Rowan University College of Education

Elementary Education Lesson Plan

TEACHERS NAME: Katie Rickenbach
SUBJECT/S: Science

GRADE: 5th

LESSON: Lesson 2, What are physical properties and changes?

UNIT TOPIC: Properties of Matter

TIME FRAME: 1:00-1:45
NJCCCS AND COMMON CORE INDICATOR(S):
5.2PhysicalScience:Allstudentswillunderstandthatphysicalscienceprinciples,includingfundamental
ideasaboutmatter,energy,andmotion,arepowerfulconceptualtoolsformakingsenseofphenomenain
physical,living,andEarthsystemsscience.

ENDURING UNDERSTANDING: Solids, liquids and gases can physically change.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION(S): What is a physical change? Do atoms or molecules change
identity when a change of state occurs?
LESSON OUTCOMES
Content Outcome: Students will know what a physical change is and how/when it occurs.
Performance Outcome: Students will be able to give a scenario in which physical change
occurs between the three states of matter.
ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING:
1. Students will be given a pre-assessment where they need to match up the correct terms with
their definition.
2. Students will be verbally assessed on their answers from questions asked during class.
3. Students will complete physical change chart with guided practice.
6. To finish up the lesson, I will ask the students to write down what they know about each state
of matters physical changes and how they happen.
7. I will use this data to see who has mastered the intended outcomes and who needs further
instruction and support in this area.
CONNECTIONS: Describe how this lessons background preparation, content, practice, and
follow-up will connect to the following, which are critical to learning success:
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Prior learning- Students have a basic understanding of state of matter physical

changes from fourth grade. Also, yesterday an introduction lesson was performed, along
with a mini-lab where they made changed liquids into a solid, by making slime.

Content and instruction in other subject areas- Physical changes that happen to
the three states of matter is perfect for almost any subject. In math, you can talk about the
amount of volume a liquid has taken up. Or, how to measure a solid. In language arts, you
can read a story about a cold winter day, and how the snow melts once exposed to the fire.
Physical change can be fit into anything.

Varied cultural perspectives and/or contributions: This concept is accepted

worldwide and is seen commonly within any household, Hispanic or not.

Home and family, as applicable: While students are at home, they can make
observations when the water on the stove starts to boil, a liquid is changing into a gas, or
when they put ice in their soda, and solid starts to melt within the liquid. Also, putting their
lunch box ice pack in the freezer changes it to a liquid to a solid.

Students daily lives- Students will be able to observe the skills they obtained
during this lesson and apply them to everyday activities such as cooking, arts and crafts, and
playing outside in the snow.

Use of technology- The Smart Board is used to show a studyjams.com music

video on physical changes of states of matter. Also, the document camera will be used for
guided practice with chart drawing for students who need modifications.
Learning community principles

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Seeing peers as colleagues: This principle will be addressed when students are
having group discussions and when questions are asked during the lesson.

Help and being helped: During the lesson, if a student is struggling they will be
able to phone a friend and ask them for their input. This is helping the student
out, and allowing he or she to gain confidence to admit they need help.

Reflect on Past Actions: Students will all reflect on yesterdays introductory lab
and note what happen to the liquid. Also, the students will reflect on their every
day lives: what happens when ice cream is taken out of the freezer for a long
period of time? What happens when it is placed back in?

Instructional Leadership: I will take on the instructional leadership role while I

help the students reflect on past everyday activities, and during the guided
worksheet.

Reflective Orientation: I will reflect on my lesson and students performance

during the students reflecting on past actions, the pre-assessment, throughout the
activity and reading, and during the closure overall discussion of physical
change. If the students are struggling I will continue the lesson into the next day,
or if they understand, we will move on.

TEACHER RESOURCES: Smart Board, studyjams.com, document camera, self-made poster

board and science textbook.
LIST OF STUDENT MATERIALS:
Pre-assessment
Science textbook
Science notebook
Worksheet for modification
Pencil
LEARNING EXPERIENCE
STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURE:

Hook I will bring in two bags of ice, one for my classroom and one for Mrs. McCoys
classroom. The two bags will just sit in the front of each classroom throughout the day
partaking in physical change, which is melting. The kids will probably ask about these bags at
least a couple times, so by the time it is our science lesson, the bags of ice will have a little
puddle at the bottom and I can explain to them what exactly happen.

Teaching of Content Teach students that states of matter can physically change. We will
read together aloud pages 448 and 449 in Chapter 14 of our science textbook. Interjections
will be made throughout the reading to make real-life connections to the text. Once the two
pages are read, I will ask questions to the students. How are melting and freezing different?
How are condensing and boiling alike? How are deposition and condensation alike?
Physical changes occur during different phases.

Though matter has physically changed, that does not mean the molecule structure has
changed.
Guided Practice- Together as a class we will work on a chart drawn up by myself. The
chart mirrors the poster board up at the front of the room, except key words are missing. As a
class we will go over and fill in these missing blanks and discuss the reasoning behind it.
Once the students understand the different physical changes that occur to the matters we
will move on to the independent practice.
Independent Practice- The students will be given one note card each. On this notecard
will be either, Liquid-Gas, Gas-Solid, and Solid-Liquid. The student will then have to
give me a scenario about when that physical change takes place. I am looking for an answer
along the lines of, A liquid changes to a gas when I start to boil the water for my pasta. It is
seen as water vapor.
Closure- We will end the lesson by the students talking about what they have learned
during todays lesson. This allows for me to get an understanding on what exactly the students
pulled from the lesson, and what I might need to focus on for the next lesson.

Checking for Understanding

What are the three states of matter?

What is a physical change?

Do molecules change during a physical change?

Differentiated instruction: For the guided instruction, I will write the answers along with the
students underneath the document camera. Also, for Mrs. McCoys group, I will only give them
one scenario card to complete with the guidance of Mrs. McCoy. This group will be sat together
at the back table.