leave the room whenever necessary for medical
reasons, and could be out of the room for up to 15 minutes at a time. For his specific needs,
he has been paired with a partner in the classroom, Sam, to provide support for those times
he is not in the room. Sam has earned the special responsibility to help John get back on
task by providing him with a summary of what was missed while he was gone from the
room, as well as collecting worksheets and materials for John. The teacher maintains this
16
Properties of Matter
cooperative learning by providing the students with extra time after the lesson to provide
this support.
Lisa is wheelchair bound and has been greatly supported throughout this unit by
creating a classroom environment where she can easily move around the classroom and
engage with the materials like the other students. Classroom safety was a top priority and
wide spaces with accommodating low tables in the room allow all students to participate in
exploration of the tasks. (Burgstahler, 1996, pg. 2)
Alex receives a wide variety of support within the classroom—from the teacher,
paraprofessional provided to him, and classmates. Alex is an ELL (English Language
Learner) Spanish-speaking student. Every lesson has been designed to support his needs by
presenting each focus question and lesson content in his native language both verbally and
visually. He also receives differentiated worksheets in Spanish in order for him to
participate in the lesson to his abilities. Patience and an invitation for Alex to share his
findings and ask questions will help grow his scientific inquiry skills, while creating a
welcoming classroom environment for all students. (Martin, et al., 2009, pp. 82-83)
How the Unit Implements Scientific Inquiry
Throughout the unit, scientific inquiry methods are utilized to help the students achieve
high levels of understanding of the concepts being presented on the properties of matter.
One method includes using standards for selecting performance outcomes and developing
the curriculum. (Martin, et al., 2009, pp. 112-114) By using the National and Connecticut
State Standards, the unit ensures that students will be taught all of the skills and concepts
required for this grade level, as well as provides a helpful framework to shape the unit.
Socialization and cooperative learning groups throughout the lessons allow students to gain
17
Properties of Matter
experience communicating their scientific viewpoints and understandings with group mates,
hear new perspectives, and problem solve science explorations together. (Martin, et al.,
2009, pp. 152-157) Students of all ability levels can bring their strengths to the group.
Another method includes questioning strategies for whole class and small group settings that
implements wait time to benefit student contribution and understanding. After asking a
question, the teacher will provide an adequate amount of time for the students to consider
and form an answer to the question being asked. This allows the students to formulate a
more thorough and thoughtful response. After a student is called upon to answer, the
teacher will also allow wait time for the other students to acknowledge and reflect upon that
students’ answer. The teacher’s feedback will build upon this student’s answers with a
related question or expansion. When wait time is increased for students to 10-20 seconds in
this manner, it has been seen that student responses increase, more students get involved in
answering questions or contributing comments, confidence levels increase, and students
react to one another’s responses. (Martin, et al., 2009, pp. 168-170) The questions
presented to students allow them to think on all levels of Bloom’s Cognitive Domain, as
well. (Martin, et al., 2009, pp. 174) Questions vary from the Knowledge, Comprehension,
Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation levels of domain. (Huitt, 2009) This helps
students of all ability levels to participate giving responses. Example questions from Lesson
7 of the unit include: Was the data from other groups similar to yours, or was it different
than yours? What might explain these differences? What changes can be made to the
experiments to make everyone’s results more similar? The questions from this unit’s
lessons allow the students to reflect upon their exploration tasks, the results they have found,
and expand upon them using the knowledge uncovered during the activities.
18
Properties of Matter
Elements Which Frame the Unit Plan
Teacher(s) Nicole Dostaler and Olivia Kravitz
Grade Level Grade 3
Theme Our Physical World
Unit of Study Properties of Matter
Duration of Unit Ten lessons
Content Standards
National Standards
Content: Physical Science Content Standard B. As a result of the activities
grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of:
o Properties of objects and materials
o Light, Heat, Electricity, and Magnetism (National Research
Council, 1996, p. 123)
Concepts which support the Standards:
o Objects have many observable properties, including size, mass,
weight, shape, color, temperature, and the ability to react with other
substances. These properties can be measured using tools, such as
rulers, balances and thermometers.
o Objects are made of one or more materials, such as paper, wood, and
metal. Objects can be described by the properties of the materials
from which they are made, and these properties can be used to
separate or sort a group of objects or materials.
19
Properties of Matter
o Materials exist in different states—solid, liquid, and gas. Some
common materials, such as water, can be changed from one state to
another by heating or cooling.
o Magnets attract and repel each other and certain kinds of metals.
(National Research Council, 1996, p. 127)
Connecticut State Standards
Content: 3.1 Materials have properties that can be identified and described
through the use of simple tests. (Connecticut State Department of
Education, 2007, p. 15)
Concepts which support the Standard:
o B1. Sort and classify materials based on properties such as
dissolving in water, sinking and floating, conducting heat, and
attracting to magnets.
o B2. Heating and cooling cause changes in some of the properties of
materials. (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 15)
Performance Objective
The third grade students will be able to observe, classify and analyze the physical
properties and states of matter for given materials.
Essential Question
How does the structure of matter affect the properties and uses of materials?
(Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 15)
20
Properties of Matter
Related Questions
How do we describe an object? (Lesson 1)
What is matter? (Lesson 2)
What are a solid, liquid, and gas? (Lesson 3)
How can we determine an object's state of matter? (Lesson 4)
How can matter change from one state to another? (Lesson 5)
Can an object have more than one state of matter? (Lesson 6)
How can we test the physical properties of an object? (Lesson 7)
What is a magnet and what does it do? (Lesson 8)
Why do some objects float, while others sink? (Lesson 9)
How can we observe, classify and analyze the physical properties and states of
matter for given materials? (Lesson 10)
Concept(s)
All substances have properties that can be observed and used to identify them. Some
properties of matter are called “physical” properties. Physical properties can be
observed using the five senses. (Lessons 1 and 7) (Connecticut State Department of
Education, 2004, p. 7)
Anything that occupies space and has mass is called matter. Matter can be found in a
solid, liquid or gaseous state. (Lesson 2, 4, and 6) (Martin et al., 2009, p. 430)
Matter is made up of atoms, which are joined together as molecules. Matter can
undergo a physical or a chemical change. (Lesson 2, 3, and 6) (Martin et al., 2009, p.
430)
21
Properties of Matter
Mass is neither created nor destroyed. (Lesson 2, 3, 5) (Conservation of mass,
Encyclopædia Britannica Online, 2010)
Particles in a gas are well separated with no regular arrangement. They vibrate and
move freely at high speeds. (Lesson 3 and 4) (Gases, liquids and solids, Purdue
University Department of Chemistry, 2010)
Particles in a liquid are close together with no regular arrangement. They vibrate,
move about, and slide past each other. (Lesson 3 and 4) (Gases, liquids and solids,
Purdue University Department of Chemistry, 2010)
Particles in a solid are tightly packed, usually in a regular pattern. They vibrate
(jiggle) but generally do not move from place to place. (Lesson 3 and 4) (Gases,
liquids and solids, Purdue University Department of Chemistry, 2010)
Materials exist in different states—solid, liquid, and gas. Some common materials,
such as water, can be changed from one state to another by heating or cooling.
(Lesson 5) (National Research Council, 1996, p. 127)
Some physical properties can be observed “directly” (i.e. color or shape), while
others are revealed through interactions with other materials (i.e. absorbency or
magnetic attraction). (Lesson 7) (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2004,
p. 7)
Magnets attract and repel each other and certain kinds of metals.(Lesson 8) (National
Research Council, 1996, p. 127)
The like poles of different magnets repel each other, and the unlike poles attract each
other. (Lesson 8) (Magnetism, Encyclopædia Britannica Online, 2010)
22
Properties of Matter
The density, or the mass of unit volume, of a substance determines whether an object
will sink or float in water. (Lesson 9) (Density, Encyclopædia Britannica Online,
2010)
Content
property, smell, feel, taste, sight, hear, five senses (Lesson 1)
property, matter, mass, states of matter, liquid, solid, gas (Lesson 2)
states of matter, liquid, solid, gas, visible, invisible, fluidity, water vapor (Lesson 3)
states of matter, liquid, solid, gas, particles (Lesson 4)
liquid, solid, gas, freezing, melting, moisture (Lesson 5)
liquid, solid, gas, substance, texture (Lesson 6)
property, liquid, absorb, strength (Lesson 7)
push, pull, attract, repel, magnet (Lesson 8)
float, sink (Lesson 9)
Process Skills
B INQ.1 Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and the
environment.
B INQ.3 Design and conduct simple investigations.
B INQ.4 Employ simple equipment and measuring tools to gather data and extend
the senses.
B INQ.5 Use data to construct reasonable explanations.
B INQ.6 Analyze, critique and communicate investigations using words, graphs, and
drawings.
B INQ.7 Read and write a variety of science-related fiction and nonfiction texts.
23
Properties of Matter
B INQ.9 Use measurement tools and standard units (e.g., centimeters, meters, grams,
kilograms) to describe objects and materials.
B INQ.10 use mathematics to analyze, interpret and present data. (Connecticut State
Department of Education, 2007, p. 14)
Instructional Strategies
Examples of four instructional strategies from this unit are as follows:
Bloom’s Taxonomy
o (Lesson 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10)
Bloom’s Taxonomy outlines a hierarchal list of educational goals, usually written
as action verbs, which are used to develop cognitive objectives. These hierarchal
levels are successive and build upon one another to higher levels of cognitive
functioning and understanding. The levels, from lowest-to-highest, are as
follows: Knowledge (define, label, etc.), Comprehension (illustrate, summarize,
etc.), Application (demonstrate, construct, etc.), Analysis (compare, contrast,
etc.), Synthesis (design, hypothesize, etc.), and Evaluation (critique, justify, etc.).
(Huitt, 2009) These verbs provide a helpful reference for educators to define
objectives for students to achieve within lessons and were used throughout the
creation of this unit’s lessons. For example, Lesson 3 has the lesson objective:
The third grade students will be able to compare and contrast the properties of a
solid, liquid, and gas. This objective would fall under the analysis level of
Bloom’s taxonomy and would require the students to distinguish the unique
properties of each state of matter to determine the similarities and differences
between objects of these three various states.
24
Properties of Matter
5-E Learning Cycle
o (Lessons 2 and 7)
The 5-E learning cycle provides the teacher with a model to organize their science
lesson into five distinct sections: engage, explore, elaborate, extend, and evaluate.
(CT State Department of Education, 2004, pp. 4-5) In the engagement section,
teachers elicit prior knowledge from their students to provide a basis for the
lessons’ concepts, as well as pique the interest of the students with a focus
question that they will investigate. (Eisenkraft, 2003, p. 57) For example, Lesson
2 accesses the students’ previous understanding of describing the properties of an
object because they will need this skill to investigate matter under the focus
question: What is matter? During the exploration phase of the lesson, students
experiment and investigate the concept through usually hands-on learning
activities. They may collect and record data, make predictions and hypotheses,
and discuss their findings. (Eisenkraft, 2003, pp. 57-58) In Lesson 2, students
explore the states of matter by making predictions and performing an experiment
using solids, liquids, and gases. In the elaboration portion of the lesson, the
teacher will build upon the students’ findings and relate it back to the scientific
concepts being taught. This is where the teacher may clarify any student
questions or misunderstandings that arose. (CT State Department of Education,
2004, p. 5) When the extension activity occurs, students build upon the
knowledge learned in the first part of the lesson and apply it to a new activity. In
Lesson 7, students use their observation and experimentation skills of physical
properties to design their own test with group members. Formative or summative
25
Properties of Matter
evaluation is the last phase of the lesson format. The Connecticut State
Department of Education (2004) describes it as the point where “students and
teachers reflect on change in conceptual understanding and identify ideas still
‘under development’.” (p. 5) The 5-E learning cycle provides the students with an
opportunity to build upon previous understandings, fully engage in scientific
concepts, and transfer new knowledge and skills.
Cooperative and Collaborative Learning
o (Lesson 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9)
Cooperative and Collaborative Learning occur in nearly every lesson within this
unit plan and acts as an instructional backbone throughout. It was chosen to
promote student discussion—while building communication skills—and
collaboration of ideas between students about what is to be seen about matter and
its properties. (Martin, et al., 2009, pp. 152-156) Students regularly work in
groups for the majority of the exploration learning activities within this unit’s
lessons. Students can discuss observations, make predictions and hypotheses
together, and act as support for one another’s learning achievement. The
utilization of one another’s scientific conceptual understanding provides an
opportunity for peer teaching as they work together. The diversity within
students’ backgrounds, learning styles, and achievement levels will influence
what they contribute to their groups. According to research, “cooperative
learning helps students become actively and constructively involved in content, to
take ownership of their own learning, and to resolve group conflicts and improve
teamwork skills.” (Educational Broadcasting Corporation, 2004). In Lesson 1 of
26
Properties of Matter
this unit, students must work to develop criteria and test the physical properties of
an object with their classmates. They must work cooperatively to develop and
determine the criteria they will use as data.
Graphic Organizers
o (Lesson 1, 3, 4, 7, and 9)
Graphic Organizers are used throughout this unit in the students’ worksheets to
assist them in organizing their data and information about the scientific concepts
they would be working on. These visual frameworks help the students make
connections between concepts and are used throughout the learning process. A
majority within this unit are used during the act of learning to support students in
how to structure their data findings, while others were used to review, organize,
and analyze information that students worked on earlier in their lessons.
Worksheets include graphic organizers, such as charts, to arrange and classify
results from experimentation and exploration activities—as seen in Lessons 1, 3,
7, and 9. Some of the worksheets include tables to list predictions and discovered
findings after experimentation ends. Others include templates for graphing of
results—as seen in Lessons 1 and 7. Venn diagrams help students compare and
contrast findings and properties of matter in an easy to read visual representation
—as seen in lesson 3.
Student Products
Examples of four student products from this unit are as follows:
Science Journals
o (Lesson 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9)
27
Properties of Matter
The entire class will have science journals that they write in throughout the course
of the year specifically for science. These science journals allow the students to
have a place to answer their focus questions at the end of every lesson to
summarize their thoughts on what they have learned that day. For this unit, the
students would have answered the focus questions for all of the lessons found in
the “Related Questions” section above. This journal will chronicle the students’
scientific understanding, as well as act as a reference for students to look back
upon. It can act for a resource for teachers, parents, and other evaluators of the
students’ scientific knowledge to track their progress and achievement.
Competing Cookies Letter
o (Lesson 1)
This letter allows the students to demonstrate the steps they took throughout the
lesson to determine and observe the properties for the “best” cookie. Students
must write a letter to the brand of the winning cookie company to explain to them
the criteria necessary for a cookie to be considered the “best”, the steps they took
to test the cookies, and the properties observed within their cookie that allowed
them to win. In doing so, students will explain their thought processes and
summarize their groups’ actions throughout the lesson. Students must also write
the letter according to the proper letter format they have previously learned within
their language arts curriculum.
Changing Matter Letter
o (Lesson 5)
28
Properties of Matter
This letter allows the students to demonstrate their understanding of how matter
changes from one state to another as they would explain it to a friend with no
knowledge on the subject. Students must write a letter in the computer lab to their
friend using a set of give criteria. They must include an answer to the focus
question: How can matter change from one state to another? and a detailed
response with three examples from previous experience to support their claims. In
doing so, students will explain their thought processes and summarize the concept
in a clear and organized manner. Students must also write the letter according to
the proper letter format they have previously learned within their language arts
curriculum, which gaining experience using a computer.
Let’s Predict! and Float or Sink Worksheets (Appendices FF, GG, HH, & II)
o (Lesson 9)
The Let’s Predict! Worksheet and the Float or Sink Worksheets from Lesson 9
demonstrate the students’ understanding of the concept of density. On the Let’s
predict! Worksheet, students must make predictions about the objects they are
exploring by using their observational skills to determine whether or not they
believe the object will float or sink. After testing the object, the students record
their findings on the provided table. On the Float or Sink Worksheet, students
must sort and write in which objects they believe floated or sank under the correct
category. By completing these worksheets, the teacher can compare the students’
predictions to the actual results and can determine the students’ ability to observe
the physical properties of the objects and complete the exploration properly.
29
Properties of Matter
Students must transfer information between worksheets and utilize organizational
skills and classification to complete the task.
Student Assessments
Formative Assessments
Student Participation Observation Rubric (Appendix D)
o (Lesson 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10)
This rubric allows the teacher to evaluate the students’ participation throughout
all aspects of the learning process using mainly observations. Rating on a scale
from 1-5 for categories including Communication, Sharing sources and resources,
Openness to learn, Respect, Accepts and provides Constructive Criticism,
Material Preparedness, Academic Preparedness and Class Presence, the teacher
can evaluate the students’ involvement (on a 40 point scale) in whole class, group,
and individual exploration of learning activities. Rating on this scale allows the
teacher to track and compare the students’ growth in different categories,
determine the evolvement of science social skills, and provides information to the
extent of their participation. This rubric is able to be used for a variety of science
tasks (as evident by its use during the majority of this unit’s lessons) and allows
the teacher weigh each student against the same data during each science lesson
period to track student growth or patterns of change.
Competing Cookies Letter Scoring Rubric (Appendix E)
o (Lesson 1)
This assessment rubric allows the teacher to have guidelines upon which to score
the letters the students write to the cookie companies. The students will be scored
30
Properties of Matter
on a 0-3 scale in the areas of Letter Development, Organization, and Attention to
the Audience. The students must identify the criteria outlined when their group
determined the best cookie and describe the properties exhibited by the cookie their
group had chosen. They must present an organizational plan to their letter that is
logical and consistently maintained and utilizes a letter template. Lastly, they must
remember to effectively address the cookie company throughout their letter.
Competing Cookies Recording Sheet (Appendix F & G)
o (Lesson 1)
This assessment task allows the students to use basic and integrated skills from
other curriculum subjects. The students record and interpret the data they collect
about the cookies they have observed the properties of in the provided chart. Their
worksheets should list the observable physical properties they discovered using
their five senses. The students have to then select criteria as they design a test to
determine the “best” cookie with their group mates. In doing so, they must
provide explanations for their choices and describe their experimental process.
Lastly, the students will utilize their graphing skills from mathematics to complete
a graph of their choice to pictorially represent their data results. The teacher can
see what skill areas the students have progress or had difficulty in and can work
with those students at a later time to build upon those integrated skill processes.
What’s the Matter? Corrected Worksheet (Appendix J)
o (Lesson 2)
This worksheet acts as a corrected version of the student’s What’s the Matter?
Worksheet (Appendices H & I). It acts as a basic reference sheet for the teacher
31
Properties of Matter
review the students’ observations, predictions, and hypothesis generated during
the Exploration portion of the lesson on the worksheet after the whole class
discussion of results. This formative assessment task provides the students with an
area to record their observations in a provided table, requires them to make
predictions when substances are combined, and illustrate their observations. It
allows a review to see if the students made appropriate observations throughout
the experiment, used previous knowledge, and discussed the concepts of solid,
liquid, and gas.
What’s the Matter? Rubric (Appendix K)
o (Lesson 2)
This rubric allows the students to self-evaluate themselves after the lesson is over.
Students will rate their level of participation during the whole class and group
activities, based upon their contributions and adherence to the safety rules.
Students will evaluate their ability to complete the worksheet appropriately and
with the correct content. They will also determine whether they completely
answered the focus question for the day. By self-evaluating, the students take
responsibility over their work, as well as recognize if they did have any
difficulties throughout it. The teacher can use the self-evaluation sheet to
determine what students struggled throughout the lesson and/or determine if the
student’s evaluation represents the level of work seen in the assignments. The
teacher can also use this worksheet to evaluate students through observation,
while they are working on the experiments in their groups.
32
Properties of Matter
Solids, Liquids and Gases! Worksheet (Appendices L & M)
o (Lesson 3)
This assessment task will be completed individually by the students and be a
review of the content learned from the lesson. Students will pictorially represent
and list different items that are present in each state of matter. They will then use
their knowledge of the states of matter to compare and contrast the properties of
each using a Venn diagram, which they have previous experience using. It will be
collected at the completion of the lesson to be evaluated. The teacher can note
any students that seem to be confused by the differences between what solids,
liquids and gases look like, as well as what examples of each state of matter are.
Once taking into account which students need clarification, the teacher will be
able to plan time to meet with students individually or in a group to ensure that
they understand the material, rather than simply those students that participation
more often during the lesson and discussion. In doing so, it would verify that the
entire class understands the three states of matter, what they look like, and what
makes them solids, liquids or gases. This will ensure that all students are ready to
move on to future lessons dealing with states of matter.
Mystery Materials Walk Worksheet (Appendices N & O)
o (Lesson 4)
This assessment task will be completed by the students will complete in pairs or
small groups and will be collected at the conclusion of the lesson. Students write
down the observations they have made about the material in the first column, infer
what state of matter they believe it to be based on these properties, and predict the
33
Properties of Matter
identity of that material. The teacher will be able to review the group member’s
“Observations with Senses” to note if students’ observations were done using
their senses and whether or not they matched the students’ “State(s) of Matter”
assumptions. For example, if the students observed that a mystery material felt
like a liquid, yet they wrote that its state of matter was a solid, this inference
would not make sense. The teacher should not which groups need extra
clarification on the physical properties that relate to each state of matter. Those
students would be met with during an available independent time to work on
increasing this understanding. If a majority of the class struggles in their
predictions, the teacher will have to review the states and how to use their senses
to best determine what state of matter a given material or object is.
Ice Observations! Worksheet (Appendices Q & R)
o (Lesson 5)
This assessment task will be completed by the students in their cooperating
groups during the lesson. Students will answer questions regarding their
observations of a bag of ice as it is heated and begins melting in their hands.
They will then record and compare the weight of the bag before and after the ice
has melted. By comparing these results, students will validate their understanding
that matter is neither created nor destroyed—even when changing the state of
matter. Students will compare this experiment to one done in a previous lesson
when they were first introduced to this concept. It will be collected at the
completion of the lesson to be evaluated, but will be reviewed discussed during
the lesson closure with the students to clarify any findings and/or
34
Properties of Matter
misunderstandings. The teacher can note any students that seem to be confused
by the differences between what occurs as states of matter change their state.
Once taking into account which students need clarification, the teacher will be
able to plan time to meet with students individually or in a group to ensure that
they understand the material, rather than simply those students that participation
more often during the lesson and discussion. In doing so, it would verify that the
entire class understands the three states of matter, the properties of each state of
matter, and what makes them change between states.
Chocolate Observations! Worksheet (Appendices S & T)
o (Lesson 5)
This assessment task will be completed by the students in their cooperating
groups during the lesson. Students will answer questions regarding their
observations of a bag of chocolate chips as it is heated and begins melting in their
hands. They will then record and compare the weight of the bag before and after
the chocolate has melted. By comparing these results, students will validate their
understanding that matter is neither created nor destroyed—even when changing
the state of matter. Students will compare this experiment to one done in a
previous lesson (Lesson 2) when they were first introduced to this concept. They
can also compare their results to what was seen when ice was melted earlier in
this lesson. It will be collected at the completion of the lesson to be evaluated, but
will be reviewed discussed during the lesson closure with the students to clarify
any findings and/or misunderstandings. The teacher can note any students that
seem to be confused by the differences between what occurs as states of matter
35
Properties of Matter
change their state. Once taking into account which students need clarification, the
teacher will be able to plan time to meet with students individually or in a group
to ensure that they understand the material, rather than simply those students that
participation more often during the lesson and discussion. In doing so, it would
verify that the entire class understands the three states of matter, the properties of
each state of matter, and what makes them change between states.
Changing Matter Letter Scoring Rubric (Appendix U)
o (Lesson 5)
This assessment rubric allows the teacher to have guidelines upon which to score
the letters the students write about changing states of matter. The students will be
scored on a 0-3 scale in the areas of Letter Development, Organization, and
Attention to the Audience. The students must identify at least three examples from
past experiences to support their understanding and explanations of how matter can
change from one state to another. They must present an organizational plan to their
letter that is logical and consistently maintained and utilizes a letter template.
Lastly, they must remember to effectively address their friend throughout their
letter.
Our Findings! Worksheet (Appendices W & X)
o (Lesson 6)
This assessment task asks the students to use a variety of basic and integrated
processes as they answer a series of questions regarding the observations they
make during the experiments. Students must interpret the observations that they
make about the unknown substance by analyzing the properties seen. They must
36
Properties of Matter
compare their results to previous knowledge about the states of matter. They
must make inferences and draw conclusions about their findings. This teacher
will evaluate the students’ answers during the explanation portion of the lesson
and will be looked over to see if students had difficulties on any sections to be
addressed.
Soggy Paper Worksheets (Appendices Y & Z)
o (Lesson 7)
This three-page assessment task allows the students to use basic and integrated
processes from other curriculum subjects. The students must record the
observations they collect about the three different paper types according to what
they have seen and then draw conclusions about these properties to make a
prediction which will hold the most and least amount of water. After supporting
these conclusions, the students will run a test to determine whether their
predictions were accurate and graph their results in a provided table to practice
their mathematical skills. Upon reflecting on their data results, the students will
make inferences and draw conclusions about their findings. From this, they
would go on to design a test to determine another property of paper and find the
strength of the papers provided to them. In doing so, they must provide
explanations for their choices and describe their experimental process. The
teacher can see what skill areas the students have progress or had difficulty in and
can work with those students at a later time to build upon those integrated skill
processes.
37
Properties of Matter
What’s Magnetic? Worksheet (Appendices BB & CC)
o (Lesson 8)
On this assessment task, the students will work individually to identify magnetic
objects on the worksheet according to their physical properties and knowledge
about magnets. This worksheet will be collected at the end of the lesson so that
the teacher can identify students that had difficulty classifying magnetic objects
can be met with individually. During independent time, the teacher can speak
with any student(s) that struggled with the worksheet to ensure that they gain an
understanding of what items would and would not be magnetic.
Magnetic Movements! Worksheet (Appendices DD & EE)
o (Lesson 8)
This assessment task will be answered in student groups and will be discussed
during the lesson. This worksheet allows the teacher to determine which groups
of students had difficulties predicting the behavior of two magnets when coming
into contact with one another. The students’ writing will help support their
explanations and thought process as they provide their own reasons why they
chose their answers. Students will have to apply their understanding of
magnetism and opposite poles from the experience they had during the
exploration when working with them. The students should understand that
magnet 1 and 2 would push away from one another as they get closer to one
another. Those groups with difficulty on this question would require planning a
time to meet with all students who need clarification during independent work
time.
38
Properties of Matter
Float or Sink Self-Evaluation (Appendices JJ & KK)
o (Lesson 9)
This assessment task will be answered by the students at the end of the lesson so
that they can self-evaluate their class work throughout the lesson, as well as their
participation and cooperation. This worksheet allows the teacher to determine
which groups of students had difficulties by what the students report, as well as
compare the students’ views of their participation to that observed by the teacher.
The students will evaluate themselves on 10-point scale on a variety of areas,
including working with the materials, completing the two worksheets, recording
and describing data in their journals, practicing important safety rules, discussing
ideas and results with the class, working well with classmates, using time well,
and learning from this lesson.
Summative Assessment
Performance Task
o (Lesson 10)
The performance task for this lesson asks students to observe the properties
of provided substances as they undergo physical changes through the states
of matter (i.e. water, gelatin powder, etc.). Students will witness water
boiling, gelatin powder dissolving, and gelatin solidifying. Throughout this
exploration, they will observe properties to recognize the state of matter the
substance is in, as well as providing explanations behind their reasoning.
Students will sort the materials according to physical properties seen. They
will also use their knowledge of other physical properties (i.e. ability to float
39
Properties of Matter
and sink, magnetism, etc.) to determine what materials in the exploration
exhibit these properties.
Properties of Matter Summative Assessment Worksheets (Appendices LL & MM)
o (Lesson 10)
In these worksheets, students will answer questions as they complete the
performance task with the teacher. The Performance Objective for this
lessons states that the third grade students will be able to observe, classify
and analyze the physical properties and states of matter for given materials.
During the performance task, students observe materials as they undergo
physical changes to different states of matter. After each of these changes,
the students must identify on worksheets which state of matter they are
observing, according to the physical properties seen and must provide an
explanation to support their selections. Students will also illustrate the
materials in a provided table as they sort and classify them according to
physical properties that they have the ability to choose. Students will also
state other physical properties (i.e. ability to float and sink, magnetism, etc.)
seen within the materials and provide explanations and analysis for their
stated findings on the worksheet.
Corrected Properties of Matter Summative Assessment (Appendix NN)
o (Lesson 10)
This scoring tool is a copy of the original worksheet (Appendices LL &
MM), but provides the correct potential questions for the teacher to use as a
reference to evaluate the students’ answers. They will receive a score out of
40
Properties of Matter
30 points. Students will receive 1 point for the multiple choice questions
about observing the states of matter, 2 points for extended response
questions, 1 point for each correct classification illustration, 2 points for
multiple choice questions on the definitions of matter, and 4 points on their
answer to the unit’s essential question.
Technology Connection
Our current lives are surrounded by technology, so it should be no different within our
classrooms. Educational technology provides a rich resource of new learning experiences
and tools to increase a students’ scientific inquiry. There have even been National
Educational Technology Standards implemented to ensure that our students are getting
access to and utilization of this resource. (Martin, et al., 2009, pp. 232-3) Experiences
within the classroom can teach students the skills necessary to use technology to their
educational benefit and how to do so safely and effectively.
Throughout this unit, such as in Lesson 4, there are opportunities for the students to
explore websites that have created demonstrations of the concepts the students are learning.
While not all of the lesson developments describe the students going to the computer lab to
work with these activities, there are resources mentioned at the start of several lessons that
provide online resources and links for the students to visit (i.e. Lessons 1 and 8). Harcourt
School Publishing has a variety of science activities and educational videos that support the
concepts of mass, the states of matter, and magnetism that students can work with to
increase their understanding, while building skills using technology.
In Lesson 5, students receive the opportunity to go to the school’s computer lab to write
letters to a friend explaining how matter can change from one state to another. As the
41
Properties of Matter
students use their creativity and scientific understanding, they create original works that act
as a means for teachers to assess their understanding of the concepts. The students become
publishers of their scientific knowledge and can share them with an audience. These letters
can be uploaded (with parental permission) to a class website as a demonstration of the
students’ learning and can act as a source of information for others on the Internet,
especially for other elementary school teachers’ classes.
Curriculum Connections
The tasks within this unit’s lessons regularly make connections to skills from other
disciplines within the curriculum. Several lessons work to build on mathematical skills the
students are currently learning, including addition, subtraction, data collection, graphing,
tallying, and problem solving. Mathematics is one of the most prominent curriculum
connections made throughout this science unit, as it helps to provide support to the concepts
being taught. In Lesson 5, students add and subtract the weight of substances before and
after they change their state of matter, in order to help them understand the concept that
matter is neither created nor destroyed when this occurs. Data collection skills help students
make observations and represent their data using tables and graphs during their science
lessons. (Martin, et al., 2009, pp. 254-5) Students build on their language arts skills
throughout the lessons as they utilize spoken and written word to communicate their
thoughts to the teacher and their classmates. (Martin, et al., 2009, pp. 254-5) In Lessons 1
and 5, students practice their letter writing skills learned in language arts to convey their
thoughts about scientific concepts to an audience. Lessons, like Lesson 9, incorporate
literature to initiate the lessons to peak student interest and provide them with background
information on the concepts about to be presented. Students can also integrate the arts into
42
Properties of Matter
the lessons as they pictorially represent their observations and explanations through
illustrations during several lessons. This also provides an outlet for visual learners and
creative to express their understanding of the scientific concepts being taught.
Community Connections
Students should be able to connect their learning experience to real life applications and
have a reach into the local community around them. One opportunity for students may
include the written letters to cookie companies in Lesson 1 of the unit that they would be
able to mail and see if they receive a response back. Parents would be readily invited into
the classroom as a resource for information, especially if their occupations are related to the
concepts taught within this unit, as well as to act as helpers during the hands-on science
explorations. (Martin, et al., 2009, p. 340) Their volunteering provides the teacher with
another set of eyes, ears, and hands to oversee the learning activities and keep the students
safe. They also enable the teacher to also have more time to plan, prepare, and execute the
lessons.
There is also an opportunity for a field trip that would be connected to this unit. The
class would be taken on a field trip to Elizabeth Park in Hartford, Connecticut. The students
would be able to explore all three states of matter in a natural environment. The class would
visit the pond and discuss the properties of liquid. When visiting the various gardens,
students will be able to identify and discuss solids, liquids and gases. In the greenhouses,
children can see gas and condensation on the windows, for example. Students can identify
the states of matter and properties of objects that they find throughout different areas of the
park. This field trip can refresh the students’ memories about matter, as well as provide
them with a real life experience of these states of matter outside of the classroom.
43
Properties of Matter
Lesson Plans
Lesson 1 Describing Physical Properties
Performance Objective
The third grade students will be able to observe, classify and analyze the physical
properties and states of matter for given materials.
Lesson Objectives
The third grade students will be able to write a letter describing the physical
properties of an object they have observed.
Essential Question
How does the structure of matter affect the properties and uses of materials?
(Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 15)
Focus Questions
How do we describe an object?
¿Cómo describimos nosotros un objeto?
Concept(s)
All substances have properties that can be observed and used to identify them. Some
properties of matter are called “physical” properties. Physical properties can be
observed using the five senses. (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2004,
p. 7)
Content
property, smell, feel, taste, sight, hear, five senses
propiedad, olor, sensación, gusto, vista, oye, cinco sentidos
44
Properties of Matter
Materials
Science Safety Rules (Appendices B & C)
Beach ball or another simple colorful object
Newspaper
3 packages of various chocolate chip cookie brands
o Note: Determine student allergies before using. You can switch it to a type
of small toy, etc. if necessary.
1 ruler per student group
3-10 toothpicks per student group
Student Participation Observation Rubric (Appendix D)
Competing Cookies Letter Scoring Rubric (Appendix E)
Competing Cookies Recording Sheet (Appendices F & G)
Science journals
White paper
Process Skills
B INQ.1 Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and the
environment.
B INQ.3 Design and conduct simple investigations.
B INQ.4 Employ simple equipment and measuring tools to gather data and extend
the senses.
B INQ.5 Use data to construct reasonable explanations.
B INQ.6 Analyze, critique and communicate investigations using words, graphs, and
drawings.
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Properties of Matter
B INQ.7 Read and write a variety of science-related fiction and nonfiction texts.
(Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 14)
Instructional Sequence
Initiation (Martin et al., 2009, pp. 24-25)
Place a beach ball on the table at the front of the classroom for students to observe.
Teacher (T): I would like you each to take a look at what I have put on this table.
Can I have some volunteers raise their hands and describe what they see to me?
Students (S): I see a beach ball. It has different colors on it. It has stripes.
T: What is the shape of the ball? What colors do you see?
S: The ball is round. It’s sort of like a circle. There is some blue and some white
and red. I see yellow too!
Continually prompt students for a thorough description of the ball. Check for
student understanding of colors, adjective use, and ability to describe an object
using their observation skills.
Lesson Development (Martin et al., 2009, pp. 25-27)
Teaching
T: My scientists did a wonderful job finding words to describe this beach ball to me.
I’d like you all to use your superb describing skills to help me to solve a problem
today. I have been having an argument with my friend. We cannot decide who
makes better chocolate cookies. He thinks that this brand of cookies is better. (Place
brand on table.) I keep saying that this one tastes better! (Place another brand on
the table.) Want to know why this is more confusing? I asked Miss Kravitz to help
us decide and she thought THIS brand was better! (Place final brand of cookies on
46
Properties of Matter
the table.) Now none of us can decide, but I knew I could ask my scientists to help
us determine a way to choose. Do any of you know how we could go about
determining the best cookie brand?
S: We could taste the cookies to see which are better. We can see which are bigger.
Some may have more chocolate chips than others. Some may crumble more.
Listen for students’ suggestions and elaborate those which build upon the lesson’s
focus question: How can we describe an object?
Write the focus question on the board in both English and Spanish.
T: Today, we’re going to use our focus question: How do we describe an object? Or
¿Cómo describimos nosotros un objeto? to help us solve our cookie conundrum.
T: Before we begin looking at the cookies, we need to remember that we need to be
safe as we perform our experiments so that everyone gets to explore the science
activity and is able to learn. Let’s read through our list that we have created
together so that we can remind ourselves as how we should all behave
o Students will:
Wear safety goggles, aprons, and gloves at all times.
Wait for the teacher to give directions before handling materials.
Keep the work area clean.
Will keep materials away from their faces and mouths.
Take turns exploring and experimenting.
Wash hands after exploration of a substance.
Have fun exploring! (See Appendices B & C)
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Properties of Matter
We have to remember that we will not be eating the cookies at the start of the
lesson. We want to use our powers of observation, much like we used when looking
at the beach ball, to help us determine some factors for choosing the best chocolate
chip cookie brand
T: How many of you have eaten a chocolate chip cookie before? (Show students’
raise of hands.) I would want you all to close your eyes and to think about that
cookie. What did it look like?
S: It was dark brown. Mine was light brown! I had only a few chocolate chips.
Mine had a lot of crumbs. It was really bumpy. I had M&Ms instead of chips!
T: Can you tell me anything else about it besides how it looked?
S: My cookie smelled a little burnt because it was in the oven too long one time. I
had a cookie that smelled just like a chocolate bar! I burnt my tongue on a cookie
because it was too hot when I ate it.
T: Wow, my scientists have a done a great job describing what you all remember
about cookies. You all have told me about how it looked, how it smelled, and how
it felt with the temperature of the cookie. You used some of your five senses to
describe what you have experienced before.
Guided Practice
Split the students up into groups of three to four. Alex, an ELL student, will be
placed in a group of students along with his Para for support. He will be provided
the Competing Cookies Recording Sheet in Spanish (Appendix G). John, a student
who leaves the room for medical reasons, and Sam will be in the same group so that
John can be updated on the activity if he has to leave the room during the course of
48
Properties of Matter
the lesson. John will use his quiet signal to notify that he has to leave the
classroom. Lisa, a wheelchair bound student, will work in a group that has a lower
table level so that she can easily participate in observing the cookies.
T: I am going to pass around newspaper for you all to line your tables and a rule for
each group. When I pass out the first cookie, I would like you all to observe and
write everything down on the Competing Cookies Recording Sheet (Appendices F
& G). You can use the toothpicks to examine the cookie more closely. Share your
findings with the group members and begin to compare your results with them. See
if you notice anything new together. I’m going to observe the first cookie with you
and then you can continue observing the other two cookies when they are passed
out.
After passing around and setting up the newspapers, provide each student with a
Competing Cookies Recording Sheet (Appendices F & G), as well as one cookie
from Brand #1. Remind the students that they are not to eat the cookies or pick
them up at this time.
T: What are the five senses that I would use to help me observe this cookie?
S: Seeing! Smelling! Tasting! Touching! Hearing! (List them on the board.)
T: Great job reminding me what all of the five senses are… there are just so many!
When I observe cookie #1, I’m going to need to use all of these. When I look at the
cookie, what do I see? I see that it is light brown in color. I can see that it has a lot
of chocolate chips on top. I’ll count them off… one, two, three, four, five, six, and
seven! What tool can I use to see how big the cookie is?
S: You have a ruler to measure with!
49
Properties of Matter
T: Alright, I’m going to line up my ruler to see how many inches the cookie is.
(Measure the cookie.) It seems that it is two inches. I can touch the cookie and feel
that it is a little squishy if I squeeze it, which tells me that it isn’t really hard like
some cookies I know I’ve eaten before. I can also smell the cookies to see if I
notice anything… Hmm, this one seems to smell a little chocolate-y, but not that
much. You all can now take turns observing your cookies like I just had. Try to
think of some new ways to look for other properties the cookie may have by using
your senses.
Write each of the physical properties that you saw on the board for the class.
Pass around cookies #2 and #3 for the students to observe in the same manner as the
one just demonstrated and have them record their observations on the sheet.
Students should draw a picture of the cookie in the box below their written
observations to demonstrate what they have seen and allow visual students to excel.
Walk around to observe the children working together to determine the physical
properties of their cookies. Use the Student Participation Observation Rubric
(Appendix D) to evaluate their cooperation in the group setting. Remind the
students that they are not tasting the cookie, but rather using their other senses to
help find which one is “best.” Remind the students that they can use their rulers and
toothpicks as tools to support their exploration.
Work with Alex and his Para to validate that he understands the activity they will be
working on and will need to write down all of the physical properties on his version
of the Competing Cookies Recording Sheet (See Appendix G).
When complete, ask students to share their observations from their recording sheet.
50
Properties of Matter
T: Which of these observations describe the outward appearance of the cookies?
S: The brown color of it! The number of chocolate chips that we saw!
T: Which of these observations need a sense other than sight to describe the
cookies?
S: The observation that I smelled chocolate showed the sense of smell with my
nose. When I felt the rough texture, I used by sense of touch.
T: Did anyone fine any other observations that may not fall under these categories?
S: One of the cookies was heavier than another when I picked them up. My cookie
didn’t leave that many crumbs when I broke it in half.
Write all of the student responses on the board under the correct heading. (Example:
Cookie #1 – large chunks of chocolate, 2 inches, smooth bottom, etc.)
T: Now that we have listed all of your observations on the board I wanted to show
all of you that objects have many observable properties, like those listed here.
These could be weight, color, size, and shape. These are known as the physical
properties of an object. They can be used to describe the object, which is what we
did today.
Independent Practice
T: Now that we have all of these physical properties recorded at the top of our
worksheets. My scientists are going to use this information to determine a set of
criteria to help choose which cookies are the “best”. You need to choose five
criteria that you will judge all of the cookies by and you will write them on the lines
below your recorded observations. For example, one criterion may be “The number
of chocolate chips” in the cookie. To determine this criterion, each group member
51
Properties of Matter
would count the number of chips in each of the three cookies. Your group will
choose if a large number of chips are better or worse and compare results. When
you are finished, you will create a chart to show on the bottom of the paper to track
your results, just like we have learned to do in mathematics.
T: You will begin my choosing your criteria with the group members.
Walk around to observe students determining the necessary physical properties for
their criteria. Ask the students to provide you with feedback as to their reasoning
behind choosing these properties over others and if everyone agreed. Ask students
how they are going to determine whether a cookie does or does not meet the criteria,
since it needs to be something measureable.
Once students have determined the criteria they will use to judge the cookies and
that they are all physical properties, they can go about observing and inspecting the
cookies again, as well as referring back to their previous records.
Walk around the room and make sure all students in the group are working and
recording data, once again using the Student Participation Observation Rubric
(Appendix D) to do so. The students can share the results of their data collection
and compare them with one another when they are done recording the physical
properties. Continually put emphasis on using the term physical properties to
describe what the students are observing.
Allow students to create graphs to track their results with one another on their
worksheets. The students will bring in their knowledge of mathematics work to
achieve this.
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Properties of Matter
T: Now that you all have finished observing and creating your charts, I’d like some
of the groups to share their results on their worksheets and state which cookie was
considered the “best” by your group.
S: Our group said that cookie #2 was the best because we all agreed it had the most
chocolate chips, didn’t make a lot of crumbs, and was chewiest.
T: So, what were the physical properties that your group used to determine the
“best” cookie?
S: We counted the number of chocolate chips and decided that most was best. We
broke the cookies to see how many crumbs it made because we thought the best
cookie shouldn’t make a mess. We also wanted the cookie to not be crispy, so we
decided on the chewiness. Oh, yea and cookie size too. Bigger was better because
you got more cookie to eat!
T: What a wonderful job describing the criteria for the physical properties and the
reasons why you chose those.
Have the students clean up their areas by throwing the newspaper and other items
away. Students should also wash their hands.
T: Now that you have finished, I’d like you write a letter to the cookie company of
the best cookie your group chose. I want you to tell the cookie company the reasons
why their cookie was chosen as the best by making sure to include the criteria and
the physical properties that your group observed in the cookie.
Allow the students to have some time to work on this task. Walk around and
prompt the students to think about some of the properties they looked at when
53
Properties of Matter
observing the cookies. Remind them to use the letter template they have practiced
during writing workshop to format their letters.
When the students are finished, collect the letters to create a bulletin board and use
the Competing Cookies Letter Scoring Rubric to ensure students included all
aspects necessary in their letter (Appendix E). The Competing Cookies worksheet
can also be collected and evaluated after the closure of the lesson more closely by
the teacher.
Closure (Martin et al., 2009, pp. 26-27)
T: I’d like you all to take out your science journals and write down a short response
to answer today’s focus question that we’ll share: How do we describe an object? or
¿Cómo describimos nosotros un objeto?
Ask several students to share their responses to the focus question to assess that the
students understood the process of observing physical properties of an object.
S: I wrote down that I can describe an object by writing down different things I see,
like the color and the size of it, or different things I feel, like the weight or texture.
I wrote that the physical properties help me describe an object because I can use my
senses to see, feel, smell, taste, and hear different things.
T: Those responses to the focus question addressed the different physical properties
than someone can observe in an object and used to describe it. We’re going to
continue using our scientific observation skills to find the physical properties of
objects and materials we will be working with throughout our study of the physical
world around us.
54
Properties of Matter
Evaluation
Formative Assessment
Student Participation Observation Rubric (Appendix D)
This rubric allows the teacher to evaluate the students’ participation throughout
all aspects of the learning process using mainly observations. Rating on a scale
from 1-5 for categories including Respect, Communication, Preparedness, and
Openness to Learn, the teacher can evaluate the students’ involvement (on a 40
point scale) in whole class, group, and individual exploration and learning
activities. Rating on this scale allows the teacher to track and compare the
students’ growth in different categories, determine the evolvement of science
social skills, and provides information to the extent of their participation. This
rubric is able to be used for a variety of science tasks and allows the teacher
weigh each student against the same data during each science lesson period. In
this lesson, the teacher can evaluate the student’s contributions towards creating,
observing, and tracking the data for their “best” cookie
Competing Cookies Letter Scoring Rubric (Appendix E)
This assessment rubric allows the teacher to have guidelines upon which to score
the letters the students write to the cookie companies. The students will be scored
on a 0-3 scale in the areas of Letter Development, Organization, and Attention to
the Audience. The students must identify the criteria outlined when their group
determined the best cookie and describe the properties exhibited by the cookie
their group had chosen. They must present an organizational plan to their letter
that is logical and consistently maintained and utilizes a letter template. Lastly,
55
Properties of Matter
they must remember to effectively address the cookie company throughout their
letter.
Competing Cookies Recording Sheet (Appendices F & G)
This assessment task allows the students to use basic and integrated skills from
other curriculum subjects. The students record and interpret the data they collect
about the cookies they have observed the properties of. Their worksheets should
list the observable physical properties they discovered using their five senses. The
students have to then select criteria as they design a test to determine the “best”
cookie with their group mates. They also have to provide explanations for their
choices and describe their experimental process. Lastly, the students will utilize
their graphing skills from mathematics to complete the type of graph of their
choice to pictorially represent their data results. The students would have shared
their criteria, results, and the process of their cookie evaluation during a whole
class discussion. The teacher can see what skill areas the students have progress
or had difficulty in and can work with those students at a later time to build upon
those integrated skill processes.
Lesson 2 Observing and Understanding Matter (Learning Cycle)
Grade Level Grade 3
Time Frame for Unit of Study Ten Lessons
Time Frame for this Lesson Week # 1 Lesson # 2
Theme Our Physical World
Unit of Study Properties of Matter
Content Standards to be addressed by this lesson
56
Properties of Matter
National Standards
Content: Physical Science Content Standard B. As a result of the activities
grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of:
o Properties of objects and materials (National Research Council,
1996, p. 123)
Concepts which support the Standards:
o Objects have observable properties, including size, mass, weight,
shape, color, temperature, and the ability to react with other
substances. These properties can be measured using tools, such as
rulers, balances and thermometers.
o Materials exist in different states, including solid, liquid, and gas.
Some common materials, such as water, can be changed from one
state to another by heating or cooling. (National Research Council,
1996, p. 127)
Connecticut State Standards
Content: 3.1 Materials have properties that can be identified and described
through the use of simple tests. (Connecticut State Department of
Education, 2007, p. 15)
Concepts which support the Standard:
o B1. Sort and classify materials based on properties such as
dissolving in water, sinking and floating, conducting heat, and
attracting to magnets. (Connecticut State Department of Education,
2007, p. 15)
57
Properties of Matter
Learner Background
Students have general knowledge of the states of matter based on previous experiences
in earlier grade levels and may be able to classify materials as a solid, liquid, or gas based on
their observable properties. Students have experience observing and describing objects
according to their physical properties by recognizing similarities and differences. This has
been done by using their senses and simple tests to discover these properties. Therefore, this
lesson has been planned so that students will be able to apply their general understanding of
this content while understanding that matter exists in the various states of solid, liquid and
gas. Their experiences observing physical properties can help provide them with the skills
necessary to perform the lesson’s experimentation to understand the focus question.
Performance objective
The third grade students will be able to observe, classify and analyze the physical
properties and states of matter for given materials.
Lesson Objective(s)
The third grade students will be able to write the definition of matter in their science
journals.
Essential Question(s)
How does the structure of matter affect the properties and uses of materials?
(Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 15)
Focus Question(s) for this Lesson
What is matter?
¿Qué es la materia?
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Properties of Matter
Concept(s)
Anything that occupies space and has mass is called matter. Matter can be found in
a solid, liquid or gaseous state. (Martin et al., 2009, p. 430)
Matter is made up of atoms, which are joined together as molecules. Matter can
undergo a physical or a chemical change. (Martin et al., 2009, p. 430)
Mass is neither created nor destroyed. (Conservation of mass, Encyclopædia
Britannica Online, 2010)
Content
liquid, solid, gas, matter, mass, property, states of matter
líquido, sólido, gas, materia, masa, propiedad, estados de la materia
Safety precautions/procedures (Appendices B & C)
Students will:
Wear safety goggles, aprons, and gloves at all times.
Wait for the teacher to give directions before handling materials.
Keep the work area clean.
Will keep materials away from their faces and mouths.
Take turns exploring and experimenting.
Wash hands after exploration of a substance.
Have fun exploring!
Initiation of Lesson
Assessing Prior Knowledge
Materials
59
Properties of Matter
Whiteboard/Easel with paper
Markers
Process Skills
B INQ.1 Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and the
environment. (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 14)
Instructional Sequence
Teacher (T): As super scientists, we have begun to look at the objects all
around us in our world. Everything on the Earth is made up of matter, but today
we are going investigate what this is. Our focus question for the day is: What is
matter? In order for us to learn about matter, we need to look at some of its
properties during our experiments. One way of doing this is to use our senses,
like we have been discussing. Can I have a few volunteers share what our five
senses are?
Students (S): Sight with our eyes… Touch with our fingers… Taste with our
mouths… Hearing with our ears… Smell with our nose.
Write the students’ responses on the board so that properties can be listed below
it.
T: What are some of the things we can look for using our senses? For example,
I could see how big (the size) of an object is with my eyes.
Write size underneath the sight column.
S: Color! Size! Scent! Texture! Shape! Weight!
T: Miss Kravitz and I know that our super scientists can be very observant and
will find these properties in the experiments we will be conducting today!
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Properties of Matter
Engagement (Martin et al., 2009, p. 430)
Materials
Whiteboard/Easel with paper
Markers
Process Skills
B INQ.1 Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and
the environment. (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 14)
Instructional Sequence
Hang up science rules and write on the board the day’s focus question in
English and Spanish.
T: Can you all close your eyes and think about where you live. What are some
products that you have in them that may look like a white powder? Think about
the kitchen, bathroom or garage.
S: Flour! Salt! Baby powder! Sugar! Baking powder! Powdered sugar!
Write the students’ responses on the board so that they can draw on them for
future predictions during the exploration.
T: Now that we’ve all brainstormed a nice long list of white powders, let’s
think about any types of clear liquids that we would find in our houses too!
What may some of them be?
S: Apple juice! Gatorade! Water! Broth! Tea!
Once again, write the students’ responses on the board so that they can draw on
them for future predictions during the exploration.
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Properties of Matter
T: Great brainstorming, scientists! Now, that we have listed these substances
on the board, we will use them to help us figure out today’s focus question.
Today it is: What is matter? or ¿Qué es la materia?
Lesson Development
Exploring the Concept (Martin et al., 2009, pp. 430-431)
Materials (for each group)
Science Safety Rules (Appendices B & C)
Journal/papers to record observations (optional)
Pen/pencil
One pair of safety goggles per student
One pair of gloves per student
One apron per student
2 plastic zipper bags, labeled A and B
1 tsp of sodium bicarbonate, in bag A
1 tsp of calcium chloride, in bag B
1 small cup with 2 tsp water
Magnifying glasses
What’s the Matter? Worksheet (Appendices H & I)
What’s the Matter? Rubric (Appendix K)
Process Skills
B INQ.1 Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and
the environment.
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Properties of Matter
B INQ.4 Employ simple equipment and measuring tools to gather data and
extend the senses.
B INQ.5 Use data to construct reasonable explanations.
B INQ.6 Analyze, critique and communicate investigations using words,
graphs, and drawings. (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p.
14)
Instructional Sequence
Review the science safety rules with the students before beginning the lesson to
demonstrate proper use of materials.
T: We have to remember that we need to be safe as we perform our experiments
so that everyone gets to explore the science activity and is able to learn. Let’s
read through our list that we have created together so that we can remind
ourselves as how we should all behave.
o Students will:
Wear safety goggles, aprons, and gloves at all times.
Wait for the teacher to give directions before handling materials.
Keep the work area clean.
Will keep materials away from their faces and mouths.
Take turns exploring and experimenting.
Wash hands after exploration of a substance.
Have fun exploring! (See Appendices B & C)
Split the class up into groups of three to four students and place them in
separate work areas. Provide each group with the clear bag A. Alex, an ELL
63
Properties of Matter
student, will be paired up with a group and assisted with his Para for support.
John, a student who leaves the room for medical reasons, and Sam will be in the
same group so that John can be updated on the experimentation if he has to
leave the room during the course of the lesson. John will use his quiet signal to
notify that he has to leave the classroom. Lisa, a wheelchair bound student, will
work in a group that has a lower table level so that she can reach all of the
materials during the experiment.
The students need to study the mystery powder, look at its properties and make
a prediction as to what the unknown powder must be. They can write and draw
observations in their journals.
T: You will now all get bags that should be kept sealed unless I tell you
otherwise. I want you to use your powers of observation to write down on your
worksheets as many things that you can see about the substances inside.
Bag A can be placed aside after predictions are made as students are given the
clear bag B. They should observe the properties of this mystery powder and
make another prediction. In their journals.
Continually remind the students need to keep the bags sealed and closed at all
times. There should be no tasting of the unknown substances.
The students should next make a prediction in their journals as to what they
think may happen when the two bags of mystery powders A and B are
combined together.
While the students are observing, the teacher will walk around the room to see
that the students are properly executing the lesson and can evaluate students on
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Properties of Matter
the What’s the Matter? Rubric (Appendix K). The teacher can prompt the
students with questions: What does the substance look like? How does it feel
through the bag? What temperature does it seem? What kind of texture or
shape does it have?
T: Now that you are done observing, I would like one of you to open both bags
carefully and pour bag A into bag B. Remember to follow our safety rules and
do not touch, taste or smell any of the powders and reseal the bags. Once again,
make observations on the worksheets.
The students should open bag A and pour it into bag B without touching the
powders. Once they are combined, they can seal the bag and observe what
occurs. They should record their observations in their journals and the accuracy
of those predictions.
Have the students set the combined bag to the side.
T: I am now giving each group a cup of liquid. Please continue to make
observations without touching or directly smelling the liquid. Now, we have to
make careful we do not spill any and we should keep it on our desks.
Pass around the small cup of unknown liquid C. Ask the students to observe
the liquid, record their findings, and make a prediction as to what they liquid
may be.
The students should next make a prediction as to what will happen if they
combine this liquid with the mystery powders in bag A. Once recording their
predictions, the teacher will direct the students to combine the substances
together and seal the bag immediately.
65
Properties of Matter
The students should record their observations (in words or pictures) and
whether or not their predictions were accurate.
Continue to walk around the classroom and observe the students, while
completing on the What’s the Matter? Rubric (Appendix K). The teacher
should still prompt the students with observation questions, while putting
emphasis in feeling the temperature of the bag due to the exothermic reaction
that takes place to create the gas.
T: Now that the experiment is over and you have recorded your observations, I
want all of my scientists to carefully dispose of all the materials in our garbage
can and wash their hands when given called upon to do so.
Clean up the work area after the experimentation is over.
Explanation of the Concept (Martin et al., 2009, pp. 431-432)
Materials (for each student)
Journal/paper to record observations (optional)
What’s the Matter? Worksheet (Appendices H & I)
What’s the Matter? Corrected Worksheet (Appendix J)
Pen/pencil
Process skills
B INQ.1 Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and the
environment.
B INQ.5 Use data to construct reasonable explanations.
B INQ.6 Analyze, critique and communicate investigations using words,
graphs, and drawings. (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p.
14)
66
Properties of Matter
Instructional Sequence
T: Now that we have finished experimenting, we are going to use our
observations that we have recorded to discuss what we have seen. When we
mixed together bag A and B, did the powders change their shape from their
original form? Why may they have not changed their shape when they came in
contact with each other?
S: The powders mixed together, but looked the same.
T: The powders stayed the same state, called a solid. A solid does not change
shape. Did the solids change their shape when they were in the container or
moved to another container?
S: No, they just mixed together, but stayed the same shapes.
T: These materials are solids. Solids retain the shape that they are, despite their
container. Can you all share some of your predictions for A, B, and C?
S: I thought that the powders would just mix together because they looked
similar… I thought that one of them may be salt because how it looked like
crystals or something… I thought one of them was flour because it was tiny and
a little fluffy looking… The liquid just looked like water to me, since it was
clear with no color.
T: The unknown powder in bag A was baking soda, otherwise known as
sodium bicarbonate. Bag B contained calcium chloride and that is used to help
melt the ice on the roads sometimes.
T: What shape was the liquid when it was inside of the cup and what happened
when you poured it out? Why?
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Properties of Matter
S: The liquid was the shape of our cup. It sat inside of it and was flat on top,
while filling it up a little bit. The liquid was a stream when we poured it into
the bag.
T: Great. The liquid did change its shape when you moved it from container to
container… It was the shape of the cup, but it changed into a stream when you
poured it. Liquids always take up the shape of the container that they are in, but
are restricted by the size of the container.
T: What happened when you mixed the solids with the liquids? What did you
observe?
The teacher should list the student observations on the board.
S: My bag filled up with air! The bag got really warm. It foamed up inside.
The bag got all puffy and wasn’t flat anymore.
The teacher can touch upon physical and chemical changes if they so choose
depending on the level of understanding provided by the students’ feedback.
T: Why did your bag get bigger? What took up that space in the bag?
S: It looked like there was air inside of it! Something came from the powders
and made it fill up.
T: If you used a bigger plastic bag, would it be blown all the way up, too?
Why?
S: I think that it would fill up but not expand as much as this did… I think that
it would fill up all the way! I think that it would only fill up a little bit…
T: Gases, like what was released off of this reaction, fill up their containers and
take the shape of it. So if we have a really big bag, it would try to fill in all the
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Properties of Matter
corners and spread out really far. If we have a little bag, it would fill up that
bag too, but all the gas would be closer together and packed in there.
Collect the students’ worksheets to be evaluated with the What’s the Matter?
Corrected Worksheet (Appendix J) to determine the students efforts and
accuracies with the concepts and content discovered during the experiment.
This evaluation will occur after the lesson is over.
Elaboration of the Concept (Applying & Expanding) (Martin et al., 2009, pp. 432-433)
Materials
One pair of safety goggles per student
One pair of gloves per student
One apron per student
3 clear cups
Marbles to fill a cup
Sand
Water
Scale
Marker
Journal/paper to record observations
Process Skills
B INQ.1 Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and the
environment.
B INQ.4 Employ simple equipment and measuring tools to gather data and
extend the senses.
B INQ.5 Use data to construct reasonable explanations.
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Properties of Matter
B INQ.9 Use measurement tools and standard units (e.g., centimeters, meters,
grams, kilograms) to describe objects and materials.
B INQ.10 use mathematics to analyze, interpret and present data. (Connecticut
State Department of Education, 2007, p. 14)
Instructional Sequence
For an interactive computer activity for students that relates to this lesson, visit
Harcourt School Publishing’s Science-Up Close Mass activity online:
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/science_up_close/301/deploy/
interface.html
Have the students sit around the teacher, while the activity is demonstrated to
them. Lisa will be provided with a space next to the teacher so that she can
easily watch the experiment in her wheelchair. John will sit towards the back
of the group next to Sam, so that he will not distract the other students if he has
to leave the classroom at any point during the experiment for his medical need
and can catch back up on what he missed when he returns. John will use his
quiet signal to me to notify that he has to leave the classroom.
Weigh the empty cup on the scale and record the weight.
T: Now that we have weighed the cup, I want you all to hypothesize how many
marbles we can put in the cup.
Fill the cup to the top with marbles and record the new weight of the cup.
Count off the number of marbles.
T: Do you think we can put in any more marbles? Did they take the shape of
the cup?
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Properties of Matter
S: You can fit more, but then it may overflow! The marbles filled up the cup
and filled its shape.
T: I want to emphasize that the marbles stayed the same shape and did not
change. They are just fitting in where they can. What state of matter are the
marbles?
S: The marbles are a solid because they kept their own shape even though they
fill up the cup’s shape.
T: Great job! The marbles are a solid. If I pick one out of the cup, we can see
that it is the same shape inside and outside of it, while not changing. Now we
are going to fill up a cup with sand and weigh it the same way.
Fill up the cup with the sand, weigh it on the scale and record its weight. Mark
the level of sand on the cup.
T: Do you now think that both of the cups are full?
S: Yes, you filled one up with sand and the other with marbles.
T: Do you think that you could pour some of the sand into the cup of marbles?
S: Yes, there seems to be some spaces that the smaller sand would fit into.
T: I thought you just told me that they were full! If they were full, then I
couldn’t put more inside of it. Alright let’s pour the sand into the marble cup
until it fills up.
Mark the new level of sand on the cup and weigh the new mixture and the sand
cup.
T: What is the weight of the new mixture? How much did it go up by? How
much is the weight of the sand cup?
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Properties of Matter
Have the students figure out the difference in the weight levels.
T: Is the amount of sand that we lost the same amount of sand that the marble
jar gained?
S: Yea! The sand cup lost this much, but the marble jar now weighs that much
more!
T: The matter takes up space and has mass. It doesn’t change as it moves from
different locations. This is why what we lost in the sand cup was gained in the
marble cup. Matter does not get created or destroyed and nothing was lost by
moving it to a new container.
Weigh and fill a new cup with water, as well as mark the level of the water with
a marker.
T: Do you think there is any room for the water in the cup with the marbles and
the sand? Why or why not?
S: There may be some spaces inside of the sand for the water to go. The liquid
should fill up the cups shapes, like in our other experiment in the bags.
T: I like how my scientist noticed that water is a liquid and remembered that
they take the shape of their containers. Let’s pour some of the water in until
this cup seems even more filled.
Pour the water over the mixture of sand and marbles.
T: Was your prediction correct? Was there room in the filled cup of sand and
marbles to fit some of the liquid? What happened when we tried?
S: The sand got all wet! We were able to fit in a lot of the water! It filled up
the little crevices.
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Properties of Matter
T: Do you think we could have filled the cup with marbles and sand if we
started with it filled with water? What may have happened?
S: If the cup was full and we put marbles in it, I think that the water may
overflow because the marbles would push it out of the cup.
Lesson Closure (Martin et al., 2009, pp. 433-434)
Materials
Journal/paper to record observations
Whiteboard/Easel with paper
Markers
Journal/paper
Pen/pencil
Process Skills
B INQ.5 Use data to construct reasonable explanations.
B INQ.6 Analyze, critique and communicate investigations using words,
graphs, and drawings. (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p.
14)
Instructional Sequence
T: From what you have observed, predicted, and learned during our
experiments, do you think you could answer our focus question: What is
matter? Can you all please answer the question in your science journals?
Students should write down their responses to the question in their journals,
touching upon the fact that matter exists in the states of a solid, liquid and gas,
as well as it is not created or destroyed.
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Properties of Matter
T: Can I have some volunteers share a few of their responses?
S: Matter comes in different states. I saw that it could be a solid, like the
powders, or it could be a liquid, like what we added to the bags. When we did
that, we also saw that it could be a gas, which filled up the bag with air. Matter
also doesn’t ever get destroyed. When we moved it from a different container
to another, there was the same amount of it, despite what state it was in.
T: Great job! Over the next few days, we are going to be learning much more
about the different states of matter and focusing more on solids, liquids and
gases!
Evaluation
Formative Assessment
What’s the Matter? Corrected Worksheet (Appendix J)
This worksheet acts as a corrected version of the student’s What’s the Matter?
Worksheet from Appendices C & D. It acts as a basic reference sheet for the
teacher to correct the student’s observations, predictions, and hypothesis
generated during the Exploration portion of the lesson. This formative assessment
would be used after the lesson is over for the teacher to review the group’s
worksheet to see if the students made appropriate observations throughout the
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Properties of Matter
experiment, used previous knowledge, and discussed the concepts of solid, liquid,
and gas.
What’s the Matter? Rubric (Appendix K)
This rubric allows the students to self-evaluate themselves after the lesson is over.
Students will rate their level of participation during the whole class and group
activities, based upon their contributions and adherence to the safety rules.
Students will evaluate their ability to complete the worksheet appropriately and
with the correct content. They will also determine whether they completely
answered the focus question for the day. By self-evaluating, the students take
responsibility over their work, as well as recognize if they did have any
difficulties throughout it. The teacher can use the self-evaluation sheet to
determine what students struggled throughout the lesson and/or determine if the
student’s evaluation represents the level of work seen in the assignments. The
teacher can also use this worksheet to evaluate students through observation,
while they are working on the experiments in their groups.
Individuals Needing Differentiated Instruction
1. John.
a) What is the student’s identified instructional need?
Allowed to leave the room whenever necessary for medical reasons, and
could be out of the room for up to 15 minutes at a time.
b) Describe your strategy for differentiating instruction in this lesson.
John will be partnered with Sam during this lesson for the times when he
needs to leave the classroom. John will be provided with time to speak to his
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Properties of Matter
partner and group members upon his return. John will receive additional time to
work on his worksheets if necessary, whether during the lesson or a free period
of the day.
c) Explain why the strategy would improve student learning.
By having a partner, John can stay updated with the activity because Sam
can provide him with information as to what he had missed, as well as any notes
that may have been taken or papers that had been passed out. John will not be
penalized for needing to leave the room due to his medical needs and receive
extra time to work on the worksheets if he runs out of time during the lesson
period.
2. Lisa
a) What is the student’s identified instructional need?
Wheelchair bound
b) Describe your strategy for differentiating instruction in this lesson.
The workspaces will be spread out for each experiment. Also, the table that
Lisa will be working at will be at an appropriate height for her to work
comfortable throughout the lesson. Materials will be provided directly in front
of her to ensure that she is as equally engaged in the lesson as her group
members. As always, the layout of the room and all materials will be organized
in a spacious manner so that Lisa can move comfortably and easily throughout
the room if need be.
c) Explain why the strategy would improve student learning.
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Properties of Matter
By providing Lisa with space to move around the classroom, it provides
her with the same access to materials and engagement in the lesson as her
classmates. It also provides Lisa, as well as the other students, with a safe
classroom environment, since all of the students can move freely throughout the
room with plenty of space.
3. Alex
a) What is the student’s identified instructional need?
English Language Learner
b) Describe your strategy for differentiating instruction in this lesson.
Alex will be provided support for his language differences by writing down
parts of the lesson in his native language. This lesson’s focus question is: What
is matter? Alex will be provided the focus question: ¿Qué es la materia? Key
content words will also be provided for him in his native language: líquido,
sólido, gas, materia, masa, propiedad, estados de la materia. A Spanish-
speaking paraprofessional will also be in the room during this lesson to answer
Alex’s questions, support him through the lesson, and practice communicating
as fluently as possible with group members.
c) Explain why the strategy would improve student learning.
By providing Alex with the focus question and content words in his native
language, it helps support his understanding because he can relate his previous
knowledge and background experiences with these words into his
understanding of the lesson and experiments. The majority of the lesson is
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based on his observations and drawings, which does not require Alex to try to
understand and state verbally what is occurring.
Lesson 3 The States of Matter
Performance Objective
The third grade students will be able to observe, classify and analyze the physical
properties and states of matter for given materials.
Lesson Objectives
The third grade students will be able to compare and contrast the properties of a
solid, liquid, and gas.
Essential Question
How does the structure of matter affect the properties and uses of materials?
(Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 15)
Focus Questions
What are a solid, liquid, and a gas?
¿Qué es un sólido, líquido y gas?
Concept(s)
Anything that occupies space and has mass is called matter. Matter can be found in
a solid, liquid or gaseous state. (Martin et al., 2009, p. 430)
Mass is neither created nor destroyed. (Conservation of mass, Encyclopædia
Britannica Online, 2010)
Particles in a gas are well separated with no regular arrangement. They vibrate and
move freely at high speeds. (Gases, liquids and solids, Purdue University
Department of Chemistry, 2010)
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Properties of Matter
Particles in a liquid are close together with no regular arrangement. They vibrate,
move about, and slide past each other. (Gases, liquids and solids, Purdue University
Department of Chemistry, 2010)
Particles in a solid are tightly packed, usually in a regular pattern. They vibrate
(jiggle) but generally do not move from place to place. (Gases, liquids and solids,
Purdue University Department of Chemistry, 2010)
Content
liquid, solid, gas, states of matter, visible, invisible, fluidity, water vapor
líquido, sólido, gas, estados de la material, visible, invisible, fluidez, vapor del agua
Materials (Pawela, 2010)
Science Safety Rules (Appendices B & C)
One pair of safety goggles per student
One pair of gloves per student
One apron per student
Spray perfume
o Note: Determine student allergies before using.
40 Ziploc plastic bags
1 clear plastic glass per group
1 Erlenmeyer flask
1 round balloon per student
1 blue tube of food coloring
1 hot plate
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Properties of Matter
1 bag of ice
1 large clear container
2 beakers
1 milk top per student
1 marker per student
1 pen per student
1 quarter per student
1 dice per student
1 button per student
1 colored pencil per student
1 paper clip per student
1 marble per student
1 battery per student
1 Tupperware box per group
One strip of paper per student
Solids Liquids and Gases! Worksheet (Appendices L & M)
Student Participation Observation Rubric (Appendix D)
Process Skills
B INQ.1 Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and the
environment.
B INQ.3 Design and conduct simple investigations.
B INQ.4 Employ simple equipment and measuring tools to gather data and extend
the senses.
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Properties of Matter
B INQ.6 Analyze, critique and communicate investigations using words, graphs, and
drawings. (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 14)
Instructional Sequence (Pawela, 2010)
See “Community Connections” portion of the unit plan for a potential fieldtrip that
could be connected with this lesson.
Initiation
Hang up the Science Safety Rules (Appendices B & C) and write today’s focus
question on the board before beginning the lesson: What is a solid, liquid, and a
gas? and ¿Qué es un sólido, líquido y gas?
Teacher (T): Spectacular scientists, today we will be exploring matter some more,
just like we did in our lesson yesterday with the marbles and sand, and the white
powders! Who can remind me what matter is?
Students (S): It can’t be destroyed! It is in all different forms, like a liquid or solid.
T: Alright, can I have a volunteer to remind us what a solid is?
S: Something that’s hard!
T: Are solids always hard? A stuffed bear is a solid and that’s pretty squishy to me!
Can I have a few volunteers to tell us some examples of things in this room that are
solids?
S: The walls, our desks, the computer, the books, the table!
T: I can see we don’t have any trouble identifying solids! Now could I have a
volunteer to remind us what a liquid is?
S: Something that acts like water!
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Properties of Matter
T: Very good, I like how you said something that acts like water, which means you
recognize that water isn’t the only form that liquids come in! Could I have a few
volunteers to tell us some examples of things in this room that are liquids?
S: The water in our water fountain, the tea at your desk, the juice in my juice box,
the water in Tank the Turtle’s home!
T: What great examples all of you have given us! Now who can explain to us what a
gas is?
S: Something you can’t see…something that is all around us I think.
T: Yes indeed gas takes up a lot of space and it is very hard to see it, usually we
can’t see it. Today, we are going to be exploring these three types of matter again,
but only today we will be exploring them differently! Our focus question today is:
What is a solid, liquid, and a gas? or ¿Qué es un sólido, líquido y gas? What is
going to happen is that I will put you all into small groups and send each group to
certain places around the room. Once your group has gathered in your designated
area, each one will send one group member up to the front table to pick up one
Ziploc bag full of items per student. (Hold up one of the bags while explaining.)
Therefore, if I have four people in my group including myself, I will come up and
take four Ziploc bags. Once all group members have returned to their groups and I
see that everyone is quietly waiting for directions, we will begin experimenting.
T: Before I split you into groups, let’s quickly go over our Science Safety Rules for
today. Could I have one volunteer to read the safety rules to us today?
o Students will:
Wear safety goggles, aprons, and gloves at all times.
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Properties of Matter
Wait for the teacher to give directions before handling materials.
Keep the work area clean.
Will keep materials away from their faces and mouths.
Take turns exploring and experimenting.
Wash hands after exploration.
Have fun exploring! (See Appendices B & C)
Lesson Development
Split the class up into groups of three to four students and place them in separate
work areas. Alex, an ELL student, will be paired up with a group and assisted with
his Para for support. John, a student who leaves the room for medical reasons, and
Sam will be in the same group so that John can be updated on the experimentation if
he has to leave the room during the course of the lesson. John will use his quiet
signal to notify that he has to leave the classroom. Lisa, a wheelchair bound
student, will work in a group that has a lower table level so that she can reach all of
the materials during the experiments.
Wait for all students to return to their groups and ensure that each student has a
Ziploc bag.
T: Please take the objects out of your bags. Look at them and touch them. Raise
your hand if you can see all the objects. (Allow students to raise their hands.) One
word that we can use when we can see an object is the word visible. (Write it large
on the board so that everyone can see.) The word visible means that we can see
something, therefore it is visible. This pencil (Hold up a pencil.) is visible to me
because I can see it.
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Properties of Matter
T: What are some of the properties that you see in the objects that are in your Ziploc
bag?
S: They’re hard. They’re all different colors! I can’t smell any of them… The
objects didn’t totally fill the bag when they were in it because there was space
between them.
T: Alright, I want everyone to try to put your pens through the top of your desk.
Students will then try to stick their pens through their desk.
T: Could you put your pens through your desks easily?
S: No way, no.
T: Try to put some of your other objects that were in your baggie through your desk
and by saying this, I don’t mean inside from the front of your desk.
Students test other materials trying to push them through their desks or each other.
Throughout this entire guided exploration process, walk around to observe the
children working individually and together as they test each state of matter. Use the
Student Participation Observation Rubric (Appendix D) to evaluate their behavior
and participation levels.
T: What type of matter are all of these objects? Why?
S: Solids! It doesn’t let me change its shape to push through. In the bags, they all
stayed the same way when it was inside and outside of it.
T: Very good, so do we think that it’s easy or hard to go through solids?
S: It’s really hard… It’s impossible! I don’t think we can.
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Properties of Matter
T: I agree… Solids are very hard to go through. We would need something strong
to go through a solid, something like a hammer to break through it, don’t you think?
Did the objects that you tried to push through your desk keep their shape easily?
S: Some of them did, the marker did… The milk top didn’t because it bent a little.
T: So you are saying that some of the objects kept their shape and others didn’t?
Why do you think this is so?
S: The marker is really hard and it’s thick so it won’t bend. I can bend the milk top
with my hands so obviously it would bend when I mashed it into the table. I think
the thicker and stronger the object, the better chance it won’t change its shape.
T: Very good points, solids won’t change their shape unless force is applied to
them! Now we are definitely ready to move on to our next experiment!
Have the students put the items aside on their desks, leaving the Ziploc bag empty.
T: I am going to take two ice cubes and hold them in my hands. I’d like you to
observe what happens to them after a few moments. (Hold them in your hands up
high). What is happening?
S: They are melting! It’s dripping everywhere!!
T: Alright, so you say that the ice cubes are melting. What exactly does that mean?
S: They are getting warm so they are melting.
T: The ice is changing from a solid to a liquid. The ice is a solid (Pick up another
piece of ice and drop it on the desk so the students hear the noise it makes.) and
when it gets too warm it starts to melt, which makes it change state into a liquid—
water. I am going to come around and pass out one clear glass of water to each
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Properties of Matter
group. Once your group receives your glass of water, take turns trying to put your
pens into the water.
Allow the students some time to poke their pens into the water and examine the
water displacement and ability to move around in the container.
T: What happened when you put your pens in the water?
S: The pen went right inside of it and I could see it! My pen floated when I let go of
it… The water went up when I put my pen in.
T: Those are very important observations, scientists! What state of matter is water
again?
S: A liquid!
T: Alright, so are you saying that objects can go through a liquid easily because
your pens pushed right inside of the water? Why do you think that is so?
S: Water isn’t a solid and solids don’t let objects go through them. Water is easy to
move around so it’s easy for objects to go through it.
T: Alright, now choose one student in the group to hold the plastic Ziploc bag open
and another partner to gently pour the water into the baggie. Once the water is in
the Ziploc bag, close the Ziploc bag.
Supervise the students as they pour water into Ziploc bag and seal it.
T: What happened once you poured the water into the Ziploc bag? What did the
water do?
S: The water spread all on the bottom of the bag… The water moved and filled the
bottom of the bag.
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Properties of Matter
T: Very good, I like the words spread and filled because that is exactly what water
does when it spreads out and takes the shape of its container. Why do you think the
liquid moved in this way? How does it differ from the solids that were in the bag?
S: The solids didn’t change their shape or fill up all the spaces in the bag. The
liquid has filled up the bottom, but there is still some space at the top.
T: Could everyone please leave all of their materials where they are and join me at
the carpet for a few minutes.
T: Here I have a large clear container with water in it. I am going to squirt some
blue food coloring into the water so make sure you are sitting in an area where you
can see what happens. Can everyone see from where they are sitting?
Allow Lisa a space to sit next to the teacher so she has access to see the group
activity despite being in a wheelchair.
S: Yes!
Drop 4-6 drops of blue food coloring into the water.
T: What do you notice?
S: The blue is spreading…all of the water is turning blue!
T: Yes, this is showing what we call fluidity. Fluidity is when a substance, which in
this case is the water, has molecules that move around freely amongst one another
and take the shape of the container. Therefore, the food coloring is a liquid too, and
both liquids have fluidity. The molecules in the water and the molecules in the food
coloring become one and they move around freely and take the shape of the
container! Alright, let’s all go back to our work areas and listen for directions.
Turn the hot plate on and put the Erlenmeyer flask onto it with water in it.
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Properties of Matter
T: (Once everyone is sitting quietly waiting for directions) What is in front of your
nose?
S: Nothing! I don’t see anything!
Pass around an index card to each student.
T: Take an index card or a piece of paper out of the Tupperware box and fan
yourselves with the paper. What happens when you fan yourself with the paper?
S: We make wind! The air moves towards me.
T: So you are saying that this wind and air movement is made by the paper when
you fan yourself? Where does the wind come from?
S: The paper moves and it makes wind happen.
Pass around a balloon to each student. Remind the students about the safety rules
and supervise their behavior with them.
T: Alright, each of you take a balloon and blow up your balloon a little bit so it
looks like the one I am blowing up. When you are done, I want you to just hold it
between your fingers tightly. Don’t let go of it!
Students blow up their balloons.
T: Now hold onto the balloon and let it deflate by taking your fingers off of the end.
Students let their balloons deflate
T: Could you see the air of the substance that was blown into the balloon come out?
S: No… I felt it come out of the balloon side. I felt it a little bit of wind on me!
T: What do we call the substance that came out of the balloon?
S: Air… oxygen…
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Properties of Matter
T: Very good! Both of those are known as gases. We often times can’t see gas, so
this helps us to be able to identify a gas. Does anyone know what the word invisible
means? It’s a lot like the word visible that we talked about earlier.
S: It means you can’t see it!
T: Objects or substances are invisible when we can’t see them. Gases usually
cannot be seen easily by us. We can feel them though when they get pushed around,
like when you fanned yourselves and made wind. That is the gas all around us
being moved very quickly, like the water that was moving around in the bag.
T: Boys and girls, please join me at the carpet again and leave your materials at your
work stations. Make sure you are sitting in a place where you can see the
experiment I will be doing on the table. Lisa there is space next to me once again.
Spray some perfume and let it disperse throughout the room. (Check for student
allergies and sensitivities before doing this.) Take the Erlenmeyer flask off of the
hot plate (Be sure the water is boiling.) and place the opening of a balloon over the
flask’s mouth.
S: Hey, I can smell that! It smells like vanilla to me...
T: While the water is cooling, let’s all pay attention to what happens to the balloon!
What do you notice that the balloon is doing?
S: It is going inside of the tube! It’s getting sucked inside!
Put the Erlenmeyer flask back onto the hot plate and heat it slowly so that the
balloon expands and comes out of the flask.
T: What do you see happening now? Why do you think that is happening?
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Properties of Matter
S: The balloon is coming back out! I think that it likes getting hot! There are
bubbles in the water…I think they’re going inside the balloon.
T: The balloon is coming back out because the water is hot that it is steaming.
When water turns to steam, it is changing from one state to another. It is going from
a liquid to a gas and this fills up the balloon. It is called water vapor. Now what do
you notice about the perfume that I sprayed?
S: It isn’t as strong anymore, it’s gone I think. I don’t smell it really…
T: Why do you think that the smell isn’t as strong anymore and that maybe the smell
is gone?
S: Because it spread out around the room.
T: What type of matter would the perfume be and why?
S: A gas because it spread out everywhere and we don’t see it!
T: Alright boys and girls please make your way back to your work stations and we
will do one last activity for science today.
T: (Once students are back at their work stations) Matter can go through other types
of changes aside from the solid, liquid and gas phases. Please take one piece of
paper and pass it down. (Hand one student a stack of strips of paper)
T: Please tear your strip of paper. Did the substance stay the same when you tore it?
S: No, it’s a different size now. Yea it did, it’s still paper though!
T: When you tore your paper strip, a change did occur. However the substance is
still paper and there is still the same amount paper than there was before you tore it.
If we were to weigh it, we’d see that it was the same before and after tearing. We
physically tore the paper, so it underwent a physical change since now only looks
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Properties of Matter
different. This is what happens when the ice turned to water. Even though it now
looked different. The water only underwent a physical change into a different state
of matter.
Closure
T: Boys and girls, please clean the materials at your work station and then join me
at the carpet. Today, we revisited our exploration of matter and its three stages.
What is matter?
S: Anything that occupies space and has mass and weight!
T: Very good, I am sure we are all experts at what a solid is. Can I have a few
volunteers to refresh our memories as to what a solid is?
S: They are hard because their molecules are packed closely together. They keep
their shape most of the time… They can be a rock, a desk, a pen, a phone.
T: Alright, could I have some volunteers remind us what a liquid is and give us
some examples of liquids?
S: A liquid is something that flows, it moves.... A liquid can be frozen! A liquid
can be water… juice is a liquid and soda is a liquid!
T: Yes, I’m glad you brought up that soda is a liquid, it is a liquid but it has another
state of matter within it. Did anyone else know that? Who can tell me which other
form of matter is in soda? Think about the bubbles that are in it and what happens
when you open a soda.
S: Gas! Air!
T: Very good! Now let’s hear what a gas is and some examples of gases.
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S: A gas has no real shape… It’s invisible a lot! It spreads out far like when the
spray filled the room. It makes wind when we move it. When you heat a liquid it
forms gas. The perfume is a gas! The bubbles in soda are a gas too!
T: I can see that we have learned a great deal about the three states of matter and
that this lesson and our past lessons have really paid off! Does anyone remember
what the word fluidity means?
S: Liquids move around. They flow…
T: You are on the right track. Fluidity is when a substance, like the water that we
used, has molecules that move around freely amongst one another and take the
shape of the container. The food coloring that we put into the water is a liquid too,
and both liquids have fluidity. They have fluidity because the molecules in the
water and the food coloring mix together and move around freely while taking the
shape of the container. What does the word visible mean?
S: Something that you can see!
T: Very good, could I have a couple of volunteers tell us a few objects in this room
that are visible?
S: Our desks, the walls, the whiteboard, the computers, and you!
T: Wonderful examples, what does the word invisible mean?
S: Something that you can’t see!
T: What are some examples in this room of invisible things?
S: The air! The perfume you sprayed before!
T: You are all truly spectacular scientists! Let’s head back to our seats and take out
our science journals and answer our focus question: What is a solid, a liquid, and a
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gas? or ¿Qué es un sólido, líquido y gas? Answer the focus question and I will
come around with a Solids, Liquids, and Gases! Worksheet (Appendices L & M)
for each of you. You will have to draw pictures of examples of each of the states of
matter. I will be collecting them as soon as you are finished.
Alex will receive a Spanish version of this Worksheet (Appendix M) to help ensure
he understands the task, since it is written in his Native language.
Evaluation
Student Participation Observation Rubric (Appendix D)
This rubric allows the teacher to evaluate the students’ participation throughout
all aspects of the learning process using mainly observations. Rating on a scale
from 1-5 for categories including Respect, Communication, Preparedness, and
Openness to Learn, the teacher can evaluate the students’ involvement (on a 40
point scale) during all aspects of the lesson development. Rating on this scale
allows the teacher to track and compare the students’ growth in different
categories, determine the evolvement of science social skills, and provides
information to the extent of their participation. This rubric is able to be used for a
variety of science tasks and allows the teacher weigh each student against the
same data during each science lesson period.
Solids, Liquids and Gases! Worksheet (Appendices L & M)
This assessment task will be completed individually by the students and be a
review of the content learned from the lesson. Students will pictorially represent
and list different items that are present in each state of matter. They will then use
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their knowledge of the states of matter to compare and contrast the properties of
each using a Venn diagram, which they have previous experience using. It will be
collected at the completion of the lesson to be evaluated. The teacher can note
any students that seem to be confused by the differences between what solids,
liquids and gases look like, as well as what examples of each state of matter are.
Once taken into account which students need clarification, the teacher will be able
to plan time to meet with students individually or in a group to ensure that they
understand the material, rather than simply those students that participation more
often during the lesson and discussion. In doing so, it would verify that the entire
class understands the three states of matter, what they look like, and what makes
them solids, liquids or gases. This will ensure that all students are ready to move
on to future lessons dealing with states of matter.
Lesson 4 Classifying States of Matter
Performance Objective
The third grade students will be able to observe, classify and analyze the physical
properties and states of matter for given materials.
Lesson Objectives
The third grade students will be able to classify materials based on their state of
matter.
Essential Question
How does the structure of matter affect the properties and uses of materials?
(Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 15)
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Properties of Matter
Focus Questions
How can we determine an object's state of matter?
¿Cómo podemos determinar el estado de la materia de un objecto?
Concept(s)
Anything that occupies space and has mass is called matter. Matter can be found in
a solid, liquid or gaseous state. (Martin et al., 2009, p. 430)
Particles in a gas are well separated with no regular arrangement. They vibrate and
move freely at high speeds. (Gases, liquids and solids, Purdue University
Department of Chemistry, 2010)
Particles in a liquid are close together with no regular arrangement. They vibrate,
move about, and slide past each other. (Gases, liquids and solids, Purdue University
Department of Chemistry, 2010)
Particles in a solid are tightly packed, usually in a regular pattern. They vibrate
(jiggle) but generally do not move from place to place. (Gases, liquids and solids,
Purdue University Department of Chemistry, 2010)
Content
liquid, solid, gas, states of matter, particles
líquido, sólido, gas, estados de la material, partículas
Materials
Science Safety Rules (Appendices B & C)
One pair of safety goggles per student
One pair of gloves per student
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Properties of Matter
One apron per student
Science journals
Pens/pencils
1 magnifying glass per group
1 clipboard per pair
Water (to activate dry ice)
1 peach pit (#1)
1 cup of honey (#2)
1 tub of cool whip (#3)
1 pen spring (#4)
1 spray can top (#5)
1 jar of lemonade (#6)
1 balloon with helium in it (#7)
1 soda in a cup (#8)
1 bowl of clay (#9
1 brick of dry ice (#10)
1 thread of yarn (#11)
1 kickball (#12)
1 clump of moss (#13)
1 ball of mozzarella (#14)
1 ball of pizza dough (#15)
1 pie plate with cover
Sealable container (to place activated dry ice within)
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Whiteboard/Easel with paper
Markers
Mystery Material Walk Worksheets (Appendices N & O)
Mystery Materials Walk Teacher Reference Sheet (Appendix P)
Process Skills
B INQ.1 Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and the
environment.
B INQ.3 Design and conduct simple investigations.
B INQ.6 Analyze, critique and communicate investigations using words, graphs, and
drawings.
B INQ.10 use mathematics to analyze, interpret and present data. (Connecticut State
Department of Education, 2007, p. 14)
Instructional Sequence (Exploring States of Matter, 2010, Hot Chalk, Inc.)
Initiation
Write today’s focus question on the board before beginning the lesson: How can we
determine an object's state of matter? and ¿Cómo podemos determinar el estado de la
materia de un objecto? Hang the Science Safety Rules (Appendices B & C) for the
students to see.
Write the following chart on the board:
SolidSólido
LiquidLíquido
Gas
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Preparation: Have the room already arranged so that all fifteen mystery materials
(labeled in the “Materials” section) have been numbered and are spread out
throughout the room. Desks and work spaces will be spread out to provide a safe
work environment, as well as enough room for Lisa, our wheelchair bound student,
to be able to safely and easily maneuver throughout the room from one mystery
material to another. Be sure that all mystery materials are located in areas easily
assessable for Lisa to reach so that she can observe them easily with her fellow
classmates.
T: Super scientists, I need your help today! We have a number of unidentified
materials around the room and I need your help to identify them. We need to
attempt to identify what states of matter these materials are and make observations
of their physical properties. We will be doing a gallery walk. Who remembers and
can tell us what a gallery walk is?
S: When we walk around, write our thoughts, and look at different things!
T: Very good… Today, it is going to be called a mystery materials walk! In partners
or small groups, we will circulate throughout the room observing and identifying the
fifteen unidentified materials which have been numbered for us. We will work with
our groups to identify which state of matter all of these materials are. What is one
way that we can observe their physical properties?
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Properties of Matter
S: We can use our senses, like looking at its size or color, or we could hear if it
makes any noise or something.
T: I love the idea of using your five senses! You each should remember to use that
skill as you walk around. I have numbered each material that we need to identify
throughout the room at fifteen stations and there should be enough so that there
shouldn’t be much waiting between observing. Each pair or small group will be able
to move around the classroom laboratory observing the materials in any order. This
means is that your group could observe mystery material #6 first and then move to
mystery material #13 if it is available for observations. As long as your group has
visited each mystery material by the end of our mystery materials walk, everyone has
followed the directions.
T: Before we begin, let’s fill out the chart I have made for us on the board so that we
have a reference to look at while we are in the middle of our mystery materials walk
in case we come across a material whose state of matter we are having trouble
identifying! Could I have volunteers come up to the board and each fill in something
you know will help us to identify one of these three states of matter?
Students come up and fill in the chart when called on. Example:
SolidSólido
LiquidLíquido
Gas
Keep shape Visible Hard to change shape Hard
Visible Fluidity is seen Has movement Shape of the
container
Invisible Spread out far Easy to fill
containers and takes its shape
Read over the students’ answers as a class and address any misunderstandings or
confusion that may have arisen.
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T: It looks like we have learned a lot about the three states of matter in our
previous lessons! This information will help us today as we perform our mystery
materials walk.
Group the students into pairs and provide them with a number so that they know
what station to begin at when they are told to start. Alex, an ELL student, will have
his Para and another partner to help provide support, explanations, and translation
when he wants to communicate with his group mates. Lisa, a wheelchair bound
student, will have be provided with easy access to all designated areas. John, who
needs to leave the room for medical reasons, will be in Sam’s group along with
another student. This group of three ensures that Sam will not be left alone to
complete the activity, while John is out of the room. Upon his arrival, Sam will
allow time, along with the teacher, to explain the properties of matter that John had
missed the opportunity to see.
T: Boys and girls, all of the materials can be touched so long as you have your
gloves on. However, mystery material #10 must remain on its pie plate, under the
glass. In the worksheets you will soon be picking up, there will also be a reminder to
keep our hands off of mystery material #10 ten in case we forget! Before we begin,
let’s go over our Science Safety Rules for today!
o Students will:
Wear safety goggles, aprons, and gloves at all times.
Wait for the teacher to give directions before handling materials.
Keep the work area clean.
Will keep materials away from their faces and mouths.
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Take turns exploring and experimenting.
Wash hands after exploration.
Have fun exploring! (See Appendices B & C)
T: Alright, it looks like we are ready to identify our mystery materials! Once I call
your group, please walk to the front table and put on your apron, a pair of goggles
and gloves. Take one pencil and a clipboard, which already has the Mystery
Materials Walk Worksheets (Appendices N & O) clipped to it. The other partner can
remember to take the magnifying glass! Once you have everything you need, you
may begin exploring our mystery materials at the station I have already assigned to
your group.
Call the students one group/partnership at a time to have them go to their stations.
Alex will be given a special clipboard with a Spanish version of the Mystery
Materials Walk Worksheets (Appendix O) in order to help his understanding of the
assignment.
Lesson Development
Students will begin their mystery materials walk throughout the classroom by
making observations of the unknown materials.
T: Spectacular scientists, can I have your attention for a moment. Who can remind us
what the five senses are that you should be using to help you see the physical
properties of the materials?
S: Our eyes, we look at things with our eyes! Touch, we feel with our hands! Our
ears, we listen with our ears. Our noses to smell with!
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T: When we want to use this sense of smell in science class, who can remind us of
the safe way to smell with our noses?
S: We wave the smell toward our noses but not too close.
T: Great and we have one more sense left, who can remind us what it is?
S: Our mouths! We taste with our mouths.
T: Today, we will not be taste any of the mystery materials because we aren’t sure of
what they are…Tasting them could be dangerous! I can see we are all ready to use
four of our five senses to explore these mystery materials!
The teacher will circulate throughout the classroom listening to students
communicating with one another about the mystery materials and I will make notes
on the Student Participation Observation Worksheet (Appendix D) about their
cooperation and collaboration. I will also note any students who are exhibiting
confusion about the three different states of matter.
T: Keep in mind while taking our mystery materials walk that some of our mystery
materials might actually be more than one state of matter!
Students will finish completing their Mystery Materials Walk Worksheets.
T: Super scientists, I am so excited to hear what you have recorded about all of our
mystery materials! Please bring your clipboard and packet and join me at the carpet.
Be sure to sit with your partner(s). Let’s examine what we have all found!
Lisa will be provided a space for herself and her partner near the teacher in order to
ensure she has a safe and accessible viewing area. John can sit closest to the door so
he can easily leave the group in case he needs to do so.
I will have the following chart written on the board/an easel with paper:
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MaterialObservations with
sensesState(s) of Matter
This material might be…
# 1# 2# 3# 4# 5# 6# 7# 8# 9# 10# 11# 12# 13# 14# 15
This chart will allow the teacher to review the students Mystery Materials Walk
Worksheets as an entire class and then they will be evaluated after the end of the
lesson by the teacher for completion of observations and predictions. The teacher
can use the Mystery Materials Walk Teacher Reference Sheet (Appendix P) to know
what materials were in each station.
T: Let’s share our findings! One person at a time let’s share what we observed about
mystery material #1 (peach pit).
S: It was hard, it was bumpy… It smelled sweet! It sounded hard when I tapped it on
the table.
T: I love how all of your observations included different senses being used. Now,
raise your hand if you believe that mystery material # 1 was a solid.
Record the letter “S” in the second column and draw tallies for each student who
raised their hand saying they believe this mystery material was a solid. Do the same
for students who believed it was a liquid and students who believed it was a gas.
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T: Alright, now what are some of our predictions for what this mystery material
might be?
S: A rock, a nut, an acorn!
T: Raise your hand if you want to know what this mystery material is!
Students will raise their hands.
T: This mystery material is the seed inside of a peach! (Write peach pit next to #1.)
One person at a time let’s share what we observed about mystery material #2 (cup of
honey).
S: It was yellowish… It was really sticky when I touched it!! It smelled sweet too...
T: Once again, raise your hand if you believe that mystery material # 2 was a solid.
Record the letter “S” in the second column and draw tallies for each student who
raised their hand saying they believe this mystery material was a solid. Do the same
for students who believed it was a liquid and students who believed it was a gas.
T: Alright, now what are some of our predictions for what this mystery material
might be?
S: Honey! Carmel!
T: Raise your hand if you want to know what this mystery material is!
Students will raise their hands.
T: This mystery material is honey! (Write honey next to #2)
I will then move on to the following thirteen mystery materials following the same
steps and slowly reveal the material to each student.
Once I have gone through all fifteen of the mystery materials with the students I will
ask students to come up and help us make a class bar graph using the states of matter
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for two or three of the mystery materials observed. We will use the students’
predictions for what state of matter they believed the materials were.
T: Now that we have shared all of our observations and results with one another, we
have an experiment through which we will each explore at the computer lab! We had
some materials today that were tricky because they could have been identified as two
states of matter, not just one state. By looking at the identities of the materials that I
wrote on the board, does anyone have an idea of which of the materials show two
states of matter?
S: The balloon!
T: Alright, what two states of matter do you think the balloon is?
S: Solid and gas?
T: Why do you think that it is made up of a solid and a gas?
S: The rubber part of the balloon on the outside is solid and the air inside that makes
it really big is a gas. The rubber part holds all the air in there!
T: I can see we are doing very well with our identifying of materials and providing
explanations to support our reasoning.
The teacher will then continue going through any other materials that the students
believe are two states of matter with a special focus that soda is a liquid and a gas,
dry ice is a solid and a gas, and that a kickball (similar to the balloon) is a solid and a
gas.
T: We have another portion of our exploration today, but first make sure that all
group members names are written on your Mystery Materials Walk Worksheets and
put all of your packets in a pile on the front table. Please return your magnifying
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glasses, aprons, and glasses in the bins on the front table. Throw your gloves away
in the trash can and line up for the computer lab!
Students will put their packets in a pile and line up quietly at the door. Once in the
computer lab, I will write the focus question on the board: How can we determine an
object's state of matter? and ¿Cómo podemos determinar el estado de la materia de
un objecto? Place all students’ computer to be accessing a Harcourt School
Publishers activity website (http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/states_of
_matter/molecules.swf). Students will explore the states of matter within this activity
and view the action of materials particles in each state.
T: I have set all of your computers to the online experiment. Please follow the on-
screen directions and you will all be further exploring matter and its properties!
Students will experiment online and the teacher will circulate throughout the room
making sure that the students are remaining on task. The teacher will ask students
various related questions to further their knowledge and understanding. For example,
“Before you push liquid, what do you think its particles will look like?” or “How
does this compare to the particles in the other states of matter/”
T: Keep thinking about the focus question while you are experimenting online
because it will help you when you go to record in your science journals!
Once the students have experimented for about 10-15 minutes, they will be asked to
line up and to make their way back to the classroom.
Closure
T: Once you get back to your seats, take out your science journals and record your
responses to today’s focus question on your own. Today’s question is: How can we
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determine an object's state of matter? or ¿Cómo podemos determinar el estado de la
materia de un objecto? Think about the mystery materials walk that we took today
and what helped you to decide what state of matter the mystery materials were.
Also, think about the computer experiment we just experienced and what each state
of matter looks like!
Students will record in their responses in their science journals.
T: Could I have several volunteers to share with us what you recorded in your
science journal?
S: I use my five senses to help me figure out what state of matter an object is.
Usually when I feel an object, I know what state of matter an object is because if it
it’s typically hard then it’s solid. If it feels like water, then I know it must be a liquid
and if it is invisible it is a gas.
T: Thank you for sharing, what a detailed response with your reasoning.
One or two other students will share their responses from their science journals.
T: Thank you everyone for helping us figure out what states of matter the mystery
materials were! Our unit on states of matter is still only just beginning; we have
many more fun experiments planned for us in the upcoming days! While we continue
our day, let’s observe materials around us throughout the day and think about what
state of matter these objects are. Please take out your independent reading books; we
will be leaving for lunch in just a few minutes! Please leave your science journals out
on your desks because I will be coming around to collect them.
Evaluation
Student Participation Observation Rubric (Appendix D)
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Properties of Matter
This rubric allows the teacher to evaluate the students’ participation throughout
all aspects of the learning process using mainly observations. Rating on a scale
from 1-5 for categories including Respect, Communication, Preparedness, and
Openness to Learn, the teacher can evaluate the students’ involvement (on a 40
point scale) during all aspects of the lesson development. Rating on this scale
allows the teacher to track and compare the students’ growth in different
categories, determine the evolvement of science social skills, and provides
information to the extent of their participation. This rubric is able to be used for a
variety of science tasks and allows the teacher weigh each student against the
same data during each science lesson period.
Mystery Materials Walk Worksheet (Appendices N & O)
This assessment task will be completed by the students will complete in pairs
or small groups and will be collected at the conclusion of the lesson. Students
write down the observations they have made about the material in the first
column, infer what state of matter they believe it to be based on these properties,
and predict the identity of that material. The teacher will be able to review the
group member’s “Observations with Senses” to note if students’ observations
were done using their senses and whether or not they matched the students’
“State(s) of Matter” assumptions. For example, if the students observed that a
mystery material felt like a liquid, yet they wrote that its state of matter was a
solid, this inference would not make sense. The teacher should not which groups
need extra clarification on the physical properties that relate to each state of
matter. Those students would be met with during an available independent time
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to work on increasing this understanding. If a majority of the class struggles in
their predictions, the teacher will have to review the states and how to use their
senses to best determine what state of matter a given material or object is.
Lesson 5 Changing States of Matter
Performance Objective
The third grade students will be able to observe, classify and analyze the physical
properties and states of matter for given materials.
Lesson Objectives
The third grade students will be able to write a letter explaining the role of heating
and cooling in changing matter from one state to another during freezing and
melting.
Essential Question
How does the structure of matter affect the properties and uses of materials?
(Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 15)
Focus Questions
How can matter change from one state to another?
¿Cómo se puede cambiar la materia de un estado a otro?
Concept(s)
Mass is neither created nor destroyed. (Conservation of mass, Encyclopædia
Britannica Online, 2010)
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Properties of Matter
Materials exist in different states—solid, liquid, and gas. Some common materials,
such as water, can be changed from one state to another by heating or cooling.
(National Research Council, 1996, p. 127)
Content
liquid, solid, gas, freezing, melting, moisture
liquid, sólido, gas, congelación, fundición, humedad
Materials
Science Safety Rules (Appendices B & C)
One pair of safety goggles per student
One pair of gloves per student
One apron per student
Whiteboard/Easel with paper
Markers
2 Ziploc bag per group
1 bag of ice
1 gallon of water
1 bag of chocolate chips
o Note: Determine student allergies before using.
Paper towels
1 scale per group
1 balance per group
1 computer per student
1 small refrigerator
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Properties of Matter
1 sharpie marker per group
Student Participation Observation Rubric (Appendix D)
Ice Observations! Worksheet (Appendices Q & R)
Chocolate Observations! Worksheet (Appendices S & T)
Changing Matter Letter Scoring Rubric (Appendix U)
Changing Matter Letter Instructions (Appendix V)
Process Skills
B INQ.1 Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and the
environment.
B INQ.3 Design and conduct simple investigations.
B INQ.4 Employ simple equipment and measuring tools to gather data and extend
the senses.
B INQ.5 Use data to construct reasonable explanations.
B INQ.6 Analyze, critique and communicate investigations using words, graphs, and
drawings.
B INQ.7 Read and write a variety of science-related fiction and nonfiction texts.
B INQ.9 Use measurement tools and standard units (e.g., centimeters, meters, grams,
kilograms) to describe objects and materials. (Connecticut State Department of
Education, 2007, p. 14)
Instructional Sequence
Initiation (Melting and Freezing, Science NetLinks, 2001)
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Properties of Matter
Write today’s focus question in English and Spanish on the board before beginning
the lesson: How can matter change from one state to another? and ¿Cómo se puede
cambiar la materia de un estado a otro? Also, post the Science Safety rules
(Appendices B & C) on the board.
T: Boys and girls, please join me at the carpet so that we can begin exploring
science today! Has anyone ever eaten ice cream on a hot summer day?
Students will raise their hands and possibly begin to share times when they have.
T: What happens to the ice cream while you are eating it?
S: It drips and melts!
T: What happens to any ice cream that you don’t finish?
S: It melts too! It turns into soup!
T: When the ice cream melts into soup, what states of matter is it changing from?
S: A solid to a liquid!
T: Very good… Have you ever left a glass of water out on the table? What
happened to the ice in the glass?
S: It disappears! It melts!
T: What happens to the amount of a substance if it is changed from a solid to a
liquid?
S: There is more of it I think? No, there is less of it…
T: Today, we are going to experiment with the different states of matter and these
questions will be much easier for us to answer once we have experimented today!
Here I have a Ziploc bag full of ice. What do you predict will happen to the
substance over time?
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Properties of Matter
S: All of the ice will melt! (Write this prediction on the board.)
T: So you are saying that all of the ice will melt over time, what do you predict will
happen to the amount of the substance?
S: There will be more water! There will be less! (Write these predictions on the
board)
T: Alright, I recorded our predictions on the board and we will revisit them later
once we have performed this experiment ourselves! Today we are going to
experiment with the three states of matter again! Our focus question for today’s
experiments is: How can matter change from one state to another? or ¿Cómo se
puede cambiar la materia de un estado a otro? I am going to break us into small
groups and assign each group a work area.
T: Before I split you into groups, let’s quickly go over our safety rules for today.
Could I have one volunteer to read the safety rules to us today?
S: Students will wear safety goggles, aprons, and gloves at all times, wait for the
teacher to give directions before handling materials, keep the work area clean, will
keep materials away from their faces and mouths, take turns exploring and
experimenting, wash hands after exploration of a substance, have fun exploring!
(See Appendices B & C)
Lesson Development (Melting and Freezing, Science NetLinks, 2001)
Group the students into groups of 3-4 and send them to their work areas. John will
be grouped with Sam so that if he needs to leave the room at any time for medical
reasons, he will have Sam to bring him up to speed on anything that he has missed.
Lisa can be put in any group; however, the teacher will ensure that her group is
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arranged at a low and/or adjustable table so that she can easily sit at it in her
wheelchair and access all of the materials, in order to her to allow her to partake in
the experiment to the fullest. Alex will be put in any group and will have his
Spanish-speaking paraprofessional sit in on the lesson with him to help him
communicate more fluently with his group members, as well as encourage him to
practice his English communication.
T: Once I see that your group is sitting quietly waiting for directions, I will ask your
group one at a time to send two students up to the front table. One student will
collect one Ziploc bag of ice from me at the front table, paper towels, one Ice
Observations! Worksheet (Appendices Q & R) and one sharpie marker. The other
student will also come up to the front table and he or she will carefully pick up a
scale and bring it back to your group’s work area. Remember to be very gentle with
the scales!”
Split the students into groups and call on groups to send students up to gather the
necessary materials.
T: Follow the directions on your group’s Ice Observations! Worksheet. You may
begin once your group members have returned with the necessary materials! I will
be coming around to see that everyone is on the right track. Raise your hands if you
need any help. Remember to take turns experimenting and cooperatively work
together to answer the questions on the Ice Observations! Worksheet… Answer
questions #1 and #2 as soon as your group is ready and then pass the Ziploc bag
around and let the warmth of your hands heat the ice.
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Students will begin exploring the Ziploc bag of ice and working together to follow
the directions provided on the worksheet until they are completed with it. Use your
Student Participation Observation Rubric (Appendix D) to look for student
cooperation, collaboration, and support throughout the activity.
T: Once your group has answered all of the questions on your Ice Observations!
Worksheets, please set them aside as we have two questions left to answer! Send
one student up to the front table with your Ziploc bag of ice and I will place them
into the freezer.
All groups will set their Ice Observations! Worksheets aside and bring their Ziploc
bag of ice up to the front table.
T: Spectacular scientists, now we will move on to the next portion of the lesson and
revisit our Ziploc bags of water later. I am coming around now with Ziploc bags full
of chocolate chips and a Chocolate Observations! Worksheet (Appendices S & T)
with the same questions. Once you have your worksheet and Ziploc of chocolate
chips, you may begin!
Students will follow the same steps that they took with the Ziploc bags of ice, as
they will the Ziploc bags of chocolate chips.
T: I will be coming around to see how everyone is doing, raise your hand if you
have any questions. Once again, use your Student Participation Observation Rubric
(Appendix D) to look for student cooperation, collaboration, and support throughout
the activity.
T: Spectacular scientists, could I have your attention for one moment? Once your
group has finished their Chocolate Observations! Worksheet and stopped where it
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says to, I will bring your group your ice bags and you all can answer the last two
questions on the Ice Observations! Worksheet.
Students will finish their Chocolate Observations! Worksheets and will be sitting
quietly waiting for directions. At which point, the teacher will bring each group
waiting their bag of water, which has turned back into ice! At this time, tell the
groups ready to move on that they may answer the last two questions now.
T: Spectacular scientists, could I have your attention once more? Once your group
has been given your ice bag back and you have recorded the last two questions, set
that worksheet aside and raise your hands. That will let me know that you are ready
for me to bring your chocolate chip bags to you so that you can finish the Chocolate
Observations! Worksheet.
Closure (Melting and Freezing, Science NetLinks, 2001)
T: Scientists, please leave all of your materials at your work station but bring both
of your group’s worksheets and join me at the carpet area. Please sit near your group
members on the carpet!
Students will congregate on the carpet. There will be provided room next to the
teacher for Lisa’s group so that she has a clear area to sit with her wheelchair, while
having a clear view of the teacher.
T: Do you remember how we all agreed earlier that sometimes when solid things
melt they turn into something that looks like soup?
S: Yes, like ice cream we said
T: What did you notice about the substances that you were working with today?
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S: They both melted the same way! The chocolate was thicker though. The ice was
water and moved around more.
T: I’m glad we pointed out that the chocolate was thicker than the melting ice. Do
you think that if we warmed the chocolate up even more that it might have become
less thick?
S: Maybe? Yea!
T: Alright, so we had a few different answers when I asked you all earlier what
happens to the amount of a substance if it is changed from a solid to a liquid? We
had some students say that there is more of it, and others say that there is less of it.
Now that we have performed these experiments, I think that we should be able to
answer this question now! So I ask you again, what happens to the amount of a
substance if it is changed from a solid to a liquid?
Teacher will write this question on the board: What happens to the amount of a
substance if it is changed from a solid to a liquid? and ¿Lo que ocurre con la
cantidad de una sustancia si se pasó de un sólido a un liquid?
S: It stayed the same! Every time we weighed the ice, even after it melted, it was the
same!
T: Alright, so are you saying that the chocolate chips weighed the same before you
melted them as they did after you melted them?
S: Yup, we didn’t see much of a difference.
T: Alright, let’s review the predictions what we made earlier about what we thought
would happen to the Ziploc bag of ice over time. (Point to the predictions on the
board) We all predicted that the ice would melt over time…Were we right?
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Properties of Matter
S: Yes!
T: When I asked what we predicted would happen to the amount of the substance
over time…we had a few different predictions. Some of us predicted that there will
be more of the substance and some of us predicted that there would be less. Now
that we have performed the experiment, what did we notice? Was there more, less or
the same amount of the substance?
S: Like we said before, the same amounts!
T: Remember when we did an experiment with marbles, sand and water? We
discussed how the sand and the water that we took from the other cups to add to the
cup with the marbles didn’t just disappear; it was added to the cup with the marbles.
The weight taken from the sand and water cups was added to the weight of the cup
with the marbles.”
S: Yeah… (Heads nodding)
T: The same thing happened here! The weight of the substances did not change
because they remained in their Ziploc bags. They only changed their state of matter
from solids to liquids and then from liquids back to gases. Let’s answer our focus
question, could I have a volunteer read the focus question to us?
S: How can matter change from one state to another?
T: What we are going to do is spend our time at the computer lab today answering
this question in a letter. We will write a letter to one of our friends because they are
confused about how matter changes from one state to another. We need to be clear
and explain to our friends how matter can change from one state to another. Be
extremely detailed in your letters because the more detailed your explanation of this
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question is, the more easily your friend will be able to understand. Include at least
three examples to back up your points. These examples can come from today’s
experiments, previous experiments and any general knowledge you have about how
matter changes from one state to another.
T: Please leave your groups worksheets on the carpet and line up properly at the
door so that we can travel to the computer lab and write our friends letters to help
them understand what we are scientific experts at! I will write exactly what needs to
be in our letters on the board in the computer lab (See Appendix V) once we get
there so that everyone can know exactly what needs to be in your letters!
Evaluation
Student Participation Observation Rubric (Appendix D)
This rubric allows the teacher to evaluate the students’ participation throughout
all aspects of the learning process using mainly observations. Rating on a scale
from 1-5 for categories including Respect, Communication, Preparedness, and
Openness to Learn, the teacher can evaluate the students’ involvement (on a 40
point scale) in whole class, group, and individual exploration and learning
activities. Rating on this scale allows the teacher to track and compare the
students’ growth in different categories, determine the evolvement of science
social skills, and provides information to the extent of their participation. This
rubric is able to be used for a variety of science tasks and allows the teacher
weigh each student against the same data during each science lesson period.
Ice Observations! Worksheet (Appendices Q & R)
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This assessment task will be completed by the students in their cooperating
groups during the lesson. Students will answer questions regarding their
observations of a bag of ice as it is heated and begins melting in their hands.
They will then record and compare the weight of the bag before and after the ice
has melted. By comparing these results, students will validate their understanding
that matter is neither created nor destroyed—even when changing its state of
matter. Students will compare this experiment to one done in a previous lesson
when they were first introduced to this concept. It will be collected at the
completion of the lesson to be evaluated, but will be reviewed discussed during
the lesson closure with the students to clarify any findings and/or
misunderstandings. The teacher can note any students that seem to be confused
by the differences between what occurs as states of matter change their state.
Once taking into account which students need clarification, the teacher will be
able to plan time to meet with students individually or in a group to ensure that
they understand the material, rather than simply those students that participation
more often during the lesson and discussion. In doing so, it would verify that the
entire class understands the three states of matter, the properties of each state of
matter, and what makes them change between states.
Chocolate Observations! Worksheet (Appendices S & T)
This assessment task will be completed by the students in their cooperating
groups during the lesson. Students will answer questions regarding their
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observations of a bag of chocolate chips as it is heated and begins melting in their
hands. They will then record and compare the weight of the bag before and after
the chocolate has melted. By comparing these results, students will validate their
understanding that matter is neither created nor destroyed—even when changing
the state of matter. Students will compare this experiment to one done in a
previous lesson (Lesson 2) when they were first introduced to this concept. They
can also compare their results to what was seen when ice was melted earlier in
this lesson. It will be collected at the completion of the lesson to be evaluated, but
will be reviewed discussed during the lesson closure with the students to clarify
any findings and/or misunderstandings. The teacher can note any students that
seem to be confused by the differences between what occurs as states of matter
change their state. Once taking into account which students need clarification, the
teacher will be able to plan time to meet with students individually or in a group
to ensure that they understand the material, rather than simply those students that
participation more often during the lesson and discussion. In doing so, it would
verify that the entire class understands the three states of matter, the properties of
each state of matter, and what makes them change between states.
Changing Matter Letter Scoring Rubric (Appendix U)
This assessment rubric allows the teacher to have guidelines upon which to score
the letters the students write about changing states of matter. The students will be
scored on a 0-3 scale in the areas of Letter Development, Organization, and
Attention to the Audience. The students must identify at least three examples from
past experiences to support their understanding and explanations of how matter can
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change from one state to another. They must present an organizational plan to their
letter that is logical and consistently maintained and utilizes a letter template.
Lastly, they must remember to effectively address their friend throughout their
letter.
Lesson 6 Multiple States of Matter
Performance Objective
The third grade students will be able to observe, classify and analyze the physical
properties and states of matter for given materials.
Lesson Objectives
The third grade students will be able to describe an unknown substance's physical
properties on a provided worksheet after recognizing that different states of matter
may appear in a substance.
Essential Question
How does the structure of matter affect the properties and uses of materials?
(Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 15)
Focus Questions
Can a material show properties of two states of matter?
¿Puede un material demostrar las características de dos estados de la materia?
Concept(s)
Anything that occupies space and has mass is called matter. Matter can be found in
a solid, liquid or gaseous state. (Martin et al., 2009, p. 430)
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Matter is made up of atoms, which are joined together as molecules. Matter can
undergo a physical or a chemical change. (Martin et al., 2009, p. 430)
Content
liquid, solid, gas, substance, texture
líquido, sólido, gas, sustancia, textura
Materials (Bryna, W. & Pafford, V., 2010, Scholastic Online)
Science Safety Rules (Appendices B & C)
Whiteboard/Easel with paper
Markers
Science journals
One pair of safety goggles per student
One pair of gloves per student
One apron per student
Newspaper
One plastic spoon per student
One cup per student
One paper plate per group
One (16 oz/454 g) box of cornstarch per ten students
One large bowl per group
Water
Our Findings! Worksheet (Appendices W & X)
Food coloring (optional)
Process Skills
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B INQ.1 Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and the
environment.
B INQ.3 Design and conduct simple investigations.
B INQ.6 Analyze, critique and communicate investigations using words, graphs, and
drawings.
B INQ.7 Read and write a variety of science-related fiction and nonfiction texts.
(Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 14)
Instructional Sequence
Initiation (Bryna, W. & Pafford, V., 2010, Scholastic Online)
Teacher (T): Miss Kravitz and I have a mystery to share with you all today that
happened to us yesterday afternoon after school and I know that all of you super
scientists will be able to help us solve it using what you know about properties of
matter!
T: Yesterday afternoon, Miss Kravitz and I were walking out of the building
heading towards the parking lot to home when we were so busy talking that we
didn’t even notice what we were about to step in. I took a step and suddenly felt like
I was in the middle of an earthquake as the very ground I was standing on began to
move! I was struggling to stay on my feet, I felt like I was standing on the beach at
the edge of the water as a wave came in and began dragging all of the sand beneath
my feet back out to sea. Do you know that feeling? “Ahhhh I’m sinking!” I yelled to
Miss Kravitz and she rushed over to yank me back onto solid ground. We turned
around and looked in shock as my shoe sat floating in the strange mud. I reached
over to touch the substance and my fingers sank quickly as if the substance was
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liquid. “What do you think this stuff is?” I asked Miss Kravitz. “I’m not sure but I’ll
bet our Super Scientists would be able to crack this mystery!”
Lesson Development (Bryna, W. & Pafford, V., 2010, Scholastic Online)
Forty-five minutes before the lesson, prepare the materials for the students as
follows:
o Add 5-10 drops of food coloring to two cups of water. Add one box of
cornstarch and swirl the bowl and contents to level. Set the bowl and contents
aside for about 15 minutes so it can settle.
o Mix the ingredients with your hands to ensure an even consistency. Knead
the mixture by bringing the bottom of the mixture to the top, like you would
in kneading bread dough, until you have a smooth texture.
o The substance should flow like a liquid when the bowl is tipped, but feel like
a solid when touched with your finger. (Consistency should remind you of
something between white school glue and tacky glue for crafts.) Add
cornstarch, in small pinches, if the mixture is too runny. As the mixture sits
out, it will dry out a bit, but can be reconstituted with water (add sparingly).
o Don't dispose of the substance down the drain in any sink. It will clog up the
drains.
o Divide up the mixture and put it in the pie plates for each group of four
students.
Write today’s focus question on the board before beginning the lesson development:
Can a material show properties of two states of matter? and ¿Puede un material
demostrar las características de dos estados de la materia?
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Teaching
T: As super scientists, we have been discussing the properties of matter. Some of
these properties we can use our senses to find and others we have need to run tests.
Can I have a few volunteers share some of the properties that we have found in
different substances that we have been working with?
Students (S): Color! Size! Smell! Texture! Shape! Weight!
The teacher will list all of the properties that the students contribute on the
whiteboard/easel.
T: These properties will help us look at this mystery substance to determine what
state of matter that it may be. Who can tell me what the three states of matter are?
S: Liquid, solid and gas!
T: What type of properties do solids usually have?
S: They don’t change shape no matter the container they are in, unless they break or
something. They can be hard-ish sometimes when you touch them.
T: If that is so, can someone explain liquids?
S: Liquids move around in the container and take the shape of it. They’re all wet
too. They’re almost squishy and splash.
T: What are the properties of gases like?
S: Gases are invisible! They fill up every space in something, but you can’t see it!
Like when we did the powder experiment, the bag got really full of gas, but you
couldn’t see anything.
T: Great, you all seemed to really know a lot about the states of matter. Today,
we’re going to explore the mystery substance we found and answer today’s focus
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question: Can a material show properties of two states of matter? First, we need to
review our science safety rules to ensure everyone is safe while we explore it.
o Students will:
Wear safety goggles, aprons, and gloves at all times.
Wait for the teacher to give directions before handling materials.
Keep the work area clean.
Will keep materials away from their faces and mouths.
Take turns exploring and experimenting.
Wash hands after exploration of a substance.
Have fun exploring! (See Appendices B & C)
Guided Practice
Divide the class up into groups of three to four students and place them in separate
work areas. Each station will be lined with newspaper and set up with a bowl of the
previously created mystery substance, a plate, and a spoon. Alex, an ELL student,
will be paired up with a group and assisted with his Para for support. John, a
student who leaves the room for medical reasons, and Sam will be in the same group
so that John can be updated on the experimentation if he has to leave the room
during the course of the lesson. John will use his quiet signal to notify that he has to
leave the classroom. Lisa, a wheelchair bound student, will work in a group that has
a lower table level so that she can reach all of the materials during the experiment.
T: You have all received your bowls of the substance to explore. Please make sure
to take turns so that all group members get a chance to interact with it. Remember
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that we need to follow our safety rules by keeping the substance in the bowl and will
keep it away from our faces.
Allow the students five or so minutes to simply explore and play with the substance.
Check to make sure they are following proper safety procedures before moving onto
the worksheet portion of the activity
Independent Practice
After exploring the substance for five minutes, pass around the Our Findings!
Worksheet (Appendices W & X) for the students to complete during their
exploration. Alex will be provided with a Spanish version of the same worksheet
(Appendix X) so that he can more easily complete the exploration/investigation.
T: I would like each of you to take a look at the Our Findings! Worksheet that I
have passed out. If you each could write at least five things to answer question one,
as well as fill out the rest of the worksheet.
Walk around and observe the students working on their worksheets using the
Student Observation Participation Rubric (Appendix D). While checking in with
each group, question the students with the following prompts: What does the
substance look like? How does it feel? How does the substance behave? (Does it
pour like water? A liquid. Is it spongy like cake? A solid. Explain your answers.)
Why does the substance act like it does? Does temperature affect the properties of
the substance? Do other substances effect how it acts? What other substance does it
remind you of? Why?
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Once the students have completed the exploration, have them clean their work areas
off and wash their hands. After clean up has commenced, the class will meet
together as a group in order to discuss their findings.
Closure (Bryna, W. & Pafford, V., 2010, Scholastic Online)
Have the students sit around the teacher for the discussion with their worksheets.
Lisa will be provided with a space next to the teacher to ensure she has room to see
and contribute. John will sit towards the back of the group next to Sam, so that he
will not distract the other students if he has to leave the classroom at any point
during the experiment for his medical need and can catch back up on what he
missed when he returns. John will use his quiet signal to notify that he has to leave
the classroom.
T: Can I have a member of each group contribute some of the properties that you all
noticed in our substance for question #1?
S: It was really hard when you pressed on it fast, but if you went slowly then your
finger went in really easy. I could pick it up and make a ball with it, but then it
dripped off me if I stopped. It was sticky and got all over our hands. Some of it
dried and seemed like powder.
T: Do you feel that differences in temperature would affect the substance in any
way? Why do you think this?
S: I think that when it’s warm it may get more liquid-y. It seemed like it got
stretchier when our hands would warm it up.
T: Do other substances influence the way that the substance acts? How so?
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S: Yea! When I poked it with the spoon or tried to mix it fast, the substance got
really firm. I think if you added water to it, it wouldn’t be as thick anymore.
T: Does the substance remind you of any other substance you have explored? If so,
what substance and how so?
S: It reminds me of chocolate fudge a little bit when it is all drippy because it is
thick. Yea it reminds me of caramel too! It’s a little like the Silly Putty that my
brother has… That’s really firm yet moves around a lot when you play with it.
T: What state of matter would you identify the substance as and why?
S: I think that it’s a solid because of how firm it gets. You can’t make a liquid into
a ball when you hold it! I think it’s a liquid because it takes the shape of the
container it’s in! If it was a solid, it would stay the same shape no matter what.
T: I think that you make a very important point! We need to look at the definitions
of each of the states of matter to help us determine which it would be. By noticing
that it takes the shape of its container, we can see that this should be considered a
liquid because a solid would always keep its shape. I’d like you all to go back to
your desks and answer today’s focus question in your science journal: Can a
material show properties of two states of matter? or ¿Puede un material demostrar
las características de dos estados de la materia?
Allow the students some time to return to their desks and fully answer the question.
T: I would like a few scientists to share their answers to our focus question.
S: I wrote that a material can show properties of two states of matter because
today’s material showed that it can be like a solid because it got hard and you could
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Properties of Matter
make shapes out of it, but then it was like a liquid because it was runny and took the
shape of the container.
T: What a wonderful job describing the reasons behind your answers and showing
support. We’re going to continue looking at the properties of matter throughout our
upcoming lessons!
Evaluation
Student Participation Observation Rubric (Appendix D)
This rubric allows the teacher to evaluate the students’ participation throughout
all aspects of the learning process using mainly observations. Rating on a scale
from 1-5 for categories including Respect, Communication, Preparedness, and
Openness to Learn, the teacher can evaluate the students’ involvement (on a 40
point scale) in whole class, group, and individual exploration and learning
activities. Rating on this scale allows the teacher to track and compare the
students’ growth in different categories, determine the evolvement of science
social skills, and provides information to the extent of their participation. This
rubric is able to be used for a variety of science tasks and allows the teacher
weigh each student against the same data during each science lesson period.
Our Findings! Worksheet (Appendices W & X)
This assessment task asks the students to use a variety of integrated processes as
they answer a series of questions regarding the observations they make during the
experiments. Students must interpret the observations that they make about the
unknown substance by analyzing the properties seen. They must compare their
results to previous knowledge about the states of matter. They must make
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inferences and draw conclusions about their findings. This teacher will evaluate
the students’ answers during the explanation portion of the lesson and will be
looked over to see if students had difficulties on any sections to be addressed.
Lesson 7 Testing Physical Properties (Learning Cycle)
Grade Level Grade 3
Time Frame for Unit of Study Ten Lessons
Time Frame for this Lesson Week # 2 Lesson # 2
Theme Our Physical World
Unit of Study Properties of Matter
Content Standards to be addressed by this lesson
National Standards
Content: Physical Science Content Standard B. As a result of the activities
grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of:
o Properties of objects and materials (National Research Council,
1996, p. 123)
Concepts which support the Standards:
o Objects have observable properties, including size, mass, weight,
shape, color, temperature, and the ability to react with other
substances. These properties can be measured using tools, such as
rulers, balances and thermometers. (National Research Council,
1996, p. 127)
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Properties of Matter
Connecticut State Standards
Content: 3.1 Materials have properties that can be identified and described
through the use of simple tests. (Connecticut State Department of
Education, 2007, p. 15)
Concepts which support the Standard:
o B1. Sort and classify materials based on properties such as
dissolving in water, sinking and floating, conducting heat, and
attracting to magnets. (Connecticut State Department of Education,
2007, p. 15)
Learner Background
Students have observed, described, and classified objects according to their
physical properties by recognizing similarities and differences. They have done so by using
their senses and conducting simple tests to discover these properties. Students have
classified materials as solid, liquid, or gas based on their observable properties. Therefore,
this lesson has been planned so that students will be able to apply their experiences with
observing the physical properties of objects and the states of matter into designing
experiments to uncover less obvious physical properties of objects. Their experiences
observing physical properties can help provide them with the skills necessary to perform the
lesson’s experimentation to understand the focus question.
Performance objective
The third grade students will be able to observe, classify and analyze the physical
properties and states of matter for given materials.
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Properties of Matter
Lesson Objective(s)
The third grade students will be able to design an experiment to test the physical
properties of an object.
The third grade students will be able to write a letter describing the physical
properties of an object they have observed and tested.
Essential Question(s)
How does the structure of matter affect the properties and uses of materials?
(Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 15)
Focus Question(s) for this Lesson
How can we test the physical properties of an object?
¿Cómo podemos probar las propiedades físicas de un objeto?
Concept(s)
All substances have properties that can be observed and used to identify them. Some
properties of matter are called “physical” properties. Physical properties can be
observed using the five senses. (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2004, p.
7)
Some physical properties can be observed “directly” (i.e. color or shape), while
others are revealed through interactions with other materials (i.e. absorbency or
magnetic attraction). (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2004, p. 7)
Content
liquid, absorb, strength, property
líquido, absorba, fuerza, propiedad
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Properties of Matter
Safety precautions/procedures (Appendices B & C)
Students will:
Wear safety goggles, aprons, and gloves at all times.
Wait for the teacher to give directions before handling materials.
Keep the work area clean.
Will keep materials away from their faces and mouths.
Take turns exploring and experimenting.
Wash hands after exploration of a substance.
Have fun exploring!
Initiation of Lesson
Assessing Prior Knowledge (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2004, p. 10)
Materials
Whiteboard/Easel with paper
Markers
Process Skills
B INQ.1 Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and
the environment. (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 14)
Instructional Sequence
Teacher (T): As super scientists, we have found physical properties of different
objects and materials by using mainly our five senses. Can volunteers share
what the five senses we have used are?
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Properties of Matter
Students (S): Sight with our eyes! Touching with our fingers! Taste with our
tongues. We hear with our ears and smell with our nose!
T: Can another volunteer remind us what physical properties of matter are?
S: Physical properties are things we observe about an object, like its size or
color or weight.
T: That’s a perfect definition of physical properties to remind the other
scientists… I’m going to write it on the board for us to use. (Write it!)
Engagement (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2004, p. 10)
Materials
Science Safety Rules (Appendices B & C)
Whiteboard/Easel with paper
Markers
Process Skills
B INQ.1 Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and
the environment. (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 14)
Instructional Sequence
Hang up science rules and write on the board the day’s focus question in
English and Spanish: How can we test the physical properties of an object? and
¿Cómo podemos probar las propiedades físicas de un objeto?
T: I’d like you all to look around the classroom and see how many things are
made of paper? Is all paper the same? Can you find different types of paper?
S: I see our notebook paper. There’s some construction paper. The newspapers
are also paper!
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Properties of Matter
Encourage the students to notice different kinds of paper, such as notebook
paper, newspaper, poster paper, or textbook paper.
T: Can you examine the papers and notice some of their properties? For
example, the copy paper is pure white while newspaper is off-white.
S: Tissues are softer than the newspapers. The paper in our textbooks is shiner
than the paper in our notebooks.
Write the students’ responses on the board so that they can draw on them for
future predictions during the exploration.
T: Great brainstorming, scientists! We know how to observe the physical
properties of paper, but today we want to investigate a little deeper into learning
about the physical properties of paper. Today’s focus question is: How can we
test the physical properties of an object? or ¿Cómo podemos probar las
propiedades físicas de un objeto?
Lesson Development
Exploring the Concept (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2004, pp. 10-15)
Materials (for each group)
Science Safety Rules (Appendices B & C)
Pen/pencil
One pair of safety goggles per student
One pair of gloves per student
One apron per student
12 squares of paper towel
12 squares of tissue
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Properties of Matter
12 squares of napkin
1 plastic graduated cylinder (25 mL)
3 zip-loc plastic bags
3 plastic cups
1 plastic bottle of water
3 plastic plates
Magnifying glass per student
1 ruler per student
Crayons or colored pencils
1 pair of scissors per student
Damp sponge
Soggy Paper Worksheet (Appendices Y & Z)
Student Participation Observation Rubric (Appendix D)
Soggy Paper Instructions (One for Alex) (Appendix AA)
Process Skills
B INQ.1 Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and the
environment.
B INQ.3 Design and conduct simple investigations.
B INQ.4 Employ simple equipment and measuring tools to gather data and
extend the senses.
B INQ.5 Use data to construct reasonable explanations.
B INQ.6 Analyze, critique and communicate investigations using words, graphs,
and drawings.
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B INQ.9 Use measurement tools and standard units (e.g., centimeters, meters,
grams, kilograms) to describe objects and materials.
B INQ.10 use mathematics to analyze, interpret and present data. (Connecticut
State Department of Education, 2007, p. 14)
Instructional Sequence
Review the science safety rules with the students before beginning the lesson to
demonstrate proper use of materials.
T: We have to remember that we need to be safe as we perform our experiments
so that everyone gets to explore the science activity and is able to learn. Let’s
read through our list that we have created together so that we can remind
ourselves as how we should all behave.
o Students will:
Wear safety goggles, aprons, and gloves at all times.
Wait for the teacher to give directions before handling materials.
Keep the work area clean.
Will keep materials away from their faces and mouths.
Take turns exploring and experimenting.
Wash hands after exploration of a substance.
Have fun exploring! (See Appendices B & C)
Split the class up into groups of three to four students and place them in
separate work areas. Allow one member from each group to go up to the front
table and get the required materials for the investigation. Alex, an ELL student,
will be in a group, but assisted by his Para to help guide him through the lesson.
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He will also receive the Spanish version of the Soggy Paper Worksheet
(Appendix Z). John, a student who leaves the room for medical reasons, and
Sam will be in the same group so that John can be updated on the
experimentation if he has to leave the room during the course of the lesson.
The instructions will also be written on the board, so that John can go along
with the investigation at his own pace upon arrival. John will use his quiet
signal to notify that he has to leave the classroom. Lisa, a wheelchair bound
student, will work in a group that has a lower table level so that she can reach
all of the materials during the investigation.
The students will observe the properties of the different papers for five minutes
with and without the magnifying glass and will record their words and drawings
in the appropriate table on the Soggy Paper Worksheet (Appendices Y & Z).
While the students are observing, the teacher will walk around the room to see
that the students are properly investigating and can evaluate students on the
Student Participation Observation Rubric (Appendix D) throughout the entirety
of the lesson. The teacher can prompt the students with questions: What do you
see on the surface? How does the paper feel? Does it stretch? Can you see
through it? Are the papers alike? How are they different?
Have the students complete the entire first page of the worksheet.
T: By thinking about the properties you observed in the different paper types, I
would like you all to predict which may hold the most and the least amount of
water. You can support this answer by specifying which properties led you to
believe this to be the case.
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Have the students fill out their worksheets.
T: Now that you all have made your predictions, we are going to test them to
see whether they were true. In this activity, you are going to compare different
types of paper to find out which one holds the most water. You will pour some
water onto a plate and then count how many squares of each paper type it takes
to soak up all the water. Each group will follow the instructions as they are
written on the board:
1. Label three plastic cups: “towel”, “tissue” and “napkin”. You will use the
cups for storing the wet paper squares.
2. Measure 25 milliliters (mL) of water into the graduated cylinder. Decide
which paper you want to test first.
3. Pour 25 mL of water onto the plastic plate.
4. Lay one paper square over the water spill, and leave it there until you can
tell that it is not absorbing any more water.
5. Pick up the wet paper square and hold it over the plate until it stops
dripping. Put the wet paper square in the labeled cup.
6. Keep using squares until there is no more water left in the plate.
7. Count how many paper squares you use to soak up all the spilled water.
8. Record the number of squares you use for each paper type in the
appropriate data table on your Soggy Paper Worksheet.
9. Repeat Steps 3 to 8 with the other paper types.
Provide Alex with his own version with the Soggy Paper Instructions
(Appendix AA) in his native language.
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Differentiate: Squares are typically pre-cut; however, the teacher can allow the
students to decide how large the squares of paper towels are to be for their
group. During a class discussion comparing the methods and results of
different groups, students will note variations in the findings. Ask students to
think about possible explanations for these differences. Students will
intuitively note that some groups used larger paper squares or smaller amounts
of water, and these differences make it difficult to compare results. Ask
students “What can we do differently to make our results more alike?” Then
allow students to repeat the experiment once the class has agreed upon
consistent quantities to use.
Walk around the classroom and should still prompt the students with questions:
Is there a way to prevent your results from being skewed? Have you noticed
any of your predictions holding true as you are testing? Were there any
surprises that you have seen thus far?
T: Now that the experiment is over and you have recorded your observations, I
would like you all to complete the graph at the bottom of that page in order to
track the number of squares it took to absorb the 25 mL of water. Afterwards, I
want all of my scientists to carefully dispose of all the materials in our garbage
can and wash their hands when given called upon to do so.
Clean up the work area after the experimentation is over.
Explanation of the Concept (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2004, pp. 15-18)
Materials (for each student)
One pair of safety goggles per student
One pair of gloves per student
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One apron per student
Soggy Paper Worksheet (Appendices Y & Z)
Pen/pencil
Whiteboard/easel with paper
Markers
Process skills
B INQ.1 Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and the
environment.
B INQ.3 Design and conduct simple investigations.
B INQ.4 Employ simple equipment and measuring tools to gather data and
extend the senses.
B INQ.5 Use data to construct reasonable explanations.
B INQ.10 use mathematics to analyze, interpret and present data. (Connecticut
State Department of Education, 2007, p. 14)
Instructional Sequence
T: Now that we have finished experimenting, we are going to use our
observations that we have recorded to discuss what we have seen. Can you all
fill out the “Think About Your Data” portion of your worksheets?
T: Which paper towel used the fewest squares to soak up all the water? Which
used the most?
S: Our group had the towels use the fewest squares! My group had the tissues
use the most!
T: Which paper was the most absorbent then and why?
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S: I think that the tissues were most absorbent because it took the most squares
to soak it up.
T: Absorbency means that it holds water. If the paper held more water, then it
means it was more absorbent. By holding more water, it would take less paper
to soak up the same amount. Therefore, we need the paper that used the least
amount of squares to determine the most absorbent.
S: That means that the towels absorbed the most because we counted the least
amount of them to suck up and absorb all the water.
T: What properties did the absorbent paper have that the less absorbent paper
did not have? You should relate the results of the experiment to your initial
observations and predictions on the first page. Were you surprised by any of the
results?
S: The towels had the fluffiest texture. The towels seemed to be thicker feeling
than the tissues too!
Have the students consider the various properties including texture,
stretchiness, color, size, or transparency.
T: What properties may be related to the paper’s ability to hold water?
S: I think that it may be the texture of the paper! I think the one that’s thicker
gives it more room to hold water. The square’s size would make it hold more.
The teacher will now discuss the class’s results as a whole to compare their
findings; the answers will vary depending on your students’ results. Questions
may include: Was the data from other groups similar to yours, or was it
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different than yours? What might explain these differences? What changes can
be made to the experiments to make everyone’s results more similar?
T: As we have seen through this investigation, we were able to test the paper
towels’ physical properties and discover more that were not seen by us. We
used our five senses to see the texture and feel the thickness for example. What
was one of the new physical properties we found about the paper and how did
we test for it?
S: We soaked up 25 mL of water with small squares of paper to see how much
this could hold. That’s called the paper’s absorbency! It was like using a
sponge…
T: I love the connection to a sponge. Sponges have a lot of absorbency and will
soak up a lot of water. We could run an experiment another time with different
types of sponges to see which are the most absorbent too!
Elaboration of the Concept (CT State Department of Education, 2004, pp. 18-21)
Materials (per group)
One pair of safety goggles per student
One pair of gloves per student
One apron per student
Pen/pencil
2 large squares of paper towel
2 large squares of tissue
2 large squares of napkin
Marbles
Eye dropper
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1 plastic bottle of water
3 plastic plates
Soggy Water Worksheet (Appendices Y & Z)
Student Participation Observation Rubric (Appendix D)
Process Skills
B INQ.1 Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and the
environment.
B INQ.4 Employ simple equipment and measuring tools to gather data and
extend the senses.
B INQ.5 Use data to construct reasonable explanations.
B INQ.7 Read and write a variety of science-related fiction and nonfiction texts.
B INQ.9 Use measurement tools and standard units (e.g., centimeters, meters,
grams, kilograms) to describe objects and materials.
B INQ.10 use mathematics to analyze, interpret and present data. (Connecticut
State Department of Education, 2007, p. 14)
Instructional Sequence
T: Now that you have investigated the absorbency of the different papers using
a test. I would like you all to develop your own experiment in your groups to
measure the strength of each of these papers when wet. You will have to
design, test, and record data for the strength of the papers using all of the
materials supplied to you. You will describe the steps of your experiment on
the last page of the worksheets and you have a table already placed there to
record your results. You will need to use your knowledge and experience of
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physical properties and testing to complete this task and answer our focus
question: How can we test the physical properties of an object? Please send up
one person to collect the materials you will use for the experiment.
Allow the students to collect the materials and begin brainstorming and
collaborating to figure out a means to measure the strength of the different
papers. Hint to the students that the recording chart may provide some insight
to helping them develop their investigation.
Observe the students working together and utilize the Student Participation
Observation Rubric (Appendix D) to track the students’ behaviors and attitudes
during this cooperative learning session. Ask the students to explain to you the
way they set up their experiment, as well as any findings they have discovered.
The teacher may ask: Did you all make predictions as to which paper would be
the strongest and weakest? Is there any correlation between the most absorbent
and the strongest paper you have found so far? What role does each of you play
in designing this experiment? Could this experiment be recreated again?
T: Now that you all have completed your experiment, can I have some of you
share your results? Some of you may have completed the experiment
differently, so we have to keep in mind the results may vary because of this.
Student results would vary depending on their experiment.
T: Were your predictions correct as to which one would be the strongest? Do
you think you would change anything if you were to do the experiment again?
S: At first we forgot to use the same number of drops on all the papers so we
had to start it over again because we knew our numbers wouldn’t be right then.
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T: I like that fact that you all re-did your experiment when you realized you
would not get accurate results. That is very important for tests to have
everything the same, except what you are looking for.
Lesson Closure (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2004, p. 22)
Materials
Paper
Whiteboard/Easel with paper
Markers
Pen/pencil
Process Skills
B INQ.7 Read and write a variety of science-related fiction and nonfiction texts.
(Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 14)
Instructional Sequence
T: Now that we have finished our experimenting on the different papers for
today, I’d like you each to write a letter to a family member recommending one
of the papers that you used today. I would like you all to discuss your choice
for the best paper to use in a kitchen, why you chose that paper, and how you
learned through your experiment. Your letter should explain the experiment to
your family member in order to show them your scientific proof.
Allow the students to compose their letters, while reminding them to use the
letter template they have practiced during writing workshop to format them.
T: Can I have some volunteers share the letter that they have written?
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S: Dear Mom, Today, I learned that paper towels are best to use in the kitchen
because it is the most absorbent and the strongest compared to napkins and
tissues. In an experiment, it held the most marbles when it was wet. That
means it’s really tough for when you scrub. It also sucked up the water most,
which means it’s really absorbent for when we spill juice. Paper towels are the
best kind. Love, Madison
Collect the students’ letters when they are done sharing them with classmates.
Evaluation
Formative Assessment
Student Participation Observation Rubric (Appendix D)
This rubric allows the teacher to evaluate the students’ participation throughout
all aspects of the learning process using mainly observations. Rating on a scale
from 1-5 for categories including Respect, Communication, Preparedness, and
Openness to Learn, the teacher can evaluate the students’ involvement (on a 40
point scale) during the group work and collaborative experiment design. Rating
on this scale allows the teacher to track and compare the students’ growth in
different categories, determine the evolvement of science social skills, and
provides information to the extent of their participation. This rubric is able to be
used for a variety of science tasks and allows the teacher weigh each student
against the same data during each science lesson period.
Soggy Paper Worksheets (Appendices Y & Z)
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This three-page assessment task allows the students to use integrated processes
and skills from other curriculum subjects. The students must record the
observations they collect about the three different paper types according to what
they have seen and then draw conclusions about these properties to make a
prediction which will hold the most and least amount of water. After supporting
these conclusions, the students will run a test to determine whether their
predictions were accurate and graph their results in a provided table to practice
their mathematical skills. Upon reflecting on their data results, the students will
make inferences and draw conclusions about their findings. From this, they
would go on to design a test to determine another property of paper and find the
strength of the papers provided to them. In doing so, they must provide
explanations for their choices and describe their experimental process. The
teacher can see what skill areas the students have progress or had difficulty in and
can work with those students at a later time to build upon those integrated skill
processes.
Individuals Needing Differentiated Instruction
1. John.
d) What is the student’s identified instructional need?
Allowed to leave the room whenever necessary for medical reasons, and
could be out of the room for up to 15 minutes at a time.
e) Describe your strategy for differentiating instruction in this lesson.
John will be partnered with Sam for the times when he needs to leave the
classroom. John will be provided with time to speak to his partner and group
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members upon his return. The steps of the exploratory experimentation will be
written on the board so that he can catch up when he returns and does not miss
any steps. John will receive additional time to work on his worksheets if
necessary, whether during the lesson time or a free period of the day. John has a
signal to notify the teacher when he needs to leave the room.
f) Explain why the strategy would improve student learning.
By having a partner, John can stay updated with the experiments because
Sam can provide him with information as to what he had missed, as well as
observations that may have been taken or worksheets that had been passed out.
John will not be penalized for needing to leave the room due to his medical
needs and receive extra time to work on the worksheets if he runs out of time
during the lesson period. John’s quiet signal allows him to leave without
distracting or disrupting his classmates’ learning.
2. Lisa
d) What is the student’s identified instructional need?
Wheelchair bound
e) Describe your strategy for differentiating instruction in this lesson.
The workspace will be spread out for each experiment. Also, the table that
Lisa will be working at will be at an appropriate height for her to work
comfortable throughout the lesson. Materials will be provided directly in front
of her to ensure that she is as equally engaged in the lesson as her group
members, as well as have a role in the experiment design process with her
classmates. As always, the layout of the room and all materials will be
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organized in a spacious manner so that Lisa can move comfortably and easily
throughout the room if need be.
f) Explain why the strategy would improve student learning.
By providing Lisa with space to move around the classroom, it provides
her with the same access to materials and engagement in the lesson as her
classmates. It also provides Lisa, as well as the other students, with a safe
classroom environment, since all of the students can move freely throughout the
room with plenty of space.
3. Alex
d) What is the student’s identified instructional need?
English Language Learner
e) Describe your strategy for differentiating instruction in this lesson.
Alex will be provided support for his language differences by writing down
parts of the lesson in his native language. This lesson’s focus question is: What
is matter? Alex will be provided the focus question: ¿Cómo podemos probar
las propiedades físicas de un objeto?Key content words will also be provided
for him in his native language: líquido, absorba, fuerza, propiedad. A Spanish-
speaking paraprofessional will also be in the room during this lesson to answer
Alex’s questions, support him through the lesson, and practice communicating
as fluently as possible with group members. He will also have a Soggy Paper
Worksheet (Appendix Z) in his native language, as well as step-by-step
experiment instructions (Appendix AA).
f) Explain why the strategy would improve student learning.
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By providing Alex with the focus question and content words in his native
language, it helps support his understanding because he can relate his previous
knowledge and background experiences with these words into his
understanding of the lesson and experiments. Alex will be able to work
alongside his group mates with his own version of the worksheets in order to
make his understanding of the experimentation easier.
Lesson 8 Mysteries of Magnets
Performance Objective
The third grade students will be able to observe, classify and analyze the physical
properties and states of matter for given materials.
Lesson Objectives
The third grade students will be able to observe, sort and classify objects as they
examine the behavior of magnets.
Essential Question
How does the structure of matter affect the properties and uses of materials?
(Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 15)
Focus Questions
What is a magnet and what does it do?
¿Qué es un imán y qué hace?
Concept(s):
Magnets attract and repel each other and certain kinds of metals. (National Research
Council, 1996, p. 127)
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The like poles of different magnets repel each other, and the unlike poles attract
each other. (Magnetism, Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, 2010)
Content (Martin et al., 2009, p. 93)
push, pull, attract, repel, magnet
empujón, tirón, atraer, repeler, imán
Materials (Martin et al., 2009, p. 92)
Science Safety Rules (Appendices B & C)
One pair of safety goggles per student
One pair of gloves per student
One apron per student
2 bar magnets per pair
1 three foot piece of string
1 roll of masking tape
1 dark crayon per pair
2 pencils per group
Student Participation Observation Rubric (Appendix D)
What’s Magnetic? Worksheets (Appendices BB & CC)
Magnetic Movements Worksheets (Appendices DD & EE)
Whiteboard
Markers
Various classroom items for testing (i.e. paper clips, pencils, keys, chalk, etc.)
Process Skills
B INQ.1 Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and the
environment.
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B INQ.3 Design and conduct simple investigations.
B INQ.4 Employ simple equipment and measuring tools to gather data and extend
the senses.
B INQ.5 Use data to construct reasonable explanations.
B INQ.6 Analyze, critique and communicate investigations using words, graphs, and
drawings. (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 14)
Instructional Sequence
For an interactive computer activity for students that relates to this lesson, visit
Harcourt School Publishing’s Science-Up Close Magnetism activity online:
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/science_up_close/316/deploy/interface.html
Initiation (Martin et al., 2009, pp. 92)
Write today’s focus question on the board before beginning the lesson: What is a
magnet and what does it do? and ¿Qué es un imán y qué hace?
Teacher (T): Have you ever noticed that flowers attract bees and butterflies? The
bees and butterflies want the pollen inside so they always are attracted to them. Can
anyone think of another thing, animal or insect that is attracted to something?
Students (S): Squirrels are attracted to acorns, dogs are attracted to treats!
T: Very good, you’ve got the right idea! Today, we’re going to see how magnets
attract certain items. Has anyone seen a magnet before? What may it be?
S: Dark grey things that help hold papers up on a wall, stick things up like tape!
T: You say that magnets help to stick things on walls, what kind of walls do they
stick things to?
S: Metal walls! They don’t stick to the normal walls in my house that pictures and
posters hang on.
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T: Now raise your hand if you have magnets in your house, they might be hanging
your pictures and report cards on the refrigerator door, or helping to hold your
kitchen cabinets and refrigerator door shut tight.
Allow students time think about the question and to raise their hands.
T: Where else might we find magnets?
S: In car doors, in toys, in different kinds of tools!
T: Very good, now today we will be experimenting with magnets and as always, we
have rules that we all must follow in order to be safe scientists! Before we begin
our investigation with magnets, let’s read through our list that we have created
together so that we can remind ourselves as how we should all behave to keep the
classroom safe for all the scientists participating.
o Students will:
Wear safety goggles, aprons, and gloves at all times.
Wait for the teacher to give directions before handling materials.
Keep the work area clean.
Will keep materials away from their faces and mouths.
Take turns exploring and experimenting.
Have fun exploring! (See Appendices B & C)
Lesson Development (Martin et al., 2009, pp. 92-93)
Teaching
T: Boys and girls, please come to the carpet.
Once all students are seated, the teacher should take both of the bar magnets that
have each been tied around the middle and suspend each of them from a desk being
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sure that the magnets are within an inch or two apart. Be sure that all students can
see the suspended magnets from their seats on the carpet.
Demonstrate how one magnet is able to make the other spin, swing and change
direction by manipulating one of the magnets with your hand, moving it around to
different spots on the other magnet.
T: Why do magnets seem to push or pull on one another? Do you suppose that they
always do this?
S: Because they are metal… Because one of them has metal in it. I think that they
always do this when they touch each other.
T: A magnet is an object that produces a magnetic field. We can’t see its magnetic
field because it is invisible but what its magnetic field does is it pulls on other
magnetic materials, like iron and attracts or repels other magnets.
Guided Practice
Split the class into small groups of two to three students. Alex, an ELL student, will
be placed in the group of three (if there are an odd number of students) so that he can
have double the help and he will also be assisted by his Para to help him
communicate more easily with his group members. John, a student who often leaves
the room for medical reasons, will be paired with Sam and one other student. This
will be done so that if John must leave the room, Sam will not be left to continue the
experiment on his own and so that Sam and John’s other partner will be able to fill
John in on any portions of the experiment that he might miss. John will use his quiet
signal to notify that he has to leave the classroom. Lisa, a wheelchair bound student,
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will work in a group of two or three at a table, which is lower, so that she can easily
access all materials and actively participate in the experiment.
Each group will be provided with a pair of bar magnets that have the N and S stamps
on the ends of the bars which are covered with masking tape.
T: Boys and girls, once you have both of the bar magnets you can begin observing
the two magnets by moving them around one another and gently touching them to
one another.
T: Pay attention to how the magnets behave and how they move!
T: I will be passing out one crayon to each group, what you need to do is take ONE
of your magnets and draw the letter X on one end of it and the letter O on the other
end.
Draw the following on the board to demonstrate:
Begin passing out one dark crayon to each group.
T: Remember that you are taking ONE of your magnets and on one end writing the
letter X and on the other end of the same magnet you will write the letter O (while
pointing to the drawing on the board).
T: I will know that everyone is ready to move on to the next instruction once I see all
eyes on me.
T: Next, place the magnet which you just labeled with the letters X and O on the
table and take the other magnet and move it toward the X end of the magnet which
you just labeled.
T: Raise your hand if the unlabeled end of the magnet is pushing the X labeled end
of the other magnet away.
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Allow the students some time to conduct this and raise their hands.
T: If the end of the unlabeled magnet is pushing the X end of the magnet away then
they need to label that end of the unlabeled magnet X.
T: Raise your hand if the unlabeled end of the magnet is being pulled by the X
labeled end of the other magnet toward it.
Allow the students some time to conduct this again and raise their hands.
T: If the end of the unlabeled magnet is being pulled toward the X end of the labeled
magnet then you will draw an O on that end of the magnet.
T: Raise both of your hands if you need help figuring out which letter should be
labeled on the unlabeled magnet.
Go around and assist the students that raise their hands at this point.
T: Continue exploring with the magnets for a few more minutes and make sure that
you and your partner are talking about what you are noticing!
Independent Practice
T: Boys and girls, now that you have explored your magnets for a while, I am going
to hand each pair a worksheet with a few questions to answer about what you have
discovered! Be sure to work together and share what you noticed!
Hand each group one Magnetic Movements! Worksheet (Appendices DD & EE).
Alex will be given the worksheet in Spanish (Appendix EE) so that he can follow the
directions and work with his Para to communicate with his group members.
T: Don’t forget, you can explore more with your magnets while you are filling out
the worksheet! Raise your hand if you are confused about any of the questions on
the worksheet and I will come around and help you.
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Once all groups have finished filling out their Magnetic Movements Worksheets, ask
them to return to their seats and have the paper passer hand each student a What’s
Magnetic? Worksheet (Appendices BB & CC) Once again, Alex will receive a
Spanish version of the What’s Magnetic? Worksheet (Appendix CC), so that he can
fill it out on his own.
T: Boys and girls, you will fill out the next worksheet on your own. Follow the
directions on the What’s Magnetic? Worksheet and raise your hand if you have any
questions, you will have 8 minutes to fill out the worksheet.
Walk around and observe the students working on their worksheets. Use the Student
Participation Observation Rubric (Appendix D) to ensure all of the students are on
task. Answer any question that the students may have.
T: Four minutes left. If you finish the worksheet early, please take out your silent
reading books and read quietly until the entire class is finished with the worksheet.
Closure (Martin et al., 2009, p. 93)
T: Super scientists, can you tell me one thing that you learned today about
magnets?
S: They stick to metal objects! When ends are the same they push away from each
other.
T: What is the vocabulary word that we learned today that means to push away?
S: Repel!!!
T: Great, now what else did we all learn about magnets today?
S: If ends are different, they stick together!
T: What is the vocabulary word that we learned today that means to stick together?
S: Attract!
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T: Wonderful, I can see that you all have learned so much about magnets today!
Now that we know more about magnets, where can they be found in our everyday
lives?
S: In car doors, in cabinet doors, in the refrigerator door, stuck on cars like stickers!
T: What great examples! What are different things that are magnetic and are not
magnetic? Let’s make a list on the board!
Write “Magnetic” and “Not Magnetic” on the board and begins listing the students’
responses under the column they say.
S: Wood is not magnetic, the car is magnetic, a t-shirt is not magnetic, a book is not
magnetic, a hammer is magnetic, a nail is magnetic, my dog is not magnetic, and the
bottoms of our chairs and desks are magnetic!
T: Well is certainly seems like you are all ready to answer our focus questions for
today’s lesson! (Point at the focus questions on the board: Can I have a volunteer to
read our focus question to the class?
S: What is a magnet and what does it do?
T: Let’s think about our experiment today and what we learned that helps us to
answer this question.
S: A magnet is something that has a magnetic field that we can’t see! They attract
some types of metals, they stick together sometimes or they stick on metal!
T: Remember we can use our new vocabulary words!
S: Magnets attract or repel other magnets!
T: Great! Can I have a volunteer answer what are magnets used for?
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S: To stick things on the fridge, to hold things, to keep the refrigerator door shut
tight, to keep the cabinet doors closed, to hold papers up on the whiteboard!
T: What spectacular scientists I have in my classroom!! Now that we have learned
so much about magnets, I’m sure we will discover even more magnetic objects
around us so let’s keep our eyes peeled! Tomorrow we will continue our scientific
unit on matter; I have an exciting experiment planned for tomorrow! Thank you for
all of your hard work today. Please place your What’s Magnetic? Worksheets on
your desk, as well as your group’s Magnetic Movements! Worksheets. I will be
coming around to collect both worksheets and all science materials
Evaluation
Formative Assessment
Student Participation Observation Rubric (Appendix D)
This rubric allows the teacher to evaluate the students’ participation throughout
all aspects of the learning process using mainly observations. Rating on a scale
from 1-5 for categories including Respect, Communication, Preparedness, and
Openness to Learn, the teacher can evaluate the students’ involvement (on a 40
point scale) during all aspects of the lesson development. Rating on this scale
allows the teacher to track and compare the students’ growth in different
categories, determine the evolvement of science social skills, and provides
information to the extent of their participation. This rubric is able to be used for a
variety of science tasks and allows the teacher weigh each student against the
same data during each science lesson period.
What’s Magnetic? Worksheet (Appendices BB & CC)
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On this assessment task, the students will work individually to identify magnetic
objects on the worksheet according to their physical properties and knowledge
about magnets. This worksheet will be collected at the end of the lesson so that
the teacher can identify students that had difficulty classifying magnetic objects
can be met with individually. During independent time, the teacher can speak
with any student(s) that struggled with the worksheet to ensure that they gain an
understanding of what items would and would not be magnetic.
Magnetic Movements! Worksheet (Appendices DD & EE)
This assessment task will be answered in student groups and will be discussed
during the lesson. This worksheet allows the teacher to determine which groups
of students had difficulties predicting the behavior of two magnets when coming
into contact with one another. The students’ writing will help support their
explanations and thought process as they provide their own reasons why they
chose their answers. Students will have to apply their understanding of
magnetism and opposite poles from the experience they had during the
exploration when working with them. The students should understand that
magnet 1 and 2 would push away from one another as they get closer to one
another. Those groups with difficulty on this question would require planning a
time to meet with all students who need clarification during independent work
time.
Lesson 9 Pondering Properties of Density (Expected Performance)
Learner Background
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Students have previous experience sorting materials and testing whether these materials
or sink through simple tests performed in earlier grade levels. Students have sorted materials
into groups based on the physical properties they possess, while recognizing similarities and
differences amongst materials. Through these tests, students have had some experience
classifying and observing the properties that may cause an object to float or to sink. Students
have practiced using their five senses to observe, classify and sort materials, as well as made
predictions throughout their experiments.
Therefore, this lesson has been planned so that students will be able to apply their
general understanding of this content to aid their understanding of what types of matter sink
and what types of mattes float, while observing their properties. All of the students’ past
experiences of observing and classifying matter by its physical properties will help provide
them with the essential skills needed to perform the lesson. These skills will also provide the
students with a proper understanding and ability to answer the focus question.
Performance Objective
The third grade students will be able to observe, classify and analyze the physical
properties and states of matter for given materials.
Lesson Objectives
B1. [Students will be able to] sort and classify materials based on properties such as
dissolving in water, sinking and floating, conducting heat, and attracting to
magnets. (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 15)
Essential Question
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How does the structure of matter affect the properties and uses of materials?
(Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 15)
Focus Questions
Why do some objects float, while other objects sink?
¿Por qué algunos objetos flotan, mientras que otros objetos hunden?
Concept(s)
The density, or the mass of unit volume, of a substance determines whether an object
will sink or float in water. (Density, Encyclopædia Britannica Online, 2010)
Content
float, sink
flotar, hundir
Materials (Johnson, 2007, p. 1)
The Magic School Bus Ups and Downs: A Book
about Floating and Sinking by Cole, J. C., Mason,
J.B. & Degan, B.
Science Safety Rules (Appendices B & C)
Let’s Predict! Worksheet (Appendices FF & GG)
Float or Sink Worksheet (Appendices HH & II)
2 balloons
2 index cards
2 tea bags
2 combs
2 erasers
2 foam cups
Float or Sink Self-
Evaluation (Appendices JJ
& KK)
One pair of safety goggles
per student
One pair of gloves per
student
One apron per student
Science journals
Water
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1 large clear water-holding container
1 small clear water-holding
containers per group
2 chocolate eggs
2 containers of play dough
2 crayons
2 rubber bands
2 paper clips
2 cotton balls
2 apples
2 ice cubes
2 buttons
2 pennies
2 q-tips
2 rocks
2 keys
2 troll dolls
2 plastic eggs
2 plastic knives
1 colored pencil
1 nail
1 can of orange soda
1 can of diet coke
1 paper bag per group
1 Can of water
Whiteboard/Easel with
paper
Markers
Process Skills
B INQ.1 Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and the
environment.
B INQ.4 Employ simple equipment and measuring tools to gather data and extend
the senses.
B INQ.5 Use data to construct reasonable explanations.
B INQ.6 Analyze, critique and communicate investigations using words, graphs, and
drawings. (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 14)
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Instructional Sequence
Initiation
Write today’s focus question on the board before beginning the lesson: Why do
some objects float, while other objects sink? and ¿Por qué algunos objetos flotan,
mientras que otros objetos hunden?
Read the students the book The Magic School Bus Ups and Downs: A Book about
Floating and Sinking to introduce them to background information about the
concepts of floating and sinking.
Teacher (T): Super scientists, today we will be experimenting with many different
objects and testing to see whether they float or sink! We will use our five senses to
help us predict whether or not we think that different objects will float, or whether
we think that they will sink. What does it mean if something floats?
Students (S): It stays on top of water… it sits on water!
T: What does it mean if something sinks?
S: It doesn’t float! It falls to the bottom… It doesn’t sit on top of the water, it goes
under the water!
T: Great, I can see we already know a lot about floating and sinking!
T: Before we begin investigating floating and sinking, we need to be sure that we
practice safe experimenting today! The rules that we must follow during our lesson
to ensure that everyone stays safe are:
o Students will:
Wear safety goggles, aprons, and gloves at all times.
Wait for the teacher to give directions before handling materials.
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Keep the work area clean.
Will keep materials away from their faces and mouths.
Take turns exploring and experimenting.
Have fun exploring! (See Appendices B & C)
T: Now let’s get experimenting!
Lesson Development (Johnson, 2007, pp. 2-3)
On the board, make a quick sketch that look like the columns provided on the
student’s Let’s Predict! Worksheet (Appendices FF & GG).
T: Here, I have a clear container with water in it. I am going to take two items: a
colored pencil and a nail. (Hold the colored pencil and the nail in the air for
everyone to see.) Now I am going to write down what two objects I am about to test
on my chart. I am going to predict what I think will happen when I put each of these
objects into the container of water. Who knows what the word “predict” means?
S: To guess or to say what you think will happen!
T: Very good! I am going to look the colored pencil and the nail and observe their
physical properties, just like we observed the white mystery powders in a previous
lesson. I am going to look really closely at the colored pencil and the nail so that I
can make a good prediction. I think that the colored pencil will float and that the nail
will sink, so I am going to fill these predictions in on my chart! It looks like the
pencil is made of wood and I know I’ve seen a log float on a river before. The nail
seems a little heavy when I hold it, so I’m going to guess that is why it will sink.
T: Now I’m going to test the colored pencil to see if my prediction was right. (Put
colored pencil gently into water container and watch it.) It looks like my prediction
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was right! I’m going to now fill in my chart and record that on my first try the pencil
floated!
Make sure that the students have a clear view that the pencil was able to float.
T: Now I’m going to test my nail to see if my prediction was right. (Put nail gently
into water container and watch it.) It looks like my prediction for the nail was also
right! I’m going to now fill in my chart and record that on my first try the nail sank!
Make sure that the students have a clear view that the nail sank to the bottom.
T: I’m going to test the colored pencil and the nail once more to see if they act the
same way the second time because that will validate my results and prove they are
true! (Gently put colored pencil in water.) Wow, it’s floating again! Now, I will
record that into the 2nd Try column on my chart and I will test the nail a second
time. (Gently put nail in water) Look at how fast that sinks, wow! I’m going to
record that the nail sank again in the 2nd Try column on my chart!
The chart should look like the following:
Object Prediction 1st Try 2nd Try
Colored Pencil Float Floated Floated
Nail Sink Sank Sank
T: I am going to hand each of you a Let’s Predict! Worksheet and you will fill in the
chart just as I did on the board, raise your hands if you have any questions
throughout the experiment and I will come around and help. (Teacher passes out
Let’s Predict! Worksheets (Appendices FF & GG) to students and provides Alex
with one in Spanish (Appendix GG).
Group the students into groups of three or four and send them to their designated
work areas in the classroom to perform the experiment. Alex’s Para will sit with his
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group to provide support and translation when necessary. Lisa, a wheelchair bound
student, will have a group seated at a low table so that all of the materials will be
easily accessible to her. John, who needs to leave the room for medical reasons, will
be in Sam’s group near the classroom door so that if he needs to leave the room at
any time Sam can fill him in on what he has missed upon return.
T: Don’t forget to bring a pencil! Could each group choose one volunteer to come
up and get a paper bag and a clear container? (Point to the paper bags and clear
containers.)
The paper bags will each have nine different objects in them and some groups will
have some of the same items as other groups. Make sure to have the bags already
filled before the lesson begins.
T: Once everyone has returned to their groups and I see each group seated quietly I
will come around and put water into each of your plastic containers so that you and
your group members can begin experimenting!
Students will begin exploration and filling out their Let’s Predict! Worksheets
(Appendices FF & GG).
T: Spectacular scientists, please remember to work with just one object at a time and
remember to take turns experimenting! Raise your hands if you have any questions
and I will come around to assist you. You will have twenty minutes to explore the
nine items in your bag and fill out your worksheets.
The teacher will walk around to observe the students with the Student Participation
Observation Rubric (Appendix D) and answer any questions that the students may
have for the next fifteen minutes.
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T: Once your group has finished exploring all of your items and filling out your
worksheets, I will come around and pass out a Float or Sink Worksheet (Appendices
HH & II) for each of you to fill out. Follow the directions on the worksheet and use
your Let’s Predict! Worksheet to fill in the blanks! (Alex will receive a Spanish
version of this worksheet, as well – Appendix II).
T: Boys and girls please bring your two worksheets and join me at the carpet. Let’s
find out all of the objects each group had and which ones sank and which ones
floated! Take a look at your Float or Sink Worksheet and one group at a time will
share the items you had and whether they sank or floated! I’d like each group
member to tell us one or two of the items and what that item did. I will fill in a class
chart!
Chart will look like this: Floated Sank
Students will contribute responses about their findings. For example, some group
members would tell the teacher that the pennies sank, plastic eggs floated, apples
floated, and rocks sank.
Closure (Johnson, 2007, pp. 1-2)
T: We are going to do one last quick experiment. Here I have one can of orange
soda and one can of diet Coke. I am going to pour both cans of soda into this big
clear container of water. Do you predict that the sodas will sink or float? Let’s make
predictions. Raise your hand if you predict that the sodas will sink.
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Some students will raise their hand and the teacher should create a tally on the board
or have the students come up to mark their tallies to practice that mathematics skill.
T: Alright, now who predicts that the sodas will float?
Once again, tally the responses of the students.
T: Let’s see if our predictions were right!
Pour both cans of soda slowly into the water. Allow time for them to separate and
the students to observe what had occurred.
Ask the students for predictions and hypotheses as to why they think this separation
may have happened with the orange soda sinking to the bottom and the diet Coke
floating before explaining.
T: The orange soda sank to the bottom because it has a lot of sugar in it and sugars
are heavy. The diet coke floated because it has artificial sweeteners, which are much
lighter than the sugar in the orange soda! Now, using the knowledge you have
gained from today’s experiments, please place your worksheets in a pile here (Point
to the table) and return to your seats to take out your science journals.
Allow them to return to their seats and get out their science journals.
T: In your journals, write two to three sentences to answer today’s focus question:
Why do some objects float, while other objects sink? or ¿Por qué algunos objetos
flotan, mientras que otros objetos hunden? You will have eight minutes to record
your answer in your journals and please work individually.
Allow the students some time to consider and complete their responses.
T: Boys and girls, when you have finished recording in your journals, please close
them and take out your silent reading book until everyone is ready to move on to our
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next lesson!
T: (Once everyone has completed their journal entries) I noticed that everyone
worked extremely well and cooperatively today in our small groups. We learned a
great deal about floating and sinking. Can I have a volunteer to remind me what it
means to float?
S: To sit on top of the water or not to sink.
T: What do you think makes different objects able to float?
S: They are lighter than water! They have wood on them…They have air inside of
them!
T: Very good! Now could someone remind me what it means to sink?
S: To fall underneath the water… To get really wet! To sit on the bottom or to drop
under the water.
T: Alright, so you’re saying objects go underneath the water when they sink, right?
S: Yes!
T: So what do you think makes different objects sink?
S: They are too heavy for the water…They are metal. They don’t have air in them!
T: Those are great considerations. I can see we learned all about floating and sinking
today in our lesson, let’s clap for our success!
Have the students complete the Float or Sink Self-Evaluation in order for them to
evaluate their progress, understanding, and participation during the lesson. Collect
them when they are finished filling them out.
Evaluation
Formative Assessment(s)
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Float or Sink Self-Evaluation (Appendices JJ & KK)
This assessment task will be answered by the students at the end of the lesson so
that they can self-evaluate their class work throughout the lesson, as well as their
participation and cooperation. This worksheet allows the teacher to determine
which groups of students had difficulties by what the students report, as well as
compare the students’ views of their participation to that observed by the teacher.
The students will evaluate themselves on 10-point scale on a variety of areas,
including working with the materials, completing the two worksheets, recording
and describing data in their journals, practicing important safety rules, discussing
ideas and results with the class, working well with classmates, using time well,
and learning from this lesson.
Lesson 10 Summing Up Matter (Summative Assessment)
Theme Our Physical World
Unit of Study Properties of Matter
Content Standards
National
Content: Physical Science Content Standard B. As a result of the activities
grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of:
o Properties of objects and materials
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o Light, Heat, Electricity, and Magnetism (National Research Council,
1996, p. 123)
Concepts which support the Standards:
o Objects have many observable properties, including size, mass,
weight, shape, color, temperature, and the ability to react with other
substances. These properties can be measured using tools, such as
rulers, balances and thermometers.
o Objects are made of one or more materials, such as paper, wood, and
metal. Objects can be described by the properties of the materials
from which they are made, and these properties can be used to separate
or sort a group of objects or materials.
o Materials exist in different states—solid, liquid, and gas. Some
common materials, such as water, can be changed from one state to
another by heating or cooling.
o Magnets attract and repel each other and certain kinds of metals.
(National Research Council, 1996, p. 127)
Connecticut State Standards
Content: 3.1 Materials have properties that can be identified and described
through the use of simple tests. (Connecticut State Department of
Education, 2007, p. 15)
Concepts which support the Standard:
o B1. Sort and classify materials based on properties such as dissolving
in water, sinking and floating, conducting heat, and attracting to
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magnets.
o B2. Heating and cooling cause changes in some of the properties of
materials. (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 15)
Performance Objective
The third grade students will be able to observe, classify and analyze the physical
properties and states of matter for given materials.
Essential Question
How does the structure of matter affect the properties and uses of materials?
(Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 15)
Materials
Science Safety Rules (Appendices B & C)
Student Participation Observation Worksheet (Appendix D)
Properties of Matter Summative Assessment Worksheet (Appendices LL & MM)
Corrected Properties of Matter Summative Assessment (Appendix NN)
Properties of Matter Teacher Performance Task Instructions (Appendix OO)
One pair of safety goggles per student
One pair of gloves per student
One apron per student
Paper
Post-it notes
Markers
Crayons
1 glass beaker
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Measuring cups
Water
1 hot plate per group
1 8oz. serving size packet of gelatin per group (different flavors/colors)
1 metal pan per group
1 wooden spoon per group
Refrigerator
Various cookie cutters
Paper plates
Magnets
Rulers
Pens/pencils
Process Skills
B INQ.1 Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and the
environment.
B INQ.3 Design and conduct simple investigations.
B INQ.4 Employ simple equipment and measuring tools to gather data and extend
the senses.
B INQ.5 Use data to construct reasonable explanations.
B INQ.6 Analyze, critique and communicate investigations using words, graphs, and
drawings.
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B INQ.9 Use measurement tools and standard units (e.g., centimeters, meters, grams,
kilograms) to describe objects and materials. (Connecticut State Department of
Education, 2007, p. 14)
Instructional Sequence
This lesson must occur in parts throughout the school day. It should be introduced
near the beginning of the school day and revisited to finish the assessment several
hours later after the gelatin exploration has set up in the refrigerator.
Initiation
Hang up the Science Safety Rules (Appendices B & C). Write the day’s essential
question on the board before beginning the lesson: How does the structure of matter
affect the properties and uses of materials? and ¿Cómo funciona la estructura de la
materia afecta a las propiedades y usos de los materiales?
Preparation: Around the room, there will be sheets of paper taped to bulletin boards
that have a lot of open area around them so our wheelchair bound student, Lisa, can
access them. The teacher will write “Matter/Materia”, “Solid/Sólido”,
“Liquid/Lìquido”, “Gas”, and “Properties of Matter/Propiedades de la Materia” on
them. Students will be divided up into groups and will perform a carousel activity
where they will write as many things that they know related to the topics on the
papers as they can. The groups will rotate between all of the topics while adding
more information. Their responses will be reviewed together as a whole class.
Teacher (T): Today, we are going to be wrapping up our unit on the “Properties of
Matter”. We have been exploring various ways to observe matter, experimenting
with its states, and designing experiments to uncover its physical properties. Right
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now, we’re going to do an activity to review what we have been learning the past
two weeks. I’m going to separate you all into groups and you will go around the
room with a pad of Post-it notes and you will write down any words or phrases that
you remember about the topic. Our topics are “Matter/Materia”, “Solid/Sólido”,
“Liquid/Lìquido”, “Gas”, and “Properties of Matter/Propiedades de la Materia”.
You can post the note on the wall. When I let you know, you will move around to
your left to the next topic. Once every group has visited them, we will go over your
responses as a class.
Group the students into groups of three or four and send them to their designated
work areas in the classroom to perform the experiment. Alex, an ELL student, will
have his Para work with his group to provide support, explanations, and translation
when he wants to communicate with his group mates. Lisa, a wheelchair bound
student, will have be provided with easy access to all designated areas. John, who
needs to leave the room for medical reasons, will be in Sam’s group so that if he
needs to leave the room at any time Sam can fill him in on what he has missed upon
return.
Allow the students to have time to go off into their sections around the room and
begin to brainstorm ideas about each topic. Walk around and observe the students
with the Student Participation Observation Rubric (Appendix D) for cooperation and
collaboration of ideas. After 3-5 minutes at each station, allow the students to rotate
to the next topic. This continues until students have visited every topic.
T: Now that you all have each had a chance to visit all of the topics. I would like one
volunteer from each area to read me what all of us have written on the wall for that
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word. Let’s start with “Matter”.
S: Matter… is all around us… has mass… comes in different states… can be solid,
liquid, or gas… can sink… can’t be created or destroyed… has different properties…
can be invisible… can be magnetic… can float… can be observed with our senses…
T: Those responses provide a great summary of what matter is. Can I have a
member from “Solids” to read the responses?
S: Solids… are hard… don’t change shape… can float… sometimes stick to
magnets… can sink… can be heavy or light… can be all different shapes… can
move to different containers, but look the same… can melt into liquids
T: A member from the “Liquids” group can now share those Post-its…
S: Liquids… are squishy… move around a lot in their container… get hard when
they are frozen… can drip… feel wet… don’t hold a shape… turn into gas when
they are hot… are things like water or juice… can have gas bubbles inside like soda
T: I love how some of the responses mentioned the ways that liquids can change
their state of matter depending on whether they are heated or cooled. “Gas” can now
share their responses…
S: Gases… are usually invisible… fill up every space… are everywhere… can be
felt moving when there’s wind… don’t have a shape… spread out really wide… can
become liquid when they get colder…
T: Lastly, our “Properties of Matter group can share the responses for that topic.
S: Properties of matter… can be observed… can be how strong something is… are
found using our five senses… can mean something is magnetic or not… can be how
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heavy stuff is… sometimes need to be tested… let us know whether something floats
or sinks… can be the temperature… can be what we see… can be what size it is…
Have the students collect the Post-it notes and the paper topics off the wall and
return to their seats in the classroom.
T: You all did a wonderful job participating in that review. Today to finish our unit,
we are going to be performing an experiment in two parts to answer our focus
question: How does the structure of matter affect the properties and uses of
materials? or ¿Cómo funciona la estructura de la materia afecta a las propiedades y
usos de los materiales? You all will be in groups to test and observe, but you will
have worksheets that you will be working on individually as you complete the
assignment. You must follow my directions very carefully today as we are testing
because we are going to need to be safe, since we are working with a hot plate, and
because the worksheet needs to be completed in a certain way. Today, we have a
parent helper in the room to help all of the groups when they are working at the hot
plates. Let’s review our Science Safety Rules (Appendices B & C) before we begin:
o Students will:
Wear safety goggles, aprons, and gloves at all times.
Wait for the teacher to give directions before handling materials.
Keep the work area clean.
Will keep materials away from their faces and mouths.
Take turns exploring and experimenting.
Wash hands after exploration of a substance.
Have fun exploring!
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Lesson Development (Beacon Learning Center, 2003, pp. 2-3)
Provide each student with their own Properties of Matter Summative Assessment
Worksheet (Appendices LL & MM). Alex will be receiving a Spanish version of
the worksheet for him to use and understand more easily (Appendix MM). Have
them fill out their name and the date at the top of the paper. Reiterate that they
must follow the teachers’ directions closely today.
T: I will be separating you each into a group. If you are in Group One, you will join
me on this half of the room. If you are in Group Two, you are going to join the
parent volunteer on the other side of the room. We are going to be helping you all
use the hot plate so that you can all observe what is happening and record your
answers on the worksheets. (Note: The gelatin for parent volunteers group will be
different flavor/color than that of the teacher’s group.)
Divide the students in the class in half and send them to their designated work areas
in the classroom to perform the experiment. Alex’s Para will work with his group,
which will be with the teacher, to provide support, explanations, and translations.
He will be place so he can easily observe the experiment as it is happening to help
support his understanding of the task. Lisa, a wheelchair bound student, will have
be provided with open access to the teacher’s group, so that she can be given
enough space to view the experiment. When she is working, she will be provided
with lower adjustable tables to work at. John, who needs to leave the room for
medical reasons, will be provided with an individual experiment with the teacher
during another time if he has to leave the room at the point that the initial
demonstration occurs.
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One student from each group will have a volunteer measure 1 ¼ cup of water and
pour it into the glass beaker.
T: I would like each of you to observe the liquid that was just measured and poured
into the glass. Can you all answer Question #1 on your worksheets individually:
What state of matter is the water we just measured?
Student answers for Question #1 should recognize that the water is in a liquid state.
The measured water is placed onto a hot plate by the teacher. As the water boils,
have the teacher/parent volunteer supervise as to avoid risk of injury.
T: I would like you all to identify whether the steam is a solid, liquid, or gas for
Question #2. Please remember to think about the answers silently in your head and
mark it on the sheet on your own. Once you have selected the state of matter, I
would like you to write down your explanation for the reason that the substance
changed its state of matter on the lines below Question #3.
Student answers for Question #2 should recognize that the steam is a gas from the
evaporated water. For Question #3, students’ answers should be accepted if they
touch upon the fact that heating caused the change from a liquid into a gas.
Each group has one 8–serving size packages of gelatin. Allow one of the students to
pour the gelatin into one of the metal pans.
T: I would like to give you all some time to observe the properties of the powder
and the pan using some of our science tools: magnifying glasses, rulers, and
magnets. You can come up individually to make observations and mark notes on
the back of your worksheets if you would like.
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Properties of Matter
Students may like to note that the powder seems to be a solid and is dust like. They
may notice a scent or faint color in the gelatin. They can use the magnets to see that
it is not magnetic, but the pan they are using is. They may also take notes on the
size, shape, and color of the pan. They can also make similar observations of the
wooden spoon going to be used to stir the mixture.
After, the teacher/parent volunteer will carefully pour the boiling water into the
gelatin in the pan. This will be stirred for three minutes to ensure it is completely
dissolved. It is up to teacher discretion whether or not a student will be responsible
for stirring the mixture at this time.
T: Now that we have mixed these two substances together, I would like you all to
mark on your worksheets for Question #4 which state of matter the mixture is inside
of the pan. I will be collecting your worksheets as we complete this initial portion
of the exploration. When the mixture is ready in the refrigerator, we will continue
our observations later in the day.
Student answers for Question #4 should recognize that the mixture is now a liquid.
Once the students are finished answering that portion of their worksheet, collect the
worksheets for the time being while waiting for the finished gelatin jiggles. The
students will revisit them when the lesson is
Refrigerate them for at least 3 hours or until firm. (They should not stick to your
finger when touched). When firmed, dip bottom of pan in warm water about 15
seconds. Cut into decorative shapes with cookie cutters all the way through gelatin
or cut into 1-inch squares and triangles. Lift jiggles from the pan. Once the time
comes to re-start the lesson, students will each receive a small selection of jiggles
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Properties of Matter
(various colors/sizes/shapes) on their own individual plates. (Note: There may not
be enough jiggles for all of the students. The teacher can choose to have more
gelatin pre-made before the lesson. in order to have enough for all students come the
second half of the lesson.)
T: I’m going to pass out the worksheets that you all were working on earlier back to
you. I would like you to review your previous answers as I am now passing out a
plate, magnet, and ruler to each of you. I would like you to observe the materials
now on your plates. Remember that we are following the same safety rules that we
discussed at the start of the lesson: Students will wear safety goggles, aprons, and
gloves at all times; wait for the teacher to give directions before handling materials;
keep the work area clean; will keep materials away from their faces and mouths;
wash hands after exploration of a substance; and have fun exploring!
Provide the students their materials and walk around to observe the students
working individually. Remind the students that they are to text the materials with
the science tools provided and must keep their answers to themselves.
T: I know that we usually work in groups and discuss everything that we are
observing when we explore, but today is our opportunity to show our personal
observation and experimentation skills. I would like you all to identify the state of
matter of this new substance for Question #5. For Question #6, I would like you to
record your reasons as to why the mixture changed to this new state of matter on the
provided lines.
Student answers for Question #5 should recognize that the mixture is now a solid.
For Question #6, students’ answers should be accepted if they touch upon the fact
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Properties of Matter
that cooling caused the change from a liquid into a solid, which was provided by
refrigeration. They may also mention that the shapes were formed by a physical
change because the teacher punched out shapes with the cookie cutters.
T: I would like you all now to turn to the second page of the worksheets. For
Question #7, you will use your powers of observation that you have acquired as
spectacular scientists this semester to group the individual pieces of jiggles by their
physical properties. You can draw the pictures in the boxes provided using crayons.
Students will independently group the jiggles through illustration on their
worksheets for Question #7 by like shape/color/size/etc. Students could have two
groups (red and green, or squares and triangles) or could have 4 groups (red squares,
red triangles, green squares, and green triangles). With the use of a variety of cookie
cutters, the number of groups will be more numerous and varied between students.
Acceptable drawings will have all of the objects sorted and classified into groups by
a specific property.
T: On the following page, I would like you to write what you believe the jiggles are
made out of from what you have found during your observations with the science
tools. You can write your answers on the lines under Question #8.
For Question #8, students’ answers should be accepted if they describe it as a
composition of two or more ingredients in some logical manner. The purpose is to
know that students recognize they are made up of smaller parts put together (the
gelatin powder and the water).
T: For Question #9, you all should be able to describe on the lines why we can’t see
all the things that are in the shapes. Please take the time to answer that question now
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Properties of Matter
individually on your worksheets.
Students’ answers for this question should touch upon the fact that objects are made
up of small parts that are too small to be seen without magnification. Any
explanation that shows understanding of this concept should be accepted.
T: Now for Question #10, you will need to think back to our lesson on floating and
sinking. I would like you all to think about the properties you saw during this time
and use it to predict whether you think that the jiggles would float or sink if they
were placed in water and why. You can write your answers on the lines.
Provide students with time to consider this lesson. Acceptable answers would
include students supporting their reasons with reasonable explanations based on
observable properties. (i.e. The jiggles would float because of its small size and
weight. Therefore, it is lighter than the water it would be placed in.)
T: For the final question about today’s exploration, I would like you all to write on
the lines about which items used during this lesson were magnetic and how did you
determine that they were.
Acceptable student answers would include the metal pan used to pour hold the hot
gelatin mixture during refrigeration, the cookie cutters used, any spoons that may
have been metallic used throughout, and even the metal portions of their pencil
erasers. Students would have to justify this answer with the fact that these objects
are made of metal due to observed properties and/or that they tested them with the
magnets provided earlier in the lesson.
T: I’d like you all to answer the three following multiple choice questions about
matter. We need to think back to the beginning of the unit to remember what you
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Properties of Matter
learned about its structure. You will mark whether the statement is true or false.
Student answers for Question #12 should know that matter is anything that has mass
and mark it true; for Question #13, they should recognize that mass cannot be
created nor destroyed and mark false; and for Question #14, students should state
that a state of matter is a physical property and mark true.
T: Finally, we are going to finish today’s worksheets by answering the focus
question for today and the essential question of the unit on the lines: How does the
structure of matter affect the properties of materials? or ¿Cómo funciona la
estructura de la materia afecta a las propiedades de los materiales? You must
consider everything that we have reviewed throughout today’s lesson and your
knowledge on the properties of matter to complete the worksheet.
Students’ answers should reflect that the various states of matter (i.e. its structure)
have unique properties (i.e. liquids take the shape of their containers, have fluidity,
etc.) that would change what they observe during explorations.
Collect the worksheets when the students are finished completing them, which will
be evaluated after the end of the lesson according to the Completed Properties of
Matter Summative Assessment (Appendix NN).
Closure
T: Now that we have finished our worksheets, I would to review some of the things
that we have observed in our exploration of the jiggles today. When we first
measured out the water, what state of matter were we witnessing and how do we
know?
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Properties of Matter
S: It was a liquid because it was drippy and wet and took the shape of the containers
it was in as it was being poured!
T: When the water was turning to steam, what state of matter was now being shown
to use and how did this happen?
S: The steam was the water, but now it was a gas! It changed state because it was
being heated up by the hot plate!!
T: What state of matter was created when we poured the hot water over the powder
we put in our pans? What happened to the powder?
S: It looked like a liquid! The water was really hot and it made the powder melt to
become a liquid just like it.
T: Did any of you observe special properties in the materials we were using today?
S: The powder was really tiny and like dust... It smelled like grape soda to me!
The magnet stuck to the pan, but it wouldn’t pick up any of the powder or liquid. I
guess that means the powder wasn’t magnetic. The powder seemed a little purple in
color... The jiggles were firm, but they were squishy too…. I could move and bend
them a little before they broke. They held their shape though until I did that so I
thought they were a solid.
T: So, you say it became a solid. Do any of you have explanations as to how the
liquid we put in the refrigerator became the solid that you saw as jiggles?
S: I remember that when liquids are cooled down they can get solid and hard… This
is what happened when we put it in the fridge that’s pretty cold inside of it.
T: Can anyone tell me some of the ways you sorted your jiggles when you drew
your pictures?
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Properties of Matter
S: I remember that I had some purple and some red ones so I put them in two groups
by their color… I had some squares and circles, so I did it by shapes too!
T: Does anyone know what the jiggles were made out of?
S: I think they were Jell-o like my mom makes at home. The powder and the water
go together to make it that wiggly texture.
T: Can I have a show of hands who thought the jiggles would sink in water? Who
thought they would float?
Count the students who raised their hands and make a tally on the board.
T: Can I have some volunteers explain why you thought it would sink or float?
S: I thought it would float because it was really light. My pieces were small and
didn’t seem like they would be too heavy for water. I thought it would shape
because of its shape. It was a big block and it reminded me of some of the things
we used that sunk in yesterday’s lesson.
T: Did anyone find any materials today that thought were magnetic?
S: I know the pan was magnetic because it stuck to the magnet I had as a tool. That
must mean that it’s made out of metal. It felt like cold metal when I touched it too.
T: Since we reviewed this at the start of the lesson, I hope that you all remembered
the answers to the questions about matter! Matter IS anything that has mass. It is
one of our definitions. The other part of the definition is answered in the next
question. Matter CANNOT be created nor destroyed. Can I have a volunteer
explain to me this concept?
S: I remember when we poured the marbles from one container to another and
weighed them. Even though they moved from place to place, the weight of the cups
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Properties of Matter
showed us that it didn’t change at all so that means it we didn’t lose or create any.
T: And lastly, who would like to participate and share their thoughts on today’s
focus question: How does the structure of matter affect the properties of materials?
or ¿Cómo funciona la estructura de la materia afecta a las propiedades de los
materials?
S: I wrote that different materials come in different states. Each state of matter has
different properties to it. Solids are hard and don’t change shape, while liquids
move around a lot and gases do even more and are usually invisible! The properties
that I see when I observe materials depend on the state it is in.
T: Super scientists, you have all done a fantastic job using your skills of observation
throughout this unit to look and determine at the physical properties of matter. You
have been able to keep data on your findings and analyze your results, while
providing great explanations to questions about it. All of the skills you have
acquired are getting you on the right path to becoming professionals!
Evaluation
Summative Assessment
Performance Task
o The performance task for this lesson asks students to observe the properties
of provided substances as they undergo physical changes through the states
of matter (i.e. water, gelatin powder, etc.). Students will witness water
boiling, gelatin powder dissolving, and gelatin solidifying. Throughout this
exploration, they will observe properties to recognize the state of matter the
substance is in, as well as providing explanations behind their reasoning.
191
Properties of Matter
Students will sort the materials according to physical properties seen. They
will also use their knowledge of other physical properties (i.e. ability to float
and sink, magnetism, etc.) to determine what materials in the exploration
exhibit these properties.
Assessment for the Performance Task
o The assessment for this task is the Properties of Matter Summative
Assessment Worksheets (Appendices LL & MM). In these worksheets,
students will answer questions as they complete the performance task with
the teacher. The Performance Objective for this lessons states that the third
grade students will be able to observe, classify and analyze the physical
properties and states of matter for given materials. During the performance
task, students observe materials as they undergo physical changes to
different states of matter. After each of these changes, the students must
identify on worksheets which state of matter they are observing, according to
the physical properties seen and must provide an explanation to support their
selections. Students will also illustrate the materials in a provided table as
they sort and classify them according to physical properties that they have
the ability to choose. Students will also state other physical properties (i.e.
ability to float and sink, magnetism, etc.) seen within the materials and
provide explanations and analysis for their stated findings on the worksheet.
Scoring tool or rubric used to evaluate the Performance Task
o The scoring tool used to evaluate the Performance Task is the Corrected
Properties of Matter Summative Assessment (Appendix NN). This scoring
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Properties of Matter
tool is a copy of the original worksheet (Appendices LL & MM), but
provides the correct potential questions for the teacher to use as a reference
to evaluate the students’ answers. They will receive a score out of 30 points.
Students will receive 1 point for the multiple choice questions about
observing the states of matter, 2 points for extended response questions, 1
point for each correct classification illustration, 2 points for multiple choice
questions on the definitions of matter, and 4 points on their answer to the
unit’s essential question.
193
References
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Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington D.C.: Author.
Our Picnic, The Study of Matter. (2003). Retrieved Aug 10, 2010, from Beacon Learning Center:
http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/Documents/2954_3554.pdf
Bloom, B. S. (Ed.). (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives. New York: Longman.
Bloom, J. W. (2010). The really useful elementary science book. Routledge.
Burgstahler, S. (1996). Teaching lab courses to students with disabilities. Information
Technology and Disabilities, 3(2), 1-4. University of Washington.
Cobb, V., Darling, K. (1980). Bet you can’t: Science impossibilities to fool you. New York, NY:
Avon Books.
Cole, J. C., Mason, J.B., Degan, B. (1997). The magic school bus ups and downs: A book about
floating and sinking. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
Connecticut State Department of Education. (2004). Curriculum embedded science performance
task – Grade 3. Hartford, CT: Bureau of Curriculum and Instruction.
Connecticut State Department of Education. (2007). Core science curriculum framework.
Hartford, CT: Bureau of Curriculum and Instruction.
Conservation of mass. (2010). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved July 31, 2010, from
Encyclopædia Britannica Online:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/368167/conservation-of-mass
Cooperative and Collaborative Learning. (2004). From Concept to Classroom Professional
Development Series. Retrieved Aug 8, 2010, from the Thirteen Ed Online - Educational
Broadcasting Corporation:
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/coopcollab/index.html
Council of State Science Supervisors. (1999a). Science and safety: It’s elementary! Retrieved
Aug 7, 2010, from http://www.csss-science.org/safety.shtml.
Council of State Science Supervisors. (1999b). Science and safety: Making the connection.
Retrieved Aug 7, 2010, from http://www.csss-science.org/safety.shtml.
Craven, J. A. III, Hogan, T. (2001). Assessing student participation in the classroom. Science
Scope, 25(1), 36-40.
Density. (2010). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved Aug 4, 2010, from Encyclopædia
Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/157956/density
Eisenkraft, A. (2003). Expanding the 5E model. The Science Teacher, 70(6), 57-59. National
Science Teachers Association (NSTA).
Exploring States of Matter. (2010) Retrieved Aug 8, 2010, from HotChalk, Inc. Online:
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Gases, liquids, and solids. (2010). Retrieved Aug 5, 2010, from Purdue University Department of
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Heiligman, D. (1996). From caterpillar to butterfly. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.
Huitt, W. (2009). Bloom et al.'s taxonomy of the cognitive domain. Educational Psychology
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Johnson, L. (2007). Sink or float? Retrieved Aug 2, 2010, from USDA-NRCS South Missouri
Water Quality Project Earth Team Early Childhood Education Program Online:
http://www.mo.nrcs.usda.gov/out/Lesson%20Plans/SinkorFloat.pdf
National Academy of Sciences. (1996). Resources for teaching elementary school science.
Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
National Research Council. (1996). National science education standards. Washington, DC:
National Academy Press.
Mager, R. F. (1997). Preparing instructional objectives (3rd ed.). Atlanta, GA: CEP Press.
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activities. Retrieved Aug 9, 2010, from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Online:
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approach (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson Education.
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id=72
Appendix A
Annotated Reference List
Connecticut State Content Standards:
Properties of Matter – How does the structure of matter affect the properties and uses of
materials?
o 3.1 – Materials have properties that can be identified and described through the
use of simple tests.
- Heating and cooling causes changes in some of the properties of materials
o B1. Sort and classify materials based on properties such as dissolving in water,
sinking and floating, conducting heat, and attracting to magnets.
o B2. Describe the effect of heating on the melting, evaporation, condensation, and
freezing of water. (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 15)
Literature
Ross, M. E. (2007). What’s the matter in Mr. Whiskers’ room? Somerville, MA:
Candlewick Press.
In Mr. Whisker’s classroom, he believes that children should learn about science
through hands-on exploration and open-ended discovery. Throughout a series of eight
learning stations within his room and outside, he allows the children to explore matter—
from discovering that water takes up space to finding that a strange slimy green substance
wants to change from hard to soft and back. Throughout their discoveries, students
discover the phases of matter during their experimentation. The book demonstrates the
students thought processes and interaction with one another. It also provides notes to set
up the learning centers, “Big Idea” concepts for students to study, and supply
information. This book is helpful to outline an experimentation unit for student
exploration of the phases of matter. Aimed towards 4-10 year old students.
This book addresses B2 of the learning performance expectations of the unit’s
content standard through the way that it introduces a story about students experimenting
with simple tests to discover the effects on the properties of water and similar substances,
including its liquid, solid, and gaseous states.
Through the subject focus of this fiction book and the methodology that Mr.
Whiskers uses to teach his science lessons, this book provides examples for educators and
addresses NSTA’s Content Standard B: As a result of the activities in grades K-4, all
students should develop an understanding of properties of objects and materials; Content
Standard D: As a result of the activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an
understanding of properties of earth materials; Teaching Standard B: Teachers of science
guide and facilitate learning; Teaching Standard D: Teachers of science design and
manage learning environments that provide students with the time space, and resources
needed for learning science; and Teaching Standard E: Teachers of science develop
communities of science learners that reflect the intellectual rigor of scientific inquiry and
the attitudes and social values conducive to science learning.
Cole, J. C., Mason, J.B. & Degan, B. (1997). The magic school bus ups and downs: A
book about floating and sinking. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
When a “monster” is announced on a talk show, Ms. Frizzle chooses to explore Lake
Walkerville with her students. After changing the Magic School Bus into a Magic Bus-
Boat, they sink to the bottom of the lake to solve the mystery. Includes reaction letters
from the readers, which can inspire students to write letters to the author and editor of
this book. Includes an experiment for parents and educators to perform with their
children, which focuses on an objects’ ability to float or sink due to density or shape.
Aimed towards 6-10 year old students.
This book addresses B1 of the learning performance expectations of the unit’s
content standard through the way that it focuses on the sinking and floating properties of
an object (due to shape, density, etc.)
Through its discussion of water and the phenomena of sinking and floating, this book
addresses NSTA’s Content Standard B: As a result of the activities in grades K-4, all
students should develop an understanding of properties of objects and materials; and
Content Standard D: As a result of the activities in grades K-4, all students should
develop an understanding of properties of earth materials.
Mason, A. (2005). Touch it!: Materials, matter, and you. Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press,
Ltd.
This book outlines a series of experiments for teachers to use with young students on
the topic of physical properties of matter and sorting by physical properties (ex.
floatation, mass, magnetism, etc.). These hands-on activities include bright illustrations
to be used as lesson initiations with easy to understand explanations. The experiments
build upon one another, describe necessary materials, step-by-step instructions, and
reflective questions. Aimed towards 4-9 year old students.
This book addresses B2 of the learning performance expectations of the unit’s
content standard through the way that it provides simple tests for students to use to
discover the properties of materials, including sorting and classifying materials by these
physical properties and learning more about an object’s magnetism, floatation, and so
forth.
The book provides experiments for educators that address NSTA’s Content Standard
B: As a result of the activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding
of properties of objects and materials and light, heat, electricity, and magnetism;
Teaching Standard B: Teachers of science guide and facilitate learning; and Teaching
Standard D: Teachers of science design and manage learning environments that provide
students with the time space, and resources needed for learning science.
National Academy of Sciences. (1996). Resources for teaching elementary school
science. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
An annotated guide to over 350+ hands-on, inquiry-centered curriculum materials
and sources of information to assist teaching elementary school science from grades K-6.
Provides overviews of all scientific subject areas, including science materials, life
science, earth science, physical science, multidisciplinary, and applied sciences.
Teachers are given an extensive list of unit plans, lessons, books, materials, pricing, and
supplier information, Available for free viewing in PDF format:
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=4966&page=1
This book addresses B2 of the learning performance expectations of the unit’s
content standard through its section on "Physical Science," which includes materials,
books, and grade level focuses on topics such as electricity, heat, energy, magnetism, and
density.
This book covers nearly all of NSTA’s content standards for all scientific areas
through specific focus on productive experimentation, inquiry, and persistent problem
solving. In doing so for this unit, this book covers Content Standard B: As a result of the
activities in grades K-4, all students should develop an understanding of properties of
objects and materials; Content Standard D: As a result of the activities in grades K-4, all
students should develop an understanding of properties of earth materials; Teaching
Standard A: Teachers of science plan an inquiry-based science program for their students;
Teaching Standard B: Teachers of science guide and facilitate learning; Teaching
Standard D: Teachers of science design and manage learning environments that provide
students with the time space, and resources needed for learning science; Teaching
Standard E: Teachers of science develop communities of science learners that reflect the
intellectual rigor of scientific inquiry and the attitudes and social values conducive to
science learning; and Teaching Standard F: Teachers of science actively participate in the
ongoing planning and development of the school science program.
Bloom, J. W. (2010). The really useful elementary science book. Routledge
This book is for elementary teachers and it combats the question of how to introduce
students to science. It provides clear and concise explanations of key concepts across
many ranges and types of science. This book is organized around the National Science
Education Standards and it encompasses life sciences, ecological sciences, physical
sciences, and earth sciences. This book helps to educate teachers on science concepts so
to empower teachers to develop their own stimulating and learning-packed lessons and
activities to teach their students. Teachers now have a tool to help them feel confident to
branch out and teach science topics which they had in the past shied away from!
Cobb, V., & Darling, K. (1980). Bet you can’t: Science impossibilities to fool you. New
York, NY: Avon Books.
This book presents science experiments as fun challenges which helps to start
children out on the right foot when it comes to science since they enjoy the challenges.
The activities in this book can be used in the classroom for independent science centers
and as classroom experiments! Students learn to understand science and what it is/means
in a fun and creative way. All of the activities in the book require materials that are easy
to collect and find while the experiments both educate and entertain all involved.
Heiligman, D. (1996). From caterpillar to butterfly. New York, NY: HarperCollins
Publishers.
This book takes place in the classroom setting, which is helpful since students can
easily relate to the classroom environment. Children are able to learn about the magic of
butterflies and how they change form throughout their lives from caterpillars to
butterflies. The tone and flow of the book is so child-friendly and written at an
understandable level to young children that they don’t even realize that they are learning
from it. This book goes along great with the Live Butterfly Pavillion because the
butterflies in the kit go along with the butterflies in the book so the book helps to
reinforce the changes the kit demonstrated. This book is age appropriate for early
childhood and elementary grade students!
Seymour, S. (1992). Our solar system. Singapore: Tien Wa Press.
This book is filled with colorful photographs taken of our solar system from
spacecrafts and satellites which many children find intriguing. It is an informative
introduction to our solar system and is said to be an easy read for eight to ten year olds.
All writing is double spaced so that there is a lot of space around the text helping to not
detour young readers. This book teaches children about the planets and the moon in
relation to the solar system and one another and is highly recommended. Interesting facts
and information are paired with photographs taken from lunar missions, Voyager
missions, the Hubble Telescope and other sources.
Thomas, R. (2005). Twisters: A book about tornadoes. Minneapolis, MN: Picture
Window Books.
This book discusses tornadoes and how they are formed, various effects that they can
have as well as ways to stay safe. Children learn about what the weather is like prior to a
tornado and what to be aware of in this action-packed book about tornadoes. The text is
accompanied with illustrations to help demonstrate exactly what the text is discussing so
that children can follow along with both the text and the illustrations.
Appendix B
Student Safety Rules (English)
Science Safety Rules
Students will: Wear safety goggles, aprons, and
gloves at all times. Wait for the teacher to give
directions before handling materials. Keep the work area clean. Keep materials away from their faces
and mouths. Take turns exploring and
experimenting. Wash hands after exploration of a
substance.
Have fun exploring!
Appendix C
Student Safety Rules (Spanish)
Medidas de Seguridad la Ciencia
Lleve gafas de seguridad, los delantales, y los guantes siempre.
Espere a que el maestro para dar instrucciones antes de manejar materiales.
Mantenga el área de trabajo limpia. Mantenga materiales lejos de sus caras
y bocas. Túrnese explorando y experimentando. Lávese las manos después de la
exploración. ¡ Diviértase explorando!
Appendix D
Student Participation Observation Rubric
Participation Observation Rubric (____/40 pts)
Fails to meet expectations (1 pt) Meets Expectations (3 pts) Exceeds Expectations (5 pts)
Communication
Provides no oral or written evidence of understanding activity or discussion topics
Never or rarely raises relevant questions Never or rarely provides oral or written
communication
Occasionally participates in group discussions, but rarely initiates or accepts leadership role in group
Does not elaborate on his or her understanding Often does not complete expression of his or her
thoughts and ideas
Raises relevant questions and shares ideas with peers Offers clear and concise oral and written presentation
of personal ideas and understanding, indicating that time has been devoted to thinking about the topic
Sharing sources and resources
Never or rarely brings in outside resources that could enhance the learning experiences of others
Makes reference to outside sources of information and resources but does not take the initiative to bring them to class to share with others
Is unable to provide evidence that he or she has looked for outside sources
Brings sources of information to the class to share with teachers or peers
Brings resources such as activities, materials, or literature that can be used to extend the learning activities
Openness to learn
Rejects or dismisses class assignments as meaningless or boring
Cannot make connections between class requirements and goals of the instructor
Reluctantly accepts class assignments
Accepts class assignments and requirements with a positive attitude
Actively seeks (by asking questions or speculating) connections between course requirements & goals
Respect
Dismisses the thoughts and ideas of others; possibly uses rude or abusive language to ridicule
Offers ideas that are limited to his or her personal opinions
Is tolerant of others but often dominates group activity or discussion
Listens to the ideas of others but generally maintains personal views and ideas
Listens to others; encourages others to contribute ideas; accepts alternative perspectives; is tolerant of the shortcomings of others; and helps others to succeed in the class
Accepts & provides constructive criticism
Often or always rejects constructive criticism Offers no viable alternatives to others’ suggestions
Accepts constructive criticism but does not incorporate it for improving targeted behaviors
Positively accepts constructive criticism and incorporates it into his or her approach to learning
Offers constructive criticism and critiques, including viable suggestions for improvement to peers
Academic preparedness
Is unable to respond correctly to questions regarding required readings
Offers responses that are consistently wrong or meaningless
Expresses surprise or confusion when probed for his or her understanding
Refers to concepts or topics related to the activity or discussion topic but provides incomplete written or oral responses
Expresses opinions that may have merit but is unable to support them with evidence from classroom work
Refers to relevant literature or readings to support ideas and arguments during discussions
Demonstrates awareness of course and teacher expectations
Material preparedness
Consistently is unprepared for class
Regularly forgets some materials or does not prepare fully; or prepares for class but is unable to retrieve his or her materials without disruption
Makes class materials readily available and accessible without causing interruption of activities or discussions
Class Presence
Sits passively in class Does not participate in group discussions Does not pay attention to classroom activities
Occasionally participates in group discussions Provides ideas or comments that are largely
restricted to reiterations of others’ ideas or comments
Frequently volunteers to participate in classroom activities
Demonstrates his or her focus on classroom activities by appropriate eye contact and alert posture
Derived from: Craven, J. A. III, and Hogan, T. (2001). Assessing student participation in the classroom. Science Scope, 25(1), 36-40.
Appendix E
Competing Cookies Letter Scoring Rubric
3 Points o Development: The writer identifies the criteria outlined when their group determined the
best cookie and describes the properties exhibited by the cookie their group had chosen.o Organization: The writer presents an organizational plan to their letter that is logical and
consistently maintained and utilizes a letter template.o Attention to Audience: The writer effectively addresses the cookie company throughout
their letter.
2 Points o Development: The writer identifies some of the criteria outlined when their group
determined the best cookie and describes some of the properties exhibited by the cookie their group had chosen.
o Organization: The writer presents an organizational plan that is logical and maintained, but with minor flaws. There may be minimal portions missing from the letter template.
o Attention to Audience: The writer adequately addresses the cookie company throughout their letter.
1 Point o Development: The writer identifies minimal criteria from when their group determined
the best cookie. The writer tries to describe some of the properties exhibited by the cookie their group had chosen.
o Organization: The writer presents an organizational plan that is only generally maintained and may be missing a portion of the letter template.
o Attention to Audience: The writer minimally addresses the cookie company throughout their letter.
0 Points o Development: The writer identifies ambiguous or no relevant criteria from when their
group determined the best cookie and/or fails to describe the properties exhibited by the cookie their group had chosen.
o Organization: The writer presents their writing illogically and/or does not use the letter template to organize their letter.
o Attention to Audience: The writer seldom, if ever, addresses the cookie company throughout their letter.
Appendix F
Competing Cookies Recording Sheet (English)
Competing Cookie Recording SheetCookie #1 Cookie #2 Cookie #3
Observations Observations Observations
Draw Draw Draw
What physical properties of the cookie will determine the criteria for the “best cookie”? Why? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Physical Properties of a Chocolate Chip Cookie
Appendix G
Competing Cookies Recording Sheet (Spanish)
Observaciones de GalletasGalleta #1 Galleta #2 Galleta #3
Observaciones Observaciones Observaciones
Dibuje la galleta Dibuje la galleta Dibuje la galleta
¿Qué propiedades físicas de la galleta determinarán los criterios para la "mejor galleta"? ¿Por qué?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Propiedades físicas de una galleta con chispas de chocolate
Appendix H
What’s the Matter? Worksheet (English)
Appendix H (continued)
What’s the Matter? Worksheet (English)
Appendix I
What’s the Matter? Worksheet (Spanish)
Appendix I (Continued)
What’s the Matter? Worksheet (Spanish)
Appendix J
What’s the Matter? Corrected Worksheet
Appendix J (continued)
What’s the Matter? Corrected Worksheet
Appendix K
What’s the Matter? Rubric
Appendix L
Solids, Liquids, and Gases! Worksheet (English)
Appendix L (continued)
Solids, Liquids, and Gases! Worksheet (English)
Appendix L (continued)
Solids, Liquids, and Gases! Worksheet (English)
Appendix M
Solids, Liquids, and Gases! Worksheet (Spanish)
Appendix M (continued)
Solids, Liquids, and Gases! Worksheet (Spanish)
Appendix M (continued)
Solids, Liquids, and Gases! Worksheet (Spanish)
Appendix N
Mystery Materials Walk Worksheet (English)
Appendix N (continued)
Mystery Materials Walk Worksheet (English)
Appendix N (continued)
Mystery Materials Walk Worksheet (English)
Appendix N (continued)
Mystery Materials Walk Worksheet (English)
Appendix N (continued)
Mystery Materials Walk Worksheet (English)
Appendix O
Mystery Materials Walk Worksheet (Spanish)
Appendix O (continued)
Mystery Materials Walk Worksheet (Spanish)
Appendix O (continued)
Mystery Materials Walk Worksheet (Spanish)
Appendix O (continued)
Mystery Materials Walk Worksheet (Spanish)
Appendix O (continued)
Mystery Materials Walk Worksheet (Spanish)
Appendix P
Mystery Materials Walk Teacher Reference Sheet
Mystery Materials Reference Sheet
1.) Peach pit Solid
2.) Cup of honey Liquid
3.) Tub of Cool Whip Liquid/Gas
4.) Pen spring Solid
5.) Spray can top Solid
6.) Jar of lemonade Liquid
7.) Balloon with helium in it Solid/Gas
8.) Soda in a cup Liquid/Gas
9.) Bowl of clay Solid
10.) Brick of dry ice Gas/Solid
11.) Thread of yarn Solid
12.) Kickball Solid/Gas
13.) Clump of moss Solid
14.) Ball of mozzarella Solid
15.) Ball of pizza dough Solid
Appendix Q
Ice Observations! Worksheet (English)
Appendix Q (continued)
Ice Observations! Worksheet (English)
Appendix R
Ice Observations! Worksheet (Spanish)
Appendix R (continued)
Ice Observations! Worksheet (Spanish)
Appendix S
Chocolate Observations! Worksheet (English)
Appendix S (continued)
Chocolate Observations! Worksheet (English)
Appendix T
Chocolate Observations! Worksheet (Spanish)
Appendix T (continued)
Chocolate Observations! Worksheet (Spanish)
Appendix U
Changing Matter Letter Scoring Rubric
3 Points o Development: The writer identifies three or more points in their letter to explain how
matter changes from one state to another with support from their past experiences.o Organization: The writer presents an organizational plan to their letter that is logical and
consistently maintained and utilizes a letter template. o Attention to Audience: The writer effectively addresses their friend throughout their
letter.
2 Points o Development: The writer identifies only two points in their letter to explain how matter
changes from one state to another with only some support from their past experiences.o Organization: The writer presents an organizational plan that is logical and maintained,
but with minor flaws. There may be minimal portions missing from the letter template. o Attention to Audience: The writer adequately addresses their friend throughout their
letter.
1 Point o Development: The writer identifies only one point in their letter to explain how matter
changes from one state to another. There may be recognizable difficulty with the concept or minimal support from past experiences.
o Organization: The writer presents an organizational plan that is only generally maintained and may be missing a portion of the letter template. The writer only includes one point in their letter.
o Attention to Audience: The writer minimally addresses their friend throughout their letter.
0 Points o Development: The writer identifies ambiguous or no relevant points in their letter to
explain how matter changes from one state to another. There is little to no support from their past experiences.
o Organization: The writer presents their writing illogically and/or does not use the letter template to organize their letter.
o Attention to Audience: The writer seldom, if ever, addresses their friend throughout their letter.
Appendix V
Changing Matter Letter Instructions (English/Spanish)
Letter to a Friend
Answer the following: How can matter change from one state to another?
Be VERY detailed and include AT LEAST 3 examples to support your points.
Use today’s experiments, previous experiments and any general knowledge that you have about how matter changes states to write your letter!
Carta a un amigo Responda a las siguientes: ¿Cómo se puede cambiar la
materia de un estado a otro?
Ser muy detallados e incluyen POR LO MENOS 3 ejemplos para apoyar sus puntos.
¡Uso de hoy los experimentos , los experimentos anteriores y de cualquier conocimiento general que tener acerca de cómo ésta cambia los estados de escribir su carta!
Appendix W
Our Findings! Worksheet (English)
Appendix W (continued)
Our Findings! Worksheet (English)
Appendix X
Our Findings! Worksheet (Spanish)
Appendix X (continued)
Our Findings! Worksheet (Spanish)
Appendix Y
Soggy Paper Worksheet (English)
Name: _____________________________________ Date: ________________________
Soggy Paper1. Record your words and drawings in the following table:
PAPER TYPEProperties Observed Without
MagnifierProperties Observed
With Magnifier
Paper towel
Tissue
Napkin
2.Which properties might be related to how well the paper can hold water? This property is called “absorbency”. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Predict which paper type might hold the most water, and which may hold the least water:
Most: __________________________ Least: ____________________________
I think this because I noticed that _________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Appendix Y (continued)
Soggy Paper Worksheet (English)
Record the number of squares you use for each paper type in a data table:
Type of Paper
Amount of Water Spilled
Number of Squares
Used
Paper Towel
25 mL
Tissue 25 mL
Napkin 25 mL
Graph Your Data:
Make a bar graph to compare how many squares of each paper type were needed to absorb 25
mL of water:
Water Absorbency of Different Paper Types
Appendix Y (continued)
Soggy Paper Worksheet (English)
Think About Your Data:
1. Which paper type used the fewest squares to soak up all the water? __________
Which paper type used the most squares to soak up all the water? ___________
2. Which paper type is the most absorbent? __________
Which paper type is the least absorbent? ___________
Explain your conclusion: _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Nu
mb
er
of
Sq
ua
res
Us
ed
Towel Tissue Napkin
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Type of Paper
3. What properties did the absorbent paper have that the less absorbent paper did not have? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Design your own paper strength test and explain the steps taken.
Record in a data table:
Type of Paper
Amount of Water
Drops
Number of
Marbles
Paper Towel
Tissue
Napkin
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Appendix Z
Soggy Paper Worksheet (Spanish)
Papel Empapado1. OBSERVE las propiedades de diferentes papeles con y sin la lupa de mano. Anote sus
palabras y dibujos en la siguiente tabla:
TIPO DE PAPEL
Propiedades Observadas sin la Lupa
Propiedades Observadas con la Lupa
Papel Toalla
Pañuelo de Papel
Servilleta
2. ¿Cuáles propiedades pudieran estar relacionadas con cuan bien el papel pudiera aguantar el agua? Esta propiedad es llamada “absorbencia”. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3. Prediga cual tipo de papel pudiera aguantar la mayor cantidad de agua, y cual pudiera aguantar la menor cantidad de agua.
Mayor: __________________________ Menor: ____________________________
Yo creo esto porque noté que __________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Appendix Z (continued)
Soggy Paper Worksheet (Spanish)
Anote el número de cuadros de papel utilizados para cada tipo de papel, en una tabla de datos.
Tipo de Papel
Cantidad de Agua
Derramada
Número de Cuadros
Utilizados
Papel Toalla
25 mL
Pañuelos de Papel
25 mL
Servilletas 25 mL
Dibuje sus Datos:Haga una gráfica de datos para comparar cuantos cuadros de cada tipo de papel se necesitaron para absorber 25mL de agua:
La Absorbencia de Agua de Diferentes Tipos de Papel
Nú
me
ro d
e C
ua
dro
s U
tiliz
ad
os
Toalla Pañuelos Servilletas
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Tipo de Papel
Appendix Z (continued)
Soggy Paper Worksheet (Spanish)
Piense Acerca de sus Datos:
2. ¿Cuál tipo de papel utilizó la menor cantidad de cuadros para absorber toda el agua? __________
¿Cuál tipo de papel utilizó la mayor cantidad de agua para absorber toda el agua? __________
4. ¿Cuál tipo de papel es el más absorbente? __________
¿Cuál tipo de papel es el menos absorbente? ___________
Explique su conclusión:________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. ¿Qué propiedades tenía el papel absorbente que no tuvo el papel menos absorbente? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Diseñe su propia prueba de fuerza de papel y explicar las medidas adoptadas.
Anote el número en una tabla de datos.
Tipo de Papel
Cantidad de Agua Gotas
Número de Canicas
Papel Toalla
Pañuelos de Papel
Servilletas
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Appendix AA
Soggy Paper Instructions (Spanish)
Papel Empapado Instrucciones
1. Rotule 3 vasos plásticos “toalla”, “pañuelo” y “servilleta”. Usted usará los
vasos para almacenar los cuadros húmedos de papel.
2. Mida 25 mililitros (mL) de agua en el cilindro graduado. Decida cual papel
usted desea examinar primero.
3. Derrame 25 mL de agua en el plato de plástico.
4. Coloque un cuadro de papel sobre el agua derramada, y déjelo allí hasta que
usted pueda decir que no está absorbiendo mas agua.
5. Recoja el cuadro de papel con las pinzas, y sosténgalo sobre el plato hasta
que pare de gotear. Coloque el cuadro de papel húmedo en el vaso
rotulado.
6. Manténgase utilizando cuadros hasta que no haya mas agua en el plato.
7. Cuente cuantos cuadros de papel utilizó para recoger toda el agua
derramada. Anote el número de cuadros de papel utilizados para cada tipo
de papel, en una tabla de datos.
8. Repita los pasos 3 al 7 con los otros tipos de papel.
Appendix BB
What’s Magnetic? Worksheet (English)
Appendix CC
What’s Magnetic? Worksheet (Spanish)
Appendix DD
Magnetic Movements! Worksheet (English)
Appendix EE
Magnetic Movements! Worksheet (Spanish)
Appendix FF
Let’s Predict! Worksheet (English)
Appendix GG
Let’s Predict! Worksheet (Spanish)
Appendix HH
Float or Sink Worksheet (English)
Appendix II
Float or Sink Worksheet (Spanish)
Appendix JJ
Float or Sink Student Evaluation Sheet (English)
Name: _______________________________________ Date: _________________________
Float or Sink Self-EvaluationB1. [Students will be able to] sort and classify materials based on properties such as dissolving in water, sinking and floating, conducting heat, and attracting to magnets. (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 15)
Worked with the materialsMessy Always careful
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Filled out the two worksheetsWrote a little Wrote a lot
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Recorded and described in my journalWrote a little Wrote a lot
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Practiced important safety rulesSome of the time All of the time
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Discussed ideas and results with the classSome of the time All of the time
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Worked well with classmatesSome of the time All of the time
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Used time wellWasted time Worked hard
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Learned from this lessonLearned a little Learned a lot
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Things I liked or did well: _______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Things I did not like: ____________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Appendix KK
Float or Sink Student Evaluation Sheet (Spanish)
Nombre: ______________________________________ Fecha: _______________________
Flotan o se Hunden AutoevaluaciónB1. [Los estudiantes serán] clase capaz y clasifican los materiales basados en características tales como disolver en agua, hundirse y flotación, calor que conduce, y atracción a los imanes. (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2007, p. 15)
Trabajado con los materiales Desordenado Siempre cuidadoso
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Completadas las dos hojas de trabajo Escribió un poco Escribió mucho
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Registrado y descrito en el diario Escribió un poco Escribió mucho
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Reglas importantes practicadas de la seguridadParte del tiempo Todo el tiempo
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Ideas y resultados discutidos con la claseParte del tiempo Todo el tiempo
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Trabajado bien con compañeros de clase Parte del tiempo Todo el tiempo
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Se utiliza bien el tiempoPerdió el tiempo Todo el tiempo
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Aprendimos de esta lecciónAprendido un poco Todo el tiempo
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Cosas que me han gustado o le fue bien: ____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Cosas que no me gustó: __________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Appendix LL
Properties of Matter Summative Assessment (English)
Name: _______________________________________ Date: _________________________
Properties of MatterSummative Assessment
Listen as your teacher reads each question. Then color the ball by the correct answer, or write your answer in the blank.
1. What state of matter is the water we just measured?
O A. solid O B. liquid O C. gas
2. What state of matter is the steam coming from the boiling water?
O A. solid O B. liquid O C. gas
3. Why did it change its state of matter? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What state of matter is in the bowl after water and gelatin are mixed?
O A. solid O B. liquid O C. gas
5. What state of matter are the Jiggles shapes?
O A. solid O B. liquid O C. gas
6. What made the mixture change into this new state of matter? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Appendix LL (continued)
Properties of Matter Summative Assessment (English)
7. Show that you can group the Jiggles shapes. Draw the groups in the boxes.
I can group the Jiggles shapes like this.
This is a different way I can group the Jiggles shapes.
Appendix LL (continued)
Properties of Matter Summative Assessment (English)
8. What are the Jiggles shapes made of? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. Why can’t we see all the things in the Jiggles shapes? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10. Do you believe that the Jiggles shapes would float or sink? Why?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
11. What objects from this lesson were magnetic? How do you know? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
12. Matter is anything that has mass.
O TrueO False
13. Mass can be created or destroyed.
O TrueO False
14. The state of matter is one type of physical property.
O TrueO False
15. How does the structure of matter affect the properties of materials?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Appendix MM
Properties of Matter Summative Assessment (Spanish)
Nombre: _____________________________________ Fecha: ________________________
Propiedades de la MateriaEvaluación de Summative
Escuche como su maestro lee cada pregunta. Entonces colore el círculo por la respuesta correcta, o escriba su respuesta en el blanco.
1. ¿En qué estado de la materia es el agua que acabamos de medir?
O A. sólido O B. líquido O C. gas
2. ¿Qué estado de asunto viene el vapor del agua hirviente?
O A. sólido O B. líquido O C. gas
3. ¿Por qué cambió sus estado de la materia?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. ¿En qué estado de la materia es en el cuenco después de agua y la gelatina se mezclan?
O A. sólido O B. líquido O C. gas
5. ¿En qué estado de la materia son los Jiggles formas?
O A. sólido O B. líquido O C. gas
6. ¿Cómo fue el cambio de mezcla a este estado de la materia?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Appendix MM (continued)
Properties of Matter Summative Assessment (Spanish)
7. Dibuje a los grupos de Jiggles formas en las cajas.
Puedo agrupar Jiggles formas como esto.
Esto es una manera diferente que puedo agrupar Jiggles formas.
Appendix MM (continued)
Properties of Matter Summative Assessment (Spanish)
8. ¿De qué están hechas de?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. ¿Por qué no podemos ver todas las cosas en Jiggles formas?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
10. ¿Usted cree que Jiggles formas flotaría o se hundiría? ¿Por qué?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
11. ¿Qué objetos de esta lección eran magnéticos? ¿Cómo usted sabe?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
12. La materia es cualquier cosa que tiene masa.
O VerdadO Falso
13. La masa puede ser creada o ser destruida.
O VerdadO Falso
14. El estado de la materia es un tipo de propiedad física.
O VerdadO Falso
15. ¿Cómo la estructura de la materia afecta las propiedades de materiales?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Appendix NN
Corrected Properties of Matter Summative Assessment (English)
Name: _______________________________________ Score: (_____/30 pts)
Properties of MatterSummative Assessment
Listen as your teacher reads each question. Then color the ball by the correct answer, or write your answer in the blank.
1. What state of matter is the water we just measured? (1 pt)
O A. solid ● B. liquid O C. gas
2. What state of matter is the steam coming from the boiling water? (1 pt)
O A. solid O B. liquid ● C. gas
3. Why did it change its state of matter? (2 pts) Students must write something about heating the water to make it change to a gas. The concept of “heating” is the key . ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. What state of matter is in the bowl after water and gelatin are mixed? (1 pt)
O A. solid ● B. liquid O C. gas
5. What state of matter are the Jiggles shapes? (1 pt)
● A. solid O B. liquid O C. gas
6. What made the mixture change into this new state of matter? (2 pts)Students must write something about cooling the gelatin in the refrigerator to make it change to a solid. The concept of “cooling” is the key . _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Appendix NN (continued)
Corrected Properties of Matter Summative Assessment (English)
7. Show that you can group the Jiggles shapes. Draw the groups in the boxes.
I can group the Jiggles shapes like this. (2 pts)
Accept any grouping that is logical or that the student can explain. Groups should use the physical characteristics, such as shape,
color, texture, size, or form. Acceptable drawings will have all of the objects sorted
and classified into groups by a specific property.
Accept any grouping that is logical or that the student can explain. Groups should use the physical characteristics, such as shape,
color, texture, size, or form. Acceptable drawings will have all of the objects sorted
and classified into groups by a specific property.
This is a different way I can group the Jiggles shapes. (2 pts)
Accept any grouping that is logical or that the student can explain. Groups should use the physical characteristics, such as shape,
color, texture, size, or form. Acceptable drawings will have all of the objects sorted
and classified into groups by a specific property.
Accept any grouping that is logical or that the student can explain. Groups should use the physical characteristics, such as shape,
color, texture, size, or form. Acceptable drawings will have all of the objects sorted
and classified into groups by a specific property.
Appendix NN (continued)
Corrected Properties of Matter Summative Assessment (English)
8. What are the Jiggles shapes made of? (2 pts)Students’ answers should be accepted if they describe it as a composition of two or more ingredients in some logical manner. The purpose is to know that students recognize they are made up of smaller parts put together (the gelatin powder and the water)._______________
9. Why can’t we see all the things in the Jiggles shapes? (2 pts)Students’ answers for this question should touch upon the fact that objects are made up of small parts that are too small to be seen without magnification. Any explanation that shows understanding of this concept should be accepted.__________________________________
10. Do you believe that the Jiggles shapes would float or sink? Why? (2 pts)Acceptable answers would include students supporting their reasons with reasonable explanations based on observable properties. (i.e. The jiggles would float because of its small size and weight. Therefore, it is lighter than the water it would be placed in.)_______
11. What objects from this lesson were magnetic? How do you know? (2 pts)Acceptable student answers would include the metal pan used to pour hold the hot gelatin mixture during refrigeration, the cookie cutters used, etc. Students would have to justify this answer with the fact that these objects are made of metal due to observed properties and/or that they tested them with the magnets provided earlier in the lesson.___________________
12. Matter is anything that has mass. (2 pt)
● TrueO False
13. Mass can be created or destroyed. (2 pt)
O True● False
14. The state of matter is one type of physical property. (2 pt)
● TrueO False
15. How does the structure of matter affect the properties of materials? (4 pts)Students’ answers should reflect that the various states of matter (i.e. its structure) have unique properties (i.e. liquids take the shape of their containers, have fluidity, etc.) that would change what they observe during explorations.____________________________
Appendix OO
Properties of Matter Teacher Performance Task Instructions
This performance task references the questions seen on the Properties of Matter Summative Assessment Worksheet (Appendices LL & MM).
1. Divide the class into two groups. Each group will be making different flavored/colored gelatin.
2. One student in each group measures 1 1/4 cups water. After observing this measurement, all
students identify whether the measured water is a solid, liquid, or gas for Question #1.
3. The measured water is placed into pots on a hot plate. As the water boils, students identify
whether the steam is a solid, liquid, or gas on Question #2.
4. Students record the reason for the change in state from liquid to gas for Question #3.
5. Pour powdered gelatin into the metal pan evenly.
6. Allow students to observe and analyze the properties of the metal pan, powdered gelatin, and
wooden spoon before the next task.
7. Stir boiling water into the gelatin for at least 3 minutes until completely dissolved.
8. Students identify the state of matter for this new mixture for Question #4.
9. Students place their paper in their work folder or desk while waiting for the finished jiggles.
10. Refrigerate the pans for at least 3 hours or until firm. Dip bottom of pan in warm water about
15 seconds. Cut into decorative shapes with cookie cutters all the way through gelatin or cut
into 1-inch squares and triangles. Lift from pan and place a selection on paper plates.
11. Each student gets one plate with a small selection of jiggles shapes on it.
12. Students identify the state of matter for the gelatin shapes (Question #5) and record an
explanation as to the change in states of matter from before refrigeration (Question #6).
13. Students independently group the individual pieces by their physical characteristics (i.e. same
shapes or colors) and will record their illustrations for Question #7.
14. The teacher will read the remaining questions on the last page of the worksheet packet and
have the students answer all of them completely, especially the focus question (Question #15).
15. The teacher will collect the worksheets and guide a discussion and review of their responses.
16. The teacher will evaluate the students’ responses on the worksheets after the lesson is finished
with the Corrected Properties of Matter Summative Assessment Worksheet (Appendix NN)
and provide the students a score out of a possible 30 points.