Title of the Unit: Solids and Liquids in First Grade

Teacher: Erin Sorenson Grade Level: 1st

Duration (weeks): 3-4 weeks

Over-arching CONCEPT

Change

Sub-concept:

Solids and Liquids

Essential Questions

• What is matter? • What are the properties of a solid? • What are the properties of a liquid? • How does matter change state? • How does the ability of matter to change state make a

difference in our daily lives? As a result of this unit, students will UNDERSTAND…

• Everything around us is matter. • We can describe solids and liquids using words that

describe their attributes and properties. • The ability of matter to change from liquid to solid and

from solid to liquid has an effect on our daily lives. • Many solids and liquids can change state when heat is

applied or taken away. • Scientists use specific skills in their work.

As a result of this unit, students will KNOW…

• Content vocabulary: matter, property, solid, liquid, change in state, substance, and more (see Colchester Science Curriculum Draft, March 2007).

• Inquiry vocabulary: experiments, predicting, data • Objects are made of many types of materials. • Solids have the properties of hardness, color, and the

ability to maintain shape. • A solid has a definite shape that will not change when

the solid is moved from one place to another. A force must be applied or energy exerted to change the shape of a solid.

• Liquids have the properties of color, tendency to flow, ability to mix with other liquids, and taking the shape of the given container.

• Liquids have no shape of their own, but they do have constant volume—6 ounces of water is the same in a tall glass versus a short glass (even though it may look like more or less).

• Some materials exist in both solid and liquid states.

• Heating and cooling can change states of matter. • The states of liquids and solids remain constant in some

circumstances (ex: solids remain solid when broken; liquids remain liquid when poured), but may change in other circumstances (ex: liquids may freeze when the temperature drops; solids may melt when heated).

• Some solids and liquids can be combined to make useful substances.

• Water is unique because it is the only substance that occurs naturally in all three states (solid, liquid, gas) on our Earth.

As a result of this unit, students will be able to DO….

• Name two or more properties of solids and liquids. • Compare/contrast solids and liquids. • Sort and classify items as solids or liquids based on

their properties. • Use appropriate vocabulary in describing their

investigations, explorations, and observations (ex: liquids can be viscous, clear, runny, greasy, etc.; solids can be granular, hard, opaque, etc.)

• Give an example of when the state of a liquid remains constant. (Do the same for a solid.)

• Give an example of when the state of a liquid changes. (Do the same for a solid.)

• Name a useful example of mixing a solid with a liquid in your daily life.

• Name an example of a solid that does not mix with a liquid in your daily life.

• Ask questions. • Make observations. • Carry out simple experiments. • Interpret data related to changing solids to liquids and

liquids to solids. • Work independently. • Work cooperatively. • Describe how the ability of matter to change states

affects our world. Pre-assessment • Complete a R-A-N chart (the columns are as follows:

What we THINK we know, Confirmed, New/Revised Information, Wonderings)

• Sorting activity (one-on-one): Students visit my table and sort a variety of objects in a basket labeled “solids” and a basket labeled “liquids.”

Differentiated Instructional Strategies used in the Unit

• Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences • Brainstorming • Children’s literature (both fiction and nonfiction) • Songs

Anchor Activities—When students have finished their differentiated activities they will have a menu of activities from which to choose.

• Browse the Solids and Liquids book tub. • Write a riddle about a solid or a liquid. • Use websites with solids and liquids activities: http://www.fossweb.com/modulesK-

2/SolidsandLiquids/index.html and http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/science/materials/

• Make an ABC book of solids and liquids—draw pictures and use invented spelling to come up with a solid or liquid that begins with each letter of the alphabet.

• Create a collage of solids or a collage of liquids—use pictures of items from catalogs/magazines.

• Complete a Start-Change-End diagram to show the change of a solid to a liquid or a liquid to a solid (could be a recap of an experiment we’ve done in class or a new idea).

• Sort solids/liquids according to their properties: solids (color, hardness) liquids (color, viscosity).

• Choose a solids and liquids poem and illustrate/complete to put in your Poetry/Song notebook.

• Write a “how to” book about a solids/liquids experiment we did in class or write an experiment of your own that explores solids/liquids.

• Make up a song or play that will teach the class about solids/liquids or changing states of matter.

• Conduct sink/float experiments. • Create structures with solid objects of many types. • Create art using solids and liquids.

• Poems • Activity Sheets • Graphic Organizers (paper and electronic) • Learning Stations • Think-Pair-Share • Pre-assessment • Small-group investigations • Student choice concerning groupings • Student choice regarding activities • Tiered assignments • Choices regarding how to convey new knowledge

(varied assessment tasks) • Use of technology