Through investigating solids, liquids, and gases and the phenomena of dissolving, evaporation, and condensation, students develop models to investigate matter at the particle level.
Lesson 1.1 – Matter Is Made of Tiny Particles
Students squeeze a flexible plastic bottle filled with air and another filled with water to investigate the questions: Is an “empty” bottle really empty? and Can you force the molecules of a gas or a liquid to be closer together?
Lesson 1.2 – Dissolving M&Ms
Students place M&Ms in water and in a sugar solution to investigate the question: Will an M&M dissolve as well in a sugar solution as it does in plain water?
Lesson 1.3 – Dissolving and Back Again
Students dissolve salt in water and allow the water to evaporate to investigate the question: What process causes salt to dissolve in water and then the water to evaporate?
Lesson 1.4 – The Water Cycle
Students use water, ice, and plastic wrap to model the ocean and cold upper atmosphere to investigate the question: What are the main processes in the water cycle that make it rain?
