Students experiment with common materials to determine the properties of the three states of matter. Through investigating substances, students determine how matter can be changed. Activities Students go on a scavenger hunt at home and at school to identify as many solids, liquids, and gases as they can.
Students bring samples to school and observe and list the properties of each as a class.
Students see if they can find a substance that can behave as a solid and liquid, or as a solid, liquid, and gas. Students investigate water to show that it can be a solid, liquid, or gas and can be made to go from one state to another. The teacher encourages students to provide reasons and hypotheses for what is happening, leading into a discussion of energy transfer. The teacher accepts all plausible explanations, encouraging students to record as many observations as possible. Students hypothesize, observe, and record which ice cube melts first, second, third, and fourth.