What is Matter?
States of Matter
Duration: 30 minutes
Notes / Activity
Discrepant events:
Paper towel in cup will not get wet Blowing scrunched up ball into bottle
Science & Engineering Practices:
Disciplinary Core Ideas:
Crosscutting Concepts:
Science & Engineering Practices:
- Students will answer the question, “Which will you bring out in this weather?” with, “I will bring a/an (object).”
- Students will predict and record the weather for the next five days in a chart.
- Students will create and observe how a windsock will blow in different directions and with differing strength on various days.
Disciplinary Core Ideas:
PS1.A: Different kinds of matter exist and many of them can be either solid or liquid, depending on temperature. Matter can be described and classified by its observable properties.
Crosscutting Concepts:
- Patterns
Lesson Plan
Lesson Introduction – Engage 1
Duration: 5 min
- Welcome students to class.
- Ask students the following question:
What are paper towels used for? Demonstrate how a paper towel gets wet when used to wipe water.
Do you think we can place this paper towel in water without it getting wet?
Will the paper towel get wet if I put it in water?
- Have students make predictions. *Note: Accept all answers from students.
- Using a discrepant event: demonstrate the activity by filling a container full of water. (There must be enough water in the container to completely submerge a plastic cup.) Place a section of paper towel into the bottom of the cup (No part of the paper towel should be above the rim of the cup.) Turn the cup upside down and ensure that the paper towel still stays at the bottom of the cup. Carefully lower the cup into the container of water until it is completely submerged.
- Remove the cup from the container.
- Elicit from students:
What happened to the paper towel?
Is your prediction correct?
Is it different from what you expected? Why?
Do not need to explain to the students about what has happened. Tell students that they will find out later in the later lessons.
Engage 2
Duration: 5 min
- Prepare two empty plastic bottles and have two student volunteers.
- Have them compete with each other to get as many balls into their plastic bottle.
- Have both students place the bottle on a table so it is horizontal.
- Put the ball just inside the mouth of the bottle. Ask students to predict what will happen if they blow the ball. (Students may think that the ball will go into the bottle)
- Challenge them to blow the ball into the bottle.
- Ask students the following questions:
Were you able to blow the ball into the bottle? Why or why not?
Is the bottle empty?
Accept all possible answers from students at this point. Do not need to explain to the students about what has happened.
Engage 3
Duration: 20 min
- Inform students that they have received a mystery envelope that morning. The envelope contained the following secret message: “Matter is all around us. Find it.”
- Get students to look around the classroom and see if there is anything in the room that can help decipher the secret message.
- Elicit from students:
Look around. What do you think is matter?
- Invite every student to go around the classroom and pick up one item that they think is matter.
- Facilitate a class discussion and invite some students to share examples of matter that they have picked up (item).
Student’s Homework
Did you know:
By playing games, students become more motivated to learn, pay attention and participate in set tasks. Games help students to become a part of a team as well as take responsibility for their own learning. They can also be a great classroom management tool, helping to motivate a class. Get students to play hero in STEAMValley when they are home, or make it a class project!