States of Matter and Water

5E Lesson Plan, Author: Dale Jansons, Yakima WATERS Project, CWU, Fall
2010
This lesson is targeted to 3rd graders. It will take 2 or 3 days. However, a
longer period of time will work fine as well.

Standards
Physical Science 2-3 PS2C Properties of Matter
Physical Science 2-3 PS2D Properties of Matter

Outcomes
Knowledge: Students will be able to predict what will happen to water if it is
put into a freezer or if it is heated. Predict what will happen to water left in
an unopened container and explain what happens to that water.
Skill: Students will be able to understand that matter can change into
different forms; liquid, solid, and gas.

Materials and Equipment

Several beakers
Parafilm

Wax pencils

Freezer

Hot plates

Prior Knowledge
Students will need to know what ice and that ice is only found when water is
cold. Additionally, they will need to know that steam comes of water that is
heated

Safety
Students should be kept away from the hot plates. Glass will also be very
hot when it is placed on the hot plate.
1

Engage (5 min)
Ask the students whether they now what happens when a substance
gets hot or cold. Ask them if they ever had an ice cream cone on a
hot day or hot chocolate. Ask them what they think is happening in
both of these circumstances.
Explore (20 min over two or three days)
1st day: Have the student fill several beakers with water then have them
draw a line where the top of the water is with a wax pencil. Help the
students cover a few of the filled beakers with parafilm. Put one of the
beakers into the freezer or wait until the next day if there are time
constraints.
2nd day: The students will observe and record which beakers had the level of
water drop. Ask them where they think the water went and list the answers.
Using a hot plate and a beaker of water demonstrate to the students how
steam comes of the water. If a beaker was placed in the freezer on the 1st
day, take it out and put it close to the steam. Have the students observe
both frozen water and the condensation forming on the cold beaker. If a
breaker wasnt put in the freezer, put one in.
3rd day: Take the frozen beaker out of the freezer to show the student how
the water as changed from liquid to a solid. Some condensation may form
on the outside of the beaker. Ask the students where they think this water is
coming from.
Since the water is evaporating slowly it may take a little longer to get
obvious results and since the ice will remain frozen for long periods of time
as long as the freezer holds out.

Explain (15 min on the second and third day)

Before the water is observed ask the students to draw and write what they
think will happen to the water in each beaker.

Extend/Elaborate (5 min)
Guide the students into understanding that they movement of heat
is cause of these property changes. Ask: Why do you think the
water turned into steam when we put it onto the hot plate? Why did
the water in the freezer become solid?

Molecules may be discussed to give the students in understanding

of how matter is held together. Ask a student to hold your hand and
then start waving your arm making it more difficult to hold to
demonstrate the molecular bonds being broken by heat.
Evaluate (0 min)
Evaluation will occur with the Explain and Elaborate sections.

Performance Rubric
The students drawing and answers to questions will be used to
evaluate.
Element

Excellent
(4 pts)

Good
(3 pts)

Knowle
dge (1,
50%)

Student is able
to predict what
will happen to
matter when it
is placed in the
freezer. They
also
understand
that will
change into
other forms at
different
temperatures.
Student is able
to write or
draw what
happens to
water as the
temperature
changes
including
where it goes
when heated.

Student is
able to
predict that
water will
change
when
temperature
s change.

Skill (1,
50%)

Student can
writ e or
draw what
will happen
if the
temperature
of water
changes.

In
Developme
nt (2 pts)
Student can
predict that
ice will be
made if
water is
placed in the
freezer but
not that the
water is the
same water.

Needs
Rethinking
(1 pt)
Student is
unable to
predict that
the water will
change into a
vapor when
heated or a
solid when
frozen.

The student
draws that
the water is
replace by
another
substance
when placed
in the freezer
or heated.

Student is not
able to draw
the water
changes as
temperatures
change.

Not Scorable
(0 pts)
No
participation.

No
participation.

Teacher Background Info

Everything is made of matter. Most forms of matter can
change state from a solid to liquid to a gas and in the reverse
order. These changes in the states of matter or caused when the
molecules that make up the matter vibrate faster as heat is added
to them. The molecules of a solid or the least active while those
3

of a gas or the most excited. These changes are called, freezing liquid to a solid, evaporation/boiling - liquid to a gas, and
condensation gas to a liquid.
Resources
http://www.elytradesign.com/ali/html/changes.htm
http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/matter/changingstatesofmatter/grownups.
weml
http://www.chem4kids.com/files/matter_changes.html

Uncovere Covered
d
Predictio
n

Observat
ion

Freezer

Hotplate