States of Matter

• Sometimes there aren't categories or explanations for objects or living things. The more we know about things, the more categories we need (i.e. animal kingdom). (Messy as in complex).
• It's important to encourage excitement, discussions, group collaboration. These are indications that students are being active learners. Science class shouldn't be so neat, organized, and quiet. You want the children to be excited. (Messiness in the classroom).
• National Science Teachers Association website: safety guidelines and procedures.
• TIP!! Assign students tasks to make cleanup go smoothly.

States of Matter

• Matter is anything that has weight and takes up space.
• Solids have a definite shape
• Liquids have a definite size (volume) but not definite shape
• Gases: no definite shape or size, takes the size and shape of its container.
• Plasma: random array of hot matter (stuff that stars are made of)

Classifying

Scientific study can help us organize our thinking about the enormous diversity of materials- both living and nonliving- that exist in our environment. One way of organizing is..........

Grouping materials with similar with similar properties into the same categories. In elementary school science, children often learn classifying skills by identifying the properties of materials through careful observation and then comparing and contrasting the those properties.

The basic terms we use to describe the material world are called Property Words. These are words that refer to the common properties of objects, such as size, shape, color, odor, texture, taste, compositon and hardness.

Mrs. Harrson's Classroom

If it's so messy....can it be science?

"...the scientific process involves testing an idea, evaluating evidence, asking a question about how the world works, and sometimes discovering how difficult it can be to find an answer".

What does it mean when we say something is a solid, liquid, or gas?

The Observations

• It's important to teach student what solids, liquids,and gases are made up of, why they are considered solids, liquids, and gases. Focusing on teaching the label is not enough. Students may know that water is a liquid, but why is it considered a liquid and what is a liquid?

Keeping it Complex

• Engage, explore, create possible solutions, help students build their own meaning.
• Kids may come up with questions that we can't answer.
• Teachers shouldn't be afraid to make things complex, versus taking the typical advice of keeping it simple when it comes to science.
• Encourage students to take risks. The outcome may not turn out to be a single straight answer.
• Science isn't just about facts. That's not the point.
• The real world, science doesn't always give us straight answers.
• The overall point is to help students be comfortable with exploration and become investigators, willing to take on complxity, risks.

What's the point of having first graders investigate something that is half liquid and half solid, with no clear cut classification?

Cornstarch+water+green food coloring =OOBLECK!

Chapter 6: Exploring Properties of Matter: Messing Around with Everyday Materials