Lesson Plan 1: The World Around Us - Exploring Solids, Liquids, and Gases (80

minutes)

Learning Objectives:
 Students will be able to define and identify solids, liquids, and gases.
 Students will be able to distinguish between the properties of solids, liquids, and
gases.
 Students will be able to differentiate the behavior of particles in each state of
matter.
Materials:
 Projector and screen
 Whiteboard or markers
 Ziploc bags (3 per student)
 Water
 Sand
 Inflatable balloons (uninflated) (One per student, optional)
 Index cards (One per student, optional)
Lesson Procedure:
Introduction (10 minutes):
1. Brainstorming: Begin by asking students what they can see, touch, and interact
with in their surroundings. Write their responses on the board.
2. Introducing States of Matter: Explain that all the matter around us exists in
three main states: solids, liquids, and gases.
Activity 1: The Mystery Bags (20 minutes):
1. Prepare Stations: Set up three stations around the classroom. At each station,
place a Ziploc bag containing one of the following: water (liquid), sand (solid),
and an uninflated balloon (gas). Ensure the bags are sealed shut.
2. Station Rotation: Divide students into groups. Have each group rotate through
the stations, spending a few minutes at each one.
 3. Exploration: Instruct students to carefully observe and feel the contents of each
bag without opening them. Encourage them to discuss their observations with
their group members.
4. Group Discussion: After completing the stations, have each group share their
observations about the properties of each material (solid, liquid, gas) based on
what they could feel through the bags.
Activity 2: Particle Power (20 minutes):
1. Introduction to Particles: Explain that all matter is made up of tiny particles,
even though we can't see them with the naked eye.
2. Particle Model Demonstration: Use simple illustrations or animations to show
students how particles behave differently in each state of matter. (Solids - fixed
positions, Liquids - close together but move freely, Gases - spread out and move
very fast)
3. Modeling with Index Cards: Provide students with index cards (optional). Have
them represent particles by drawing circles on the cards. They can then arrange
the cards in different patterns to model the arrangement of particles in solids,
liquids, and gases.
Activity 3: State Change Charades (20 minutes):
1. Charades Twist: Divide the class into two teams. Explain that they will be acting
out different processes involving changes of state (melting, freezing, evaporation,
condensation). However, instead of acting out a single object, they will act out
the transformation itself (e.g., ice melting into water).
2. Acting and Guessing: Students from each team take turns acting out a change
of state, while their team members guess the process being portrayed. Award
points for correct guesses.
Conclusion (10 minutes):
1. Review: Briefly summarize the key concepts covered: solids, liquids, and gases,
their properties, and the behavior of particles in each state.
2. Exit Ticket: As a formative assessment, have students draw a simple diagram
representing the arrangement of particles in a solid, liquid, and gas.
 3. Preview: Briefly mention the concept of changes of state, which will be explored
in the next lesson.
Differentiation:
 For advanced students, provide them with additional information about factors
that can influence the state of matter (e.g., temperature).
 For students who need more support, offer them a word bank or sentence
starters for describing the properties of each state during the Mystery Bags
activity.
 Provide students with different learning materials to cater to various learning
styles, such as short videos demonstrating changes of state (optional).
Assessment:
 Observe student participation in group activities and discussions.
 Collect and review student exit ticket drawings.