Grade Level:

5^th Grade

Objectives:

1.  Students will describe physical properties of matter, including state, texture, and hardness.

2.  Students will measure length using millimeters, centimeters, and meters.

3.  Students will measure mass with a balance using grams.

SC.A.1.2.1:  The student understands that properties of matter can be compared and measured.

A. Day One:

1. Activate student background knowledge by describing a teacher at the school.  List physical characteristics.  Then, encourage students to guess the name of the teacher.  Begin a brief discussion of which clues helped them to make their guess.  Try to elicit the term physical description from students.

2. Explain the apple experiment found in the Harcourt Science text (p E4-E5).  Do not begin the experiment.  Instead, set a purpose and then read to the students from Harcourt Science  (pE6-E7).  The purpose for the listening/reading session is to think about the apples and the task that they have to complete.  They need to listen for and quickly list on a sticky note specific ways that can help them identify their apples.

3. Pass out materials for the apple activity (p E4-E5).  Students should observe their apples and write down all physical observations.  Balances and tape measures should then be available for all students to use.  Students will measure both mass and circumference of their apples. 

4. Allow the students the opportunity to see if they can identify their apples by the notes they wrote.  This will be done by having the students write their names on a sticky note when they return the apples to the teacher.  Have numbered stickers ready to place on each apple and write the number on the sticky note with each student’s name.  The descriptions should be written in their science journals.

5.  After the students have had the opportunity to complete the activity, discuss the many methods used to identify their apples.  Use the vocabulary associated with this lesson as found on p E6-E7.

B. Day Two:

1.  Recall the activity from the previous day, referring specifically to the methods used to identify the apples.

2.  Introduce the concepts of solids, liquids, and gases by discussing water in its natural form (liquid) and in its altered forms (ice and water vapor).

2.  Identify apples as being solids.  Ask whether or not an apple’s state can be altered.

3. Explain that by cooking (heating) and then smashing the apple, its state is indeed altered.  The apple is no longer completely solid; it is in a liquid form we call “apple sauce”.

***This is an important opportunity to stress that we NEVER taste things in science without the teacher’s express permission.***