What is Matter?

In this introductory lesson, students examine landscape scences and brainstorm all of the materials they might find there.  They sort and identify the materials as solids, liquid, or gas, and they think about how to define matter. 

Our class definition for MATTER:

Anything that takes up space and has weight.

Discovering the Properties of Matter

Students compare an assortment of solids, liquids, and gases.  They examine balloons filled with different materials, and write down descriptive words or phrases.  Next, they open the balloons, explore the substances with a variety of tools, and record further observations and comparisons between the substances.  Finally, they list the properties of solids, liquids, and gases.

What did we discover?   What were in the balloons!? 

Here’s what they found in the balloons:  flour, rice, water, air, dish soap, carbon dioxide.  Here are some things they guessed were in the balloons: gravel, shampoo, lotion, stones, helium

Vocabulary:  material, matter, gas, investigation, investigative question, liquid, observation, observe, powder, procedure, property, solid, state

You can do a cool experiment at home!  Here’s how:

1.  Place the stem of the funnel in the neck of the balloon.  Hold the stem between your fingers, and fill the balloon with about 3 tbsp of baking soda. 

2.  Use the funnel to pour 4 tbsp of vinegar into the soda bottle.

3.  Stretch the neck of the balloon over the bottle without letting the baking soda fall inside.  Make sure the balloon is firmly attached to the bottle before taking the next step. 

4.  Invert the balloon over the opening and empty all the baking soda inside. 

5.  Wait a few moments while the baking soda and vinegar react.  Make sure the balloon has no baking soda left in it.

6.  When the balloon stops expanding, carefully remove it from the bottle. 7.  Knot the neck of the balloon.