Creating a Science Lesson

1. Engage = Engage takes place at the beginning of the lesson, and it is the time to
attract student attention and involve them through interest. Students will engage in
the book, Matter: See It, Touch It, Taste it, Smell It, as the teacher reads it and they
discover properties of solids and liquids. As students hear an example of a property,
they will clap their hands and the teacher will record that example on the flipchart.
2. Explore = When students explore in a lesson, they are becoming familiar with
concepts by testing or experimenting. It is the anchor of the lesson and is found in
the middle of the lesson. In this lesson, students explore the properties of solids and
liquids by classifying mystery objects as solids or liquids according to their
properties.
3. Explain = This is the time when students tell why they came to the solutions that
they did through routes such as drawing pictures or diagrams, listening critically to
others, and note-taking. Students will explain in this lesson after they have classified
their mystery objects as solids or liquids. They will choose 5 of their mystery objects
and create a presentation on Littlebirdtales to explain their findings on the
properties of solids and liquids.
4. Elaborate = Elaborate is when the teacher builds up or expands on students
learning my teaching in multiple ways and using other resources to apply and
connect the lesson back to scientific terms. During this lesson, the teacher will
elaborate on the properties of solids and liquids through practice with the flipchart
downloaded from Promethian Planet. This elaboration will take place after the
students explore the mystery objects and before they create their projects on
Littlebirdtales. The teacher will give feedback during this phase.
5. Evaluate = To evaluate is to observe and assess students understanding of the
topic through various ways. Formative evaluation takes place throughout the whole
process, but the formal summative evaluation for this lesson will be the
Littlebirdtales presentation.
Section A: Anchor Lesson
1. Indiana Science Indicator:
SCI 1.1.2: Characterize materials as solid or liquid, investigate their
properties, record observations, and explain the choices to others based on
evidence (i.e., physical properties).
2. Steps of the Lesson: (See Mystery Matter for a Teachers resource guide attached
in Section E)
Set-Up:
o Prior to teaching this lesson, gather enough solid and liquid objects
for the entire class plus a few extras. Use common household items

o
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such as dish soap and cooking oil, classroom objects such as scissors
and paper clips, natural objects such as shells and rocks, and other
items such as toys and tools. Be sure that you include a wide variety of
both solids and liquids. The liquids should be in clear containers with
lids that are removable (e.g., plastic peanut butter jar with the label
removed) so that students can easily pour them at the stations where
that is required. Place the objects in a large boxy labeled Mystery
Matter.
Make key cards for each object, describing the different qualities of
each solid or liquid that the students will discover in the investigation
station. A detailed description of key cards is in the Teacher Resource
Guide, and an example of a key card is also attached in Section E.
There are five investigation stations that will need to be set up around
the room. As students complete each station, there is a place for them
to record their observations on the student sheets, which are included
in Section E.
Mass of Matter StationStudents will use a balance to
determine and record the mass of their objects. When finding
the mass of the liquids, students should have an empty
container identical to the one containing their liquid to place
on the opposite side of the balance so that the mass measured
reflects the liquid itself, not a combination of the liquid and its
container. Materials: balance, metric masses or Teddy Bear
counters, empty containers
Matter Measuring StationStudents will use linear measuring
tools to measure the solids and volume measuring tools to
measure the liquids. At this station, students will need to pour
the liquids into the measurement containers and then wipe out
the containers when they are done. Materials: standard linear
and volume measuring tools appropriate to the abilities of your
students (measuring tapes, rulers, clear plastic cups, graduated
cylinders, etc.), paper towels to clean the containers
Sink or Float StationStudents will place their solid objects in
the tub of water to see whether they sink or float. A small
amount of each liquid should be poured into a cup filled with
water to see what it will do. Materials: large tub of water,
clear plastic cups, paper towels to clean up spills
Magnetic Matter StationStudents will use ring magnets to see
if their objects are magnetic. Materials: ring magnets
What Is It? StationStudents will classify their objects as either
solids or liquids and place them on the appropriate tables.
Materials: two separate tables, one labeled liquids and the
other labeled solids
Students should work in pairs during this activity.
See the descriptive word cards attached in Section E. These words can
be placed on the board for the students to reference as they describe

their mystery matter. Alternatively, they can be printed on smaller

pieces of paper and cut up and placed into ziplock bags for each
student. Students can glue these words into their descriptions if they
cannot write, as an appropriate accommodation.
o Make one copy per student of the Alien Matter Manual pages. The
pages will need to be cut in half and stapled together to form booklets.
The first two pages of each booklet should be the drawing of the
matter and the written description of the matter, followed by the
recording pages for the stations, and ending with the What Is It? page.
o Alternatively, you can have students make a six-part foldable with
each of the categories on it. This will reduce prep time, and students
will have fun creating the foldable.
Introduction: (Engage)
o Students will engage in the book, Matter: See It, Touch It, Taste it, Smell
It, as the teacher reads it and they discover properties of solids and
liquids. As students hear an example of a property, they will clap their
hands and the teacher will record that example on the flipchart.
Procedure: (Explore)
o Gather the class into a large circle around the box of mystery matter.
Explain to the students that aliens left these items. Tell them that they
must find out as much as possible about the items.
o Invite a pair of students to reach into the mystery matter box and pull
out an object. Ask the students to describe the shape, color, flexibility,
stickiness, stretchiness, and texture of the object. Record the students
observations on chart paper.
o Instruct the pair of students to take the object to the investigation
stations located around the classroom. As they go to each station,
explain to the class what they need to do there. Ask them to report
their findings at each station. When all investigations have been
completed, ask the students if the object should be considered a solid
or liquid. Have the students place the object on the appropriate table.
o Distribute an Alien Matter Manual to each student. Invite pairs of
students to each take one object from the mystery box, draw the
object, and describe it. Instruct them to investigate their objects as
previously demonstrated. Establish a rotation system that will allow
each pair of students to visit the investigation stations. The stations
can be visited in any order as long as the What Is It? station is last. Tell
them to record all observations in the appropriate places in the Alien
Matter Manual.
o When all students have had time to visit the investigation stations and
record their observations, gather back around the Mystery Matter box
to briefly discuss what was observed and explain the Web 2.0 project.
Activities (Elaborate and Explain):
o Use the Solid or Liquid flipchart (found in Section D) to further
elaborate on the properties of solids and liquids. Students will

categorize objects from the treasure chest as solids or liquids by

moving them to the appropriate spots on the Promethian Board.
o After the students have a good understanding of the properties of
solids and liquids, they will do the Web 2.0 Activity on
Littlebirdtales.com. They will choose five of their mystery objects and
create a presentation on Littlebirdtales.com to explain their findings
on the properties of solids and liquids. See the activity description in
Section C for details.
Making Meaning Conference:
o Tell the class that you have descriptions of the alien objects and you
would like them to help you identify the objects based on their
properties. Use the key cards you created for each object to give the
descriptions of the alien objects. An example of a Plurp, or paper
clip, is in Section E.
o Ask the class if a description of the Alien object sounds like a solid or
liquid. When the students have established what form of matter a
Alien object is, invite the students who identified that object in the
investigation stations to select the correct item from the tables.
o Repeat this process for each of the other Alien objects.
o When finished, discuss how the fives senses helped the students
recognize the physical properties of liquids and solids. Use the
questions in the Connecting Learning guide in Section E to guide
discussion.
3. Assessment Criteria: (Evaluate)
Informal formative assessment will occur through the questions listed in the
Connecting Learning guide in section E. The teacher will also observe
students during the process of the investigation stations, aiding where
needed, by allowing students to come to their own conclusions. A formal
assessment will be on the Web 2.0 activity that the students will create on
Liitlebirdtales.com. The rubric for this activity is in Section C.
Section B: Quality Literature Selection
Matter: See It, Touch It, Taste it, Smell It
Author: Darlene Stille
ISBN: 1404802460
Source: NSTA
Section C: Web 2.0 Activity
1. Steps of the activity:
Students will split into the same partner groups they were in for the
investigation part of the activity to create a Littlebirdtales presentation.
Students will choose five of the mystery objects, one of which was the one
they investigated in the stations, to create a short presentation on
Littlebirdtales.com.

Students will take pictures of each of these five items with their iPads and
upload these pictures to five different slides of their presentation.
Students will create a title slide.
Students will record their voices onto the presentation for each slide, or
mystery object. They will speak about the observations they made through
their senses in the activity. Both students should record their voices on the
slides.
Students will share their presentations with the class.
2. Clarity of the steps is determined by the description above. The handout for the
steps for the students to follow is in Section E. Show students my example:
https://littlebirdtales.com/tales/edit/story_id/428714/
3. Assessment Criteria
See rubric below

Section D: Promethian Flipchart

Name: Solid or Liquid
Submitted By: Nicole Glover
Submission Date: March 12, 2008
Resource Type: Lessons & Instructional Materials
Grade 1-2, 3-5
Subject Area: Physics & Physical Science
Resource Content: Audio, Assessment
File Format: ActivPrimary/ActivStudio Version 3 flipchart
File Size: 161.95 KB

Section E: Supporting Materials

Example Description of Plurp:

Description of Plurp:
It has a mass of one gram.
It is shiny.
It has a smooth texture.
It is attracted to a magnet.
It does not float in water.

Directions for Littlebirdtales.com 2.0 Activity:

Directions for Littlebirdtales.com:

1. Go to Littlebirdtales.com
2. Sign in to your account, as we have previously created in class. See me if
you do not remember your username and password.
3. Select Create Tale, which is the blue box in the top left corner of the
page.
4. Create a Title for your presentation and type your names in the By box.
5. Click the Draw button underneath the Tale Page Art box to create your
title slide. You may draw or type in text to make your title slide.
6. Click the save button at the bottom of your screen and exit out of the
title slide box.
7. Click Add Page, which is the orange box in the top right section of the
page.
8. Upload your first picture into the page art.
9. Press the green circle button in the Voice box to record yourself
describing the object. Use your senses and what you learned from the
investigation stations to figure out whether that object is a solid or liquid.
You should already know your first mystery object from the investigation
process.
10. Press the red square Stop button to stop the recording, and press the
blue triangle Play button to hear your recording. If you are happy with it,
save your slide. If not, record it again and then save it.
11. Repeat steps 7-10 for each of your other four mystery objects.

Teacher Resource Guide:

Alien Matter Manual:

Descriptive Words for the manual (You may shrink and place in bags for each
child.

Making Meaning Conference Discussion Questions: