Title Matter: Three States of Matter Overview Discover the three states of matter (solid, liquid and gas) and learn the characteristics of each. This unit is an introduction to states of matter and focuses on the characteristics of the states, not how matter changes from one state to another. Subject(s) Science Grade Level(s) Grade 1 Grade 2 Suggested Time 30 Minutes Materials characteristics, states of matter, solid, liquid, gas NOTE: Some schools use the term CHARACTERISTICS and others use PROPERTIES. Use whichever you prefer. Objectives Students will be able to: describe the characteristics of the three states of matter. classify materials by their state. Materials - whiteboard - collection of materials (solids, liquids and gases). You may have the actual object or you may bring photos of them. Examples of solid materials: - ice - butter - rock Examples of liquid materials: - water - milk - lava (a photo) Examples of gaseous materials: - steam (steaming kettle) - air (fan blowing air) Preparation Collect materials or photos of items representing each of the three states of matter. Arrange the materials on a table (or the photos on the board) in no particular order. Motivation Do a 'grouping' exercise with the children. Divide the children into small groups (3 or 4 children per group). Give each something to sort(buttons, small toys, blocks, etc) and ask them to group (sort) the objects. After the children are done, review how each grouped the objects. Some may group by color, some by size, some by animal (stuffed toys), some by shape. Explain that color, size, shape, etc are all CHARACTERISTICS of the things they grouped. Activity Explain to the children that scientists use special characteristics to group things into three states of matter. The three states are solid, liquid and gas. Split the white board into three sections: Solids, Liquids and Gases. Take one of your example items and pass it around to the children. Ask them to examine it carefully. Have the children decide which of the states of matter the item belongs to. Repeat with the other items/pictures you brought. After grouping all the objects, brainstorm with the children what characteristics the objects in each group share (see CONCLUSION). Conclusion Summarize the work performed... "Each state of matter has its own unique characteristics which can be summarized: - Solids have definite shapes. - Liquids assume the exact shape of the containers they occupy, but may not fill the container. - Gases expand to fill the space of the container they occupy." Short Extension Wash and dry your hands well with a towel. Feel your hand. Is it wet or dry? Hold your hand up in front of your mouth and breath on it for a bit (you can use a mirror instead of your hand). Now feel your hand. Is it wet or dry? When we breath, water vapour (a gas) leaves our bodies. It becomes a liquid as it cools in the outside air. Have you ever seen it become a solid? (Think about what your breath looks like when you walk outside in the winter time) Home Work Extension At home, have the children draw three pictures or cut three pictures from magazines -- one picture for each state of matter. At school, prepare a bulletin board split into three sections. Entitle it THE THREE STATES OF MATTER or STATES MATTER IN xxx CLASS. Subtitle the three sections SOLID, LIQUID, GAS and have the children pin their pictures in the appropriate sections. Next Day Extension Examine the states of water (ice, water, steam) to reinforce the lesson. Do a simple experiment... put ice into a cup at the beginning of class. Towards the end of class, examine the cup again. Where did the ice go? Where did the water come from? What would happen if we put the water in a pot on the stove?