Blue Colour Group- Easy
Molecules In Motion
Activity Overview
In this activity, elementary students will examine the three states of matter/material (solid, liquid, gas).
Students will re-enact each state through movement which best explains the state, and will provide
examples of each.
Objectives
Elementary students should learn to differentiate between all three states.
Materials
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4 pylons
Laminated photos
3 larger laminated photos labelled as solid, liquid, gas
Board to stick the photos onto
Setup
1. Set up pylons to determine a starting line and a finish line.
2. Place cards labelled Solid, Liquid, Gas on table.
3. Scatter photos of the three states of water randomly on the table.
Provide detailed step by step instructions for the set up of materials. Diagrams and pictures will benefit the
activity operator.
Takedown
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Make sure all materials are put back into the bin.
Safety
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No horse play
Make sure students are within the boundary.
Vocabulary
Matter- Anything that has mass and takes up space. It can exist as a solid, liquid or gas.
Solid- Has a definite shape and volume. Solids keep their shape.
Liquid- Has a definite volume, but it takes the shape of the container it is in.
Gas- A substance like air that has no shape. Gas fills the entire area of the container.
Water vapour- Is an invisible gas made out of water that is always in the air. Clouds are made up of water vapour.
Steam floating up from the sidewalk after rainfall is also an example of water vapour.
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What will I be doing? (Procedure)
Before you start your presentation check with the teacher or chaperone that the entire group
is present and ready to start.
Remember that doing an experiment and discovering the answer is more powerful than
watching and listening to someone, so try to involve as many children as possible.
Welcome the students to the activity Say: “Welcome to Molecules in Motion!”.
Ask: “What is matter?” Matter- Something that has mass and can exist as a solid, liquid or
gas.
Ask: “What is the difference between a liquid, a solid, and a gas? “ – If the students are
unsure, use the definitions from the vocabulary section.
- Explain to the students that one at a time, they will pick a photo provided (scatter them on
the table). They will place it under the state they think is best. Let each student have a turn.
- If you notice that a lot of students are not understanding or able to differentiate between the
three states, remind them what a solid, liquid, and gas are.
After each student has had a turn, Say: “Very good responses! To review: A liquid- can take
up the shape of the container you put them in. A gas- flows easily and spreads out to fill all
available spaces. A solid- doesn’t flow and keeps its shape.”
Say: “Now, let’s play a game!”
Explain to the students the rule of the game:
Say: “When I hold one of these items up, you are going to do different actions.
1. Solid- you’re going to be really slow and look like how a snowflake would fall (show
them the action)
2. Liquid- move around like waves and skip (show them the action)
3. Gas- you’re going to be really fast (show them the action)”
*This game is similar to red light, green light, yellow light.
Say: “Your mission is to go from the start to finish as the different states of matter. I will call
out and hold up a picture card of the state that you will move as.”
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Your task is to hold up the 3 laminate photos and alternate them so the students can
mimic the 3 different states (solid, liquid, gas). You should also call out what is on the
card so students with poor vision can hear the new state. Once the students all reach
the finish line, you can have them run back to the start. Play the game for 3-5 minutes.
Background Information
Solid, liquid, and gas are known as the three states of matter or material, but each of solid
and liquid states may exist in one or more forms.
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Changes:
Water can change from one state to another by adding or subtracting heat.
A solid changes to a liquid when heat is added. An example could be when a snowman melts
in the sun.
A liquid changes to a solid when you take away heat or it gets colder. An example could be
when you put water in the freezer.
A liquid changes to water vapour when you add heat or it gets warmer. An example could be
when you are boiling water, and steam comes off.
Solids – The particles in a solid are packed so closely together and therefore hold onto each
other very tightly that they can barely move at all. The particles in a solid are fixed in a
pattern so the shape and volume cannot be changed unless chopped, cut or chiselled.
Therefore, solids don’t flow and why they keep their shape.
Liquids – The particles in a liquid are very close together, but they don’t hold onto each
other very strongly. The particles in a liquid are always moving around each other, but with
no pattern and changing places all the time. Therefore, liquids flow so easily and can take
up the shape of the container you put them in. Because the particles are very close together
you cannot squeeze a liquid into a smaller space.
Gases - The particles in gases are a long way away from each other and they bounce
around hitting each other which keeps them apart. The particles bounce off the walls and off
each other and can be squeezed closer together when compressed. Gases flow easily and
spread out to fill all available spaces. It is easy to change the volume of gases as they are
mostly empty space and the particles can easily be squeezed together into a smaller space.
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