GEMS Matter Solids Liquids Gasses Unit

4 cafeteria trays (to contain the mess at selected learning stations)
2 dishtubs
5 large plastic trash bags to cover tables or desks
12 plastic teaspoons
Students’ Solids and Liquids sheets from the previous session
Pencils
(optional) colored pencils or crayons
1 roll of masking tape or two sheets of address labels
6 black fine-tip permanent markers
Several sheets of aluminum foil
(optional) 2-4 pairs of scissors
1 box of wooden toothpicks
2 tweezers
20 cotton balls
1 candle or chunk of wax
2 plastic serrated knives
(optional) 2 craft sticks
4 rolling pins for crushing (or mortars and pestles, or wooden hammers)
1 box of chalk, any kind
2 collecting devices for liquid, such as medicine droppers, turkey basters, syringes without needles, sponges, spoons, or scoops
1cup of water
5 drops of food coloring, any color
About 2 cups of dry cereal that can be ground into a powder
1 hand-operated juicer
About 3 oranges

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS:

Make sure students do not consume any of the products on the learning stations.Review the procedures by modeling the wrong way.It will be the students’ job to tell you what you are doing wrong and what would be the right way.

Engagement		Time: __15______
What the Teacher Will Do	Probing Questions	Student Responses Potential Misconceptions
Gather the students in a circle away from the learning stations. Let them know that this week we will be reviewing the properties of solids and liquids. We will review the definition of a solid. Emphasize that scientists don’t make a decision to group an object as a solid or liquid just because it is their opinion.	How do scientists know if something is a solid? So if something is hard and isn’t a liquid then it’s a solid? That’s a good question. Do you think scientists name something as a solid because it is their opinion? That is what we are going to find out.Can anyone give me some examples of a solid?	They hold their shape. They don’t make a puddle. The objects are hard. They don’t splash. Yes. How do scientists know if something is a solid? No, but how do can they know for sure. Rocks, marble, the chalk board, chalk.
Review the definition of liquids. Remind students that anything they drink is a liquid. Go around the circle, calling first on several students who raised their hands, then on all the rest.	How do we know if something is a liquid?Can you give me some examples?	It splashes. It’s like water. They make a puddle.

Exploration

Time: ____20____

What the Teacher Will Do

Probing Questions

Student Responses

Potential Misconceptions

Tell the students they will soon go to learning stations around the room, collect samples of solids and liquids, and add them to the class display.

Model the procedure as they watch.Explain that a procedure is all the steps used to do a task.

Assign pairs to their first stations.

Circulate as the class is working, helping out as needed.

Are we going to be rude at the tables? Are we going to be rude?

Are we going to squirt our classmates with liquids?

Is aluminum a solid or liquid?What do you think? Why is that?

Toothpicks?

Cotton Balls?

Wax?

Chalk Station?

Colored Water?

Cereal Station?

Orange Juice?

No.

A solid. Because it is not a liquid.

Explanation		Time: ________
What the Teacher Will Do	Probing Questions	Student Responses Potential Misconceptions
Gather the students where they can see the class display.Compliment them on the work they did. Discuss classifications. Have students do a quick write in their journals about their evidence for whether they think chalk is a solid or liquid.	Are there any objects on the display that you were not quite sure how to sort? What did you see that makes you say that?What is your evidence? How did you come to a decision? Excellent group work!I am glad to see you guys are helping each other out!	Yes, the chalk dust and crushed cereal. Because they are hard but they pour and liquids pour. My partner helped me, she said that pouring is not only for liquids because we pour cereal into our milk.

Elaboration

Time: ________

What the Teacher Will Do

Probing Questions

Student Responses

Potential Misconceptions

Ask for more definitions for the display. Tell the students you’d like their help in adding to the definitions of solids and liquids.

Have students add the new definitions on the display to their journals at the top of their Solids and Liquids pages.

Is there anything else that is true of all solids or all liquids?

Can you smash solids? Can you smash liquids? Do solids feel wet?

Solids:

Can be any color and any shape.

Stay the same size.

Have mass (or weight).

Take up space.

Can be powder.

You can’t put your finder through them without breaking them.

Liquids:

Can’t be smashed or cut.

Can be any color.

Can be the shape of any container.

Have mass (or weight).

Take up space.

Are not powder.

Evaluation

Time: ________

What the Teacher Will Do

Probing Questions

Student Responses

Potential Misconceptions

As a homework assignment have students search for various solids and liquids and fill out a Solid and Liquid Scavenger Hunt worksheet.

Request that students to add at least five more solids and liquids to his/her journal.

Can everybody think of things they can use as solid and liquid?

Can you give me some examples from your house?

Yes.

Milk, juice, soda, water, rocks, clothes, shoes, laundry detergent.