University of Montana C&I 404: Teaching K-8 Science Chris Fimrite and Kylie Pancich
1. Background Information a. Grade Level: Two b. Lesson Title: Solids and Liquids c. Student Understandings i. What concepts and/or skills will students understand/construct as a result of this lesson? Properties of solids. Properties of liquids. ii. What is the central science question guiding this lesson? What makes an object a solid or a liquid? iii. What benchmarks in the NSES is the lesson focus intended to address? Physical Science (Properties of Objects and Materials): Materials can exist in different states--solid, liquid, and gas. Some common materials, such as water, can be changed from one state to another by heating or cooling.
2. Materials a. Have the following items for each group: i. Unfilled balloon ii. Rubber ball iii. Clay in a sandwich bag iv. Rubber band v. Sand in a sandwich bag vi. Pencil sharpenings in a sandwich bag vii. Flour in a sandwich bag viii. Pencil ix. Rock x. Cookie in a sandwich bag xi. Chalk b. Place the following items in plastic bottles: i. Plain water ii. Colored water iii. Corn syrup iv. Cooking oil v. Liquid detergent vi. Liquid hand soap vii. Fabric softener or starch c. Solid and liquid worksheet (attached)
3. Procedure a. Pre-lesson i. Bring the students in to sit on the rug ii. Sing a song to receive the students attention iii. Explain to them what we will be doing iv. Split the students into pairs by using a deck of cards and tell them to sit at the tables b. Engage (solids) i. Present the solid items to each pair. ii. Tell them to grab and explore each of the items in the tub at their group. iii. Ask them to write what they observe on their worksheet. c. Explore (solids) i. Have a few of the students present observations they have made about the objects to the classroom. ii. Tell the students that each of the objects at the table have a property that is similar. Have the students write the ways that the objects are similar. Then have a few of the groups share their ideas with the class. d. Explain (solids) i. Eventually draw from students the notion that all of these objects have a shape of their own. Stuff that has a shape of its own are called solids. ii. Ask the students how the solids differ. Try to draw out some of the following ideas: 1. Some solids bend 2. Some solids break easily 3. Some solids stretch 4. The shape of some solids change easily 5. Some solids bounce 6. Some solids can be poured, but even these have a shape of their own and can stand alone e. Engage (liquids) i. Give each group one of the different bottles of liquids. ii. Tell them to allow each person in the group to have a chance to observe the bottle. Also, emphasize to not open the bottle. iii. Let the students make observations on their worksheet. f. Explore (liquids) i. Encourage the students to explore: 1. How the liquids move 2. What happens when the bottle is slowly tipped on its side or upside down 3. What happens when you spin the bottle 4. What happens when you roll the bottle 5. What happens when you shake the bottle ii. Tell the students to write some of these observations down too iii. Have each group report a few of their findings to the classroom and allow them to guess what they think is in their bottle iv. Again, tell the students that each of the bottles at the different groups has a property that is similar. Have the students discuss the ways that the item in the bottle is similar. g. Explain (liquids) i. Eventually draw from the students the notion that each item takes the form of the container. Items that take the form of the container are called liquids ii. State that even though some solids take the form of their container like sand and flour, if these items are spilled they can be pushed into piles and can stand alone. iii. Ask the students what happens if you spill a liquid. Draw out of the students that when liquids are spilled, they spread out in all directions. h. Expand i. Now I bring the students over to the rug in the front of the room. I tell them the rug is our container and we are all a liquid. I ask them, “What does a liquid do when it is inside the container?” I hope they respond that it moves around freely while taking the shape of the container. I allow the students to move around freely among each other as a liquid ii. Then I tell them that I am tipping the container to one side of the rug. All the students go to the side of the rug that I am tipping the container. I tell them that they can’t leave the container though because the lid is still on. I then tell them that the container is now flat again and they can continue moving around freely. iii. Then I tell them that the container has spilled and ask them what happens next. They respond that the liquid spreads out evenly across the surface and tries to form to its new container, the room. So students then spread out throughout the room. iv. I then ask students to return to the rug in the front of the room. v. I tell them to now grab on to each other and to stay as still as they can. I tell them they are doing a good job of standing alone and maintaining their same shape. vi. I ask them what they have become now since they are no longer a liquid. They respond by telling me they are a solid. After this the students return to their seats. i. Evaluate i. Hand out a worksheet to the students in which they have to identify which objects are solids and which objects are liquids. j. Assessment i. Students who understand the properties of solids and liquids will be able to correctly identify the solids and liquids on the worksheet.
4. References Barr, B. (1998). Children & Science. Reenwood Publications: Cortland, NY. Coleman, L. K. "Solids, Liquids, & Gases." 7 Nov. 2000. 21 Feb. 2008
Solids and Liquids
Directions: Place a check mark in the correct column if the item is a liquid or a solid.
Item Solid Liquid Peanut Butter
Milk
Cup
Salt
Soda
Tissue
Juice Name:______
Solids and Liquids Observations
Describe some of the qualities of the first items: ______How are these items similar? ______Describe some of the qualities of the second items: ______How are these items similar? ______