Matter Matters: Solids, Liquids, Gases, and Some Very Cold Ice Cream 🧊

Fifth Grade Families,

If your fifth grader came home talking about particles, there is a good reason. Our science unit on matter is in full swing, and it connects beautifully to the chemistry we explored in reading earlier this quarter.

What we did in class. We acted out the three states of matter with our bodies: solids stand shoulder to shoulder and vibrate in place, liquids slide past each other, and gases zoom around the room (carefully). Then we put it to the test by timing how long an ice cube took to melt on different surfaces and explaining the results using particle motion and energy.

Mixtures and solutions. Students separated a mixture of sand, salt, and iron filings using a magnet, water, and a filter, and then figured out how to get the salt back out of the salt water. Spoiler: you have to let the water evaporate. We also made a class batch of bag ice cream, which is both a physical change and a delicious way to learn about heat transfer.

Vocabulary to listen for. Mass, volume, density, dissolve, evaporate, condense. Students should be able to explain each one with an example.

How you can help at home. The kitchen is a matter lab. Boiling water, a fizzing soda, butter melting in a pan: ask your child whether each is a physical or chemical change and how they know.

Mr. Green