MATTER MATTERS
A Facilitator's Guide to Matter
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A. Description of Workshop
Overview of Workshop
Grade for Workshop/
Appropriate Age
This activity is
designed for use in
Grade 2 classrooms or
with children aged 7-8.
What are the states of matter?
How are solids, liquids, and gases
different from each other? What
happens when you mix a solid and a
liquid? What are the properties of
liquids and how do we use them in our
lives? Students will explore the
properties of liquids and the
interactions between solids and
liquids in exciting hands-on stations.
Overall Objectives
Science Topics
¾ States of matter
¾ Properties of
liquids
¾ Interactions of
solids and liquids
¾ Interactions of
liquids and liquids
¾ To learn the
definition of solids,
liquids and gases.
¾ To understand the
properties of
liquids.
¾ To understand the
interactions of
solids and liquids
and liquids and
liquids.
In-class workshops, Matter Matters
©2003 Let’s Talk Science
B. How to Run This Workshop
Physical Requirements
You will need 4 (2 x 2) groups of desks or tables, an area at the front of the
classroom to do demonstrations and an accessible water source. It is strongly
recommended that you put the two groups for Activity #2 close together.
Materials and Set-Up
Students will travel through 2 activity stations in the classroom. Students will work
in groups at the stations. You need to double the materials listed below for Activity 1
and 2 so you will have enough for 2 stations of each.
Note: For more detail, see Kit List
Introduction
Lego™ (a few pieces)
3 different, basicshaped containers
Food colouring*
Water*
Balloon pump
(2) 500-600 mL water
bottles
Rice
(4) Balloons*
Container for dissolving
demonstration
Spoon
Basket filter*
Filter stand and basin
Juice crystals*
Term cards:
Matter, Molecule, Solid,
Liquid, Gas
Activity #1 –
Mixing Liquids and
Solids
Water (6 x 500 mL
bottles)*
Basket coffee
filters (1/student)
(8) Filter stands
(8) Basins
(8) Plastic, screwcap containers
(8) Plastic spoons
Sugar*
Instant coffee*
Tea*
Milk Powder*
Popcorn kernels*
Pepper*
Buttons
Rice*
(2) Waste buckets
Task card
Work sheet*
Activity #2 – Characteristics of
Liquids
Wrap-up
(4) bottles/flasks (half filled with
each liquid)
Dish detergent*
Baking soda*
Vegetable oil*
Water*
Pancake syrup*
Vinegar*
Glass flask
Balloon*
Blue food colouring*
(8) Pre-marked test tubes with
caps*
Black permanent marker
(14) Squirt bottles (remove red
caps ahead of time)
Baby oil*
Water mixed with glycerine*
Test tubes with caps (1/student)*
Plastic beads* (1/student)
Mixing Liquids task card
Liquid Craft task card
Work sheet*
*Consumable items
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©2003 Let’s Talk Science
Timing of Activity
Part of Workshop:
General Introduction*
Introduction to Topic and
Explanation of Activities
Activity #1
Activity #2
Wrap-Up
Suggested Timing:
5 min.
25 min.
Cumulative Timing:
5 min.
30 min.
15 min. + clean up (5 min.)
15 min. + clean up (5 min.)
5 min.
50 min.
70 min.
75 min.
*shorten if necessary
C. Introduction to Topic
Objectives of Introduction
¾ To learn that there are 3 states of matter.
¾ To learn the definitions of a solid, liquid and a gas.
¾ To understand that matter is made up of molecules and these molecules
move differently depending on the state of matter.
Suggested Discussion, Q & A
CHOICE: You can do the introduction in any order that you choose.
Keep it to a maximum of 25-30 minutes. Try and break up the
talking by getting the students up and moving.
Today we are going to talk about “stuff”. Can anyone give me an example of stuff?
Chair, desk, clothes, toys.
In science, we call “stuff”, MATTER.
What is this? (Hold up some pieces of Lego™.)
Lego™.
And what do you do when you play with Lego™?
Build things.
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That’s right, Lego™ are building blocks. MATTER is made up of building blocks too
and they are called MOLECULES.
There are three states of matter. What are the three states of matter called?
Solid, liquid, gas.
Can a volunteer find something in the classroom that will not change shape, no
matter how hard you press down on it?
Desk, chair, book.
Do you think this is a solid, a liquid or a gas?
This is a solid.
Can a volunteer me something in the classroom that you can pour and that can make
drops?
Water bottle, glue, juice.
Do you think this is a solid, a liquid or a gas?
This is a liquid.
BRIGHT IDEA: While setting up the workshop, place a
blown-up balloon somewhere in the classroom.
Finally, can I have another volunteer that can find something that is filled with air?
Balloon.
We call the air inside the balloon a gas.
CHOICE: If you are short of time either eliminate the
activity below OR the molecule role play.
I am now going to ask everyone in the class to stand up and to place your hand on
something in the classroom that is a solid, a liquid or a gas WITHOUT running or
bumping into anyone else. Remember what you were touching and come back to
your seats.
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©2003 Let’s Talk Science
DELIVERY HINT: You can play the game of “I spy with
my little eye…” to bring out the answers to what they
were touching here.
Put up your hand if you were touching a solid? A liquid? A gas?
Which state did most of the class touch?
Solid.
Can someone describe their solid to me? What shape was it? Could it change its
shape?
(Have two or three students describe their solid.)
Who found a liquid? What was your liquid? What shape was your liquid?
Juice, water, glue etc. The shape should be described as the shape of the
container.
Role Play
Let’s see how molecules act when they are in a solid, a liquid or a gas.
DELIVERY HINT: You may do this role-play with the
whole class if you have room, however it may be easier to
get 5 or 6 volunteers instead.
Have the participants act as molecules in a solid first. They should stand huddled
together and move very slowly. Tell the students that now they have to pretend
that they are molecules in a liquid. As a liquid, students should move farther apart
and start to move around more (i.e. waving their hands). Finally, have the students
magically turn into gas molecules. The students act as gas molecules by spreading
farther apart and moving very fast on the spot.
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DELIVERY HINT: After they have turned into a gas, you
can have them go back the other way, and turn into a
liquid again, and then end up as a solid.
Liquid Demonstration
(Place your three different sized or shaped containers on the table. Have one
filled with coloured water before the workshop.)
What shape is this liquid?
A circle, square (depending on the shape you hold up).
BRIGHT IDEA: Try to start with a shape that the
students can easily define (e.g. a regular cylindrical glass).
Be sure to choose clear containers so they can see the
coloured water.
DELIVERY HINT: Try to refer to the coloured water as a
liquid during your demonstration. Hopefully the students will
not think of water only as a liquid and will see that water
can be in other states also.
What happens if I pour my liquid into this container?
Students will hopefully tell you that it will take on the shape of the new
container.
Repeat the same question with the third container.
So what shape is my liquid?
The shape of the container that is holding the liquid
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DELIVERY HINT: You could also refer to other
things the students might know, such as “What
shape would my liquid be in the bathtub?, in a
kettle?....”
A liquid does not have a definite shape like a solid. Liquids take the shape of
whatever container they are in. You can pour a liquid and it will form a drop (like a
raindrop).
Now, when I asked you to touch a solid, liquid or a gas, who was touching a gas?
(No one will likely put their hand up.)
Actually, everyone was touching a gas because all of the air around us is a gas.
Gas Demo
(Show the students a balloon filled with air.)
What is inside this balloon?
Air.
Is air a solid, a liquid or a gas?
Gas.
Air is an example of a gas. Let’s do an experiment to learn a little more about
gases.
(Hold up the bottle that is filled with rice.)
If I tried to blow up this balloon inside this bottle, could I fill it with a gas (air)?
No, it is too full with other “stuff” (rice).
(Try to blow up the balloon with the balloon pump. (You could also have a volunteer
try this.)
Do you think this bottle is already filled with “stuff”? (Hold up the bottle that
only has the balloon inside.)
They will probably say no.
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What if I tried to blow up the balloon that is inside this bottle?
They will probably say ‘It would blow up.’
Let’s try it. (Try to blow up this balloon - it should only fill a very small amount.)
You said that the balloon couldn’t be blown up in our first bottle because it was
filled with rice (“stuff”).
This bottle is actually filled with air and so when we try to put air into the balloon,
there is no room because of the air inside the bottle. Remember when we had our
molecules and they were acting like a gas. What were they doing? They were
taking up all of the available space and that is just what the molecules of air inside
the bottle are doing.
Does a gas have a definite shape like a solid (i.e. desk or chair)?
No, a gas expands to take up all of the space it can so the molecules are very far
apart from one another.
D. Activities
ACTIVITY #1: MIXING LIQUIDS AND SOLIDS
(15min. + 5 min. clean up.)
Dissolving and Filtering Task Cards
Work Sheet
Objective of Activity
¾ To determine what happens when you mix different solids with a liquid.
¾ To learn if a solid dissolves in water.
Suggested Instructions, Q & A
What happens when solids and liquids are mixed together?
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Sometimes they don’t mix at all – like when you do dishes.
Sometimes they mix together – like water and dirt make mud.
Sometimes they mix in a special way that we call dissolving.
Don’t mention this one unless the student’s bring it up.
Sometimes there is a temperature change.
When a solid dissolves in a liquid, you can’t see it anymore, but it is still there.
Demonstrate with juice crystals. First show that the crystals are solid.
What colour are they?
Red (or whatever colour crystals you have chosen.)
What colour is the water?
Clear, see-through.
What happens when the crystals and the water mix?
The water changes colour.
Can we see the crystals?
No.
Are the juice crystals still there?
Yes, the water has changed colour and it tastes different.
The crystals broke into smaller and smaller bits of matter until they could fit in
between the water molecules. These bits are too small to see but they are still
there. We call this dissolving. The juice crystals and the water are mixed
together so well, we cannot separate them.
DELIVERY HINT: You can draw a diagram on the board
to represent this.
(Demonstrate how to use the filters.)
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Our mixture of water and juice crystals goes through the filter. Nothing is left
behind. (Show the filter to show that there are no solids that remain behind.)
If we had mixed water and Lego™ and filtered them, would anything have been left
behind?
Yes, the Lego™.
At this station, each of you will mix one of the solids with a liquid. Make a guess
about the solid in the container in front of you before you start mixing. Will it
dissolve in water or not?
DELIVERY HINT: Ensure you explain the directions stepby-step. You may have to ensure the groups can follow
the task card when they are at the station.
DELIVERY HINT: If the students cannot read the
worksheet, have them match the word on the sheet with
the word that is taped onto the container of solid.
Then test it to see if your guess is right. Fill your container to the line that is
marked with water. Then measure one spoon of your solid into the container.
Carefully screw on the cap and shake it 20 times. Pour your mixture through the
filter to see if anything is left behind. Take turns using the filters. Make sure you
look at what everyone else is mixing and what is left in their filters so you can
record this on your worksheet.
ACTIVITY #2: CHARACTERISTICS OF LIQUIDS
(15 min. + 5 min. clean up.)
Mixing Liquids Task Card
Liquid Craft Task Card
Work Sheet
Objective of Activity
¾ To introduce children to the properties of liquids.
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Suggested Instructions, Q & A
CHOICE: You can split each group up in to 2 smaller groups
to work on the activities at this station, or keep them
altogether. It will depend on whether you have enough adult
helpers.
CHOICE: Depending on the curriculum, EITHER do the
Activity 2a or Activity 2b. Activity 2c should always be
done. If you choose not to do Activity 2a, you can leave
the worksheet behind for the teacher as a post-workshop
document.
DELIVERY HINT: Try to have the teacher or another adult
such as a parent volunteer, lead the students through the
steps of this activity.
Activity 2a
At this station we will be looking at the differences and interactions between
liquids. When you first get to this station you will be working with 4 bottles that
are half-filled with 4 different types of liquids (water, dishwashing detergent,
vegetable oil and pancake syrup). Using the work sheet, you will explore the
properties of these liquids (Does it make noise? Does it stick to the side of the
bottle?, Does it take a long time to move?) and then try to determine what they
were used for. Circle if they are used for eating or cleaning. Sometimes you
might have to circle more than one answer.
Activity 2b
Next, you will take the 4 liquids in squirt bottles (water, dishwashing detergent,
vegetable oil and pancake syrup). You will use pre-marked test tubes – these test
tubes will have 3 evenly spaced lines already marked on them with a permanent
marker. Each of you will select one of the liquids to pour. The first student will
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©2003 Let’s Talk Science
pour one of the liquids gently into the test tube until it reaches the first line. The
second student pours the second liquid in the test as far as the second line. The
third student pours their liquid up to the third line and the fourth student will fill
the remainder of the test tube with their liquid. Try to figure out what is
happening to the liquids. Use another test tube and add your liquids in a different
order. Leave the colourful test tubes in the classroom.
Activity 2c
DELIVERY HINT: Have an adult leader add the food
colouring for the students or have the water pre-coloured
before the workshop.
For your craft, you will use the squirt bottle labeled “water” and fill half of your
test tube with it. Then with the squirt bottle labeled “oil”, you will fill up the rest
of the test tube. (Optional: Then add one drop of blue food colouring to your test
tube and watch what happens.) Finally, add a bead to your test tube. Screw the
cap on carefully and turn your test tube over many times.
E. Wrap-Up
CHOICE: If you chose not to do Activity 2a but you still
have time in the workshop, you can verbally review some
of the key points on the sheet such as which liquids are
used for cleaning etc. Some of the questions below may
not be relevant to the choices you made for Activity 2.
BRIGHT IDEA: You may want to have a larger vial or
picture of what the test tube should look like to discuss
Activity 2b.
What are the three states of matter?
Solid, liquid and gas.
What are the building blocks of matter called?
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Molecules.
What solids dissolved in the water?
Sugar, instant coffee, milk powder.
Which liquids would we use to clean something?
Dish detergent, water.
What happened when you put the different liquids into the test tube in a different
order?
The order always looked the same after it settled.
You should notice that regardless of the order that they place the liquids in that
the liquids will always end up in the same order. The syrup will be at the bottom,
the detergent will be second from the bottom, the coloured water will be third
from the bottom and the oil will be at the top.
Why would the liquids always be in the same order?
This is because some liquids are “heavier” (actually more dense) than other
liquids.
Which liquid was the heaviest? The lightest?
Syrup, Oil
What happened to the drop of blue food colouring?
It did not mix with the oil but it mixed with the water.
Where does the bead sit in your test tube?
It lies between the oil and the water.
CHOICE: You may not have time to do this final
demonstration.
Before we finish, I thought I would show you how you can have a solid, a liquid and
a gas all at once!
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Pour some vinegar into the bottom of a flask. Add a small amount of baking soda
and quickly attach a balloon to the top of the flask. The balloon should fill with the
carbon dioxide gas.
•
•
•
•
What was your favourite activity today?
Do you think Science is fun?
Do you like Science?
Do you have any questions for me?
F. Glossary
Density
The weight in grams of a centimetre cubed section of a substance is called the
density of the substance.
Gas
Gases expand to fill their container. They have no fixed volume or shape. The
molecules move freely and are spaced far apart.
Immiscible
When two liquids don’t mix they are called immiscible.
Liquid:
Liquids have a fixed volume but not a fixed shape. They take the shape of their
container. They can be poured and form drops. The molecules move more freely
than in a solid.
Matter
Matter is the stuff that makes up everything. Everything that takes up space is
matter. Anything that has mass is matter.
Molecules
The building blocks of matter are called molecules. Molecules are so small that
they cannot be seen, even with microscopes.
State
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States are the ways or phases in which we find matter. There are three phases:
solid, liquid and gas.
Solid
Solids have a fixed shape and volume. Their molecules are arranged in a pattern
and vibrate but don’t move much.
Viscosity
Viscosity is the resistance of a fluid to flow.
G. Background Information
Density
All liquids have different densities. Density is the weight in grams of a cubic
centimetre of a substance. A cubic centimetre of water is 1 gram. The weight of a
cubic centimetre of vegetable oil is 0.85 grams. In other words, a drop of oil is
lighter than a drop of water of the same size. This is why the oil floats on water.
Immiscible
Why do oil and water not mix? Oil and water don’t mix because of the polarity of
their molecules. Oil molecules are non-polar because the charged particles are
evenly distributed throughout the molecule. Water molecules are polar which
means that the positive charges attract the negative charges in the molecules.
That’s why water likes to stick together. Two water molecules will stick together
because the positive part of one molecule will stick to the negative part of the
other molecule. When you mix oil and water, the polar molecules of water will stick
together and prevent the non-polar oil molecules from getting in between.
However, two polar molecules (like alcohol and water) will mix with no problems.
Liquids
Liquids are the state between solids and gases. The main characteristics of liquids
are that all liquids pour and that they take the shape of the containers that they
are poured into. It always fills the bottom first because of gravity. Sometimes
solids, such as sand, can also pour. The main difference between these types of
solids and liquids is that all liquids can form drops. Another characteristic of
liquids is that they are very hard to compress. This is a characteristic that is
similar to solids but the opposite of gases. The reason why it is difficult to
compress is because the atoms in liquids are already close together so it is
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difficult to push them even closer. There are several different physical properties
to liquids including density, cohesion, viscosity and colour. These physical
properties vary in different liquids.
Plasma – A Fourth State of Matter
Scientists recognize a fourth state of matter, not dealt with in this workshop.
Plasma consists of molecules that have been stripped of their electrons by high
heat or electricity. Although it is rare on Earth, it is the most abundant state of
matter in the universe. It is found in stars and the solar winds. On Earth we see
it in the auroras, lightning and neon signs.
Properties of Matter
Scientists recognize that matter, regardless of its state, has certain properties:
¾ All matter has mass.
¾ All matter takes up space. No two things can occupy the same space at the
same time.
¾ Matter cannot be created or destroyed. A fire might destroy a piece of
wood but all the matter is still there in the form of ashes, smoke and
escaping gases.
Solids that Pour
The ability to flow and pour is a defining property of liquids. Some solids, however,
appear to have this property. Think of sand in an hourglass; it pours and flows to
take the shape of its container. Two things distinguish these solids from liquids.
Firstly, they can be separated into discrete particles (i.e. a grain of sand) that
have the properties of a solid. Secondly, although they pour, these solids do not
form drops. Only a liquid can form drops.
Viscosity
Viscosity is the resistance of a liquid to flow. Viscosity occurs in all fluids whether
they are liquids or gases. Viscosity is the measure of resistance of a solid moving
through a fluid.
Water - An Exception to the Rule
Water is a familiar example of the three states of matter: solid (ice), liquid
(water), and gas (steam). It is also an exception to the rule that solids are denser
than liquids. Most matter contracts when it get colder. Water expands when it
freezes. Water is most dense at about 4°C. As a solid, water has a specific
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crystal structure. As a liquid, water molecules have more energy and can therefore
break the bonds of the crystal structure and pack themselves closer together.
This property has important implications for life on Earth. In large bodies of
water the cold water sinks and ice floats. The ice helps to insulate the water
beneath so that it doesn’t freeze. Since the bottom layers are kept from freezing,
living things can survive the winter at the bottom.
(See: http://www.nyu.edu/pages/mathmol/modules/water/info_water.html)
H. Suggested Resources
Rader’s Chem4Kids website
http://www.chem4kids.com/files/matter_intro.html
Palo Alto Unified School District Science Online Guide for Teachers
http://www.pausd.palo-alto.ca.us/k6science/liquids/lq_tips.html
I. Bibliography
Cooper, C. (1992). Eyewitness Science - matter.
London: Dorling Kindersley Limited.
Cuthbert, T. www.primaryresources.co.uk/science (PDF)
Friedhoffer, R. (1992). Matter and energy.
Toronto: Franklin Watts.
Glover, D. (1993). Solids and liquids.
New York: Kingfisher Books.
Kerrod, R., & Holgate, S.A. (2002). The way science works.
New York: DK Publishing.
Mandell, M. (1959). Physics experiments for children.
New York: Dover Publications.
Ontario Science Centre. (1995). Solids, liquids and gases.
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Toronto: Kids Can Press Ltd.
Peacock, G. (1994). Water.
England: Wayland Publishers Ltd.
Riley, P. (1998). Materials and processes.
New York: Franklin Watts.
Tocci, S. (2001). Experiments with solids, liquids and gases.
Toronto: Children’s Press.
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