Measuring Matter

Jessie D. Barnes               Henry Clay Elementary School
                               13231 S. Burley
                               Chicago IL 60633
                               312-535-5600

Objective:

  The fourth grade students will measure the mass of objects using a balance 
  scale and measure the volume of an irregularly shaped object, using 
  displacement.

Materials needed:

  balancing scale                  heavy thread
  coins                            50-ml  graduated cylinder
  paper clips                      bolt
  pencils                          books
  blocks                           nails
  rocks
  soda can
  water
  crayons 
  
Recommended Strategy:

  Phenomenological approach and Performance assessment 
  
  1. Review the following terms:
     matter, solid, liquid, gas, mass, grams, centimeter, and milliliter     
  2. Place an apple in a sack and staple the sack shut. Leave another sack flat 
     and staple the top of the sack shut.  Pass both sacks around for the 
     students to observe and determine which sack contains a solid, liquid or 
     gas object.  Have the students name the object in the sack and describe to 
     the class the shape, color, size, and weight of the object. 
    
Performance Assessment:

Part I
   A. Place a coin in one of the balance pans.  
      1. What happens to the balance?
   B. Add paper clips to the other balance pan, one at a time, until the pans 
      balance.
      1. How many paper clips are needed to balance the pans?
      2. What is the mass of the coin?
   C. Find the mass of other objects.
      1. What do you predict the mass of each object will be?
      2. What is the mass of each object?
      3. How can the balance measure mass?
Part II      
   D. Set a graduated cylinder on a table, away from the edge. Fill it with 
      water up to the 20-ml mark. 
      1. What is the volume of the water in the graduated cylinder?
   E. Tie a piece of heavy thread around the bolt.  Make sure the thread is long
      enough for you to hold onto when the bolt is lowered into the graduated 
      cylinder.
      1. What do you think will happen to the water when you lower the bolt into
         the graduated cylinder?
  F.  Carefully lower the bolt into the water.  Watch the level of the water.
      1. Describe what happened to the level of the water.
      2. What is the volume of the water in the graduated cylinder now?
      3. How much did the bolt increase the volume of the water?
      4. What is the volume of the bolt?
      5. How is a graduated cylinder used to measure the volume of an object?  
         The volume of the displaced water is equal to the volume of the object.
      6. Use your graduated cylinder to find the volume of a crayon. 

Multicultural Statement:

   The metric system is used universally. Children of all cultures can benefit 
   from the understanding and use of the metric system.