ALEX Resources

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (2) 1 :

1 ) Conduct an investigation to describe and classify various substances according to physical properties (e.g., milk being a liquid, not clear in color, assuming shape of its container, mixing with water; mineral oil being a liquid, clear in color, taking shape of its container, floating in water; a brick being a solid, not clear in color, rough in texture, not taking the shape of its container, sinking in water).

[SC2015] (2) 4 :

4 ) Provide evidence that some changes in matter caused by heating or cooling can be reversed (e.g., heating or freezing of water) and some changes are irreversible (e.g., baking a cake, boiling an egg).

The lesson will begin with students comparing and contrasting the physical properties of ice and water using a Venn diagram graphic organizer. Next, the students will describe the physical properties of ingredients needed for a microwave mug cake. The students will bake a chocolate microwave mug cake to demonstrate that some changes in matter caused by heating and cooling are irreversible. Lastly, the students will create a written and pictorial response comparing the water and ice to the microwave mug cake to provide evidence that some changes in matter can be reversed, while others can not.

This lesson results from the ALEX Resource Gap Project.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (2) 1 :

1 ) Conduct an investigation to describe and classify various substances according to physical properties (e.g., milk being a liquid, not clear in color, assuming shape of its container, mixing with water; mineral oil being a liquid, clear in color, taking shape of its container, floating in water; a brick being a solid, not clear in color, rough in texture, not taking the shape of its container, sinking in water).

This lesson will allow students to investigate matter and its states by describing and classifying substances according to their physical properties. Students will begin their journey with a song. Then identify their thinking with an idea chart. Finally, they will put their learning into practice in the real-world with an explorative scavenger hunt.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (2) 1 :

1 ) Conduct an investigation to describe and classify various substances according to physical properties (e.g., milk being a liquid, not clear in color, assuming shape of its container, mixing with water; mineral oil being a liquid, clear in color, taking shape of its container, floating in water; a brick being a solid, not clear in color, rough in texture, not taking the shape of its container, sinking in water).

Students will discover and explore types of matter all around us. The lesson includes a hands-on walking field trip to allow students to explore and discover types of matter.

This lesson results from a collaboration between the Alabama State Department of Education and ASTA.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (2) 1 :

1 ) Conduct an investigation to describe and classify various substances according to physical properties (e.g., milk being a liquid, not clear in color, assuming shape of its container, mixing with water; mineral oil being a liquid, clear in color, taking shape of its container, floating in water; a brick being a solid, not clear in color, rough in texture, not taking the shape of its container, sinking in water).

In this lesson, students will be able to plan and carry out an investigation to compare the property of sinking and floating between different substances. Students will develop an understanding that whether a substance sinks or floats is a property of the substance. Students will look at several objects made from wax, wood, metal, and rubber and predict and test whether they sink or float.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (2) 1 :

1 ) Conduct an investigation to describe and classify various substances according to physical properties (e.g., milk being a liquid, not clear in color, assuming shape of its container, mixing with water; mineral oil being a liquid, clear in color, taking shape of its container, floating in water; a brick being a solid, not clear in color, rough in texture, not taking the shape of its container, sinking in water).

[SC2015] (2) 2 :

2 ) Collect and evaluate data to determine appropriate uses of materials based on their properties (e.g., strength, flexibility, hardness, texture, absorbency).*

Students will use what they know about the properties of paper, plastic, and aluminum foil to decide how the materials can be used for a specific purpose.  

The teacher will demonstrate making a paper boat to guide students, who work in pairs, to make their own paper boat. The boat will be placed in water to demonstrate how many pennies the boat can hold before sinking. Students are then guided to think of ways to improve the boat by covering it with waterproof material. Students make the same paper boat and cover it with plastic and aluminum foil. Students test the boat to see if it holds more pennies than the original paper boat.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (2) 1 :

1 ) Conduct an investigation to describe and classify various substances according to physical properties (e.g., milk being a liquid, not clear in color, assuming shape of its container, mixing with water; mineral oil being a liquid, clear in color, taking shape of its container, floating in water; a brick being a solid, not clear in color, rough in texture, not taking the shape of its container, sinking in water).

In this lesson, students will be able to plan and carry out an investigation to discover and compare the properties of liquids. Students will develop an understanding that liquids, like solids, have their own characteristic properties.

Students investigate three clear colorless liquids: water, mineral oil, and corn syrup. Students place drops of each liquid on the surface of a zip-closing plastic bag and see that the liquids look and act differently. Students tilt the bag and see that the liquids move down the plastic at different rates. Finally, students see a demonstration in which a drop of food coloring is placed in each liquid, and students make observations about the different ways the food coloring looks in each.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (2) 1 :

1 ) Conduct an investigation to describe and classify various substances according to physical properties (e.g., milk being a liquid, not clear in color, assuming shape of its container, mixing with water; mineral oil being a liquid, clear in color, taking shape of its container, floating in water; a brick being a solid, not clear in color, rough in texture, not taking the shape of its container, sinking in water).

[SC2015] (5) 3 :

3 ) Examine matter through observations and measurements to identify materials (e.g., powders, metals, minerals, liquids) based on their properties (e.g., color, hardness, reflectivity, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, response to magnetic forces, solubility, density).

In this lesson, students will develop an understanding that whether and how much a substance dissolves (solubility) is a property of that substance. Students will be able to plan and carry out an investigation to compare the solubility of two substances.    

Students develop a test to compare how the candy coating from an M&M and a Skittle dissolve in water. Students put an M&M and a Skittle in the same amount of water at the same temperature at the same time. Students will also see that the inside of the Skittles dissolves but the inside of the M&M does not. Students see an animation to help explain why the inside of the Skittles dissolves but the inside of the M&M does not.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (2) 1 :

1 ) Conduct an investigation to describe and classify various substances according to physical properties (e.g., milk being a liquid, not clear in color, assuming shape of its container, mixing with water; mineral oil being a liquid, clear in color, taking shape of its container, floating in water; a brick being a solid, not clear in color, rough in texture, not taking the shape of its container, sinking in water).

[ARTS] MUS (3) 17 :

17) Demonstrate and describe how a response to music can be informed by its structure, the use of the elements of music, and context.

Students will review states of matter - solids, liquids, and gases.  They will compare states of matter to theme and variations in music.  They will listen to Turkish March by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and identify the theme and variations.    

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (2) 1 :

1 ) Conduct an investigation to describe and classify various substances according to physical properties (e.g., milk being a liquid, not clear in color, assuming shape of its container, mixing with water; mineral oil being a liquid, clear in color, taking shape of its container, floating in water; a brick being a solid, not clear in color, rough in texture, not taking the shape of its container, sinking in water).

[SC2015] (2) 4 :

4 ) Provide evidence that some changes in matter caused by heating or cooling can be reversed (e.g., heating or freezing of water) and some changes are irreversible (e.g., baking a cake, boiling an egg).

In these Hero Elementary activities, children explore solid and liquid materials. They observe, compare, and describe solid and liquid materials. They sort materials as solid or liquid. They find out how hot and cold can change the state of materials.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (2) 1 :

1 ) Conduct an investigation to describe and classify various substances according to physical properties (e.g., milk being a liquid, not clear in color, assuming shape of its container, mixing with water; mineral oil being a liquid, clear in color, taking shape of its container, floating in water; a brick being a solid, not clear in color, rough in texture, not taking the shape of its container, sinking in water).

[SC2015] (2) 2 :

2 ) Collect and evaluate data to determine appropriate uses of materials based on their properties (e.g., strength, flexibility, hardness, texture, absorbency).*

In these Hero Elementary activities, children explore the variety of materials that make up the world around them. Through investigating and describing the properties of materials in their everyday world, children’s ideas about the way materials are and the ways that materials respond to tests give them insight into the complex idea of matter.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (2) 1 :

1 ) Conduct an investigation to describe and classify various substances according to physical properties (e.g., milk being a liquid, not clear in color, assuming shape of its container, mixing with water; mineral oil being a liquid, clear in color, taking shape of its container, floating in water; a brick being a solid, not clear in color, rough in texture, not taking the shape of its container, sinking in water).

[SC2015] (2) 2 :

2 ) Collect and evaluate data to determine appropriate uses of materials based on their properties (e.g., strength, flexibility, hardness, texture, absorbency).*

In these Hero Elementary activities, children learn about different materials that make up the world around them. They observe and describe the properties of the materials. They compare how materials are alike and different. They sort materials into groups based on their properties. What children learn about the properties of solids and liquids can help them make sense of their world.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (2) 1 :

1 ) Conduct an investigation to describe and classify various substances according to physical properties (e.g., milk being a liquid, not clear in color, assuming shape of its container, mixing with water; mineral oil being a liquid, clear in color, taking shape of its container, floating in water; a brick being a solid, not clear in color, rough in texture, not taking the shape of its container, sinking in water).

[SC2015] (2) 4 :

4 ) Provide evidence that some changes in matter caused by heating or cooling can be reversed (e.g., heating or freezing of water) and some changes are irreversible (e.g., baking a cake, boiling an egg).

[ELA2021] (2) 4 :

4. Orally answer who, what, when, where, why, and how questions about a text or conversation, using complete sentences to provide key ideas and details.

Experiments are cool with a curious baby polar bear and his who, what, when, where, and why questions about the three states of matter. In this interactive lesson, students get hands-on with ice and record their observations through drawing and writing.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (2) 1 :

1 ) Conduct an investigation to describe and classify various substances according to physical properties (e.g., milk being a liquid, not clear in color, assuming shape of its container, mixing with water; mineral oil being a liquid, clear in color, taking shape of its container, floating in water; a brick being a solid, not clear in color, rough in texture, not taking the shape of its container, sinking in water).

[SC2015] (5) 3 :

3 ) Examine matter through observations and measurements to identify materials (e.g., powders, metals, minerals, liquids) based on their properties (e.g., color, hardness, reflectivity, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, response to magnetic forces, solubility, density).

[SC2015] PS8 (8) 2 :

2 ) Plan and carry out investigations to generate evidence supporting the claim that one pure substance can be distinguished from another based on characteristic properties.

Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. That is why mass and volume are the properties of matter.

The classroom resource provides a video that will describe the properties and characteristics of matter. This resource can provide background information for students before they conduct their own investigations. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (2) 1 :

1 ) Conduct an investigation to describe and classify various substances according to physical properties (e.g., milk being a liquid, not clear in color, assuming shape of its container, mixing with water; mineral oil being a liquid, clear in color, taking shape of its container, floating in water; a brick being a solid, not clear in color, rough in texture, not taking the shape of its container, sinking in water).

[SC2015] (2) 10 :

10 ) Collect and evaluate data to identify water found on Earth and determine whether it is a solid or a liquid (e.g., glaciers as solid forms of water; oceans, lakes, rivers, streams as liquid forms of water).

[SC2015] (5) 3 :

3 ) Examine matter through observations and measurements to identify materials (e.g., powders, metals, minerals, liquids) based on their properties (e.g., color, hardness, reflectivity, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, response to magnetic forces, solubility, density).

All matter can exist in three forms: solid, liquid, or gas. Matter can change states through heating or cooling, and it is sure to change states when it reaches its boiling point or freezing point.

The classroom resource provides a video that will explain the three states of matter and how matter can change states. There is a karaoke song that students can learn to help them remember the characteristics of the states of matter. This resource can provide background information for students before they conduct their own investigations. There is also a short test that can be used to assess students' understanding.

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (2) 1 :

1 ) Conduct an investigation to describe and classify various substances according to physical properties (e.g., milk being a liquid, not clear in color, assuming shape of its container, mixing with water; mineral oil being a liquid, clear in color, taking shape of its container, floating in water; a brick being a solid, not clear in color, rough in texture, not taking the shape of its container, sinking in water).

Enjoy this colorful self-paced lesson to practice leveled reading. Use question words like “Who? What? When? Where? Why? & How?” Watch a real hot air balloon launch and meet a crazy ostrich who knows she can run but thinks she can fly. Students learn about how matter, mass, volume, and weight are connected to air. 

   View Standards     Standard(s): [SC2015] (2) 1 :

1 ) Conduct an investigation to describe and classify various substances according to physical properties (e.g., milk being a liquid, not clear in color, assuming shape of its container, mixing with water; mineral oil being a liquid, clear in color, taking shape of its container, floating in water; a brick being a solid, not clear in color, rough in texture, not taking the shape of its container, sinking in water).

[ELA2021] (2) 4 :

4. Orally answer who, what, when, where, why, and how questions about a text or conversation, using complete sentences to provide key ideas and details.

The teacher will present an informational text from the website, ReadWorks. The students and teacher can interact with this non-fiction text by annotating the text digitally. The students will answer the questions associated with the article as an assessment. This learning activity can be used to introduce students to the phases of matter, serve as reinforcement after students have already learned this concept, or be used as an assessment at the conclusion of a lesson. This learning activity will provide important background information before students create their own investigations.