Primary Type: Lesson Plan
Status: Published
This is a resource from CPALMS (www.cpalms.org) where all educators go for bright ideas!
Resource ID#: 39044
Matter, Matter Everywhere!
Students will learn about compare and contrast by studying the states of matter!
Subject(s): English Language Arts
Grade Level(s): 3
Intended Audience: Educators
Instructional Time: 1 Hour(s) 30 Minute(s)
Resource supports reading in content area: Yes
Freely Available: Yes
Keywords: matter, solids, liquids, gases, compare, contrast
Instructional Design Framework(s): Direct Instruction, Writing to Learn
Resource Collection: CPALMS Lesson Plan Development Initiative
ATTACHMENTS
Rubrics compare and contrast.docx
compare and contrast vocab.docx
Venn diagram.docx
LESSON CONTENT
Lesson Plan Template: General Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?
Teacher objective: The student will be able to compare and contrast ideas presented on a topic in informational text.
Student friendly LEQ: How can comparing and contrasting ideas help me understand informational text?
Student friendly objective: I can better understand texts by comparing and contrasting information I read.
Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
Students should know how to:
complete a Venn diagram and read a Venn diagram.
write a complete sentence.
use a KWL chart.
work cooperatively.
write a summary.
Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
What have we learned about liquids?
What have we learned about solids?
What do solids and liquids have in common?
What differences do they have?
What do liquids and gases have in common?
What things do they have that are not the same? How did you know this?
page 1 of 3 What kinds of words do writers use when they compare and contrast ideas?
Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?
The teacher will say to students, "Today we will begin learning about comparing and contrasting events to help us better understand what we are reading. We will do
this by reading about the different states of matter and looking for ways they are the same and different. However, before we begin we are going to use a KWL chart to
determine what we know about the states of matter." The teacher will pass out the KWL chart and give students an opportunity to fill in the K (Know) part of the chart
and the W (What I want to Learn) about the chart.
The teacher will then place the compare and contrast vocabulary picture and definitions in the front of the room for students to see.
The teacher will say, "Comparing is when we are finding ways that two or more things are the same. When we compare we use words such as (list the words from
the chart)." Then say, "Contrasting is when we are finding ways that two or more things are different. When we contrast we use words such as (list words from the
chart)."
The teacher will then explain that we compare and contrast things everyday and give examples such as: why we like pizza versus broccoli, how our mom is different
from our dad, how our friend gets to school versus how we get to school, etc.
The teacher will now tell students, "We will be reading a book about matter and looking for ways to compare and contrast the states of matter." The teacher will then
read pages 5-11 of the book Solids, Liquids and Gases by J. M. Patten to the students. This part of the book is just a introduction to matter which students have
already learned in second grade; it will serve as a review or refresher to the concept.
After reading to the students, the teacher will place the book under the document camera. Tell students, "Now we will begin to read together about the three states of
matter. I will read orally and you will follow along silently. We need to be thinking about the important points and key details we learn about each state. We will start
by reading about just two of the three states, solids and liquids. After we read we will organize the information we learned by placing it into a Venn diagram." The
teacher reads aloud about solids, and students follow along using pages 12-13 of the book.
When finished, ask students to share two things they learned about solids with a shoulder partner. Ask for volunteers or call on students to share what they have
learned. Jot these facts down on a list under the heading "solids" on chart paper or the whiteboard.
Now follow the same steps for liquids on page 14. After reading, use the Venn diagram graphic organizer to organize the information learned from both sections. Use
the two lists made about solids and liquids. Model how to find similarities first by saying, "Okay, I see that solids and liquids are both states of matter," and write that
part in the center. Then say, "I also can see that both are made up of molecules," and add that to the center as well. Now ask students, "What are some differences
we found? Use our lists to help you." Call on students to give answers and add the differences to the outside circles.
Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher guidance?
Now explain to students that they will be continuing to practice comparing and contrasting by reading about the third state of matter, gas. Place the book Solids, Liquids
and Gases by J. M. Patten under the document camera. The teacher reads page 17 orally and students follow along. (Be sure students are reading the book with you; at
this level students should be able to read the text fluently).
After reading the section pass out the Venn diagram graphic organizer to students. Partner students. With a partner the students will fill in the Venn diagram. Students
should label one side of the Venn Diagram liquids and the other gases. Students will fill in the organizer. The teacher will circulate the room to give coaching and
feedback while students are working.
When students have completed the Venn Diagram, ask the following questions: "What do liquids and gases have in common? What things do they have that are not
the same? How did you know this?" Students should be able to respond to the last question by saying they put the information they learned on their graphic organizer
and used that to help them see the similarities and differences.
Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the concepts and skills developed in the
lesson?
The students should use the Venn-diagram organizer created in the guided practice comparing liquids and gases to write a summary. The summary should be one
paragraph that uses compare and contrast signal words. Students should be encouraged to use various compare and contrast signal words, beyond "same and
different." This will be assessed with the attached Rubric Compare Contrast.
Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the lesson?
Teacher will give students an opportunity to complete the "L" (what have I learned) part on their KWL chart.
Summative Assessment
During the Independent Practice: The students should use the Venn diagram organizer created in the guided practice comparing liquids and gases to write a summary.
The summary should be one paragraph that uses compare and contrast signal words. Students should be encouraged to use various compare and contrast signal
words, beyond "same" and "different." This will be assessed with the attached rubric.
Formative Assessment
Students will complete a K-W-L chart on the topic of matter.
The teacher will draw a K-W-L chart on chart paper in front of the class and list ideas and concepts that the students give. (Be sure to list any and every idea students
give, even if it is a misconception.) In the K section, students will write down everything they know about the concept of matter. The teacher will give the students 3-5
minutes to complete this independently and then discuss as a group. After this, the students will be given 2-3 minutes to fill in the W section of the chart where they
will come up with one to two questions they have about matter with a collaborative partner. Once again, the teacher will add the students' questions to the class chart.
Feedback to Students
Students will receive coaching and feedback throughout the guided portion of the lesson. The teacher will need to encourage students to use various and mature signal
words and phrases (not just "different" and "alike") when comparing and contrasting the states of matter. Teacher can ask questions like:
"What other word can we use in our writing beside similar?"
"What other word can we use in our writing beside different?"
"What is a synonym for similar?"
"What is a synonym for different?"
ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Accommodations:
page 2 of 3 Students can be given copies of the text to read as the teacher reads aloud.
Students can draw pictures inside the graphic organizer instead of writing sentences or the teacher could fill in parts of the organizer for students.
Students could be required to find fewer amounts of similarities and differences.
The teacher can choose less complex texts.
Extensions:
Students can write paragraphs or sentences to retell or summarize the similarities and differences of all three states as learned from the text.
The complexity of the text can be raised.
Students can read a different nonfiction text and complete the graphic organizer independently.
Students may also complete a different type of compare and contrast graphic organizer such as a double bubble map.
Students could compare specific types of solids, liquids, and gases such as steam, water, and ice after reading a nonfiction text on the three types.
Special Materials Needed:
Chart paper, document camera
Additional books that may be used:
Solids, Liquids, and Gases by Angela Roysten
Solids, Liquids, and Gases: From Ice Cubes to Bubbles by Carol Bullard
Looking at Solids, Liquids, and Gases: How does Matter Change? by Jackie Gaff
Solid, Liquid, Gas: What is Matter? by Erica Smith
Further Recommendations:
The teacher may want to have photocopies of the solids, liquids, and gases sections for the books for students to manipulate and have when reading.
Any nonfiction text that gives information about two or more topics or subtopics can be used. Some examples are nonfiction texts about chemical versus physical
changes, energy sources, nonrenewable versus renewable resources, etc.
Any compare and contrast graphic organizer can be used to organize information in this lesson.
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: Andrea Murvin
Name of Author/Source: Andrea Murvin
District/Organization of Contributor(s): Polk
Is this Resource freely Available? Yes
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
LAFS.3.RI.1.3:
Description
Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical
procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.
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