**Lesson Plan: States of Matter**
**Grade Level:** 4th Grade
**Subject:** Science
**Duration:** 60 minutes
**Topic:** States of Matter
**Objective:**
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Identify and describe the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas.
2. Understand and explain how matter can change from one state to another.
**Materials Needed:**
- Ice cubes
- Water (at room temperature)
- Balloon
- Dry ice (with appropriate safety precautions)
- Beakers or clear containers
- Hot plate or kettle
- Thermometer
- Worksheets
- Chart paper and markers
- Safety goggles
**Standards:**
- NGSS 4-PS3-1: Energy can exist in different forms (e.g., motion, sound, light, and heat).
- NGSS 4-PS3-2: Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.
**Introduction (15 minutes):**
1. **Engage:** Start with a brief discussion on what students already know about matter. Ask questions like "What is matter?" and "Can you name some examples of matter around us?"
2. **Explain:** Introduce the concept that matter exists in different states and list the three primary states: solid, liquid, and gas.
3. **Visual Aid:** Use a chart paper to draw and label the three states of matter. Show examples of each state using everyday items (e.g., ice cube for solid, water for liquid, air in a balloon for gas).
**Instruction (20 minutes):**
1. **Solid:** Explain that solids have a definite shape and volume. Molecules in solids are tightly packed and vibrate in place.
- **Activity:** Pass around ice cubes and let students observe and touch them.
2. **Liquid:** Explain that liquids have a definite volume but take the shape of their container. Molecules in liquids are more loosely packed and can slide past one another.
- **Activity:** Pour water from one container to another and show how it takes the shape of its new container.
3. **Gas:** Explain that gases have no definite shape or volume. Molecules in gases are far apart and move freely.
- **Activity:** Inflate a balloon and discuss how the air inside expands to fill the balloon.
4. **Change of State:** Discuss how matter can change from one state to another when heat is added or removed (melting, freezing, evaporation, condensation).
- **Demonstration:** Heat water using a hot plate or kettle to show the change from liquid to gas (evaporation). Optionally, use dry ice with safety precautions to demonstrate sublimation (solid to gas).
**Guided Practice (10 minutes):**
- Hand out worksheets with diagrams of particles in solids, liquids, and gases. Have students label and color the diagrams.
- Ask students to match pictures of items to the correct state of matter.
**Independent Practice (10 minutes):**
- Students draw three examples of each state of matter from their own environment and label them.
- Use questions like: "Draw an example of a solid, a liquid, and a gas that you might find at home."
**Conclusion (5 minutes):**
- Review key points about the states of matter and their characteristics.
- Ask students to share one thing they learned or found interesting about the states of matter.
**Assessment:**
- Evaluate worksheets and drawings for understanding.
- Informal observation of student participation and responses during discussions and activities.
**Extension Activities:**
- Experiment with mixing solids and liquids to observe what happens, such as making a solution (salt in water) or a mixture (sand in water).
- Research and report on another state of matter (plasma) with an illustration.
**Safety Considerations:**
- Ensure all students wear safety goggles when handling dry ice or using the hot plate.
- Emphasize safety precautions around hot water and dry ice.