Matter

While I was away on Monday, the students learned about liquids. First, they learned the following poem:

A liquid moves smoothly.

We say that it flows.

From one place to another.

How quickly it goes!

We know that most liquids

Are easy to see.

With no shape of their own,

They're not like you and me. 

Then, they learned that a liquid does not have a definite shape. The amount and weight of a liquid stays the same. The students explored this idea by looking at different glass jars and vases. Some were tall and some were short; some were thin and some were wide. They measured the liquid in one container, then poured it into a different container. What happened to the shape? Did the weight change? Then,the students discussed if all liquids flow in the same way. They recognized that some liquids are more dense and pour slowly. After this experiment the students drew a picture of a liquid. 

On Wednesday, the students learned about gases. First, they learned the following poem:

Air is a gas.

We can't see it, that's true;

but often we feel it

In things that we do.

It keeps up a kite.

Air fills up a bubble.

Without it to breathe,

We would be in BIG trouble! 

Then, the students were given baggies. They blew up their baggie until it was filled with air. We discussed that air is a gas. It takes up space, and sometimes we can feel it. After this experiment the students drew a picture of a gas. 

On Friday, we learned about matter changing form. Can a liquid become a gas? Can a solid become a liquid? To answer these questions we first went outside to gather some snow. Then we built mini snowmen! We came to the conclusion that the snowmen (solid) would melt into a liquid. Some students thought it would take 20 minutes and others thought it would take 90 minutes for the snowmen to melt. It ended up taking 70 minutes for the snowmen to melt. After, we took the water from the snowmen and poured it into a kettle. We saw that when the water started to boil it turned into steam. We learned that temperature sometimes causes matter to change form.