Solids, Liquids, and Gases - The 3 States of Matter

Solids, Liquids, Gases-The 3 States of Matter

Author(s):
Khailey Scott, Meredith Lindgren


Grade Level:
4th Grade
Timeframe:
Class periods? 1 (maybe 2 if all parts of lesson are not completed)
This lesson will last apx 45 minutes to an hour.

Lesson Description or Explanation

The students will be learning about solids, liquids and gases-the 3 states of matter. They will be learning this new material through a hands-on-activity involving the process of making chocolate. The materials used will be:

• Chocolate bars
• Powdered drink mix
• Cacao beans,
• Video of chocolate factory operating “How to Make Chocolate”
• Chocolate syrup

The students will also view a video of the chocolate making process and will
then be able to view the different forms .The final activity will include looking
at a website that discusses the 3 states of matter and then creating a 3
slide PowerPoint about the 3 states of matter-incorporating what they have
learned through this lesson.


Indiana Curricular Standards
Indiana State Standards for Science (2)

4.1.3 Explain that clear communication is an essential part of doing science since it enables scientists to inform others about their work, to expose their ideas to evaluation by other scientists, and to allow scientists to stay informed about scientific discoveries around the world.
4.6.4 Observe and describe that some features of things may stay the same even when other features change.

Indiana State Standards for Mathematics (2)

4.7.4 Use a variety of methods such as words, numbers, symbols, charts, graphs, tables, diagrams, tools, and models to solve problems, justify arguments, and make conjectures.
4.7.9 Decide whether a solution is resonable in the context of the original situation.

Indiana State Standards for Language Arts (2)

4.5.6 Write for different purposes (information, persuation, description) and to a specific person or audience.
4.5.3 Write or deliver a research report that has been developed using a systematic research process (finds the topic, gathers information, determines credibility, reports findings) –organizes information by categorizing it into multiple categories (such as solids, liquids, or gases) or includes information gained through observation.

ISTE Standards

1. Faciliate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
a.) promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.
2. Design and develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
a.) design or adapt relevent-learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

Assessments
Formative/Summative

Formative: Talking together, as groups (students and teacher), about what the different states of matter are and relating them to the different forms of chocolate. This will occur at the end of our discussion. Notes will be taking by (us) teachers, and analyzed for whole-class understandings. From this, we will be able to determine our next steps in teaching, as well as if our students were able to gain any new information from our teaching of the chocolate lesson. (Note, part of notes for analysis may include KWL chart.)

Summative: This assessment will be done by reviewing the PowerPoints that each individual child makes. As teachers, we will assess the students on whether or not they can explain the 3 different states of matter. These PowerPoints will be graded on a number scale as follows:

3: Shows extreme understanding of concepts of matter. Presentation is visually appealing and demonstrates a sound understanding of concept.
2: Shows a common understanding of concepts of matter. Could add more detail to presentation.
1: Shows little understanding of concepts of matter. Adds no visual detail to presentation.


Prior Knowledge
Curricular Knowledge or Skills:

Students witness matter every day. Everything that surrounds them is matter. We have previously discussed in class about how matter is found in three states: solids, liquids, and gasses. The lesson we have chosen focuses on solids, liquids and gases. The goal of the lesson is to have the children be able to distinguish between the three. This lesson will give our students practice identifying discriptor terms of each state of matter, and it will show how we can do things to materials to change their physical properties.

For a pre-assessment activity, we might have our students fill out a KWL Chart on what they already know about solids, liquids, and gasses, as well as what they wish to learn in our study. Their responses will allow us (as teachers) to figure out what information they may still need to have a grasp on the concept. We could refer back to this chart as more information is gathered, and have the students record their knowledge accordingly as we continue with this lesson on chocolate.

Technology Knowledge: The students must know how to access a website from the internet as well as be familiar with Microsoft PowerPoint. This is something that our 4th grade class has had experience with and is comfortable performing for classwork.

Technology
Internet Resources: (please list URLs)

http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/states_of_matter/

Hardware: DVD Player

Software: Microsoft PowerPoint

Procedure
* “What is matter?” is written on the board to start the lesson of the day.

* We will then let students communicate with each other and each table will offer an answer.

* We will then discuss with the students that matter is everything around you. Matter is anything that has mass. Matter can be put into 3 states: solids, liquids and gases.

* After we have reviewed matter and students have asked questions we will ask the students what a solid is.

* Once the students have conferred, we will ask them to share their thinking with the class. (We will then repeat the same questioning process for liquids and gasses.)

(Separate into groups at tables…preferably into groups of two students)

* At each table there will be a couple cacao beans, a couple chocolate bars, chocolate powdered drink mix, pictures of a chocolate factory, and a glass of milk. The students will be asked to identify the different materials on their table. They will once again, be reminded that everything on their table is MATTER, therefore each item can be classified as one of the 3 states of matter: solids, liquids, gases.

* We will have written up on the board questions they should be asking themselves: How does it taste? look? feel?. We might also suggest for them to discuss the size, shape and color. After the students have been given the time to look over all of the materials, we will ask them to look at the chocolate powder mix and write down a few words that describes the powder mix. State whether it is a solid or a liquid. They will then do the same to the cup of milk. After we have discussed different words that they feel describe solids and liquids, we will ask them, “Do you think you can change a solid to a liquid?”

* We will ask them to poor the powder into the milk. Once they have stirred together the mixture, we will ask them to write down a few words to describe what is in the cup. They will then state whether or not it is a solid or a liquid.

* At this point, the students will be asked to talk amongst their groups to note what is different from the powder mix alone and the mixture now in the cup.
Once we have discussed solids and liquids the students will be shown a video of the process of making chocolate. They start with cacao beans and end with a final product of a chocolate bar.

* Within this video the students will see that there is a point in the chocolate bar making process were the chocolate mixture is boiled. We will ask them to describe what happens when you boil something. We expect to get some answers saying that it becomes hot; there is a vapor that rises over the pot.
* We will then discuss that the vapor from the boiling is a gas. Gas is the fluid from a substance in which it can expand indefinitely and completely fill its container; from that is neither liquid nor solid, but vapor. At each table the students will then review all of the materials, and talk about the process that the materials go through and the different states of matter that exist during the process.

* Once the students have completed the above portion of the assignment they will be given laptops and asked to go to the website : http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/states_of_matter/ .After they have explored this website, they will be asked to make a PowerPoint with at least 3 slides discussing the 3 states of matter and incorporating some of the knowledge that they gained from this particular lesson.


Differentiated Instruction

ESL

For our ESL Learners , differentiation of Instruction will include the following:

a.) Spanish/French/Gernman (whatever the desired language may be) subtitles on chocolate video—this provides an addition that allows all ESL learners to feel comfortable with the information in their language, while practicing inclusive teaching techniques.

b.) We will allow our ESL Students to complete their PowerPoints in their native language. We (as teachers) will then use the translation tool to transform the presentation into English for Summative Assessment purposes.

c.) If needed, we will (as teachers) create language labels for solid, liquid, and gas—whatever the desired language may be.


Challenge/Extend

For our Students who are gifted or who may need further challenges we may pose these extension activity questions?

a.) Are there only three stages of matter? If not, then what are other stages? How could we investigate to determine these stages?
b.) What temperatures are needed to change properties into the different forms of matter? How do we know?
c.) Besides the chocolate activity, name other foods that contain all properties of matter. (Example: water=liquid, ice cubes, water vapor)
d.) Who discovered that matter had three stages?

Technology Challenge:

Can you create a PowerPoint that demonstrates visually (through animation) the process of how the stages of matter change?

Special Needs

For our Students with Special Needs we will implement the following:

a.) Picture representations of the different stages of matter—these will help students who need visual clues to understand meaning behind concepts (pictures may be created with velcrow strips…we might have these students put the pictures in order to tell their story of how stages of matter occurr)

b.) A set of instructions to help guide students through the Microsoft PowerPoint process will be given.

c.) Windows has a tool on its desktop that enables people with different disabilities to utilize certain tools. These tools can assist people who have visual and/or hearing impaired. We plan to incorporate this into this lesson.