STAGE 1 DESIRED RESULTS

Designer(s): Nicole Mainente

Unit Title: Matter
Grade: 5
Learning Goals/Understandings: Students will understand
that
(What are the big ideas? What understandings about them
are desired?)

5-PS13.

Make observations and

measurements to identify
materials based on their
properties.

5-PS11.

Develop a model to describe

that matter is made of
particles too small to be seen.

5-PS12.

Measure and graph quantities to

provide evidence that regardless
of the type of change that occurs
when heating, cooling, or mixing
substances, the total weight of
matter is conserved.

Driving Questions:
(What provocative questions will foster inquiry and
understanding?)

What is matter and how does heat affect matter?

What are some properties we can use to identify
matter?
What do the particles look like at each phase of
matter?

Matter is anything that has mass and takes up

space
Molecules are too small to be seen but are
considered matter and do have a mass
Properties of matter include color, hardness,
electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity,
magnetic, and solubility.
Students will know:
(What key knowledge will students acquire as a result of this
unit?)
Students will know matter is defined as anything that has
mass and takes up space something tangible they can
feel, example heat itself is not matter. They will understand
the term property and how it can be used to identify an object.
Students will know metals are good heat conductors, are
hard, and can be bent into shapes. They will also understand
the properties color, hardness, magnetic, and solubility.
They will know particles make up everything but are too tiny
to be seen. Although we cannot see them, they are still
occupying space and have a mass.
They will understand that heat does not change the mass of a
substance but causes the particles inside it to speed up and
spread further apart when the temperature is increased. They
will understand that heat causes substance to go through
phase changes (solid, liquid, gas).
Notes- The names of each phase change will not be covered
at this level.

Students will be able to:

(What key skills or tasks will students acquire as a result of
this unit? What should they be able to do after the unit?)
(Examples: asking questions, developing models, engaging in
arguments)

Students will be able to identify objects as matter

or not. They will describe objects based on their
physical properties and be able to make
observations about objects. They will be able to
explain that although some things (salt dissolved in
water, air) are too small to be seen, they are still
matter. Additionally, students will develop a
model illustrating how molecules look at each
phase of matter. They will also describe how
substances change phases and how the particles
change accordingly.

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

- The difference between molecules (compounds) and atom

(elements) will not be covered at this level so the general
word particle should be used instead.

Classification
Observation
Forming a hypothesis
Analyzing data
Forming a conclusion
Description/ Explanation
Defend a position
Drawing a model
Performing a scientific investigation
Identification

STAGE 2 ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE

Performance Tasks:
Other Evidence:
(Through what performance tasks will students demonstrate
Students will share their observations and
the desired understandings and skills? By what criteria will
reasoning for identifying certain examples
they be judged?)

Students will identify correctly which examples

are matter by organizing them into groups. They
will also explain how matter cannot always be
seen for example air or salt dissolved in water.
They will complete an investigation where they
take the mass of a balloon before and after
inflating it to see even though air is tiny, it still is
matter and has mass and takes up space. They will
also complete an investigation where they examine
the different properties of matter and be able to
explain what the term means. Additionally, they
must also identify physical properties of
substances like metals being conductive,
malleable, and hard, while nonmetals are not
conductive, soft, and not magnetic. Finally,
students will observe the affects of heating
substances and be able to explain what is
happening on the microscopic level. They will
draw what the molecules look like as a solid,
liquid, and gas, and add a narrative for what is
occurring among the molecules. The worksheets
from each activity will be collected and graded.
The teacher will also engage in conversations with

of

matter and not matter.

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

the students while they are completing the

experiments and will listen to see if the students
are forming the correct conclusions and will help
guide them if they need to be refocused. The
students will also complete an Exit Ticket after
each lesson, which will be used as a formative
assessment. The Do Nows each lesson will also
serve as a formative assessment where the teacher
can walk around and get insight into the students
thoughts. The class will also have a discussion
about the answer to the Do Nows again will serve
as a formative assessment. The students will
complete a summative assessment that will test
them on the main ideas of each lesson.
STAGE 3 LEARNING PLAN
Summary of Learning Activities:
(What learning experiences and instruction will enable students to achieve the desired results?)
Guiding PowerPoint will be used throughout the unit.

1st- lesson- What is matter? Identify the objects as matter or not. How can we define matter? How did
you decide what matter is or isnt? Matter- anything that has mass and takes up space.
Examples to group as matter and not matter- moonlight, thoughts, magnetism, air, smoke, force,
ketchup, dust, the ocean, democracy, temperature, dogs, and kids. Students must explain their choices
using evidence.
2nd lesson- Testing hypothesis and some tricky examples from lesson on. How do we know air is
considered matter? Can we see all matter? Even though it is small students will test if it has mass and
takes up space.
Have students fill up a balloon, take mass before and after
Fill a syringe, how do you know there is something in there?
Why can we not see air molecules? Too small
Air does have a mass and takes up space
Dissolve salt, where did salt go? Why can we not see it anymore?
Matter is made up of particles too small to be seen.
3rd Lesson- What are some properties of matter? (physical) color, shape, hardness, thermal conductivity,
solubility can it dissolve in water? Teach lesson
What kind of observations can we make about these objects? Block, book, metal
Matter has specific properties that help us define the objects
We will examine other properties of matter with objects: paperclip, playdough, salt and water, magnets,
wooden block, and iron fillings.
Matter keeps the same mass even when formed into different shapes (playdough, bending metal)
4th Lesson- How does heat affect matter on the particle level? Students will examine how dye spreads
Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

when placed in cold water vs. hot water. They will learn that heating a substance makes the particles
speed up and spread apart. Students will understand the relationship between temperature and the
behavior of particles.
5th Lesson- Phase Changes- How do particles look at each phase of matter? Students will learn the
arrangement and movement of particles at each phase.

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)