Properties of Matter and Materials for Kids
Do you remember learning about the states of matter in elementary school? For some reason, those memories are etched in my mind. Some of the activities and experiments to learn about the states of matter seem to be timeless. Some of the activities that I did in elementary school are just as engaging and effective now! There are some amazing activities for learning about states of matter
What is Matter?
Everything around us is made of matter. Matter is anything that has weight and takes up space. There are three states of matter.
States of Matter
The three states of matter are solids, liquids, and gas. OK…technically there are more states of matter than three. There are plasmas, which are things like a lightning flash or fire. There are also states like Bose-Einstein condensates and fermionic condensates. If you’re interested in those states, you’ll have to look them up because they are WAY above a first-grade science level!
But when teaching states of matter to children, it’s best to keep it simple. Solid, liquid, and gas are the states of matter that we interact with daily, so they are easier to understand. For now, the three states of matter are the building blocks for little learners.
The EASY way to teach about matter in Grade 1.
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Sort the states of matter
This is a quick and easy activity. To start with, teach a quick overview of the three states of matter. A solid keeps its shape on its own. A liquid takes the shape of its container. A gas takes up whatever space it is in.
After reviewing the three states, create an anchor chart and add some examples to the chart. The cards are a part of this matter unit for little learners.
Once your students have an understanding of the three states, put them into groups or pairs, and give them Matter Sorting Cards (link to resource). Students work together to sort the cards under the appropriate heading.
Matter in my World
This is a great activity to help students make real-world connections about each type of matter. First, have students brainstorm examples of each state that they see in the classroom. Then have them think of solids, liquids and gases outside the classroom.
After brainstorming ideas together (or in small groups), have students complete their “Matter In My World” activity. It’s the perfect way to make real-world connections about matter.
Videos about Matter for Kids
Using a video can be a great way to shake things up when learning about matter.
Science Max (this video is embedded above!) is a TV show about doing Large Science. In this episode, the host, Phil, does some large-scale experiments to explore the states of matter. Among other experiments, Phil makes cornstarch mud using a cement truck and a large basin. His goal is to walk across the cornstarch mud. Your students will love watching this!
Dr. Binocs has so many fun go-to videos, including this one on the states of matter.
Here’s a short video to introduce states of matter and their properties.
Properties of Matter stations
Get hands-on when exploring the properties of matter.
This ‘Observing Matter’ booklet is a part of the Matter and Materials unit for little learners.
Gather a variety of objects (ideally one at least one from each state of matter). Then, set these objects up in various stations around the room.
Kids will use their ‘Observing Matter’ booklets to head to each station. At one station, they might find orange slices. Students will make observations about the texture, shape, color, etc. Some things they might observe about the orange slices include:
The orange is a sphere
The slices are a crescent
It smells sweet
It is orange in color
It is smooth on the outside and slippery on the inside
As they make observations, they will record them in the ‘Observing Matter’ booklet.
Matter is all around us and there are so many fun States of Matter activities. Which are you going to try out in your classroom?
