Change of matter for kids

What are states of matter?

Matter makes up our physical universe. In primary school children learn about the matter on Earth, which exists in one of three main states: solid, liquid or gas. We explain what your child is taught about states of matter in KS2 science.

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What is matter? What are states of matter?

Matter makes up our planet and the whole universe. On Earth, all matter exists in one of three main states: solid, liquid or gas.

A solid can hold its shape (for example, water in solid form is ice).

A liquid like water forms a pool: it flows or runs but it can't be stretched or squeezed.

A gas can flow, expand and be squeezed; if it is in an unsealed container it escapes (water in gas form is steam).

Depending on its temperature, matter can change state; heating, cooling, evaporating and condensation are ways in which a material changes state.

The diagram below shows that:

Melting is the process of changing a solid into a liquid.
Evaporation is the process of changing a liquid into a gas.
Condensation is the process of changing a gas into a liquid.
Freezing is the process of changing a liquid into a solid.

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What do children learn about states of matter in primary school?

In KS2 children learn about types of solids, liquids and gases, how temperature and pressure affect substances in different states and how matter changes state.

A reversible change is a change that can be changed back again. For example, if an ice-cube is melted it becomes water but we can freeze it again to become an ice-cube so it can return to its original state. Melting and heating are examples of reversible changes.

An irreversible change is a change that cannot be changed back again. For example, if a cake mixture is baked it becomes a cake and we cannot turn it back into a mixture. The change is irreversible because a chemical reaction has taken place. Burning or mixing a liquid with bicarbonate of soda are examples of irreversible changes.

They also learn that:

Filtering and sieving are methods of separating mixtures of solids and liquids.
Dissolving is a way of mixing a solid and a liquid. When a solid dissolves in a liquid it creates a solution, for example when sugar dissolves in water.

When are children taught about states of matter in primary school?

In Year 4 children will learn:

To group or sort materials into solids, liquids and gases
To observe that some materials change state when heated or cooled
To understand and use the terms evaporation and condensation
To describe solids, liquids and gases

In Year 5 children will learn:

That some changes are irreversible
That some materials dissolve in liquids to make a solution
To investigate how solutions can be separated using filtering and sieving
To identify some reversible and irreversible changes

How are children taught about states of matter in the classroom?

Children may sort materials or pictures of materials into solids, liquids and gases.

They may also carry out some practical investigations:

Children may explore reversible changes such as heating and cooling by making chocolate crispy cakes or ice-lollies
Children may explore irreversible changes by making a bicarbonate of soda volcano, baking cakes or making toast
Children will investigate how to separate solutions using sieving and filtering

Books about states of matter for children

States-of-matter activities for at-home learning:

Melt chocolate and butter to make chocolate crispy cakes
Make ice-cubes or ice-lollies or home-made ice-cream
Make a cake or bake bread to observe the irreversible change
Observe how clothes dry on the line in the sun.
Mix bicarbonate of soda with vinegar to observe what happens
Use sieves and filter paper (or kitchen roll) to separate solutions of sugar and water, salt and water or soil and water.

Changing States of Matter for Kids

Matter is all around us, as you might remember from your elementary school days, the states of matter can change. And when it comes to teaching kids about the changing states of matter, there are so many different activities we can do. Let’s take a look at some activities we can do to teach about the changing states of matter.

How does matter change states?

Matter is made up of atoms. And for the purpose of elementary school, there are three states of matter: solids, liquids and gases. Temperature has the ability to change the state of matter. When heat is added, the atoms move around and eventually break apart from each other. When matter is cooled, the atoms slow down and draw closer to each other.

Reading passages about the changing states of matter.

The most common ways that temperature affects matter is through melting, boiling and freezing.

What is matter? Take a peek at this post that’s just about teaching the 3 states of matter!

We always start our unit with a set of reading passages on matter. I find that it helps to give students some background information before we dive into hands-on learning.

Changing States of Matter Videos

As always, I like to have some YouTube videos on hand in case we have a few extra minutes throughout the day. These are a couple videos I found that teach about the changing states of matter:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwCUqG7GA3Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZBt4_Ds3lI

Make it Delicious with Chocolate

‘Gooey Chocolate Melt’ is the most delicious experiment to teach changing states of matter. Find it here!

This is a fun activity that explores melting and cooling using chocolate. So not only is this experiment educational, but it’s also tasty!

In a nutshell, this experiment has students using their problem-solving skills to turn solid chocolate into a liquid. Each students will get their own bag with some chocolate in it. They have to figure out how to melt the chocolate. Then students will have to make predictions about how they can change the melted chocolate back into a solid.

And of course, when the experiment is finished, each child can eat their chocolate!

matter + hot chocolate?

Another great way to explore the changing states of matter is to make hot chocolate. You can even have students write about whether they think whipped cream is a liquid or a solid….what do you think it is?

Show Melting, Boiling and Freezing

For this experiment, you’ll need an electric kettle with water. A transparent kettle is best because then students can see what’s happening inside. You’ll also need ice cubes. After reviewing the definitions of melting, boiling and freezing, pull out a kettle filled with water and also put ice cubes in a bowl.

Drop an ice cube into the water and watch what happens. Then turn on the kettle and watch what happens. As the ice cube melts and the water heats up, steam will form.

Throughout the whole process, explain to students what is happening and have students record their observations.

Plan Your Changing States of Matter Lessons with a CLICK

Looking for a FAST way to prep that Changing States of Matter unit that includes nonfiction text AND engaging experiments? In just a few clicks you can grab all of the pieces you need: scripted instructions, vocabulary, informational text, experiments, and more.

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matter game

If you want to do an extension of the above activity, have your students pretend to be molecules and act out the process of melting, boiling and freezing.

Have students stand close together to be the ice. Then have them move further apart to be liquid and far, far, far apart to be gas. When you say “freezing” students will stand close together. When you say “melting” students move further apart. When you say “boiling” students have to move furthest apart.

Into Thin Air

If you have a few days to do an experiment, you can give each child or group of children a cup. Have them fill it with water and draw a line to mark the water level. Then have the students place their cups in a sunny place, like the window sill of the classroom. Over the next few days have students make observations about the water level.

Hands-on activities work so well for learning about the changing states of matter! When our students can use their five senses (yes, I’m including taste!), science comes alive on a whole new level!

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science, grade fourRachel PoetkerMarch 7, 2022science lessonsComment

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Memo to parents » MKU SOLKD "Forest Republic" - Kargapolye

Dear parents, please remember:

Upon admission to the camp, the following documents must be issued - if one of the documents is missing, the child will not be admitted to the institution:

sanatorium-resort card, which MUST indicate:

— tests: stool / worm, scraping for enterobiosis, examination of the skin, examination for pediculosis, information about vaccinations (tick-borne encephalitis) – in the absence of one of the tests, the child will not be admitted to the institution;

- information about the state of health, limitation of physical activity and appointments for procedures (massage, physiotherapy, exercise therapy) from the attending physician - in the absence of appointments, the procedures will not be performed!!!

Certificate of epidemiological well-being (not earlier than 3 days before the child's departure)
Copy of medical policy
A copy of the child's birth certificate or passport.
A copy of the passport of one of the parents MANDATORY with a contact phone number.
Questionnaire
Application for the processing of personal data

If your child is taking any medications, ALWAYS report this on the questionnaire, along with a statement of confirmation from the attending physician, otherwise the medications will be confiscated and their intake will be stopped.
It is not necessary for the child to collect bags full of groceries, because upon arrival at the camp, all brought food is confiscated, due to the fact that storing food in the rooms attracts mice and ants.
The issue of inclusion in the detachment, accommodation in the building, room number is decided immediately, the recruitment of detachments and the compilation of lists takes place during the first day of arrival.
From the moment a child enters a health institution, WE are responsible for the life and health of your child, so all information about the child's health and characteristics is very important!
Circles and procedures indicated by the attending physician in the sanatorium card will begin to be carried out on the 4th day of the shift, due to the fact that during the first 3 days there is a distribution into groups and scheduling.
The institution does not have an individual menu for children with allergies or intolerances to certain foods; food is organized according to the menu approved by Rospotrebnadzor, taking into account age characteristics.
Visits of children are possible only on the second Sunday of the shift from 10.00 to 13.00 or from 16.00 to 19.00 the rest of the time visits are prohibited, due to the fact that this greatly affects the quality of the organization of the educational and health-improving process.
IT IS FORBIDDEN: to visit children in the first 5 days of the shift, to bring food, drinks to children, to feed children during visits.
In the event of damage to property and non-compliance by your child with the rules of conduct in a health institution (including its exclusion), be prepared to pay all penalties and compensate for the damage in full.
A child is excluded from an institution for the following reasons:

Since the camp is located in a forest, cellular communication on the territory of the institution is unstable and it is not always possible to get through on the first call.
Children are requested to call from 13.30 to 14.00 or from 16.00 to 16.30, the rest of the time the children are at events, procedures and your calls greatly interfere with the educational and health-improving process. Hope for your understanding!

Violation of the rules of conduct, daily routine and creating situations that are dangerous to others and threaten one's life and health.
Smoking, drinking alcohol, using medicines and drugs (information is reported to the police and the prosecutor's office).
Causing material damage to the institution.
Leaving the territory of the institution.

For the concealment or provision of false information about the child, parents are liable in the prescribed manner, in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.

Information about the state of health of the child while in the institution and questions you are interested in organizing the rest of your child can be asked by phone: 83525626490

Address: 641919 Kurgan region, Kargapol district, with. Tagilskoye, st. Solnechnaya 5

email: [email protected]

Director: Evgeniy Mosevich

Compliance with fire safety rules is the key to material well-being, health, life!

Recently, cases of fires with the death of people, including children, have become more frequent. So on July 15, 2019 at 04:00. 08 min. 112 received a message about a fire in a private residential building, at the address: Moscow Region, g.o. Zhukovsky, st. Lugovaya, 37. The house is two-story, wooden-beam, dimensions 8x10m. During the extinguishing of the fire, the bodies of 5 people were found: 2 women (born 1944 and 1978) and 3 children (born 2006, 2009 and 2016). As a result of the fire, the house was burned inside and out over the entire area, the roof collapsed, and the ceilings partially collapsed. During the initial investigative actions (examination of the scene, interviewing eyewitnesses), it was preliminary clarified that the fire was located in the kitchen on the 1st floor of the house. The investigative department for the city of Zhukovsky of the Main Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Moscow Region initiated a criminal case under part 3 of article 109Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Often, it is the carelessness and negligence of adults that leads to irreparable consequences. Leaving matches, lighters, containers with combustible materials in sight or in a place accessible to the child, parents, unwittingly, provoke children to dangerous games. A combination of circumstances, constant employment and a complete lack of control by adults is the main factor in the occurrence of fires due to children's pranks with fire. Many people think that in most cases fires occur in dysfunctional families, where children are left to their own devices, left unattended for a long time. But the fire does not spare anyone, and often in ordinary, quite prosperous families, parents, grandparents forget about the danger that it is fraught with. It seemed that the children were left only for a few minutes, but even this is enough for the irreparable to happen. A moment of carelessness turns into a tragedy for life.

Avoiding a fire is easy if you follow the precautions .

- Remember that any thrown cigarette butt or match can start a fire. Avoid smoking in bed: this is the reason most fires occur and people die.

- If you have old, dilapidated electrical wiring at home, electrical outlets are damaged - do not wait for a fire to break out, call a specialist.

- Do not use open fire to check for gas leaks - this will inevitably cause an explosion; Do not leave gas appliances turned on unattended. Do not allow small children near them. Remember that drying laundry over a gas stove is dangerous: it can catch fire.

- Do not light a faulty stove or fireplace. Do not use flammable liquids for kindling. The chimney must not have cracks.

- Be careful when using household chemicals. Most of them are flammable.

- Do not leave young children alone in the apartment, do not keep matches, lighters and other flammable items in accessible places.

When leaving your home, check if you have done everything to prevent a fire?

- Make sure that all electrical appliances are turned off during inspection.

- Remember that cigarette butts thrown out of windows are often carried by the wind into open windows and onto the balconies of neighboring apartments. Close the windows and vents of your apartment and do not store combustible property on unglazed balconies.

Basic actions to be taken in the event of a fire

- As soon as the source of ignition is detected, immediately dial the fire department 101 or dispatch service 112, and transmit accurate information about the place of ignition, the characteristics of the object, the cause of the fire ( if possible). It is mandatory to meet fire departments near the entrance to the building.