This is the first Investigation of the LabLearner CELL Properties of Matter. In it, students will examine the solid, liquid, and gas phases of water.

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A. Begin the investigation by describing the focus of the CELL to students.

1. This CELL is designed to introduce students to some basic concepts of properties of matter.  During the Investigation, students will explore three states of matter using water.

B. Narrow the focus of the discussion by explaining that in Investigation One of the CELL, students will begin to explore states of water.

1. Help students to begin thinking about the properties of matter by using the Recall tool from the Cognitive Toolbox. Use students’ prior knowledge as a point from which the three states of matter can be explored in this investigation.

2. Encourage students to recall what they know about states of matter.  Connect their recalled statements about states of matter to questions that they may have asked themselves in order to recall previous knowledge.  Example questions and statements that derive from them are presented below.  Help students to understand that one way to recall previous knowledge is to ask themselves questions about the topic.

a. Ask students: What is matter? Something that has mass and volume.

b. Ask students: What are the three states of matter? Solid, Liquid, and Gas.  Direct students to look at their Scientist’s Glossary for definitions of the terms.

Solid:  a state of matter that has a definite shape.

Liquid:  a state of matter that can be poured and takes the shape of its container.

Gas:  a state of matter with no definite shape.

3. After students have shared their previous knowledge of states of matter, comment on the amount of useful information they could recall.  Emphasize that the information they remembered will help them as they perform their experiments.

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C. Continue the discussion by helping students generate examples of each state of matter. Draw a chart on the chalkboard with three columns.  Label the columns “Solid, Liquid, and Gas.”

1. Ask students: Can you think of examples of solids, liquids, and gases?

a. Instruct students to find a partner and brainstorm examples of solids, liquids and gases. Allow students approximately 5 minutes to complete this activity.

b. Direct students to write down examples of each state of matter in the chart in Problem 1 of their Student Data Record.

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D. Ask students to locate their Scientist’s Glossary as you discuss the term property.

1. Ask students: What does property mean? Students should indicate that a property is a characteristic.

2. Refer to the slide and tell students that properties can include color, height, shape, weight, and other characteristics.

a. Ask students: What are some properties of a tree? Student answers may vary, but some answers could include, brown and green, tall, smooth leaves, hard bark, has a trunk, has roots, living, etc.

b. Ask students: What are some properties that are unique to a tree? Student answers may vary.  Examples include that a tree has bark and the leaves of the tree may have a unique shape.

c. Ask students: What are some properties that are common between a tree and a flower? Student answers may vary.  Examples include that both are plants and both have leaves.

3. Direct students to the chart in their Student Data Record.

a. Ask students: What are some properties of the items in your chart? Student answers may vary.  Examples include that soda is sweet and fizzy or clouds are white and fluffy.

b. Ask students: What are some unique properties of items in your chart? Student answers may vary.  Examples include that glass is clear and the other items on the list are not.

c. Ask students: Do you have items on your chart that have common (shared) properties? Student answers may vary.  Examples include that you can drink both soda and lemonade or a rock and glass are both hard.

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3. Direct students to the chart in their Student Data Record.

a. Ask students: What are some properties of the items in your chart? Student answers may vary.  Examples include that soda is sweet and fizzy or clouds are white and fluffy.

b. Ask students: What are some unique properties of items in your chart? Student answers may vary.  Examples include that glass is clear and the other items on the list are not.

c. Ask students: Do you have items on your chart that have common (shared) properties? Student answers may vary.  Examples include that you can drink both soda and lemonade or a rock and glass are both hard.

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E. Discuss with students that water is an example of matter.

1. Ask students:  Is water an example of matter? Yes.

2. Ask students:  How do you know? Student answers may vary, but students should indicate water has mass (it takes up space), it has volume, and it takes the shape of its container.

F. Discuss with students that matter can change from state to state.

1. Ask students:  Can matter change states? Yes.

2. Ask students: What are some examples of matter changing states? Student answers may vary.  Some examples include ice cream melting, a person’s hair drying after swimming, chocolate melting on your fingers when you eat it.

Note to teacher:  If students have difficulty coming up with examples, ask: What happens to ice cream on a hot day?  Indicate that when the ice cream is melting, its changing from a solid to a liquid.

3. Ask students: Can you find terms in the Scientist’s Glossary that describe matter changing states? Students should indicate that condense, freeze, melt, and evaporate are terms describing changes in state.

4. Tell students that they will see an example of evaporation in their classroom.

G. To conduct the demonstration of evaporation (or refer to the slide), take the damp sponge and wipe it across the chalkboard to create a streak.

1. Direct students to observe the water streak on the chalkboard for a short time as the streak begins to evaporate.

a. Ask students: What is happening to the water streak? Student answers may vary, but students should indicate that the streak is getting smaller.  A common answer may be that the water is disappearing.

b. Ask students: Where is the water going? Student answers may vary.  Students may indicate that the water is disappearing. Instruct students to find a word from the Scientist’s Glossary that describes what is happening. The water is evaporating. It is changing from a liquid to a gas.

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H. Guide students to create a drawing of a scene in which three states of matter are present.

1. Direct students to locate their blank piece of paper and colored pencils or crayons.

a. Direct students to fold the blank paper so that it is divided into three sections.

b. Tell students they should draw a picture of a lake three times, to show a lake on three types of days: a sunny warm day, a cool rainy day, and a very cold snowy day. Allow 5-10 minutes for students to complete their drawings.

2. Discuss with students different states of water in their pictures.

a. Ask students: What state of water can you find in the sunny warm day picture? Students should indicate that the lake is liquid.  They may also indicate that clouds are a gas.

b. Ask students: What state of water can you find in the rainy day picture? Students should indicate that the rain is liquid, the clouds are gas, and the lake is liquid.

c. Ask students: What state of water can you find in the snowy day picture? Students should indicate that the snow is solid.  The lake can be a liquid or a solid if it is frozen.

3. Discuss with students how their pictures show water changing states.  If necessary, refer students to the Scientist’s Glossary.

a. Ask students: Where in your scene could you find freezing? Students should indicate that the lake can change from a liquid to a solid, and the snow is rain that has frozen.

b. Ask students: Where in your scene could you find melting? Students should indicate that the snow can melt in the sun, and the lake can change from a solid to a liquid.

c. Ask students: Where in your scene could you find condensation? Students should indicate that the rain is a cloud changing from a gas to a liquid.

d. Ask students: Where in your scene could you find evaporation? Students should indicate that the lake can change from a liquid to a gas and become clouds.

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I. Tell students they will be conducting experiments that will increase their understanding of states of matter.  During their experiments, they will use water to explore this concept.

1. As they conduct their experiments, they should think about the following questions.

• What are the properties of ice?
• What are the properties of water?
• What are the properties of water vapor?
• Can you observe matter changing states?

2. Explain that they should be able to answer these questions after they conduct the experiments.