What is the matter?

Here are some ideas I had for using videos and activities to help students identify properties of the three forms of matter (solid, liquid, and gas) and use movement to demonstrate the distinct properties of each state of matter (movement of molecules):

Brainstorm Introduction: Open class by asking questions and have students record responses on something like WallWisher, Bubbl.us, or chart paper ( for the beginning of a KWL Chart):

• What do we know about a Solid? a Liquid? a Gas?
• Can we think of some examples?
• Can we hold a Solid? a Liquid? a Gas?
• Can we touch a Solid? a Liquid? a Gas?
• Can we feel a Solid? a Liquid? a Gas?
• Can we see a Solid? a Liquid? a Gas?
• Can we taste a Solid? a Liquid? a Gas?
• Do we have any ideas about how these are made?

Video Introduction

• Direct students to look for examples of Solids, Liquids, Gases that we can add to the chart
• States of Matter Video
• Ask students about things they noticed in the video and think should be added to the Primary Wall chart (examples, qualities, interesting facts ….). Save the Primary Wall chart for later use. Students can also add questions they have about the states of matter to the Primary Wall chart.

Video/Song/Movement

• Ask students what they remember about solids, liquids, and gases. Show the chart to help refresh memories.
• Today we are going to look at some other ways these three states of matter are different.
• Tell students: “Everybody stand up. When I count to 3, I want you to move and shake while still at your desk.” Have students move around
• Questions: Did we all move the same way? Did we all move at the same speed? Do you think the molecules in solids, liquids, and gases move the same way and at the same speed?
• Direct students to look and listen for things about states of matter that can be added to the Primary Wall chart, especially things about the way the molecules move
• View What is Matter Video
• Discuss movement of molecules in 3 states of matter and have students demonstrate how they differ  (highlight the vocabulary words throughout the discussions)
• Whole Class Movement Activity: students move faster or slower depending on which state of matter you call out (liquid, solid, gas)
• Discuss what causes the change from one state of matter to the other
• Whole Class Movement Activity: students are molecules and then speed up or slow down related to evaporation or condensation
• Listen to Song : http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/studyjams/matter_states/
• Show words while song is playing (possibly have printouts)
• Play song again and encourage students to sing along
• Have students add a few of the things learned to the chart created at the beginning of the unit. Students can also add questions they have about the states of matter to the chart, as well as look at the the questions added previously to see if any have been answered.

During these activities, students will be encouraged to discover information about the specific topic rather than just being told the information by the teacher. This will be done by involving students in the watching, listening, and discussing the videos, songs, and activities. Instead of the teacher providing notes for the students to copy, the students will be involved in creating the class notes by brainstorming things to add to the chart all along the way. The focus of the lessons in this unit is on the content that is being learned and not on the technology that is being used (videos and primary wall). The visual, kinesthetic, and auditory learning styles of students are each addressed in the activities in this unit.

The videos and technology tools used in this unit were chosen based on the way they could be used to address the content. I am not sure that using three videos is necessarily the best way to integrate technology to meet all student needs to cover one standard. I chose to break apart the videos into three distinct times/days with activities and/or questions to go along with each video. Just showing videos to students is no guarantee of learning.

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