Website with States of Matter Videos, Lessons, and Games

A Great Website: neoK12

If you haven't already discovered this website, I think you will bookmark it for the future! Wow! There is a wealth of information and activities here. It contains online educational videos, lessons, games, puzzles, and quizzes for students in grades K-12 although the section on matter is mostly for Grades 3 - 12.  It also includes the 4th state of matter (plasma).The link below will take you to the section that is all about the STATES of MATTER.  Have fun!

Click here: http://www.neok12.com/States-of-Matter.htm

Create Circle and Bar Graphs

Combining Science and Math

Air is made up of gases.

• 78% nitrogen
• 21% oxygen
•   1% carbon dioxide and other gases

Have the students create a circle graph to display the above data about air.

Students can make their own graph by hand or they can use Kids' Zone, a wonderful website to make a graph.
Click here: Kids' Zone - Create a Graph 

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Water (a liquid) freezes at 32 degrees F. or 0 degrees C.

Water (a liquid) boils at 212 degrees F. or 100 degrees C.

Have the students create bar graphs to display the above data about the freezing and boiling points of water.

Bill Nye Video - Phases of Matter

It's time to hear what Bill Nye the Science Guy has to say about MATTER! He calls matter "Stuff"! So to have your students learn about "STUFF" in our universe, please click on the link below. This awesome video has 3 parts.

clipart by www.graphicsfactory.com

Edit: This video is no longer available at the website that was previously given.  You may be able to obtain a copy for viewing from your local library.


.......  and remember ... SCIENCE RULES!

Matter: Molecules in Solids and Liquids Videos

Here are 2 videos about Molecules in MATTER for the kids presently on the Gamequarium website. 

The videos are from Eureka.

Click Here: Molecules in Solids Video 

Click Here: Molecules in Liquids Video

Matter and Molecules

Introduction

• Review that matter has 3 states: solid, liquid, and gas.
• Tell the students that all matter is made up of tiny molecules.
• Explain that today that they are each going to pretend to be a molecule.

Demonstration 1

Have children pretend to be molecules in a solid. Tell them that they must stand very close together because that's how a solid keeps its shape.

Demonstration 2

Have children pretend to be molecules in a liquid. They need to stand farther apart from each other and move around slowly, which is why we can pour liquids.

Demonstration 3

Have children pretend to be molecules in a gas. They need to spread out (stand far apart) and move about quickly.

Conclusion

Have children draw and label a sketch of  the molecules in a solid, liquid, and gas. Discuss how they are alike and different.

Here is a quick (52 second video) on the States of Matter presently on You Tube.

Click Here: States of Matter Video

States of Matter: Solids, Liquids, and Gases

Materials:

• water
• food coloring (optional)
• 3+ zip-lock bags
• solid object(s) (ball, crayon, toy top, etc.)

Directions

Part 1

• Hold up a zip-lock bag with a solid object inside. Introduce the term SOLID.
• Have children observe by looking at and feeling the object.
• Ask:  Does a solid take up space? (yes)  keep its size? (yes) keep its shape? (yes)  have weight? (yes)
• Ask for more examples of solids.
• Write down properties and examples on a chart or board. 

 

Part 2

• Hold up a zip-lock bag with water inside. Introduce the term LIQUID.
• Have children observe the water.
• Ask:  Does a liquid take up space? (yes)  keep its size? (yes) keep its shape? (no)  have weight? (yes)
• Turn the zip lock bag so the kids can see that the liquid changes shape.
• Pour the water into a cup so the kids can see that a liquid takes the shape of its container.
• Ask for more examples of liquids.
• Write down properties and examples on a chart or board. 

Part 3

• Hold up an empty zip-lock bag. Blow into the bag and seal it.
• Ask: What is in the bag? (air)
• Have children observe the bag filled with air.
• Introduce the term GAS.
• Ask:  Does the gas take up space? (yes) keep its size? (no)  keep its shape? (no)  have weight? (yes)
• Ask for more examples of gases.
• Write down properties and examples on a chart or board. 

Part 4

• Review the 3 states of matter using the chart or board.
• Have children sketch and label  pictures of solids, liquids, and gases. They should include at least 2 examples of each state of matter.

You can download a FREE 3 Column Chart Worksheet from Learning Workroom

Click Here: http://www.LearningWorkroom.com

Go to: Free Worksheets

Matter Introduction, Video, and Song

MATTER Introduction

(Solids, Liquids, and Gases)

KWL CHART

One way to start a new topic is to create a KWL Chart (a 3 column list) with your students.

KWL Chart

MATTER

1. In the 1st column, list what the students think they Know about the topic.
2. In the 2nd column, list what they Wonder about the topic. (They can list their questions about the topic here.)
3. Save the chart until the topic/unit is complete.  At that time the students and teacher together can fill in the 3rd column by listing what the children have Learned.

You can visit Learning Workroom's Website for a FREE KWL Chart to download.

Click Here: https://www.LearningWorkroom.com 

Go to: Free Worksheets 

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After completing the KWL Chart, the students could watch a cute video and learn a cute, little song about MATTER at the Scholastic Website.

Click Here: Matter Video and Song 

 Also you can download a Matter Word Search Puzzle at my website.

https://www.Learning Workroom.com

Go to Free Science Worksheets

Have fun with Science!

Seed Dispersal

How do Seeds Travel?

There are 5 basic ways for seeds to travel:

Wind
Maple, elm, dandelion, and cottonwood seeds all can be carried by the wind. These seeds have wings or other hair-like structures. The dandelion often produces lots of seeds to make sure that some get to places where they will germinate. Some plants like the burr have barbs that get caught in animal fur.
Animals
Animals carry seeds in their fur/feathers and in their digestive tracts. Some animals like squirrels bury seeds for a later date but then do not return for the seeds.
Water
Coconuts travel on the ocean by floating. Other seeds attach to logs or soil and float away. Some large and small seeds float.
Humans
People intentionally plant seeds in new areas.
Mechanical Means
Some fruits dry out and eventually become so dry that they explode or shoot out their seeds.

Activities

• Read books that tell about seed movement/dispersal. For example: The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle 

• Have children put an old pair of socks over their shoes and go for a walk around a park, garden, or the schoolyard. Back in class, have the kids examine the socks to see if any (and what kind of) seeds are stuck on their socks.

• Have children drop seeds/bulbs into small plastic cups/bowls of water to see if they sink or float.

recycled plastic egg carton container - sunflower seeds and bulbs float, bean seeds did not float

• Have children observe various seeds (maple, dandelion, etc.) with a hand lens then drop the seeds and observe how they fall. Record the seeds' movement.

• Wind Dispersal Experiment:  Give students a few different types of seeds. Have them observe the seeds with a hand lens and predict and record which seed they think would travel the farthest on a windy day. Talk to the students about safety issues around an electric or battery operated fan (keeping their fingers a safe distance from the fan.). Wearing safety goggles, have students drop seeds one at a time in front of a fan placed on the floor on low speed. All seeds need to be dropped from the exact same location. Have students observe the seeds being dropped and measure the distance each seed traveled. Students should record their data. A graph of the data could also be made.

some clipart by www.graphicsfactory.com

Fun Fruit and Vegetable Activities

FRUITS

• A fruit is a part of a plant that "contains the seeds" that will grow into a new plant.
• Fruits grow on flowering plants.
• Fruits come in many different shapes, sizes, and colors.
• They vary a lot in smell and taste.
• They contain vitamins and are healthy food to eat.

VEGETABLES

• Vegetables are the parts of a plant that we eat: the leaves, roots, stem, and flowers.

Activities:

• Students can listen to or read books on fruits and vegetables.

 

•  Students can visit a supermarket to observe the multitude of fruits and vegetables available in their local markets. If you call ahead of time, many supermarkets will schedule a time of day for you to bring the children and they will give you a tour of the fruit and vegetable section. The children will be introduced to common and unusual plants plus learn where these fruits and vegetables are grown. (A great social studies lesson.) I've done this several times and the children were also given some fruits to taste plus everyone could choose a fruit they would like to take home. (I've found most large and small markets to be very generous.)
• Students can also visit a local orchard or farm. 

The following 12 pictures are all fruits. (Yes, even the tomatoes and peppers because they have seeds.)

• Students can sketch and label various fruits and vegetables.

• Students can count, sort (color, size, shape, texture), classify, describe, measure, and compare fruits and vegetables. 

• Students can use a Venn Diagram or other Graphic Organizer to compare and contrast fruits and vegetables.

• Students can conduct a survey to find out the favorite fruits or vegetables of their friends and families. They can tally this data and create tally charts, frequency charts, or graphs of the data.

• Students can identify vegetables that we eat that are the leaves of plants.

              (lettuce, spinach, cabbage, taro, mint, parsley, coriander)

• Students can identify vegetables that we eat that are the roots of  plants.

             (taro, carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, radishes, and rutabaga)

• Students can identify vegetables that we eat that are the stems of  plants.

            (potatoes, yams, asparagus, ginger, celery)

• Students can identify vegetables that we eat that are the flowers of plants.

         (cauliflower, broccoli)

 

• Parents, teachers, and students can visit the Dole Website for lesson plans on nutrition education and lots of ideas and fun activities . Included are a Teacher's Toolkit with  Language Arts, Math, Music, Science, and Social studies lesson plans. The lessons are for PreK - Grade 5. 
• Click Here: Dole Website 
 

 

• Students can try to name a fruit or vegetable for every letter of the alphabet. For which letter can they name the most fruits and vegetables?

           A-Apple  B-Banana  C-Cucumber

• Students can be encouraged to bring to school/camp/the beach/family outings/etc.  healthy snacks as they learn more about fruits and vegetables.

• Older students can research which fruits are rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin C.   (Vitamin A: cantaloupe, carrots, sweet potato, spinach, broccoli)  (Vitamin C: orange juice, grapefruit, fresh pineapple, green pepper, cauliflower)
 

• Students can watch a Brain Pop Video on Nutrition. Click Here: Nutrition Video                                                                                                                                                                                                            
  

• Students can name fruits and vegetables for every color in the rainbow/spectrum (ROY G BIV). 

                
                    RED - apple, pepper   ORANGE - orange, pepper

• • Students can help prepare a fruit salad and try to include every color of the rainbow/spectrum. (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet) 
  
  
  • Cathy at Nurture Store made a great Rainbow Fruit Salad......read about it and view it here.
  
  
  • Hopefully students will become excited about eating fruits and vegetables!