vapor

What is
Matter? It has mass
and space.

liquid
How Scientific solid
Physical Science
Fourth Grade

Essential Question: What are the properties of matter and what can we learn
from observing the changes these properties go through?

Science Core Standards:

Core Standard 3a - Properties of Matter
• Identify matter as anything that takes up space and has mass.
• Identify that all matter is made up of parts too small to be seen
without magnification.
• Demonstrate that regardless of how parts of an object are assembled
the weight of the whole object is identical to the sum of the masses
of the parts.

Core Standard 3b – Changes in Matter

• Identify ways in which the properties of naturally occurring materials
may be changed irreversibly.
• Use tables and graphs to show changes.

Science Indicators:

Properties of Matter
Indicator 4.3.10
Demonstrate that the mass of a whole object is always the same as the sum
of the masses of its parts.

1
 Changes in Matter
Indicator 3.1.3
Keep and report records of investigations and observations using tools such
as journals, charts, graphs, and computers.

Language Arts Core Standards

Core Standard 1: Word Recognition, Fluency, and Vocabulary Development

• Use knowledge of root words, context clues, glossaries, and dictionaries
to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.
• Read aloud grade-level-appropriate literary and informational texts with
appropriate timing and expression.

Core Standard 2: Informational Text: Structure, Comprehension, and Analysis

• Use the organization of informational text to strengthen comprehension.
• Identify main ideas and important details presented in the text.
• Draw logical conclusions based upon what was read.

Core Standard 4: Writing- Informational, Research, and Persuasive Texts

• Use a notebook of ideas and graphic organizers to plan writing.
• Write pieces with multiple paragraphs that follow an appropriate
structure and display knowledge of purpose, audience, and format.
• Within reports, refer to and cite relevant ideas and details from a
variety of sources.
• Revise writing, improving clarity and organization.

Core Standard 5: Writing- Literary Text

• Use varied word choices to make writing interesting.
• Write for different purposes and to a specific audience or person.

Core Standard 6: English Language Conventions

• Use simple sentences and compound sentences in writing.
• Create interesting sentences by using words that describe, explain, or
provide additional details and connections.

2
 Core Standard 7: Listening and Speaking
• Ask thoughtful questions and respond orally to relevant questions with
appropriate elaboration.
• Give precise directions and instructions.
• Connect and relate experiences to those of a speaker.
• Use details, examples, or experiences to explain or clarify information.

Content: Matter (proprieties of matter, changes in matter)

Skills: Identify, Demonstrate, Observe, Explain, Construct, Report

Concept: change

Vehicles: books, experiments

Resources:
AIMS Education Foundation Activities
• By Gum, By Golly, By Time
• A Matter of States
• Physically Changed
• Water in Apples
Books in your School-wide Information Center
• What’s the Matter in Mr. Whisker’s Room by Michael Ross
• What is the World Made Of? by Kathleen Zoefeld

Timeline: at least one week (if you decide to do the “Water in Apples” activity it
will take a few more days to complete the observations and graphing activities.

Assessment: “How Scientific” journal entries, anecdotal records, self-assessment

Lifeline of the Week: Curiosity

3
Day One- Fourth Grade
Essential Question: What are the properties of matter and what can we learn
from observing the changes these properties go through?

Hallway Greeting:

What is matter?

or

The word matter is derived from the Latin word mater, which means “mother”.

or

There are three states of matter: solid, liquid and gas.

Welcome Message

Read this poem with a partner.

(A full size copy of this poem is resource #1)

What’s matter, do you ask?

I’ll tell you right away.
It’s everything around you,
As you work or sleep, or play.

A chair is matter, a table too,

And so is a rock or tree.
A cloud, a star, a blade of grass,
A raindrop, a bumblebee.

4
 The earth is matter, too.
Of course what matters most of all
Is the matter that is you!

There’s matter almost everywhere,

Except in one special place—
The vast, black, lonely emptiness,
That we call outer space.

Task: With your study buddy, make a list of some things that represent matter in
our classroom. Be ready to share during community circle.

Literacy Links

Phonics – The word matter is a homograph. Tell what two meanings of the word
matter is by using the third stanza of the poem to help you.
Predict – Why don’t you think there is matter in outer space?
Put in Order – Put the words in the first sentence of the poem in alphabetical
order.
Connections – Why do you think the author of this poem says “Of course what
matters most of all is the matter that is you!” ?
Comprehension – What is outer space referred to in this poem? Why did the author
use these descriptive words? (vast, black, lonely)
Fluency – Let’s read the poem aloud. Everyone will read the first time, then boys
will read the first and third stanza and girls will read the second and fourth stanza.
Fun – Every time you hear the word matter, stand up and then sit back down.

Agenda

Skills to Highlight – (Language Arts Standard 4.1.2) When writing your agenda today try
to include some examples of homographs (words that are spelled the same but have
different meanings).
Example- We will duck down to computer lab at 10:00.
The weather is only fit for ducks so we will have indoor recess.
We will learn about matter today in Science.
Does it matter what we will do in Math today?

5
Agenda Title – What’s Matter Monday

Community Circle: Have students take turns sharing from the list they made
with their study buddy of things that represent matter in the classroom. As
students share, record their ideas on the board or a piece of chart paper. As you
are recording ideas, have students tell you what category you should place their
word in (solid, liquid and gas).

*Note to teacher: In third grade, students are taught the terms solid, liquid, and gas. This
will be an informal way to review and assess student’s knowledge of these terms.

** If your class needs more background on the terms solids, liquids, and gases read aloud
the book, What is the World Made Of? by Kathleen Zoefeld which can be found in your
school’s information center.

Say It
Students will read and discuss the following information whole group. (resource #2)

What is Matter?

Everything you can see, touch, and feel is matter. Matter is anything that takes up
space and has mass. Mass is how much there is of an object. You are made of matter! You
probably have more mass than a kindergarten student because there is probably more of
you! Matter can be dead or it can be alive. Matter can exist in the form of a solid, liquid,
or gas.

A solid has a definite shape and volume. The particles within a solid are tightly
packed and little motion occurs. Volume means it takes up space.

When a solid is heated, it becomes a liquid. The particles in a liquid move freely. As
a result, a liquid does not have a definite shape. It takes the shape of its container. Its
volume, however, remains the same when it is poured from one container to the next.

When a liquid is heated, it becomes a gas. Gases have neither a definite shape nor
volume. The particles in a gas may be far away from one another or close together. The
volume and shape of a gas depend on the size and shape of its container.

6
 Did you know that matter is made up of tiny particles. These particles are called
atoms. Atoms are the smallest unit of matter. You can’t see atoms because they are so
tiny. Two or more atoms can join together to make larger particles of matter. These larger
particles can join other particles to make up the matter you can see.

When you describe an object, you tell about its properties. A property tells exactly
what an object is like. You can describe matter by naming its properties. Suppose you
wanted to describe a lemon. You could tell about its size, shape, and color. You also might
describe its smell and sour taste. Size, shape, color, smell, and taste are properties of the
lemon.

You will learn more about matter by doing these discovery processes.

Discovery Process #1 (resource #3)

1. Hold your hand close to your mouth, and breathe through your mouth. The warm air
you feel on your hand is matter.
2. Touch the tip of your finger to your tongue. Your fingertip becomes wet from the
saliva. Saliva is matter!
3. Touch your hair, a fingernail, your nose, and teeth. These body parts are all forms
of matter!

Matter is found in three forms: solids, liquids, and gases.

Your breath is a ______________________

Your saliva is a _______________________
Your hair, skin, teeth, and fingernails are _____________ forms of matter.

Brainstorm other examples of each form of matter and record on chart paper.
Solid ____________________
Liquid ___________________
Gas _____________________

Discovery Process #2: Seeing is Believing (resource # 4)

Hypothesis: If atoms are too small to see, how do scientists know they are there?

7
Materials: 4 Mystery Samples of Classroom Objects (ex. - pencil, Kleenex, bottle of glue,
CD, etc.) * Place objects in brown paper bags which will be in your lesson plan packet.

Procedure: Carefully examine your mystery objects and record properties you can observe
and what sense you used to observe them. Find at least three properties.
Use your observations to deduce what common classroom object is in the box.

Conclusion: How did you figure out what each mystery object was when you couldn’t see it?

Bring your recording sheet to community circle when you hear the signal.
Mystery Bag Properties Observed Senses Used
#1
#2
#3
#4
We think the object in bag #1 is ____________ because _____________________.
We think the object in bag #2 is ____________ because _____________________.
We think the object in bag #3 is ____________ because _____________________.
We think the object in bag #4 is ____________ because _____________________.

Play It
Move to Music
Each time the music stops ask the following questions. Listen in as students give answers
to assess knowledge.
1. What is matter?
2. What forms does matter come in?
3. What is volume?
4. Do solids have a shape? What about liquids and gases?
5. What is mass?
6. What is the smallest unit of matter?
7. Ask your partner a question from what we read.

Play It and Relay It

Learning Clubs will complete Properties of Matter student activity (resource # 5)

8
Purpose: to identify the properties of matter in three states
Procedure: Discover the properties of solids, liquids, and gases by completing the chart.

Solid – wooden block Yes or No

Hold the block in your hand.
Put the block in a cup.
Move the block to a second cup.
Squeeze the block.
Can you feel the mass of the
block?
Does the block take up space?
Does the amount of volume, or
amount of space the block
takes up, change?
Does the block keep its shape?

Liquid- water
Fill one cup half-full of water
and hold it in your hand.
Observe the water in the cup.
Pour the water into the second
cup.
Tip the cup from side to side
without spilling the water.
Can you feel the mass of the
water?
Does the water take up space?
Does the volume, or amount of
space the water takes up,
change?
Does the water keep its shape?

Gas - air
Blow air into the plastic bag
and seal it. Hold it in your hand.
Observe the air in the bag.
Try to pour air from the bag
into the cup.
Blow air into the bag and seal
it. Squeeze the bag.
Can you feel the mass of the
air?
Does the air take up space?
Does the volume, or amount of
space the air takes up, change?
Does the air keep its shape?

Weigh It
Record your thoughts in your How Scientific Journal.
1. Look at the completed chart, Properties of Matter. Notice which two properties all
three states of matter have in common. Then complete the definition of matter.
Matter is anything that __________.

2. Think of a solid and a liquid that you use or see every day. Write them down and
then describe the properties of each one.
Solid _____________________________________________________________
Liquid ____________________________________________________________

9
 Teacher Reflection:

Do your students have a good background of the three states of matter?

What will you include in your classroom information center about this new topic of study?

In the school information center there are some books and posters that may be beneficial
to check out with your students.

Does your school have any videos or old science materials that would be good to find and
use?

You will need a balance scale and some gram masses this week. Do you have one or can you
borrow one?

Each student will need 48 colored circles (made from construction paper and a hole punch)
tomorrow. What will be the easiest way to get these ready? Here are a few suggestions:
• Have each student make their own sometime during the day.
• Have one student make a bunch, another student can count and place the correct
amount in a small snack size zip-lock bag. They will prepare enough bags for the
class.

Home Connection:

Look around your house. What are some examples of solids, liquids and gasses?
What are the properties of these examples of matter you found?

10
Day Two – Fourth Grade
Essential Question: What are the properties of matter and what can we learn
from observing the changes these properties go through?

Hallway Greeting:

Can you solve these anagrams?

mouse cell (molecules)

bat census (substance)

Welcome Message

Hello, Scientists!
Did you know that matter is found everywhere on Earth! The entire universe
is just one big mixture of molecules that make up all the different states of
matter. A molecule is too small for us to see with our eyes or even with a
microscope.
Your brain is made of three trillion cells! Every one of these cells is a
combination of hundreds of molecules of liquid, gas, and solids. I wonder how many
matter molecules are in your whole body. A number out of this world, I bet!

Task: We will be learning more about matter today. What is something you are
wondering about? Tell your neighbor.

11
 Literacy Links

Phonics – What does the idiom “out of this world” mean?

Predict – What are some things your friends are wondering about?
Put in Order – If you wrote the number 3 trillion, how would it look?
Connections – What else is too small for us to see with just our eyes?
Comprehension – What does the word molecule mean?
Fluency – Let’s read the welcome message together.
Fun – Read the message like you are “out of this world”.

Agenda

Skills to Highlight – Write your agenda using a few idioms such as:
Don’t be a couch potato – go out for recess.
Two heads are better than one when you work on math facts.
In Music we will be dancing to get the ants out of our pants.

Agenda Title – Totally into Matter Tuesday

Community Circle:
Create a KWL chart about matter. Record what students are still wondering about
from their discussion with their partners when reading the welcome message. Go
back around the circle and record things they already know.

Say It
Today you will be making a rubber band book, A Matter of States (resource # 5)
After you construct the book you will read and discuss it with your study buddy.
(Set Purpose for Reading)This will help you:
1. Identify that matter can be a solid, liquid or a gas.

12
 2. Learn how to construct a model of the three states of matter
3. Identify some of the characteristics and behaviors of each of the three
states of matter.

Play It and Relay It

Each Student will need:

• Student Recording Sheet (resource # 6)
• 48 circle punch outs (per student) made from colored paper and a ¼ “ hole punch
• One size #19 rubber band
• Glue stick
*You will find rubber bands and a hole-punch in your lesson plan packet.

Procedure:
• Distribute materials (material managers from each learning club can assist you).
• Students should re-read the book and use the student recording sheet
(resource # 6) and the colored circle punch-outs to create the three models.
• Ask students to share some of the characteristics and behaviors of each of the
three states beside the models they created.

Follow-up Discussion Questions:

1. Why was it important to keep the number of circle punch outs the same for each
model? (shows that mass stays the same for each model)
2. Which state has the most space between the molecules? (gases)
3. Which state seems to be the most organized? (solids)
4. Why are models used in science?
5. What are some things this model did not show about the states of matter (doesn’t
show movement)
6. What did you learn from doing this activity? What are you wondering about now?

Weigh It
Record your thoughts in your How Scientific journal.
1. What did you learn from doing this activity?
2. What are you wondering about now?

13
Teachers can use the questions students are wondering about to provide additional
instruction during future lessons or you can direct individuals to your classroom
information center.

Say It (resource # 6a)

If you’ve ever been lucky enough to see the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights,
shooting through the night sky, then you’ve seen an example of plasma, another stage of
matter. You might not have heard much about plasmas, because they are not very common
on Earth. Plasma is a fourth state of matter and exists only under special conditions.

Fluorescent light bulbs are an example of plasmas. Fluorescent bulbs have an

excitable gas inside the long tube. When electricity flows through the tube, it charges up
the gas and creates glowing plasma inside the bulb.

Neon signs work the same way, but the color of the sign depends on the kind of gas
inside the neon tubes.

Here is a way to learn more about plasma. Say this rap with a friend.
Rappin’ in the Plasma
If you fly in space, you see it everywhere.
But come back to Earth, it’s hard to find it here.
Go to a restaurant, and look at the neon sign,
You can see plasma working overtime.

Play It and Relay It

Turn and Talk

Turn to your neighbor and tell them what you learned about plasma.

Make up a rap about solids, liquids, or gases. Share it with your learning club.

14
 Teacher Reflection:

Have students read more about matter in their Science textbooks. Ask them to share
what they learn with their learning clubs.

Home Connection:
Encourage your students to take their rubber band books home and share them
with their families.

15
Day Three – Fourth Grade
Essential Question: What are the properties of matter and what can we learn
from observing the changes these properties go through?

Hallway Greeting:

Mass is a term used in the metric system to describe the bulk (heaviness) of
anything.

or

The mass of an astronaut remains constant on earth and in outer space.

or

The weight of an astronaut changes as he travels beyond the force of gravity.

Welcome Message

Today we will be learning about mass. Matter is a substance, or object, that has
mass, takes up space and can be changed by energy. Everything around you is made
up of matter.

Mass is how much matter an object has. Mass is related to how much something
weighs. The more dense an object is, the more it weighs. A pencil is more dense
than a straw so the pencil weighs more. Matter is anything that has weight and
volume (the amount of space an object takes up).

We measure mass in grams or kilograms. A nickel has the mass of about one gram.

Task: If a nickel has the mass of about one gram, predict how much mass a quarter
has.

16
 Literacy Links

Phonics – What words can you think of that have the word mass in them?
(Massachusetts, massive, massage)
Predict – How much mass did you predict a quarter has? Was your prediction the
same as anyone else? How could we find out how much mass a quarter has?
Put in Order – Can you make any of the statements into a question?
Connections – Have you ever measured things in grams before? What?
Comprehension – What is the difference between mass and weight?
Fluency – Let’s read chorally.
Fun – Read like you have a lot of mass.

Agenda

Skills to Highlight –Presenting your agenda in a beginning, middle, and end graphic
organizer will help model this tool that is used on many writing prompts.
Beginning of Our Day

Middle of Our Day

End of Our Day

Agenda Title – Wondering about Mass Wednesday

Community Circle:

What have you learned about matter this week? How did you learn it? (add
responses to KWLH chart)

17
You will have a choice today to pick an activity to have your students complete
to illustrate how mass changes. You may choose to do “By Golly, By Gum, By
Time” or “Water in Apples”.
The “Water in Apples” will take about four days to complete (observing,
recording information on graphs, discussion.
“By Golly, By Gum, By Time” can be completed in one class period.

Say It
Read the article “What is Matter? to help build background knowledge.
(resource # 7)
Define the words at the end of the article (matter, mass, volume).

Play It
Table Talk
Compare your definitions to those of others in your learning club.

Relay It

****You may choose to do this student activity “By Gum, By Golly, By Time” (or you can
go down further on this page and choose the other activity “Water in Apples”.

Background Information for the Teacher:

• Does the amount of time gum is chewed affect its mass?
• Gum labels list all ingredients by mass, with the substances having the most mass
being listed first. Sweetener and flavorings provide the majority of gum’s mass.
The mass that is lost in chewing is swallowed in the form of sweeteners and
flavorings.
• Most of the loss of mass occurs in the first few minutes of chewing. Some gums
lose more than half their mass in the first two minutes.
• Loss of mass in the chewing gum can be displayed effectively on a broken-line
graph, a type of graph that is often used to changes over time.

Students will:
• Chew gum to see what happens to its mass.
• Discover how the mass of the gum is affected by the amount of time it is chewed.

18
Each Learning Club will need:
1. Balance scale (directions for making a balance scale is in the resource section if you
don’t have one available)
2. Packs of gum (a variety of different types including sugar free, brands, and
flavors)
3. Rulers, one per student (to be used when constructing the graph)

Procedure:
1. Distribute gum, balances, masses, and the activity sheets. (resource # 8 )
2. Have students save the outside wrapper of their pack of gum (to check the list of
ingredients) after they unwrap it.
3. Have each group find the total mass of the five pieces of gum with individual
wrappers. Record this mass under zero in the table.
4. The individual wrappers will be used each time they check their mass of the gum.
Have students write their names on the individual gum wrapper they are in charge
of chewing for their group. When students weigh their gum, they should place it on
their open gum wrapper and place on the scale.
5. Tell students to chew the gum for two minutes, put their gum on their paper, find
the total mass of the five pieces again by placing it on the balance scale, and record
how much mass found under the “two” in the table.
6. Have students repeat the process four more times and record the data.
7. In constructing the broken-line graph, students need to pick an appropriate scale
for the vertical axis. The scale will vary according to the total mass of each pack of
gum.
8. Have students read the ingredients in their gums and discuss how these ingredients
affect the mass that was lost.
9. Record conclusions on the bottom of sheet one.

Weigh It

In your journal, explain why the type of gum affected the amount of mass lost. How did
the taste of the gum change as it was being chewed? Is there a connection between the
taste of the gum and its mass?

******* If you choose to do the “Water in Apples” activity follow the steps on the
following page.

19
 Relay It

Question: How will the mass of the apples change after four days?

Background Information for the Teacher

• Apples are about 84% water.
• The speed of this moisture evaporates into the air depends on the amount of
exposed surface and relative humidity. In very humid conditions, it is possible for
the apples to gain moisture.
• The chopped apple should lose the most moisture.
• The peeled apple should show a significant loss.
• The whole, unpeeled apple should show minimal loss because of the protection
offered by it skin.

Students will:
• Graph changes in apples using either a bar graph or line graph. ( a line graph shows
change over time)
• Follow a set of written instructions for a scientific investigation.
• Use data and graphs from the investigation to explain what happened to the water
in the apples.

Learning Clubs will need:

• 3 apples of uniform size (whole, peeled, chopped)
• Balance
• Gram masses
• 3 pieces of paper towel (each apple will be placed on a piece of towel after
preparation)
• Peeler
• Plastic serrated knife (to cut the apples)

Procedure
1. Students will prepare the apples.
• Peel and chop one apple and place on a piece of paper towel.
• Peel one apple and leave it whole. Place it on a piece of paper towel.
• Do nothing to one apple and place it a piece of paper towel.
2. On the first activity sheet (resource # 9) students will record their observations
about one of the apples. On the second sheet of this resource have students record
their predictions for which apple will lose the most moisture.
3. Students will find the mass of each apple, every day. Record the results on their
graphs and figure the loss of mass of each of their apples. Measuring the apples

20
 and calculating the loss of the mass should occur approximately the same time each
day.

Weigh It
In you How Scientific journal respond to the following questions:
1. What did you discover while doing this activity?
2. When did your group’s apples lose the most mass? How do you know?
3. What kind of information did your graph give you about the changes you observed?
4. What are you wondering now?

Teacher Reflection:
To provide you with additional information, the entire lesson plan which comes from AIMS
Education Foundation is included at the end of the resource section.

Which activity did you choose to do with your students (gum or apples)? Why?
Explain your thinking in your How Scientific journal.

Home Connection:

Try chewing some different kinds of gum at home with your family. Show them how the
ingredients are listed on the package by mass.

or

Use different kinds of apples at home to see if green, yellow, or red apples lose their mass
at different rates.

21
Day Four – Fourth Grade
Essential Question: What are the properties of matter and what can we learn
from observing the changes these properties go through?

Hallway Greeting:

Matter is defined by scientists as anything that takes up space.

or

Matter is the substance of which all things are made.

or

Matter can be changed into energy and energy into matter.

Welcome Message

Read this poem with a friend.

Physical Changes

A physical change is easy to tell.

You always end up where you start.
The things that you do for a physical change
Are to cut it or tear it apart.

You might change the size, or even the shape.

But the way that it started is clear.
A physical change only changes the look.
The pieces can still reappear.

22
Task: Think of examples of things that can be physically changed. Be ready to
share during community circle.

Literacy Links

Phonics – What is a synonym for change? What is an antonym for change?

Predict – What are some examples of physical changes? Did anyone think of the
same one?
Put in Order – The water cycle is an example of a physical change. Name the cycles
and put them in order.
Connections – What are some things you have physically changed?
Comprehension – What are some things you can do to physically change something?
Fluency – Let’s read the welcome message aloud.
Fun – Let’s re-read and physically change your body position.

Agenda

Skills to Highlight – Use words that can be synonyms or antonyms in the text of your
agenda today.

Agenda Title – Thinking about how we can change matter Thursday

*Included in the resource section (resource # 10 and resource #11) is an I Have, Who Has
Game for antonyms and an I Have, Who Has game for synonyms to help you provide
additional practice on Language Arts Standard 4.1.1

Community Circle:

Students will share physical changes they have observed. You may want to wait to
do community circle until the end of this lesson so students have more examples to
share.

23
 Say It
Students will construct a rubber band book, Physically Changed (resource # 12). They will
read and discuss it with their study buddy.

Play It and Relay It

Table Talk
1. Discuss what a physical change is.
2. Demonstrate a physical change such as cutting an apple in half or smashing a paper
cup.

Procedure for Activity, “Physically Changed”:

1. Students will work with a partner. Give each pair of student’s five items that are
readily available and easy to physically change such as paper clips, straws, paper,
clay, and yarn.
2. Students will physically change each of their five items in at least two ways. They
will write a written description of how they changed each of the items.
3. Each pair of students will exchange their written descriptions with another pair of
students. The goal is to carefully follow the directions and change the items in the
same way that the first group did.
4. The two pairs of students should compare their changes with the original sets of
changes and review the written descriptions with their observations.

Weigh It
In your How Scientific journal answer the following questions.

1. What does it mean to say something has physically changed?

2. How could you physically change a pencil?
3. What is something you still are wondering about?

24
 Teacher Reflection:

Tomorrow students will be creating chemical changes.

Check to see if you have the following materials readily available:
• Ice cube trays (one per learning club)
• Eye droppers (one per learning club)
• Small cups to hold a small amount of Iodine, vinegar, water
• White powders (flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, sugar)

Home Connection:

Look around your house and note things that have been physically changed from
their original state. What kinds of changes do you notice? How did these changes
occur?

25
Day Five – Fourth Grade
Essential Question: What are the properties of matter and what can we learn
from observing the changes these properties go through?

Hallway Greeting:

A chemical change is sometimes called a chemical reaction.

or

One kind of chemical change is decomposition (breaking down into smaller parts).

or

A chemical change is a change that causes matter to become a new kind of matter.

Welcome Message
Read this poem with a friend.

Chemical Changes

A chemical change is a whole different thing.

What you had will no longer come back.
It may bubble, get hot, or turn into food.
Like the milkshake you had for a snack.

If may decompose and turn into soil

Become ashes whenever you burn.
Whatever you do the pieces are new
And the old things never return.

26
Task: Think of something that may be an example of a chemical change. Be ready to
share during community circle.

Literacy Links

Phonics – The word change is a multiple-meaning word. What are two ways this word
is used?
Predict – What are some chemical changes your friends will share?
Put in Order – Chemical and change begin with the same sound. Which one would you
find first in the dictionary?
Connections – Have you ever burned wood in a fireplace? What does the wood turn
into?
Comprehension – What does decompose mean? Give an example of it.
Fluency – Read the poem with your partner again and take turns reading every other
line.
Fun – Act out a chemical change for your partner and see if they can guess what it
is.

Agenda

Skills to Highlight – multiple meaning words (homographs)

Agenda Title – Finding out about Chemical Changes Friday

Community Circle:
Students can share examples of chemical changes. You may wish to conduct
community circle at the end of this lesson so students have more examples to
share.

Say It

What is a Chemical Change?

A chemical change, or chemical reaction, is a change that results in the production of

another substance. Some changes can create a brand new substance. When you burn a log

27
in a fireplace, you change the wood to ashes. When we leave something made of metal in
the rain, it turns to rust. Common examples of chemical changes are digestion, burning,
photosynthesis, toasting, rusting, mixing and decomposition. The clues to help you
recognize a chemical change are the following: change of color, heat, light, bubbles, or gas.
In addition, you can’t get back the original materials easily.

Play It

(Resource #13)
Behavior Procedure: Use the following or create your own.
1. Scientists are always careful with unknown substances.
2. Never taste or touch unknown substances without permission.
3. Take your time when mixing the solutions so that mistakes are not made and
you can make accurate observations.
4. Record all observations carefully.
5. Everyone must be responsible to do their job.

Roles for Unknown Powders Experiment

Traveler: Gets any materials that are needed by the group. Takes the role of
recorder is only three in a group.
Powder Expert: Puts powders in the ice cube trays.
Mixer: Drops liquid slowly from the eye dropper into the white powders and stirs
the solutions together with a popsicle stick.
Recorder: Writes observations on charts. They take the leadership role in making
decisions.

Play It

Predict: What will happen when we mix the white powders with the liquids?

Today we will be putting powders into solutions. We will add a different liquid to each of
the powders and record what happens. When we do this we will create either a physical
change in our materials or a chemical change. Sometimes the solution will look different
than either material did before we created the change, but nothing new is created. This is

28
a physical change. Sometimes we will create a completely new substance. This is a chemical
change. You will also try to solve the mystery of the unknown substances.

Procedure:
1. Put a teaspoon of powder # 1 in three of the sections of your ice cube tray.
2. Mix one or two droppers of water into the first section of white powder and stir.
Use more water if needed. Use a popsicle stick as a stirrer.
3. Spend a few minutes watching what happens and discussing it.
4. Record the observations of your learning club.
5. Carefully drop 5 drops of iodine into powder # 1. Observe and record. Stir
carefully.
6. Do the same with the vinegar. Observe and record.
7. Wash out the teaspoon between powders. Then do all the powders.

Things to look for when you add the liquid to the powder.
• Physical Changes
1. Size
2. Shape
• Chemical Changes
1. Creates a New substance
2. Gives off Heat
3. Gives off Light
4. Color Changes or Stays the Same

Fill in the chart. Make observations and discuss what happened and why you think it occurred.
Powder Water Iodine Vinegar What
happened?
1. flour

2. sugar

3. salt

4. baking
soda
5. baking
powder

29
 Weigh It

In your How Scientific journal, write a three paragraph summary describing the activities
you did this week about matter and what you learned.

Teacher Reflection:

In your How Scientific journal reflect on the lessons and activities. These notes will help
you when sharing feedback with your coach.

Included in the resource section is an I Have, Who Has game for matter that can be used
whole group or placed in your information center.

Home Connection:

You will be learning about expert projects. Your teacher will want you to start thinking
about a Science topic that you want to become an expert on to share with your friends and
family in at our Science Celebration in May.

30