Erin Kelley

Richard Tam
Bridget McGowen
Case 2 Lesson Plan

Overview of Lesson:
In the world of physics, there are four distinct states of matter: solids, liquids, gases, and
plasmas. As a result, almost all matter is categorized into these four states based on their
volume and shape. In this lesson, however, the students are going to investigate the mysterious
form of slime. The students will create slime, experiment with it, and form their own conclusions
regarding the state of matter that slime is a part of compared to the standard definitions that
make up the modern ideas of solids, liquids, gases, and plasmas.
Lesson Goals:
Students will know the difference between states of matter (liquid, solid, gas)
Students will enjoy learning science in a fun atmosphere
Students will be interested in slime and the definition of a polymer
Description of Learners and Learning Environment
15-20 fifth grade students
Location: Purdues campus
Large classroom with several round tables
Buddy for each student
Dry erase boards available
Wireless internet
One projector
Learning Objectives
Given materials in different forms of liquid and solids, students will be able to give a
descriptive hypothesis about the resulting state of matter of slime.
Given materials in different forms of liquid and solids, students can differentiate between
a liquid, solid, and the state of matter of slime.
Standards
Substances react chemically in characteristic ways with other substances to form new
substances (compounds) (National Science Education Standard)
Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their
properties.(National Science Teachers Association)
Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be
seen.(National Science Teachers Association)

Motivational Strategies:
Give students opportunities to ask questions
If students answer your questions incorrectly, show appreciation for their efforts and
encourage them to try again
Guide students by giving suggestions rather than answers, make them think!
The YouTube video will get them motivated to make their own slime!
Required Materials:
20 small bowls
Sink
Measuring cup
Cornstarch
Food coloring (different colors)
Small resealable bags
White board
Markers
Computer with projector
Paper Towels to clean up
Procedures
1.Get the students attention by asking Who wants to make slime?!
2.Show the students the YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRrREeXzNmw. Project it on the board and have
students watch.
3.Ask students questions before the experiment: What is slime made of? Is slime a solid or
liquid? What ingredients will we need? How long will it take to make the slime? (Tell
students to talk with their older buddies about what they think.)
4.Give students a brief overview on how to measure water using a measuring cup. Explain
that you must reach eye level with the measuring cup and fill it to the line.
5.Have students line up and take turns measuring cup of water and then putting it in
their own bowl.
6.One the student returns to his/her seat, they may drip 5 drops of any color food coloring
into the water.
7.Then allow the students to again line up and measure cup of cornstarch and dump it
into their bowls a little at a time.
8.Have students wait for their concoction to stand for 3 or 4 minutes. In those 3 or 4
minutes, the students can come write on the whiteboard their hypothesis for what will
happen. Will the slime be liquidy, turn to a solid, etc?
9.After writing the hypothesis, allow students to reach into their bowls and form the slime
into a hard ball and play with it.
10.Let the students play around with the slime for 4 minutes. After, ask them what they saw.
If not brought up, mention how the slime is a solid when in a ball, but returns to a liquid
state when you open the hand up.
11.Store the slime in a resealable bag for students to bring home.
12.Explain that slime is a liquid that breaks the rules of science! It is called a polymer and is

a liquid that changes in form, whereas science says that liquid is not changing. Explain
that the molecules in the slime combine to make it very unique!
13.Ask students to help clean up.

Assessment
In College Mentors for Kids, it is an informal learning environment where kids come to express
themselves and come for after school fun. After school, students will not be wanting to take more
formal quizzes or exams, so we decided to take informal assessments throughout the lesson. We
want the students to understand what is happening, so during the lesson we are going to ask
certain students their hypothesis. This will assess them on their ability to understand what the
purpose of our activity is. It will also give us insight into what the students are thinking in relate
d
to science. At the end of our activity, we explain that slime is a polymer--quite a big word for 5th
graders! After, we will ask students to give a thumbs up, thumbs in the middle, or thumbs down if
they understand why slime is a polymer. This will allow us to see how well the students grasp the
concept of slime and polymers.
Journals and Summaries
Cotabish A, Dailey D, Robinson A, Hughes G. The Effects of a STEM Intervention on Elementary Students'
Science Knowledge and Skills. School Science & Mathematics [serial online]. May
2013;113(5):215-226. Available from: Education Source, Ipswich, MA. Accessed November 3, 2014.

This particular study focuses on the lack of students graduating with a concentration in STEM
based classes. The researchers chose an elementary school, and introduced STEM based classes early
on
in students schooling, and had the teachers include interactive activities within the lessons. The outcome
showed a significant increase in testing scores, showing that introducing STEM classes at a young age, a
s
well as creating a fun learning environment was necessary for students learning in this category. This
article showed us that by making an interactive, engaging lesson plan, and allowing students to use critic
al
thinking skills influenced these students to enjoy STEM based classes.
Ejiwale, J. A. (2012). Facilitating Teaching and Learning across STEM Fields. Journal Of STEM Education:
Innovations And Research, 13(3), 87-94.
This article focuses attention on having the educator act as a facilitator of learning, not the main source of
information. The journal article emphasizes the fact that STEM programs should take place in an environment where
students learn through discussion and problemsolving. STEM focuses on having the teacher act as a facilitator, which
is exactly what we tried to do in our lesson plan. In our lesson, we had students discuss with each other and their
buddies what they thought would happen to the slime. The students are involved in making the slime, measuring, and
predicting. At the end, the teacher facilitates the discussion, yet allows students to share their thoughts. Overall, this
article allowed us to create a student-centered environment.