States of Matter

Herbert C. Favors              Wendell Smith School
                               744 E. 103rd Street
                               Chicago IL 60628
                               (312) 535-5690

Objective:

Grades 5-7
The students will be able to:
1. Define matter.
2. Identify the states of matter.
3. Explain the properties of matter. 
4. Demonstrate the various uses of the states of matter. 

Materials Needed:

various solids                   plastic bottles         peas 
various liquids                  pasta                   beads 
various gases                    beans                   buttons 
A 2 liter pop bottle             notebook paper          coat hanger
A helium filled balloon          ziplock plastic bags    1 beaker      
A round balloon                  hot plate               1 plastic pan 
string 

Strategies:

Activity I:
1. Have students identify items on display that are solids, liquids, and gases.
2. Ask students to define the states of matter.
3. Demonstrate the example to the students about the ice in its solid state and 
   how it changes its phase by melting it into the liquid state and heating the 
   water to show gas state. 

Activity II:
1. Take two balloons, one filled with air and the other filled with helium gas 
   and tape both of them on the desk.
2. Ask students to describe what is happening to the balloons.
3. Have a student hold both balloons and let them go.
4. Ask students to describe what they have seen.
5. Explain to the students that both balloons have gas in them, one air and the
   other helium. 
6. Have students explain why one balloon fell to the floor and the other floated 
   to the ceiling.  Explain to the students that most gases cannot be seen but 
   gases have weight and volume.  The balloon with the air in it was heavier 
   than the balloon with the helium gas and this is why the helium filled 
   balloon floated to the ceiling because it was lighter in weight.  The air 
   filled balloon fell to the floor because it was heavier. 

Activity III: 
1. Have students take a sheet of paper and make a paper airplane.
2. Ask students to see if their planes will fly.  Have them explain what makes 
   their plane fly.  Have students take another sheet of paper and hold it at 
   one end.  Then have them blow very hard over the top of it.  Ask them to 
   explain what is happening. 
3. Explain to the students that the paper rises slightly because of the moving 
   air above it causes the pressure to be lower and lift is created.  The 
   airplane operates in the same manner.  Air travelling across the top has to 
   travel faster than the air below.  This creates the lift which makes the 
   airplane fly.  This is called the principal of flight. 

Activity IV:
1. Make a water-wheel by using a 2 liter plastic pop bottle and a piece of coat 
   hanger.  Cut four, 4 inch flaps into the plastic 2 liter bottle and fold the 
   flaps back about 1 inch.  Put a hole into the cap and the bottom of the 2 
   liter bottle so that the piece of coat hanger will fit into the hole.  The 
   bottle can then spin and rotate around it.  Fill a plastic gallon container 
   with water and use a plastic tray to catch the water while pouring it over 
   the water-wheel to cause it to spin. 
2. While water is poured over the water-wheel, students can observe that water 
   is a powerful source of energy and very economical to use.  Explain to the 
   students that water-wheels were utilized during the Industrial Revolution to 
   provide power for factories.  Also inform students that hydroelectric power 
   is generated by water. 

Activity V:
1. Demonstrate various sounds by making a shaker with 1 liter plastic bottle. 
   Place matter such as peas, beans, pasta, beads, and buttons into the bottle 
   and screw the cap on the bottle and shake it.  Ask students to shake the 
   plastic bottles and observe the different kinds of sound they will get based 
   on the kind of matter (solids) used. 
2. Have students explain what causes sound and why they are getting different 
   types of sound.
3. Explain to the students that anything that vibrates makes sound.  Vibrations 
   can travel through water, glass, brick, concrete and other substances.  When 
   the vibrating air reaches your ear, it makes the eardrum move in and out, and 
   this is why you hear sound. 

Performance Assessment:

1. Part of the assessment is the student's responses during the discussions.
2. A quiz to test their knowledge of the states of matter and their uses.

References:

 Adler, Frances. Finding, Out About Solids, Liquids, and Gases  Westchester, Il 
 Branley, Franklin. Air Is All Around You New York
 Cleaves, Janice Van. Chemistry For Every Kid New York
 Wiley, John. Chemistry Globe Co.