Models as a Means to
Instructional Success An Action Research Project
December 6
th, 2012
University of Michigan-Dearborn
Emily Bianchi, Melissa McKinney, and Jacquelyn Kennedy
What impact does our teaching have on student understanding of physical states of matter when models are used?
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Abstract:
In order to gain an understanding of student misconceptions about characteristics of
solids and liquids and changes of states of matter, precise research was conducted on a second
grade classroom in Wyandotte, MI. To identify and correct these misconceptions we
administered a pre-assessment, taught two inquiry-based lessons with the incorporation of
models, and analyzed post-assessment data. We found students had the most severe
misconceptions when identifying characteristics of solids and liquids and distinguishing between
models and targets. Based on our method of instruction we improved student understanding of
descriptions by an increase of 75% for solids and 70% for liquids. By incorporating models into
our lesson plans we improved students’ ability to distinguish between models and targets by
34%. Our post assessment results yield 100% proficiency on seven of ten questions; the other
three questions yield a minimum proficiency of 81%. It is clear when instruction is student-
centered and models are used misconceptions can be corrected.
Introduction:
Imagine you are sitting on a beach. You scoop a handful of sand and pour it into your
souvenir container. Based on your definition of solids and liquids, would you classify this sand
as a solid or a liquid? Varying definitions of solids and liquids is the reason many students have
misconceptions pertaining to states of matter that carry into adulthood. Through our action
research, we intend to address common misconceptions elementary school students hold.
Through our use of models and an inquiry based teaching method, our goal is to alter students’
mental models about states of matter. Inquiry based teaching focuses on the phases of engage,
explore, explain, extend and evaluate. This student-centered approach promotes collaborative
learning and hands-on investigation encouraging knowledge acquisition. The question will we
What impact does our teaching have on student understanding of physical states of matter when models are used?
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answer through this action research project is: What impact does our teaching have on student
understanding of physical states of matter when models are used?
The pre and post-assessment and two lessons we will be presenting, based upon the
Common Core State Standards (CCSS) (2000), will focus on describing common physical
changes in matter such as size and shape and melting and freezing. Last year, Garfield
Elementary followed the Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs) (Michigan Department of
Education, 2007); this is the first year they follow CCSS. In first grade these students developed
an understanding of several different states of matter such as solids, liquids, and gases and that
each state has its own physical properties. Additionally, they understand water as a solid keeps
its own shape and water as a liquid takes on the shape of its containers. In the elementary grades
following second grade, students will extend their understandings of the changes of the physical
states of matter by learning about evaporation and dissolving. In middle school, students will be
introduced to condensation, sublimation, and thermal expansion and contraction.
The use of models will be used throughout our teaching and in the pre and post
assessments. A model is defined in Model Based Science Teaching (Gilbert, 2011) as any system
that represents another system in a different medium. Models, of course, do not have to be
physical or 3-D but can also be in the form of a picture or mental image. Models can be
employed through all phases of an inquiry based lesson "as a framework for building science
literacy" (Gilbert, 2011, p. 1). Although we include only pictorial and mental models in our
research, there are several other categories of models to assist in conducting inquiry and
explaining science. Other types of models include concrete, mathematical, verbal, simulation,
and symbolic. In the engage phase, models are used as an anticipatory set; something to grab the
students' attention and get them excited about learning science. The explore phase is a time to
What impact does our teaching have on student understanding of physical states of matter when models are used?
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investigate and examine through hands-on activities; students can use, build, or draw models. In
the explain portion, students are asked to analyze data and discuss. Their models from the
explore phase will help with this description or explanation. We find the use of models to be
important in teaching because, through them, we can gain an understanding of student
misconceptions, effectively teach for understanding, and assess knowledge acquisition.
Other forms of models are difficult to incorporate with this subject content because
simply stated a solid is a solid and a liquid is a liquid. In attempting to answer our research
question, we will be providing students with a demonstrative model during our pre-assessment to
show how the shape of a liquid can be altered in its original state, but a solid cannot. Connected
to the “big idea” of models, we are also expecting our research question will allow students to
gain a more secure understanding of which characteristics make a model or to distinguish
between a model and a target.
In order to complete successfully an action research project, we looked into research done
by others. This allows us to assess what misconceptions students already have on the topic of
physical states of matter and how we can correct these misconceptions using models.
Researching articles similar to our research topic, we came across an interview study
done by Nakhleh and Samarapungavan in 1994. While our research question is to find what
impact our teaching has on student understanding of physical states of matter when models are
used, this article is simply an interview of 15 students chosen by teachers before any formal
instruction. The students, grades first to fourth, were interviewed on their understanding of states
of matter (solid, liquid, gas) and phase transition and dissolving. Our research will build upon
this because instead of an interview style of assessment, we will provide students a pre-
assessment (to gain knowledge of student understanding), two lessons, and a post-assessment (to
What impact does our teaching have on student understanding of physical states of matter when models are used?
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check for understanding and knowledge gained). For Nakhleh and Samarapungavan, the
objective was to study knowledge acquisition without giving students formal instruction. We
intend, with our research, to see what students learn, using models, about physical states of
matter.
In this study, each child was interviewed individually; we will be working with 17
students together. These students were given descriptive questions and explanatory questions.
The questions asked dealt with properties of solids, liquids, and gases (ex: toothpick, copper
wire), phase transitions (ex: liquid water to ice), and dissolving (salt in water). This article was
helpful in understanding how some students in this age group think about states of matter.
Students had trouble with solids that had no apparent softness or granularity; it was hard for them
to conceptualize it being composed of molecules. When given a toothpick, copper wire, water
and helium, some of the students described them as being composed of “one big piece” instead
of containing molecules and atoms (Nakhleh & Samarapungavan, 1999, p. 781). Some students
were asked why salt disappears in water but not on paper and some of them responded liquids
shrink salt. Another misconception presented was the idea molecules are “little, little, pieces of
water” (Nakhleh & Samarapungavan, 1999, p. 798). Our goal is to use models to prevent this
difficult transition from elementary to middle school as their scientific knowledge progresses.
In an article by Nakhleh, Samarapungavan, and Saglam (2005), the researchers
investigate how “macroscopic and microscopic understanding of the particulate nature of matter”
changes during the transition from elementary to middle school levels of education (p. 581).
Similar to the previous article, this study focuses on particles of states of matter as well as
physical characteristics. This article is closely similar to our research in the framework of their
assessment. Although Nakhleh, Samarapungavan, and Saglam’s (2005) method of assessment is
What impact does our teaching have on student understanding of physical states of matter when models are used?
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different, some of our assessment questions are closely related, only altered for grade level
purposes. For example, their study asked questions about qualities of water such as what happens
if one puts water in the freezer. Through their investigation, Nakhleh, Samarapungavan, and
Saglam found students have trouble understanding particles as they “transition from
macroparticulate to microparticulate explanations of matter” (p. 585). This research will be
helpful to address misconceptions of our younger students. In addition, we can build on this
study by using models during our research to build a stronger base of previous knowledge for
students so in future grades the transition between levels of knowledge will be better connected.
Our research will compliment this study by taking a closer look at what misconceptions appear
in the younger grades and possibly understanding the root of students’ misconceptions.
The relationship between context and content differ between this study and the study we
will be doing in a few ways. Contextually, the data in this study was collected by performing 30-
45 minute personal interviews; we will be administering individual, written, pre-assessment tests.
We will then teach two lessons and re-evaluate students’ knowledge with an identical post-
assessment. In addition, the students in this study were eighth grade students; we will be working
with second grade students. This study only involved nine participants; we will be observing the
knowledge of 17 students. Similar to the students we are working with; this study involved
predominately white students. Referring to content our study focuses on the physical properties
of states of matter, rather than particulate natures of matter.
Doran (1972) studied students in grades second to sixth and their misconceptions on
various science concepts. During this study, Doran provided a concept subtest, eight
misconception subtests, and a misconception test. One concept tested was states of matter. Our
project will expand on this research because we intend to focus solely on physical states of
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matter. Doran presented tests to understand student misconceptions; these tests were shorter in
length in order to provide desired reliability but there were many of them. We also provide a test
to get an understanding of student misconceptions. We present this as a pre-assessment and hope
to correct any misconceptions through two lessons.
Doran (1972) presents some misconceptions about matter for students in grades second to
sixth. He found students showed on their misconception test “matter is continuous” (Doran,
1972, p. 129). When asked about the make-up of solids, liquids, and gases, students seem to
employ a strategy (practical application or memory or recall of facts, for example) to answer the
question not always yielding a correct, confident response. Students had a higher tendency of
employing such a strategy for solids and liquids than for gases. Doran also shares
misconceptions such as “there is no spacing between particles of matter” and “particles of matter
do not move” (p. 129). Looking at these misconceptions, we understand this topic can be
difficult and if we chose to include information about particles and the make-up of states of
matter, we will provide models to help with student understanding. Our research will contribute
to this study because we focus only on second grade students (compared to second to sixth) and
physical states of matter (compared to various science concepts). Doran has learned his concept
subtest is more reliable than his misconception subtest but both are more reliable than the
misconception test. We will employ only one, short pre-assessment so we gain an understanding
of what students do and do not know and can apply it to lessons taught.
Numerous articles were found containing research on the misconceptions students have
on the states of matter. Kind (2004) supports her claims with research done by Hayes in 1979,
Stavy and Stachel in 1985, Russell, Harlen, and Watt in 1989, and Piaget and Inhelder in 1972.
Hayes’s study (as cited in Kind, 2004) was conducted on students who ranged from 5 to 12 years
What impact does our teaching have on student understanding of physical states of matter when models are used?
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of age who had a “naïve” view of matter. Students believed there are not only solids and liquids,
but also powders, paste, jelly, slime, paper-like, etc; this is a result of varying definitions of
solids and liquids students are introduced to. Stavy and Stachel’s study (as cited in Kind, 2004)
found students view solids as objects that are hard and rigid such as wood and metals. Therefore,
objects that are non-rigid, such as dough, sand, and sponges are not solids. Stacy and Stachel
suggest students justify this thinking by assuming “the easier is it to change the shape or the state
of the solid, the less likely it is to be included in the group of solids” (p. 418). In addition, they
found students view water as the “standard liquid” and compare water to other possible liquids.
Children often use the term “wetness” to describe liquids; if a liquid, such as a powder, does not
have the “wetness” sensation, then it is not a liquid. Based upon the previous misconceptions
reported, it will be important for the students to understand clearly and thoroughly what makes a
solid a solid and what makes a liquid a liquid. Throughout the two lessons we teach, students
will be introduced to various types of solids and liquids and will be given the opportunity to
observe the characteristics of each. The study by Russell and the study by Piaget and Inhelder (as
cited in Kind, 2004) found students believed when matter can no longer be seen, then it no
longer exists. Russell asked students ages 5 to 11 to explain why the water level of a large tank
had decreased after being in the sun. He reported about 45% of the students focused more on the
water left in the tank and did not find it necessary to explain what happened to the ‘missing’
water. This supports his claim students believe matter ceases to exist if it is not visible to the eye.
Based upon the misconceptions Kind (2004) discusses, students will be introduced to different
ways solids and liquids change shape and size by either melting or freezing. It will be important
for us to help students understand although a solid can melt and become a liquid, the solid itself
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still exists and vice versa, when a liquid becomes a solid, students will understand the liquid does
not just disappear and no longer exists.
In a similar article, Tatar (2011) surveyed 227 fourth-year elementary school teachers in
Turkey regarding states of matter. Every teacher was asked to respond to an open ended question
regarding the differences between three states of matter—solids, liquids, and gases. The results
of the survey aligned with the same misconceptions students have regarding solids and liquids in
Kind’s article (2004). Tatar found 90% of the teachers believe “all solids have a definite shape,”
35% believed “solids are hard matters” and 15% believed “the shape of solids does not change”
(p.199). Students have the same misconceptions as reported by Kind (2004). In addition, Tatar
found 25% of the teachers believed “matters that can be poured from one container to the other
are liquids” and 25% believed “when solids are put into a container they cannot be transformed”
(p.199). This article will help us, as educators, to consider any misconceptions we may have
about solids and liquids before we teach lessons to the students. If we have any misconceptions
we must resolve them before teaching or risk passing them on to 17 new students who may carry
the misconception with them into adulthood.
Method:
Our study was performed with second grade participants at Garfield Elementary School,
part of the Wyandotte School District in Wyandotte, MI. This classroom consists of 17 students;
nine males and eight females. After giving our pre-assessment, one female student moved out of
the district. Because our pre and post-assessment data is given as a percent, this did not affect our
results. The students are seated in groups of four with an equal number of boys and girls (except
for one table which has an additional boy.) The teacher’s desk is located in the back of the room.
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In reference to socio-economic status, all but two students receive free or reduced lunch and all
receive free breakfast.
Three students in the class are below reading level. To address this concern we will read
aloud directions and questions during pre and post assessments, as well as any written directions
while lessons are taught. One student is a high achiever; his behavior issues often disrupt
classroom instruction. The special education specialist has implemented a personal behavior
program for him, which we will support. We will use her strategies in order to maximize learning
and keep focus; assigning him helping tasks, calling on him to answer questions, and creating a
hands-on lesson to keep him engaged.
We met with the cooperating teacher and observed a math lesson. The students were
working on their Math Mats and Question, Info, Strategy, Work, Answer (QuISWA). On the
Math Mat, the students were working with clocks, money, and place value. The teacher-directed
QuISWA lesson involved reading a math work problem and using the question, information,
strategy, work, and answer boxes to complete. The cooperating teacher asked us to teach
students about physical states of matter. We plan to discuss the changes that occur in the
different states of matter; change in shape and size due to freezing or melting. Garfield
Elementary typically uses pre-prepared kits to teach science; we will, instead, be using lessons
prepared by us in order to address misconceptions. Based on this teacher-directed math lesson
these science kits do not prepare school staff to teach inquiry based lessons.
Our research process first includes a classroom observation focusing on teaching
methods, student demographics, and classroom management. We will then administer a pre-
assessment to gain a better understanding of students’ prior knowledge and possible
misconceptions of both states of matter and models. We will then be teaching two inquiry based
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lessons; one lesson about states of matter and one lesson about the big idea of models. After
lessons have been taught students will take a post-assessment allowing us to analyze knowledge
acquisition.
Our pre-assessment was created as a group. Students will be given a paper assessment
that requests both written explanations and drawings. Questions one and two ask students to
briefly describe and draw changes of state (melting and freezing). For question three, students
are asked to describe and draw two specific states of matter, solid and liquid; this is completed in
chart form. Question four asks students to classify models and targets based on four photos;
students then justify their classifications in a brief explanation. For the last two questions, we
demonstrate the movement of a solid and a liquid from container A (circular) to container B
(rectangular) using water and an orange. We then ask students to answer whether or not solids
and liquids change shape, based on this demonstration, with a yes or a no.
Although we created our pre-assessment questions as a group, we based some questions
off the misconceptions we researched because we wanted to learn whether the students with
whom we were working had these same misconceptions. The research done by Nakhleh,
Samarapungavan, and Saglam’s (2005) used questions regarding melting and freezing to
understand misconceptions students have about particles of matter and physical characteristics.
We used the same topics of melting and freezing in two questions making them appropriate for
the second grade level. We hope we, too, can understand the misconceptions students have
regarding melting and freezing through their answers of what happens to ice cubes when put into
the freezer and what happens to ice cream when it is left on the counter. Our third question,
dealing with describing solids and liquids and drawing an example of each comes from the
research done by Tatar (2011) and Stavy and Stachel (as cited in Kind, 2004). Their studies show
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students and teachers have varying definitions of solids and liquids. We will use question three to
learn what students know about solids and liquids through their descriptions and examples. In
question four, our goal is to determine if students have an understanding of models. On the first
day of our science class, our professor provided students with a list of items and asked us to
decide whether they were models and explain our answer. After analyzing the data from another
section of the science class, we found many college students had misconceptions about models.
Because of these findings, we decided to use this same approach with the students to gain an
understanding of their definitions of models; we gave them four pictures of familiar objects (two
of which are models and two of which are targets) and asked the students to circle the models
and justify their choice. In our last two questions, students use what they saw in our
demonstration to answer the questions of “Do solids change shape?” and “Do liquids change
shape?” This question was solely used to assess student knowledge on whether or not changes in
states of matter occur.
When analyzing our data we will observe student responses based on whether or not
those responses are correct or incorrect. From the first two questions we expect to identify
whether or not students understand the processes that occur and the physical changes that occur
as properties change between states of matter. Once students complete the table describing solids
and liquids we will be able to determine any misconceptions students have about properties of
solids and liquids and whether or not they can classify certain materials into the correct state of
matter based on their own prior knowledge. By asking students to circle which photo is a model
and which photo is an actual image we will be able to determine whether students can identify
objects and classify them as a target or model. By students’ description as to how they classified
the photos we will be able to determine the type of mental model students have created in terms
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of models and the qualifications necessary to be classified as a model. Based on the simple yes or
no response requested of students after our demonstration, we will only be able to determine if
students believe a solid or liquid is able to change shape.
We made one minor modification to our post-assessment. After analyzing our pre-
assessment data and teaching both of our lessons, we found students could correctly tell us
descriptions of solids and liquids but when probed for a description on our pre-assessment,
students did not yield a correct response. On our pre-assessment, we feel the students did not
understand what “description” meant. Therefore, on our post-assessment, we changed the word
description in the table for question three to the word describe in hopes the students will have a
better understanding of what we are asking them to do.
Results:
The purpose of our analysis was to determine what second grade students at Garfield
Elementary school know about states of matter, specifically solids and liquids. Our pre-
assessment focused on freezing, melting, description and drawings of solids and liquids, and
distinguishing between models and targets. We originally intended to teach our lesson primarily
on melting and freezing, but after analyzing our pre-assessment data we found students had
many misconceptions about what a solid or liquid is, their characteristics, and transitions
between states of matter.
Question one which asked students to describe what happens when water is put in the
freezer was answered correctly by 82 % of students who stated the water freezes or turns to ice.
Incorrect responses included: “pop is spilling,” “turns to water,” and “it will leak.” Based on our
findings only 18% of students would benefit from a lesson which focuses on freezing. For this
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reason, we will include freezing in an explain portion of our lesson, but will not base our lessons
on this concept.
Question two, which asked students to describe what happens when ice cream is left on
the counter, was answered correctly by all but one student. The incorrect response was “they are
drinking pop.” The student who answered with the incorrect response is also the same student
who responded to question number one with “pop is spilling.” Based on our findings, only one
student would benefit from a lesson which focuses on melting. For this reason, similar to our
plan for freezing, we will address this concept along with melting in the explain portion of our
lesson.
Question three asked students to describe properties of solids and liquids and to draw one
example. Most students were unable to describe solids and liquids, but instead gave examples
such as “bus,” “lava”, “soap,” etc. This was our most eye-opening pre-assessment question. We
found students have misconceptions in thinking all solids must be hard and all liquids are
“watery” and can be consumed. We also found students misunderstand the difference between a
description of a liquid or solid and an example. The concept of describing solids and liquids,
identifying when states of matter can change shape and identifying if solids and liquids have
transitioned from one state to another will be the main focal point of our lessons.
Question four focused on distinguishing between models and targets. We asked students
to circle the models and then explain why they made their choice. When analyzing results we
decided in order to count the question correct, we expected students to identify both models
correctly. We made this decision because we feel if students can correctly distinguish between a
model and its target the model provided should not matter. We found 59% of students circled the
correct photos of models; however, only 35% could correctly justify why they made their choice.
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For this reason, we suspect students were either guessing or looking at their peers’ choices.
Students’ reasons for being models included: “they are fake” or “some are the real thing.”
Incorrect answers included: “they are big,” “they are both illustrations,” and “they are both
round.” Misconceptions are all models must be bigger than the target, they cannot be an
illustration, and they must be round. For this reason, we will incorporate the characteristics of
what makes a model and the purpose of models into our lessons.
Based on our demonstration in question five, 82% of students were able to determine
liquids do change shape as they move from one container to another and 94% of students were
able to determine a solid does not change shape. For this demonstration we used an orange as our
solid and water as our liquid. Only 6-18 % of students would benefit from a lesson that focuses
on this concept; we would like to introduce students to the idea some solids such as sand are
“pourable” and can change shape when moved from one container to the next. For this reason,
we feel it would be beneficial to address the concept solids can change shape and remain a solid.
The misconception all solids cannot change shape is one we would have liked to address in our
pre-assessment, but did not consider this until analyzing our pre-assessment data.
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We found in our pre-assessment students are unable to describe solid and liquid
properties. Most students provided examples of solids and liquids in place of descriptions. These
data were mainly extracted from question three. The main misconception from question three we
will be addressing is all solids are hard and all liquids must be “watery.” We would also like to
address from question five the idea some solids, such as sand, do change shape based on their
container. In addition, we would like to address that although solids can change shape, such as
play dough, they still remain a solid. Lastly, we will focus on the concept of scientific models
and distinguishing between a model and its target. Once students are confident with this concept
we will be able to incorporate the use of models more effectively in our lessons.
We propose to teach properties of solids and liquids through a hands-on approach. In our
first lesson, students will explore in groups the classification of liquids and solids. Students will
be engaged by describing the characteristics of a stuffed animal; for example: color, texture, size,
and shape. This will refresh students about what it means to describe something. In the explore
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
100
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Questions
States of Matter Pre-Assessment Data
Percent Correct Percent Incorrect
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phase students will be given 10 items, some solid and some liquid, to describe and classify.
Through this exploration students will learn the common properties of solids and liquids. Based
on the items we choose, students will understand not all solids must be hard, but do have a
definite size and shape. In addition, students will understand not all liquids are “watery.”
Our second lesson will deal with changing the shapes of solids and liquids and models.
Students will be engaged by looking at a real apple and a model of an apple. They will be asked
to identify which one a model is and how they know. This will help students understand what
models are and how they are different from their targets. Students will then explore various
solids and liquids and decide if and how they can change the shape of that state of matter. The
students will listen to a book about solids and liquids. Lastly, the students will be asked to draw a
picture of their favorite food so another friend could identify what type of food it is. Again, this
will allow students to explore models and understand models can also be drawings or
illustrations.
In order to assess knowledge acquisition, a post-assessment was given in the identical
format of our pre-assessment. We wanted to assure a positive impact was made from teaching
our inquiry based lessons which incorporated models. After analyzing our post-assessment data,
we found the lessons we taught corrected student misconceptions about physical states of matter,
specifically solids and liquids. In our pre-assessment data we did not find it necessary to teach a
lesson focusing on melting and freezing. However, after whole-class discussion about changes in
states of matter, 100% of students are now able to describe these processes. We found the
greatest improvement in question three (describing and drawing a solid and liquid) and question
four (identifying and justifying models). Eighty-one percent of students correctly described a
solid. Some of the incorrect answers included: “you can squeeze it” and “they can melt.” Eighty-
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eight percent of students correctly described a liquid. Some of the incorrect descriptions
included: “they can freeze,” “they are fluffy,” and “watery.” The same person who said solids
melt answered liquids freeze. We believe the student was thinking back to our lessons and was
describing a certain solid or liquid they saw melt and freeze. Every student was able to draw an
example of a solid and a liquid. For question four, 94% of students correctly identified both
models. However, 100% of students correctly justified how they identified their choice. Some of
the correct answers included: “they are fake,” “they are models of a real tire and model of
Earth,” and “the globe is too small to be the real Earth and the big tire is too big to be a real tire.”
Based on data, our inquiry based lessons proved to be beneficial for student understanding in
terms of solids and liquids changing shape when transferred from one container to another. One-
hundred percent of students answered question five correctly for both solids and liquids.
0
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40
60
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States of Matter Post-Assessment Data
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Percent Incorrect
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Conclusion:
After our analyzing our data, we asked ourselves: “Did our teaching have an impact on
student understanding of physical states of matter when models were used?” Based upon our
post-assessment data, through the use of models, student misconceptions about physical states of
matter were corrected. One misconception we addressed was identifying characteristics of solids
and liquids. In our pre-assessment one student described solids as “pop” and in the post-
assessment the same student described solids as “doesn’t change shape.” When identifying
characteristics of liquids in the pre-assessment one student described liquids as “medal” and in
the post-assessment the same student concluded liquids “can pour.” Another misconception we
addressed was distinguishing between a model and its target. In our pre-assessment one student
correctly identified the models but reasoned by stating “they’re both round.” In our post-
assessment the same student correctly identified the models and justified her choice by stating
“they are not the real thing, the tire is not that big, and the globe is not as big as the Earth.” Our
post assessment data shows only three students still have trouble describing a solid in
comparison to 16 in our pre-assessment. Only two of students still have trouble describing a
liquid in comparison to 14 in our pre-assessment. Our post-assessment data shows only one
student could not distinguish between a model and its target compared to seven students in the
pre-assessment. Absolute success was achieved among the following concepts; describing the
processes of freezing and melting, correctly drawing an example of a solid and a liquid,
justifying reasoning for chosen models, and determining whether or not solids and liquids change
shape. In an article by Nakhleh, Samarapungavan, and Saglam (2005), researchers study how
“macroscopic and microscopic understanding of the particulate nature of matter” changes as
students move from elementary to middle school levels of education (p. 581). In our action
What impact does our teaching have on student understanding of physical states of matter when models are used?
19
research we chose to explore microparticulate examples of matter, such as sand, in order to
prevent this difficult transition from elementary to middle school as their scientific knowledge
progresses. By correcting the misconception, solids cannot pour, we are confident students will
be able to describe similarities and differences among microscopic and macroscopic natures of
matter.
Reflections:
Emily Bianchi:
When we first began our action research project we decided on the topic of physical states of
matter. We intended for students to be able to describe processes such as melting and freezing
and describe characteristics of solids and liquids. We also incorporated the use of models and
intended for students to be able to distinguish between a model and its target. Evidenced in our
pre-assessment, students used a certain set of words to describe solids and liquids. When writing
our lessons this is something we discussed as a group. During teaching, students began resorting
to these words by saying a jolly rancher, a piece of wood, and a bar of soap was “hard”. In order
to get students to think about these objects in different ways I scaffolded students to use more in-
depth descriptive language. Students then began thinking about if we threw, cut, bit, or smashed
these objects; this allowed them to describe these objects during discussion as “easily broken” or
“can break with our teeth.” The post-assessment results show students could accurately describe
solids and liquids after these lessons with an increase of 75% for solids and 70% for liquids.
When first beginning this action research I thought it would be beneficial to refresh my mind on
solids and liquids. Our own personal definitions of these states of matter help us to classify them
correctly. I also found the benefit of incorporating inquiry based lessons into the classroom; the
students showed knowledge acquisition with the explorations we designed. Along with thinking
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20
about states of matter I reviewed articles written about similar research done. I found many of
these articles performed a type of assessment on students but did not follow through with a
lesson to teach misconceptions. From these articles we focused on misconceptions students had
and created a pre-assessment. Using an assessment has taught me the importance of
understanding what students do and do not know. After understanding their knowledge we found
teaching two lessons to be critical in their learning. This allowed us to narrow our lesson to
misconceptions students had rather than re-teaching known material. For future teaching I saw
the benefits of getting to know students and their knowledge before teaching the content. This
saves on wasted classroom time and ensures lessons are more effective.
The school context did not negatively affect our action research lessons. The cooperating
teacher allowed us to bring in materials including a hot plate and make use of the smart board
and elmo. This was actually beneficial to our lessons because we were able to introduce students
to inquiry based learning and present material in a variety of ways. When first discussing our
research we had a different idea about what we may teach students through our lessons.
Performing a pre-assessment with these students we were able to get an understanding of their
knowledge and misconceptions. The content of states of matter was possible to teach effectively
with the resources we had available. We created two explorable lessons in which students were
exposed to many types of solids and liquids.
When planning our lessons we wanted to use as much inquiry as we could staying away from
a lecture based, text based, or worksheet based lesson. This was important for us because we
wanted to effectively teach the material in a way students would remember the information. We
found it important to use our pre-assessment as a way to understand the students and their
knowledge and misconceptions; this was our most beneficial tool in creating our two lessons. In
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the explore phases of our lessons we exposed students to many solids and liquids as well as
solids and liquids changing shape or state. The importance of this was to get students to have a
better understanding of and definition for different solids and liquids rather than “hard” or
“watery”.
At first we thought it may be difficult to incorporate models into a lesson on solids and
liquids. We used models in our first lesson to get students to start using descriptive language. On
their chart worksheet we included pictures of the items in which they were working and
explained how these pictures were models of the real items. In our second lesson we began
showing students a model apple and a real apple to get students engaged about solids and liquids.
We also asked students in this lesson to draw a picture of their favorite food and asked them to
describe why this model of their favorite food is different than the real thing; this allowed
students to see drawings cannot be eaten or shared like a target.
In order to select an effective teaching model one must have an understanding of students
and their knowledge. In the future I will implement pre-assessments in my classroom to ensure
my lessons are teaching knowledge students do not have and only refresh on material already
known. Before teaching science concepts I will be aware of the school setting and context. For
example, I won’t expect inner city students to have a mental model for the ocean or types of
animals. In cases such as this it would be beneficial to show material in a variety of ways to
assist in knowledge acquisition.
Jacquelyn Kennedy:
The participants of this action research project were second graders in Wyandotte, MI.
We focused on the scientific concept of physical states of matter; more specifically we wanted
students to be able to: accurately describe the characteristics of solids and liquids, describe how
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solids and liquids act when undergoing the processes of melting and freezing, and determine
whether or not solids change shape. We wanted students to be able to distinguish between
models and targets in order to accurately create a concrete mental model of what solids and
liquids are and how they act. We have significant evidence that students’ learned and succeeded
in all of these objectives from our instruction. In our pre-assessment we found that not only were
students unable to provide accurate descriptions of solids and liquids, but the meaning of
“describe” was misunderstood by students. Rather than provide descriptions, students were
providing examples. The few descriptions we did receive on the pre-assessment included:
“solid,” “hard,” and “can’t put your finger in it.” Although hard is an accurate description, we
wanted students to be able to use a variety of words to describe solids, not only hard. After
instruction our post-assessment provided evidence that students are now able to do this. Some
students answered with phrases, instead of single words: such as, “you can squeeze it” and “they
can melt.” This shows that students could describe physical characteristics as well as describing
transitions between states. The statement “you can squeeze it” shows that one student corrected
their misconception that “you can’t put your finger in it.” In addition, students learned how to
distinguish between models and their targets. Even the two students, who were unable to identify
the models we provided, were able to provide an accurate justification describing how to
recognize a model. Student justifications improved significantly in terms of complexity,
especially being that our participants are second graders. For most justifications in our pre-
assessment we received answers such as “they are fake” and “they are models.” Clearly “they are
models” is not a justification. However, after our instruction students answered with statements
such as “the globe is too small to be the real Earth and the big tire is too big to be a real tire.”
Based on our data it is clear students learned. From our pre-assessment data, not one question
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was answered with 100% proficiency; however, after our two lessons were taught using models
seven questions out of ten were answered with 100% proficiency.
I learned numerous ways models are helpful for instruction during this action research
project. Until now I was unaware of how useful models can be in teaching. I learned that models
are useful for the instruction of all subjects, not just science. We incorporated the use of mental
models, illustrations, and tangible models. Specifically, we used models to show students what
models are. We used a globe, plastic apples, a stuffed animal fish, illustrations of animals, and
photos to provide students with tangible objects that are models. In addition we discussed with
students the difference between these models and their targets. From this project, I learned that
when using models students are able to recollect prior knowledge more easily and knowledge
gained can be more accurate and memorable.
This experience taught me how useful a tool models can be. In the future I will
incorporate good models into my lessons and instruction whenever possible. I use the word
“good” because I have learned from this project that not all models are accurate, simplified,
related to the topic, or easily interpreted by students. In addition, good models should easily
enrich the lesson; they should not be too far-fetched so that students cannot make connections
between the model and their target. For example, we used a photo of a very large tire and wanted
students to identify it as a model. However, if students have not seen this tire in real-life this
photo may not be a very good model because the photo makes it look smaller than it actually is,
so it looks more like its target. If this photo were discussed or shown in a video it might make
more sense. This action research project has taught me how helpful pre-assessments can be when
creating lesson plans. This research project was cumbersome in its totality, but I have learned
similar research can be done in a more simplified way. Without writing an entire research project
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pre-assessments can be administered and analyzed to acquire accurate data about what students
know or do not know. By incorporating some form of pre-assessment before a lesson
misconceptions can be identified and addressed. Then rather than re-teaching information that
students may already know, the lesson can be narrowed to correct misconceptions and
knowledge can be gained where necessary. This project has educated me about how important
the act of reflecting can be for teachers. Without the reflection teachers are less likely to modify
lessons in order to improve student comprehension and understanding. We reflected on every
aspect of this project. Was our pre-assessment accurate and detailed enough for students? What
misconceptions do students have about physical states of matter based on our pre-assessment?
Did students learn based on our post-assessment data? How can we improve these lessons in the
future?
Our lessons were affected by classroom context in terms of individual student behavior.
We had a couple students that were hard to keep on tasks and for this reason we tried to design a
lesson in which students could work collaboratively with hands-on activities keeping students
engaged. In addition, being second grade students, they had not been subjected to inquiry-based
science experiences before. So, we tried to design a simple lesson, so students could get their feet
wet with inquiry. The socio-economic status and student gender diversity did not have an impact
on our lessons. We were confident that all students could learn regardless of socio-economic
status or gender and our post-assessment data shows we were correct. The school context
affected our lesson because the school usually instructs science lessons using prepared science
kits. These kits are not typically student-centered so students had never participated in an
inquiry-based lesson before. We focused our lessons on areas of lacked knowledge and concepts
of misconceptions. We found right away students were not familiar with the word “description.”
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Although this does not relate to science content directly, it was affecting how students
performed. We found students had misconceptions about solids not being pourable and solids
never being able to change shape. For this reason we showed students how solids can be
pourable, with sand as an example. No, solids do not change shape unless something is done to
make them change. We incorporated flexible solids such as play dough into our lesson. This
exemplified how solids can change shape if something is done by someone or the environment.
We found some students had the misconception that all models are round. To correct this
misconception we introduced students to models which are not round.
When planning our lesson we first focused on the data found in our pre-assessment. We
wanted to make sure we were not re-teaching information students already knew. I have
experienced this myself and I know how boring this can be for students. In addition, we wanted
to evaluate student misconceptions in order to prevent these misconceptions from transitioning
with students as they progress through their educational journey. In prior research we found
students continue to hold scientific misconceptions through middle school or even high school
and we wanted to stop this from happening to the students we taught. We wanted to make sure
our lessons were student-centered. We wanted students to participate in an experience that
exemplified inquiry-based learning. By doing this, we felt students would gain a memorable
experience during their acquisition of knowledge and would be able to retain more information.
Lastly, we strongly considered how the use of models would affect our instruction. We thought
this would be difficult because states of matter are hard to model. A solid is a solid. However,
after discussion we found other ways to incorporate models into our lesson.
The “big idea” for this course was models. We incorporated models into our lesson by
first teaching students how to identify models and how to distinguish these models from their
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corresponding targets. We also used models when teaching students what it means to describe
something. In the chart we provided students we demonstrated how illustrations can be pictorial
models of the real thing. When we asked students to explain what happens when ice cubes are
taken out of the freezer or what happens if ice cream is left out on the counter we were showing
students how mental models can be used to explain different phenomena. We asked students to
draw their favorite food on paper. We taught students drawings can be models too. In each
instance we discussed how models are different from their targets and why we use models in life.
In the future I will select a teaching method based on school and class context as well as
content knowledge among students. From this project I have learned each individual student
brings something different to a lesson. By analyzing each student’s abilities and ideas from pre-
assessment data or other formal or informal assessments, a more beneficial, individualized lesson
can be created. In the future I will take into account the schools location, economic status, and
available resources when deciding the methodology by which I will teach. It is important when
choosing a methodology to consider each students previous experiences and prior knowledge.
Some examples or lessons may be applicable to some students or areas, but not others. For
example, when I lived in St. Croix almost none of the students I worked with had been to a zoo.
So, it would not make sense for me to use the zoo as a reference or to assume that a mental
model of animals at the zoo would be applicable in my teaching. If student content and context is
made the focal point of each lesson learning will be achieved.
Melissa McKinney:
Completing this action research project has been a very proud moment for me and my
group members. At the beginning of this project, we intended to teach the students about melting
and freezing. After talking with the classroom teacher, we were under the impression that the
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students were familiar with the physical states of matter from first grade and would be learning
about melting and freezing in the second grade. However, after analyzing our pre-assessment
data, we found that students had a difficult time describing solids and liquids. With that said, it
would be difficult to teach melting and freezing without the students understanding what a solid
and liquid are. It appeared to us, from the pre-assessments, that students did not understand what
the word “description” meant. In the boxes where descriptions were to be written, we instead
were given examples of solids and liquids (some that were not even correct examples). We saw
the most improvement in student knowledge of physical states of matter on this question. On the
pre-assessment, we received descriptions of solids such as: “pop,” “fur,” “liquid,” “round,” and
“something that is in the freezer.” Liquid descriptions included: “apple,” “flat,” “Gatorade,”
“snow,” and “soap.” These answers showed us that students were unable to describe solids and
liquids. After much discussion, we decided that our goal was for students to be able to describe
one solid, not all solids. During our lesson, we made sure to thoroughly describe the materials we
were using and whether or not they were a solid or a liquid. On the pre-assessment, student
descriptions of solids included: “hard” and “can’t change shape.” Descriptions of liquids
included: “pours,” “can change shape,” “can drip,” and “flows.” Three students were unable to
correctly describe a solid and four students could not describe a liquid; this was a huge
improvement compared to the pre-assessment answers.
The most important thing I learned from this Action Research project was to understand
where the students are first before planning our lesson. As stated earlier, we had planned on
teaching about melting and freezing. However, that plan failed when we found that students were
unable to describe solids and liquids. Students need a clear understanding of what a solid and a
liquid are before they can be introduced to melting and freezing. Although the first grade
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standards dealt with introductions to the states of matter and second grade was changes in matter
such as melting and freezing, we had to take a step back and re-teach solids and liquids. As a
teacher, I know that my students ‘should’ be at a certain level in every subject before they walk
into my classroom. However, that may not be the case. You can’t teach addition and subtraction
without number sense. We felt that teaching melting and freezing to students who were unclear
on what solids and liquids were would only add to their misconceptions and misunderstandings.
Teachers always have a plan; however, obstacles appear every day that throw that plan off. It is
important for teachers to be able to overcome that obstacle in order to make sure each and every
student is successful. Additionally, I learned how useful a pre-assessment can be to learn what
students already know about a topic, what they don’t know, and what misconceptions they may
have. Pre-assessments do not always have to be pencil and paper assessments; discussions,
drawings, and concept maps can all be used to assess where students are.
One advantage that my group had was our school context. We had a small classroom size
of only 17 students. The students’ desks were already assigned to groups and the students were
familiar with how to work in groups and group expectations. Additionally, with the small class
size, we had four groups and three teachers; this allowed for a lot of one on one time. There was
always one teacher to a group and the groups were visited often by all of the teachers. This
allowed the teachers a chance to see how each student was exploring in the lesson and their
thinking of the science topics. It also allowed the students to extend their learning different ways
from each of the teachers. Another advantage was that we had all English speakers. The only
accommodations that we needed to make during our lessons were for three students who were
low readers; the students had the directions and questions read to them one on one from a teacher
when a worksheet was given.
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When planning our lessons, one factor we had to consider was what the students already
knew. Our pre-assessment gave us a clear understanding of what they knew and this helped
guide us in writing our lesson. We had to be sure that the students would understand the terms
used and would be able to reach the objectives of the lessons. Another factor we considered was
what we wanted the students to learn from this lesson. There were many times where we had
great ideas that we thought the students would enjoy; however, after writing them into our
lesson, we found that the students who have a difficult time understanding why we were doing
this part of the lesson and how it related to states of matter. In addition, we had to be sure that we
were not including too much in each lesson. Lessons that are crammed with new material make it
hard for the students to create a clear understanding of what they are supposed to be learning and
what they learned at the end. Lastly, we wanted to make sure that the lessons actively engaged
each and every student in the classroom. We included materials for them to explore that they
were familiar with and could relate to their everyday life. During the lessons, we made sure that
each group member was participating in the group and encouraged the students to stay together
as group; no one should be left behind on a question and no one should go ahead on a question
until all group members are ready.
The scientific theme of “models” was incorporated into our lesson in many ways. Our
pre-assessment included four pictures—a globe, Earth, a real tire, and the big tire found off of I-
94. We asked students to identify which of the two pictures were models and justify their
choices. While all four of the pictures were in fact models because they were illustrations of the
real thing, we wanted students to understand the globe is a model of the Earth and the big tire is a
model of a real tire. In our first lesson, we engaged the students by holding up a stuffed animal
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fish and asking them to describe it. We asked students to think of questions that would tell
another person what the fish looked like, what it felt like, what it smelled like, and what it
sounded like. Our second lesson included a real apple and a fake apple. We asked students if we
were able to change the fake apple the same way we changed the real apple. Additionally, later
in the lesson students were asked to draw pictures of their favorite food using precise detail so
that another student could guess what that picture was; their drawings are models are the real
food.
In the future, before starting a unit I will use a pre-assessment to assess where students
are in their learning. Using a pre-assessment will allow me to skip parts of a lesson where
students already have an understanding of that material and focus more on the misconceptions
that students have on the topic. It is important to spend more time in the areas where students are
having difficulty and less time in the areas were students have a clear understanding of the
content. In addition, this would leave more time for areas of more difficulty. It is important for
teachers to be knowledgeable about the content they are teaching; therefore, I will make sure that
I have a clear understanding of what I will be teaching my students. This will prevent me from
passing down any misconceptions I may have had to my students. I am a firm believer in
discovery learner and will be sure to make time for this learning in my classroom. I think it is
important for students to be actively involved in the learning process. However, there are many
different factors that can affect the way a teacher teaches science such as class size, availability
of materials, and student behaviors/learn disabilities. An inquiry lesson plan would be difficult
for teacher with 30 students and materials that are not available to them in the classroom.
Something as simple as water is not easily accessible in classrooms these days, making science
teaching more difficult for students. Additionally, the amount of teaching that takes place each
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day greatly affects how long teachers spend on each subject. I believe that as a future teacher I
will try my hardest to teach inquiry because students learn best when they are learning in their
own ways and collaborating with classmates.
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References:
BrainPOP Jr. (Producer). (2012). Solids, liquids, and gases. [Web Video]. Retrieved from
http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/matter/solidsliquidsandgases/
Doran, R. L. (1972). Misconceptions of selected science concepts held by elementary school
students. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 9(2), 127-137.
Gilbert, S. W (2011). Models Based Science Teaching. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.
Kids' guide to states of matter. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.onlineschools.org/
library/kidsmatter/
Kind, V. (2004). Beyond appearances: Students’ misconceptions about basic chemical ideas.
Arizona State University. Retrieved from
www.rsc.org/images/Misconceptions_update_tcm18-188603.pdf
Michigan Department of Education (2007). Science Grade Level Content Expectations. (2007).
Retrieved from www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/Complete_Science_GLCE_12-12-
07_218314_7.pdf
Nakhleh, M. B., & Samarapungavan, A. (1999). Elementary school children's beliefs about
matter. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 36(7), 777-805.
Nakhleh, M. B., Samarapungavan, & A., Saglam, Y. (2005). Middle school students’ beliefs
about matter. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 42(5), 581-612.
Tatar, E. (2011). Prospective primary school teachers’ misconceptions about states of matter.
Educational Research and Reviews, 6(2), 197-200. Retrieved from
http://www.academicjournals.org/ERR/PDF/Pdf%202011/Feb/Tatar.pdf
Zoehfeld, K. (1998). What is the world made of? New York, NY: HaperCollins Publishers Inc.
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Appendices:
Appendix A: Action Research Timeline
Research Task Date Performed
Meet with Cooperating Teacher September 11, 2012
Classroom Observation September 17, 2012
Research Previous Work on the Subject September 27, 2012-October 20, 2012
Pre-Assessment October 15, 2012
Analyze Pre-Assessment October 16, 2012-November 2, 2012
Create Lesson #1 November 3, 2012
Teach Lesson 1 November 12, 2012
Create Lesson #2 November 15, 2012
Teach Lesson 2 November 19, 2012
Post Assessment November 20, 2012
Analyze Post-Assessment November 21, 2012-November 26, 2012
Present Research December 13, 2012
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Appendix B: Pre-Assessment
1) Draw a simple picture to show what happens to water when you put it in the freezer?
Describe your drawing in words.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2) Draw a simple picture to show what happens if you left ice cream out on the counter?
Describe your drawing in words.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3) Use two words or short phrases to describe liquids and solids. Then, draw an example of
each. Tell us what your drawing is by labeling your picture.
Solid Liquid
Description: Description:
Description: Description:
Drawing: Drawing:
4) Circle the illustration that shows a model.
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What makes the illustrations you chose models?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Now check out this demonstration on liquids and solids! Circle the correct answer.
Do liquids change shape?
Yes or No
Do solids change shape?
Yes or No
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Appendix C: Lesson #1
Grade Level: Second Grade
Science Concept: States of Matter: Solids and Liquids
Lesson Objectives:
Students will be able to define solids and liquids using descriptions.
Students will be able to classify solids and liquids based on their physical properties.
Students will be able to identify solids and liquids in their daily routine.
Common Core State Standards (CCSS):
Elementary K-2: Describe common physical changes of matter-size and shape; melting
and freezing.
Materials:
Sand
Candies
Wood
Play dough
Bars of soap
Juice
Shampoo
Lotion
Shaving cream
Paint
Small containers for liquids
Cotton swabs
Classification handout (attached and created by us)
Video: http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/matter/solidsliquidsandgases/
Magnifying glasses
Safety:
Students will be advised to not consume any items provided to them. Students will be advised to
not throw any items. Cotton swabs will be used to touch all liquids in case of possible allergies
(there are no allergies in our class that we know of). Students will be advised to use cotton swabs
only for the purpose of exploration. If anything spilled, it should be cleaned up immediately. All
liquids will be thrown away after exploration and all solids will be collected by the teacher.
Cotton swabs will be thrown away.
Engage:
Students will observe a stuffed animal fish. In order to activate prior knowledge about what
description means we will ask students to describe this item to us as if we were on the phone.
Teacher will ask: If I were talking to you on the phone what words could you use to describe this
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fish to me? Explorable Question: How can we describe these items so that another group knows
if the items are liquids or solids?
Explore:
Students will be given five solids and five liquids to explore among groups. Students will be put
into groups of four. They will be given wood, sand, play dough, candies (jolly rancher), and a bar
of soap for solids. They will be given colored water, liquid soap, lotion, shaving cream, and
paint. Students will explore in groups the properties of these items. Students will be given a chart
with an illustration of each item in the first column. Students will be provided with magnifying
glasses to closely observe the size of the particles. In the second column students will have to
write a description of each item. In the third column will ask students to classify as solid or
liquid based on their description.
Explain:
A whole class discussion will be held to analyze data found in students’ exploration. Based on
students’ descriptions we will come to a class agreement about the definition of a solid and
liquid. We want students to understand that solids have a definite size and shape where liquids
do not and take the shape of their container. Teacher will use student ideas to help create an
adequate class definition of what solids and liquids are. Teacher will initiate discussion about the
sizes of particles found in liquids and solids. This will be helpful for students to understand why
sand has flowing properties even though it is a solid. Teacher will re-visit the descriptive words
used to describe the fish in the engage. Teacher will then ask students based on these words to
visualize what the fish looks like. Teacher will explain how this vision is a mental model based
off of their descriptions. We will then reinforce these ideas and concepts through a video from
BrainPopJr.com. This video can be found at:
http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/matter/solidsliquidsandgases/.
Extend:
Students will now be asked to list the solids and liquids they use to eat cereal for breakfast and
brush their teeth in the morning. Examples of solids we are looking for include: bowl, spoon,
cereal, and tooth brush. Examples of liquids we are looking for include: milk, water, and
toothpaste. This will help students visualize a connection between the knowledge they have
learned and their real-life experiences. Teacher will ask students to draw a model of a liquid or
solid so that someone else could identify whether the object is a solid or liquid.
Evaluate:
An informal evaluation of student understanding will be observed throughout lesson during the
different inquiry phases. Whether or not students are able to define and describe solids and
liquids will be observed through whole class discussion. Whether or not students are able to
classify solids and liquids will be observed through their written work from the classification
handout. Whether or not students can identify these objects in their daily routine will be observed
through class discussion about eating cereal and brushing their teeth.
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Name: _________________________________________________________________
Classification of Objects
Directions: After looking at your items write as many descriptive words
as you can. Next circle whether you think the item is a solid or liquid. Object Description Classification
Sand
Solid Liquid
Shampoo
Solid Liquid
Play dough
Solid Liquid
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Lotion
Solid Liquid
Wood
Solid Liquid
Jolly Rancher Candy
Solid Liquid
Shaving Cream
Solid Liquid
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40
Bar of Soap
Solid Liquid
Juice
Solid Liquid
Paint
Solid Liquid
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Appendix D: Pictures taken during first lesson
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Appendix E: Lesson #2
Grade Level: Second Grade
Science Concept: States of Matter: Solids and Liquids change shape and states of matter
Lesson Objectives:
● Students will be able to describe how states of matter can change shape.
● Students will be able to recognize that when a substance changes from one state of matter
to another that the shape also changes.
● Students will be able to distinguish between models and their targets.
● Students will be able to use descriptive words to explain the difference between solids
and liquids.
● Students will be able to classify solids and liquids they are exploring.
● Students will predict what will happen to water when it is heated up.
Common Core Science Standards (CCSS):
● Elementary K-2: Describe common physical changes of matter-size and shape; melting
and freezing.
Materials:
Grapes
Scissors
Plastic Knives
Apples
Ice cubes
Trays
Water
Ice cube trays
Play dough
Paper
Hot plate
Beaker
Book: What is the World Made Of? All about solids, liquids, and gases. By: Kathleen Zoehfeld
Safety:
Teacher should advise students to be careful when using plastic knives and scissors when
breaking apart solids. Teacher will be the only person to operate hot plates. The process of
boiling will be a demonstration performed by teacher. Students will not touch hot beakers, hot
What impact does our teaching have on student understanding of physical states of matter when models are used?
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plate, or dispose of boiling water. Teacher will also be aware of how close the students are to the
hot plate to avoid being burned by splatters from boiling water.
Engage:
Teacher will show students a cluster of grapes and ask students to think back to our prior lesson:
Are these grapes a model? Why or why not? Teacher will then show students plastic pretend
grapes: Are these grapes a model? Why or why not? Teacher will instruct students to take a one
minute think aloud and brainstorm in groups about how these sets of grapes are alike or different.
Teacher will then show students two clusters of grapes. One cluster will have remained at room
temperature and one cluster has been put in the freezer. Teacher will ask: What do you think the
insides of each grape will look or feel like? How might the insides be alike or different? Teacher
will then cut the grapes open and allow students to observe and feel how they are alike and
different. Teacher will show how one grape will produce liquid (grape juice) and the other will
have a solid (frozen) inside. Teacher should prompt students to think about how this happened.
This demonstration is aimed to engage students about the explorable question: How can we
change the shape and states of matter of different solids and liquids?
Explore:
Students will be put into groups of 4. Students will be advised to inform the teacher when they
are ready to cut open the grapes. Students will be given a before and after chart in order to
explore the changes of shape and states of matter of the objects being explored. Teacher will ask
students to discuss and determine if the objects are solid or liquid before any change occurs.
Then teacher will ask students to explore how they can alter the object. Afterwards, teacher will
ask students to discuss and determine if the object remained in the original state of matter or
changed to a different state of matter. Teacher will ask students to briefly explain what they did
to the object and how this caused the object to change. For safety reasons, the teacher will
conduct the exploring of the boiling water. Once all students have completed the worksheet, the
teacher will direct their attention to the front of the classroom. Teacher will place the beaker full
of water on the hot plate and ask the students to predict what will happen to the water. Students
will write down on their worksheet what is happening to the water and how it is changing.
Explain:
Teacher will revisit the idea about real grapes and model grapes. Teacher will ask students to
explain whether or not the objects they used to explore are models? How do you know? Teacher
will explain to students the characteristics and uses of models. Teacher and students will discuss
what happened to the different objects they explored as they underwent a change in shape or
state of matter. For example, the ice cube (solid) changed to water (liquid) because of change in
temperature from freezer to classroom room temperature. Teacher will use What is the World
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Made Of? by Kathleen Zoehfeld about solids, liquids, and gases to explain the changes in states
of matter and properties that solid, liquids, and gases undergo and hold.
Extend:
Students will be asked to draw a model of their favorite food. What makes this a model? Could
they eat their model of their favorite food? What is the purpose of their model? The purpose of
this extend is for students to relate how models are used in their daily lives and how they are
helpful to aid in their learning and ideas. Teacher should reiterate that even their drawing is a
model of their mental idea of models.
Evaluate:
What a crazy world this would be! Teacher will re-read the page in the expository text that talk
about living in a crazy world. In order to evaluate if students understand the properties of states
of matter, how they change shape, or how they change properties students will be creating their
own stories. They can use any of the three topics: describing liquids or solids, how liquids or
solids change shape, or how liquids or solids change states of matter to create their story. The use
of written language and drawn illustrations is encouraged.
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Appendix F: Pictures taken during second lesson
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Appendix G: Post-Assessment
1) Draw a simple picture to show what happens to water when you put it in the freezer?
Describe your drawing in words.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2) Draw a simple picture to show what happens if you left ice cream out on the counter?
Describe your drawing in words.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3) Use two words or short phrases to describe liquids and solids. Then, draw an example of
each. Tell us what your drawing is by labeling your picture.
4) Circle the illustration that shows a model.
Solid Liquid
Describe: Describe:
Describe: Describe:
Drawing: Drawing:
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What makes the illustrations you chose models?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Now check out this demonstration on liquids and solids! Circle the correct answer.
Do liquids change shape?
Yes or No
Do solids change shape?
Yes or No