Young scientists learn that seeing isn't necessarily believing when it comes to the states of matter. After performing a fun class demonstration that models the difference between solids, liquids, and gases, children complete a series of...

Take a "conservative" approach to planning your next unit on mass and matter! What better way to answer "But where did the gas go?" than with a lab designed to promote good report writing, research skills, and detailed observation....

Introduce your classes to a fourth state of matter! Liquid crystals have a colorful sheen that changes based on different physical factors. Learners use this information to create a liquid crystal thermometer where the color of the...

In this states of matter worksheet, students are given a summary of the particle arrangement, the motion of particles, the properties of particles, and models of particles in solids, liquids, and gases. Melting, evaporating, boiling,...

From gas to liquid condensation to solid frost, water undergoes phase changes before students' eyes! Using ice, salt, water, and a metal can, they set up an investigation that can be used in a physical science setting, or as part of a...

Water, one of the basic needs of humans, is found in all three states of matter on Earth; no other planet—that we know of—possesses this quality. Here is a unit that allows learners to explore through experimentation what it...

Whether you're using a collection of Dr. Seuss books to teach basic math skills like counting, adding, and subtracting, or exploring the different states of matter by melting a crayon with a hairdryer, a series...

Dare your class to drive dissolved carbon dioxide out of carbonated liquid at different temperatures to discover if there is a difference in rate. To make this experiment more sound, have explorers use equally measured amounts of soda...

Did you know that jumping spiders sometimes wear water droplets as hats? A seventh grade science lesson introduces the concept of what makes up water: tiny molecules that are attracted to each other. Starting with a...

Small groups place sand and ice in a covered box, place the box in the sunlight, then observe as evaporation, condensation, and precipitation occur. These models serve as miniature water cycles and demonstrations of the three phases of...

Love is in the air? Wrong — nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide are in the air. The final instructional activity in the series of five covers the impact of temperature on gases. Scholars view a demonstration of gas as a type of matter...

Middle schoolers use the scientific method to discover the role of a candle's wick and how radiation allows candle wax to change from solid to liquid to gas. They work in small groups to use the steps of the scientific method approach in...

Calories are not tiny creatures that sew your clothes tighter every night, but what are they? A science lesson plan, presented at multiple levels, has learners experiment with heat, heat transfer, and graph the function over...

Geology rocks — literally! A geology chapter offers eleven activities at four different levels. Scholars enjoy completing hands-on experiments before applying critical thinking skills following a share, process, generalize, apply,...