Very Useful

This article covers the basic fundamentals of matter. It provides definitions of mass, solid, liquid, and gas. It is a good resource for an elementary teacher of just about any grade because... See More

This article covers the basic fundamentals of matter. It provides definitions of mass, solid, liquid, and gas. It is a good resource for an elementary teacher of just about any grade because it provides a mini 5E lesson for grades two to four with adaptations for grades four to six. This lesson allows students to see the difference between solids, liquids, and gases. One line that resonated with me was “Many substances can exist in all three states of matter, depending on the conditions.” After doing my field assignment on the states of matter I learned how easy it can be for someone to confuse the three states of matter. It is critical that all people understand the difference between the three and that some objects can be all three. From this article, I agree with the mini 5E lesson. I think that is a wonderful resource and example to provide to teachers. Many times, you are ready to provide students with the information but you don’t have a real-life experience to expose them to. I believe this information is extremely resourceful. Prior to this semester, I was not aware of what an inquiry lesson was, but this article and class have provided me with the knowledge I need to implement it within my classroom. I will now be able to teach my students how to perform an inquiry based assignment. This will allow them to be involved, engaged, and utilize critical thinking skills while having fun learning science. I would recommend this article to my colleagues because it is an extremely useful resource and what looks like a very fun experiment for children. I would even consider using this in my own future classroom.

Great Introduction to the States of Matter

This article explores the concepts of matter, mass, and how to distinguish between the 3 states of matter. The article includes a lesson (written for 2-4 grades) to explore and investigate ... See More

This article explores the concepts of matter, mass, and how to distinguish between the 3 states of matter. The article includes a lesson (written for 2-4 grades) to explore and investigate samples of solids, liquids, and gases. The lesson includes extensions and assessment notes. Additionally, the author includes information about adapting the lesson for grades 4-6. This is an excellent article for any elementary teacher looking for hands-on lessons to teach the states of matter.