Matter Lesson Plan

Name Mary-Kate Perrone

Your Science Course or Class 6th Grade Science: Section 602
School Name MaST Community Charter School
Planned Teaching Dates and Times

1. GUIDING INFORMATION:

a. Student and Classroom Characteristics

This science class consists of 27 students who are engaged in science learning for
approximately 65 minutes a day. The time frame for this class is 11:25 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.,
which is right before their lunch period. Students are seated at tables. There are six groups of
four students at each table and one table of three students. During science, students are
expected to work collaboratively on hands-on or inquiry based projects/ assignments.
Throughout various science lessons, students are expected to use observational skills as well as
they are required to utilize the steps to the scientific method. When students are engaged in the
science lesson, they make observations, inferences, and record data in either their copybooks or
lab sheets. At times, students may lose focus of the objective and have to be redirected to the
task at hand. In the classroom, students work well together to discuss the activity and the
concepts behind it.

b. Prior Knowledge
CRITERION 5 Instruction is responsive to
Attends to students’ a pre-assessment and Formatted: Font: Bold
prior knowledge in research on children’s ideas
planning.
Connect what you have written to research on children’s ideas from your pre-assessment.
You need to assume that the reader has not read your pre-assessment report, so you’ll
need to summarize your pre-assessment and relate it to the goal of this lesson – based
upon those results, why are you going to teach students concepts A and B?
Currently, my students have many misconceptions about specific concepts in matter, such
as density, mass, and volume. The data I gathered to assess their prior knowledge was based on
student responses to two questions pertaining to the characteristic properties of matter,
specifically density, mass, and volume. Some students used explanative terms (??) when Formatted: Highlight
answering the questions, while others responded in complete sentences without supporting
details as to the reasoning behind their thoughts. My students associated a brick’s weight or
heaviness with having more matter and mass than a dry sponge. Some students were confused
and responded with “matter is what space it takes up” and “volume and mass are almost the
same thing,” even though it was stated in the question that both the dry sponge and the brick
took up the same amount of space.
Based on the pre-assessment questions, these students explained density and mass based on
the visible, tactile objects mentioned in the pre-assessment question. In other words, some of
the students envisioned an actual brick and a dry sponge sitting on their desk. Using their
senses, these children adapted their knowledge of matter, mass, density, and volume and
applied it to what they previously knew from either their own experiences or what they had
learned in past years through science education

1
2. PURPOSES:
CRITERION 1 Science ideas are fully and
Understands major accurately described at
science concepts adult level of understanding
pertaining to lesson.
I think part a below falls short of explaining the concepts fully and accurately. Give examples of Formatted: Font: Not Bold
how these three concepts relate to one another. Explain the concepts like they are explained in a
university science textbook, rather than a disctionary definition. Use material from your
preassessment paper, if applicable.
a. Major Concepts
The major concepts for these lessons pertain to the concept of matter. More specifically,
students will need to be able to differentiate between density, mass, and volume.
• Density: the quantity of something per unit measure, especially per unit length, area, or
volume; the mass per unit volume of a substance under specified conditions of pressure
and temperature
• Mass: a unified body of matter with no specific shape
• Volume: the amount of space occupied by a three-dimensional object or region of space,
expressed in cubic units; the capacity of such a region or of a specified container,
expressed in cubic units.
Students will also need to be able to define matter and apply the concepts listed above to the
overall topic of matter.
• Matter: something that occupies space and can be perceived by one or more senses; a
physical body, a physical substance, or the universe as a whole; something that has mass
and exists as a solid, liquid, gas, or plasma.
• Information for the above definitions were taken from:
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

b. Learning Goals
How are these learning goals related to the big ideas of science? For example, if you do not
understand density, you cannot understand why most of the air we breathe is found near the
earth’s surface, why lakes overturn in summer, why Earth’s interior is layered or how
convection works in ovens, oceans, earth’s mantle, etc. What is the overall, deeper value of
learning these concepts? If there is no deeper value, then it’s just learning terms for learning
sake.
Throughout these lessons, students will learn what matter is and how it can be described.
They will understand that different types of matter have unique physical and chemical
properties. As well, they will study about the physical and chemical changes that matter can
undergo. Also, students will focus on matter as anything that has volume and mass. They will
explore how the volume of solids, gases, and liquids are measured. Additionally, they will
learn the difference between mass and weight and understand how both are measured.
Through inquiry, students will gain knowledge of how density is used to identify various
substances. They will discover what happens to matter during physical changes by completing
hands-on experiments.

c. Objectives

2
 1. Students will be able to describe the two properties of all matter and identify the units
used to measure volume and mass.
2. Students will be able to compare mass, weight, and inertia (where did this come from? It
wasn’t mentioned above) and explain the relationship between mass and inertia.
3. Students will be able to identify and list six examples of physical properties of matter.
4. Students will be able to describe how density is used to identify substances.
5. Students will be able to explain what happens to matter during a physical change. (this
seems like something for a new lesson, unless you are linking this objective to a major ide, such
as conservation of matter. Either way, it should have been explained above why understanding
what happens in a physical change is important to understanding what matter, volume, and
density mean.

d. State Standards
Some of the relevant standards under the concept of the introduction to matter directly
correlate to the Physical Science Content Standards. More specifically, some standards are
listed under the “Properties and Changes of Properties in Matter.”
It’s better to simply quote the exact standard. If you are focusing on just a part of it,
boldface the part your lesson addresses.
National Science Education Standard code PS 1a addresses the scientific fact that
substances have characteristic properties, such as density, and that a mixture of substances can
be broken down into its original parts through one or all of a substance’s characteristic
properties. NSES code PS 1b summarizes how substances react with one another to form new
substances by chemical means. It also encapsulates the law of conservation of mass and that
substances can be categorized into groups. (this would be an example of linking your lesson
goals to big ideas in science) NSES code 1c concentrates on the breaking down of chemical
elements as well as the combination of the 100 elements that make up living and non-living
matter in the universe. In addition to these standards, this topic of matter incorporates Science
and Technology standard code ST 1: the abilities of technological design and code ST 2:
understandings about science and technology (Holt, Rinehart, and Winston 2005). This one is
too broad to be useful to the reader

Rule of thumb: Don’t list any standard without being able to fully defend within your lesson
how the lesson contributes to attainment of that standard.

3. RATIONALE:
The approach to the following lessons was developed to incorporate a variety of learners.
Students learn in various ways; therefore, I integrated many different teaching strategies to
accommodate all my learners and create a classroom environment that is conducive to learning
scientific concepts. In my lessons, I included hands-on activities for students who are concrete
learners. In addition, the lessons feature visual aids with the use of graphic organizers, charts,
transparencies, and tactile visible objects to adapt to my visual learners. Also, for contextual
learners, I developed plans based on the text. Auditory learners learn through the integration of a
listening center as well as through many oral discussions. The rationale for the content of lesson
stems from my initial pre-assessment of my students’ knowledge about mass, volume, and density.
My students have much confusion about these specific concepts; therefore, I wanted to devise a
lesson plan that addressed their misconceptions as well met each of their individual needs.

3
4. CLASSROOM PREPARATION:

a. Instructional Materials
Day One
• Chapter starter transparency and overhead projector
• A rock, a paper clip, a book, a pencil, and a large cardboard box
• Students' notebooks, textbooks, and pencils (27)
• Guided reading packets A (general) and B (special needs): section 1
• Scrap paper (27), large container (7), water, and cups (27)
Day Two
• Jars (7), bottles (7), cans (7), and cartons (7)
• Graduated cylinders and measuring cups
• Students' notebooks, textbooks, and pencils (27)
• Guided reading packets A (general) and B (special needs): section 1
• Various classroom objects
• Centimeter rulers (27)
• Water
Day Three
• Various classroom objects that have differences in color, odor, shape, size, and state
• Students' notebooks, textbooks, and pencils (27)
• Audio center and CD of text
• Guided reading packets A (general) and B (special needs): section 2
• Metric balance, graduated cylinder (100 ml), 8-10 marbles, graph paper, paper towels,
water (enough materials must be in place for 7 groups)
• Lab sheets (27)

b. Management and grouping patterns

Students will continue to sit at tables with their assigned groups. Students will discuss with
peers when the lesson requires discussion. Independent work will be done at the same location;
however, students will not be permitted to talk to one another. During labs, one student from
each group gathers materials, so as not to have chaos with students walking freely around the
room. All handouts are distributed by the teacher or classroom assistant. During clean up,
groups are called individually to clean up their materials and return them to the proper place.

c. Safety
Day One: Students should use caution when working with water to avoid spills. Students will
be instructed to do what if a spill occurs?
Day Two: Students should use caution when working with water to avoid spills as well as glass
container such as jars and cylinders. Be specific – what will you tell them to do if they break
something? Any broken glass should result in immediate clean up by the adult supervisor.
Day Three: Same precautions as previous lessons.

4
5. TEACHING METHOD(S), INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES, AND LEARNING
ACTIVITIES:

Day 1

a. Phase of Inquiry:
Engage: Students will be engaged in hands-on activities to assist in motivating students to
learn about physical characteristics/ properties of matter. In addition, students will become
engaged in the learning process through guided reading and direct instruction. Too general –
what specifically will you say or will students do that will engage them with what
concept(s)? For example, here are some thought-provoking questions:

Can something have volume if it has no mass?

If we squeeze an object like a snowball into a smaller volume, does its mass increase?
It’s easy to measure the volume of a liquid. How would you measure the volume of a rock?
Suppose you had two marbles of the same volume – one in each hand. One if made of glass
(like a regular marble, and one is made of lead. Would they feel the same or would one feel
heavier than the other? Explain.

Where is explore? It comes after engage and before explain. Is your lesson constructivist if
you explain before they explore?
Explain: Students will be creating a prediction guide based on what hey think they already
know about matter. They will read and learn (this is the “read about science” model of Formatted: Highlight
science teaching, and you should acknowledge its limitations or explain why you think it is
required at this stage, and how you know that by reading, they will learn. Personally, I think
it’s more consistent with constructivism to have them experiment first and then have them
read the formal definitions later) about matter, volume and its measurements. Students will
define important terms related to this chapter. They will be able to apply the knowledge
gained from this lesson to complete follow up and correlating activities to further explain Deleted: form
more difficult concepts such as density.

b. Content
Students will be defining important terms such as matter, mass, volume, weight, and
inertia. By defining these terms, students will be able to apply them to the various
properties of matter. Students will identify basic properties of a liquid. They will study
how liquid volume can be measured. In addition, students will become familiar with
measuring the volume of regular and irregular shaped solid objects. This lesson also
encourages students to compare and contrast the similarities and differences between weight
and mass. They will use graphic organizers to illustrate these. Additionally, students will
investigate measuring mass and weight and inertia.

c. Motivational opening
In groups, students will examine a “secret sack” that contains an object. Students will
need to use their senses and observational skills to identify characteristics and properties of
the object. Students will then discuss their findings and make lists of identifiable
characteristics and properties and non-identifiable characteristics and properties of the

5
 object. Students will make inferences based on what they know form their observations and
draw conclusions as to the actual object inside the sack. After students have shared their
predictions, they will open the sack and properly identify the object.

d. Core Learning Activities

1. I will introduce the chapter, The Properties of Matter, using a transparency about the
California Gold Rush.
2. Teacher demonstration, “Explaining Volume:” I will display several different items,
such as a rock, a paper clip, a book, a pencil, and a large cardboard box. Students will
speculate how they are all alike (they all take up space), compare their size (smallest to
biggest), and discuss the connection between volume and taking up space.
3. Before reading section 1: What is Matter?, students will create a prediction guide based
on the headings set forth in the text.
4. Students will read section 1 and complete a guided reading worksheet to enhance
comprehension and outline important terms and information.
5. To demonstrate that air has volume, students will work in pairs to complete a lab, “space
case.” They will crumple paper and stick into a cup and submerge the cup upside down in
water. They will observe how air filled the space in the cup and did not allow water to flow
inside. They will repeat the experiment again, yet this time the cup will have a whole in it.
Students will observe that the water pushed the air out of the space and filled the cup.
6. As a class, we will discuss and correlate measuring the volume of liquids, solids, and
gases.

e. Critical Questions
1. Do objects with large masses always have large weights? (Answer should state that
weight changes depending on where it is on Earth, so not all objects that have large mass
weigh more)
2. Why aren’t volume and mass characteristic properties of matter? Have you defined this Formatted: Highlight
as a learning goal? (Answer should refer to volume and mass as being measurable amounts
dependent on the size of a substance.)
3. Would an elephant weigh more or less on the moon than it would weigh on Earth?
Explain. (Answer should make note that the gravitational force is different on the moon
than on the Earth; therefore, the weight of the animal would be different.) Now you are
introducing gravity. This is getting complicated, don’t you think? As the list of concepts
grow, so must the time required to really understand what they mean.

f. Closure
To end the lesson, I will ask the review questions of the students. I will review the main
points of the lesson and redefine the important terms learned earlier. I then will discuss the
following day’s activities, which will be reinforcing the concept of how volume is
measured, so that they will be prepared for the upcoming lessons.

Day 2

a. Phase of Inquiry

6
Explore: Students will investigate the measurement of volume using a hands on approach
as well as through mathematical equations. Students will be conducting an experiment on
how to measure the volume of several containers using water and graduated cylinders as
well as using a centimeter ruler.

b. Content
Students will study how liquid volume can be measured. In addition, students will
become familiar with measuring the volume of regular and irregular shaped solid objects.
Students will also learn the mathematical equation for determining volume using a
centimeter ruler, which is that volume is equal to the length of the object multiplied by the
width and the height of the object.

c. Motivational opening
Students will work together in groups to measure different volumes of a variety of
containers using the bottom of the meniscus at eye level. Students will use jars, bottles,
cans, and cartons as their experimental containers. They will then use graduated cylinders
and measuring cups to determine the volume of each container. Students will record their
findings in a data chart.

d. Core Learning Activities

1. As a whole class, we will discuss the measurements of the various groups. During the
sharing of data, I will assess prior knowledge through inquiry of terms and concepts learned
from the previous lesson. Assess the entire class?
2. As a whole group, we will review and go over the answers to the guided reading from
section 1.
3. To reinforce the concept of volume, students will work individually on mathematical
equations to determine the volume of solids:
• A book has a length of 25cm, a width of 18cm, and a height of 4cm. What is
its volume? (V=l*w*h)
• What is the volume of a suitcase that has a length of 95cm, a width of 50cm,
and a height of 20cm?
• A CD case is 14.2cm long, 12.4cm wide and 1cm deep. What its volume?
4. Once students have solved the equations, they will then pick three small/ medium sized
objects from the classroom and measure their volume using a centimeter ruler. They will
share their results with the group.
5. To review the main concepts in this section, students will complete the section review.
Answers will be shared as a whole group.

e. Critical Questions
1. What are two units used to measure volume?
2. Explain how you would measure the volume of an apple.

f. Closure
To end the lesson, I will ask the review questions of the students. I will review the main
points of the lesson and redefine the important terms learned earlier. I then will discuss the

7
 following day’s activities, which will be about identifying the physical properties of an
object and in particular density, so that they will be prepared for the upcoming lessons.

Day 3

a. Phase of Inquiry
Elaborate: Students will further their understanding of matter by identifying specific
physical properties of substances. They will elaborate on previously learned concepts about
matter, mass, and volume.
Evaluate: Students will conduct a hands-on investigation on determining density, while
applying concepts of mass and volume and the mathematical value given to each. Students
will be evaluated based on their performance in the lab activity.

b. Content
In this lesson, students will learn about the six main examples of the physical properties
of an object, which are thermal conductivity, state, density, solubility, ductility and
malleability. Students will define important terms such as physical property, density, and
physical change. Furthermore, they will apply these terms and concepts to hands-on
learning activities on determining the densities of various objects while incorporating
previously gained knowledge of mass and volume.

c. Motivational opening
At the front of the room, students will observe different objects that have differences in
color, odor, shape, size, and state. Students will then describe each object in terms of their
observable properties. They will then answer why it is important to use a variety of
properties when describing objects. How does this relate to understanding mass, volume,
and density? Stay connected to your goals.

d. Core Learning Activities

1. I will begin discussion of section 2: Physical Properties, by playing the guessing game
called “20 questions.” I will think of an object and the students will have to ask me
questions about its properties in order to figure out the object. I can only answer in yes/no
responses.
2. Once students guess the object, I will point out the six examples of physical properties
set forth in the text: thermal conductivity, state, density, solubility, ductility and
malleability. Students will give other examples of each property.
3. Students will develop their own mnemonic device to help them remember the examples
of physical properties while reading through the section.
4. Using the listening center, students will listen to the section read aloud. While listening,
they will complete the guided reading packet on section 2. Students will copy key terms
and definitions.

8
 5. Students will complete a lab activity based on determining the relationship between mass
and volume of a substance. Students will apply the mathematical calculation of density is
equal to mass divided by the volume of an object to determine the density of marbles.

e. Critical Questions
1. What physical property do the following substances have in common: water, oil,
mercury, and alcohol?
2. Explain how you would find the density of a liquid if you had all of the laboratory
equipment that you needed.

f. Closure
To end the lesson, I will ask the review questions of the students. I will review the main
points of the lesson and redefine the important terms learned earlier. I then will discuss the
following day’s activities, which will be about reinforcing the physical properties of an
object and in particular determining densities of various liquids, so that they will be
prepared for the upcoming lessons.

6. EVALUATION STRATEGIES
Students will be evaluated based on teacher observations (what will you observe as
evidence of understanding?), question and answer review
Sessions (will you collect data on individual students?), as well as performance based
through lab activities. Homework and class work
will be marked as complete or incomplete. (how does completion ensure understanding? –
What does completion give you in terms f being able to say whether or not any specific child has
attained the concepts?) Students with an incomplete assignment will
receive a five point deduction for each one not completed. Lab sheets will be evaluated
based on a rubric (see attached).

7. REFLECTION:
[leave blank - to be completed after instruction. This is your reflective presentation in the final
week of classes]

8. ATTACHMENTS:

a. Handouts, scientist notebooks, journals, worksheets. You must prepare and attach all
teaching materials.

b. Assessments, if paper-based. Rubrics for scoring assessments.

c. Standards and Leeds materials, if not included in body of text above.

d. Copies of lesson plans or other resources used to design this unit. If your instruction is based
on a kit curriculum, please attach a copy of the lessons from the teacher’s guide.