First Grade: Science Unit on Solids and Liquids

Lesson 1 :Sifting Through Solids (Examine the properties of solids)

A) Learning Objective: Students will observe solids and be able to understand the
properties. To demonstrate an understanding of this objective each student will
record their observations.
B) Description of the Lesson:
a) Engage(Launch): To introduce a solid we will pass around a solid object
(wooden block) and we will talk about its properties. Then we will
introduce our focus question “what can you tell me about a particular
object?” As we discuss this, we will begin to fill out a KWL chart. The
teachers will put a list of vocabulary words for solids on the board to help
prompt them for the things they already know in the KWL chart.
b) Explore(Investigation):Next the students will go through 4 stations to
explore solids and their properties. There will be one worksheet for all four
stations. Students will make lists, draw pictures, or webs of the qualities
they discover from the stations. One of the stations will be places solids
into different containers noting if the solid changes shape. Another station
will have a mix of different solids in a container and the students will
separate each solid noting if it is easy or difficult to categorize. Another
station will be exploring the 5 senses with solids and drawing pictures on a
worksheet. The last station will be a read aloud about solids and we will
discuss solids that we see in the world, at home, in the classroom, etc.
c) Explain(summary)scaffold: After we go through stations we will bring the
KWL chart back out and discuss what we learned about solids. We will
encourage them to use the vocabulary list we will provide and their
worksheet from the stations. We will restate the claim,which is the
properties and qualities of solids, and add what we discovered from the
stations and restate the things we already knew. Then to further explain
we will read a poem about solids and confirm the ideas presented in it.
d) Elaborate/Evaluation:-assessment for each individual (answer FQ)
We will restate the claim we made initially at the beginning of the lesson.
We will ask them what they discovered in the stations to encourage
reason their findings. For example, we will ask how the students knew that
solids stay the same shape. This will encourage the students to use their
evidence from the exploration at the stations when discussing. During this
discussion we will introduce the terms solids use the term properties for
describing the solids. The focus question”what can you tell me about a
particular object?” will be answered “solids are objects that have set
properties such as not taking shape of its container, usually not see
 through, can be turned into a liquid, etc.” We will also check for
understanding by having a formative assessment during our summary. We
will ask guiding questions and ask fro a thumbs up or thumbs down so we
can see everyones understanding of what we explored. An example of the
type of questions we will ask is, “do solids change their shape due to what
container they are in?”
C) ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION (the 5th “E”) At the beginning of our lesson we
are gauging what the students already know with the K part of the KWL chart.
This will help us gauge if we need to gear up or down within our stations in the
explore stage. We will also have students fill out the L part of the chart after they
have gone through stations. We will be able to assess their understanding with
their arguments they have made about solids during that discussion. Students
will share their observations with the class. FInally we will collect their
worksheets to assess their understanding from the stations to help gauge for our
next lesson preparations.
D) DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION
a) 1) Trouble with the Science Content/ideas–
● Gear Down: If students are struggling with the content or ideas of
solids I will give more descriptive words and vocabulary to use
when describing solids. I can also use my own thoughts or
examples of solids and model my thinking and thought process of
describing solids.If that is not inspiring ideas in students we can
show students solids that are all around them in the classroom then
ask things from home or outside that are solid.
● Gear up:If the students need the lesson to be geared up then we
will leave more time for them to respond and give less scaffolding
to hear their thoughts. We could ask them questions about things
they may not encounter everyday or will every be able to touch
such as the moon.
b) 2) Trouble with Process Skills and/or Attitudes Conducive for
Science Learning–Since solids are the first concept we are teaching we
will constantly be encouraging the students who are brave and respond
even if their answer is incorrect. We will encourage scientific thought
because they are thinking through. Our first assumption or guess isn’t
always right. We will be uncovering more by going through the stations
and building onto the ideas of what a solid is. The liquid lesson will further
our knowledge of what a solid is because they will begin to see what a
solid is not. The students will also be completing a KWL chart with us and
be able to reference back to the chart throughout the stations and the next
four lessons.
E) STANDARDS--- see http://www.doe.in.gov/standards/science
a) 1.PS.1 Characterize materials as solid, liquid, or gas and investigate their
properties, record observations and explain the choices to others based
on evidence (i.e., physical properties).
b) SEPS.8 Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information:
Scientists and engineers need to be communicating clearly and
articulating the ideas and methods they generate. Critiquing and
communicating ideas individually and in groups is a critical professional
activity. Communicating information and ideas can be done in multiple
ways: using tables, diagrams, graphs, models, and equations, as well as,
orally, in writing, and through extended discussions. Scientists and
engineers employ multiple sources to obtain information that is used to
evaluate the merit and validity of claims, methods, and designs.
F) TEACHER CONTENT KNOWLEDGE
To prepare as a teacher I must understand the concept and properties of a solid
well. I will look into resources and different ways of explaining the same idea of a
solid. I have to prepare activities that give the students the experience to explore
the state of being solid. I will prepare activities that allow students to be hands on
and visually see that solids do not change shape when they are placed in a
container, for example. We will define a solid as
G) UNIT CONTENT PROGRESSION - How the lesson is flowing from one
lesson to the next.
We began with solids out of the two states of matter we are going over because
students are more familiar with solids in daily life and examples are surrounding
us in the classroom. Solids are a more simple concept to understand than
liquids. We also wanted to teach only one state at a time to get a full
understanding of each state and not get the states and their properties
confused.
H) MATERIALS -- Asterisk (*) = any materials that may be a safety concern.
a. wooden block**
b. KWL Chart
c. pitcher of water
d. Pyrex containers of different shapes, bowls, or plates
e. Worksheets
f. solid poem
g. Solids of different sizes

I) HANDOUTS/JOURNALS-
-Example of KWL chart
-Station Worksheet: Students will use this worksheet throughout the stations to
cumulate their understanding of solids and write their claim on the back of the
worksheet.
-
J) REFERENCES - List ALL
 Indiana Department of Education. (2015). Mathematics. Retrieved from
http://www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/standards/mathematics/2014-07-18-
math-g1-architecturewith-front-matter_br.pdf

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/373658100309958448/ Solid Poem

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-
instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=define%20solid

Lesson 2: Cool Kids Know Fluids (Observing the properties of liquids)

A) Learning Objective: Students will explore different liquids, how they interact
with one another and their properties. We will have students draw a picture of a
liquids, labeling its characteristics to gauge learning.
B) Description of the Lesson:
a) Engage(Launch)*Focus Question-the what and how!- To engage
students, I will do a read aloud of Green Eggs and Ham. I will have them
yell out solid or liquid when I state an object, to review solids and gauge
their current knowledge of liquids. Then I will bring their attention to a KWL
chart, and have them fill out with me the things they know about liquids
and what they would like to know. During this time, I will have a list of
describing words they can use to describe liquids. This is important
because it will scaffold them to write these words during their
investigation, and it will prepare them for later lessons when they must
defend their opinion. Then I will write the focus question, What are the
qualities and properties of substances?, on the board, and explain that
students are to keep this in mind as they investigate solids.
b) Explore(Investigation)- Students will go through a variety of stations in
order to explore liquids, start questioning on their own, and begin to come
to conclusions regarding the focus question. At one station, students will
have water and different shapes and containers to pour liquids into. At this
station students will learn that liquids take the shape of what they are put
into. At the second station students will mix different kinds of liquids such
as oil and water and juice and seeing which ones separate and which
ones do not. At the third station we will have students observe liquids with
their five senses. At the fourth station we will have a discussion with a
book to support it, about liquids in everyday life and around the classroom.
While students travel from station to station, they will take a worksheet
with them that will allow them to draw pictures of the liquids they
encounter and label the characteristics. This will serve as the Evidence
for CER.
 c) Explain(summary)scaffold-CER framework - Before we begin to
explain, we will return to the KWL chart and fill in what we have learned.
This will serve as a formative assessment so I can gauge how much more
instruction they will need. This will serve as their reasoning about liquid as
a part of CER. Then, unless we need to gear up or gear down, we will
read, “What is a Liquid”, together as a class in order to further explain the
properties of a liquid. This will solidify their claim.
d) Answer the FQ Elaborate/Evaluation-assessment for each individual-
For this section we will share our drawings, or evidence, and use this to
reason through our answer to the FQ. Students will share their work and
write their findings on the board. Then they will compare this to their KWL
chart, and discuss the reasoning behind why certain things are liquids.
Then they will come back to their claim, and as a class we will write their
answer to the FQ on the board as a class. By doing this, they will be using
their evidence and reasoning to come to a final conclusion. This will serve
as a summative assessment of what they have learned, and I will also
collect their worksheets to ensure they understand the properties of a
liquid.
C) ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION (the 5th “E”)- We will be assessing our students
at the beginning by having them shout out solids and liquids during the read
aloud, and by having them fill out the K section of the chart. We will then assess
them again by having them fill out the L part of the chart after the investigation.
Finally, we will assess them during the discussion over the FQ, and by collecting
their drawing/worksheet.
D) DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION
a) 1) Trouble with the Science Content/ideas:
● Gear Down: If students are struggling to connect the concepts, I will
model the drawing on the board, and discuss the properties of liquids with
them as a class. If this does not help, one of the other IU teachers or
myself will work with them individually.
● Gear up: If this is not challenging enough for them, we will discuss more
complicated liquids, and I will ask them about mud to see if they can
differentiate between solids and liquids.
b) 2) Trouble with Process Skills and/or Attitudes Conducive for
Science Learning: If students are struggling to make connections, I will
model for their station how to observe a property of the water or other
liquid. For example, I would touch it and then say, wow that's cold! Or that
made my hand wet! If students are having trouble using the manipulatives
effectively I will put ground rules in place and even possibly remove the
 manipulatives to ensure that students are getting valuable information and
not being distracted.
E) STANDARDS--- see http://www.doe.in.gov/standards/science
a) SEPS.8 Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information:
Scientists and engineers need to be communicating clearly and
articulating the ideas and methods they generate. Critiquing and
communicating ideas individually and in groups is a critical professional
activity. Communicating information and ideas can be done in multiple
ways: using tables, diagrams, graphs, models, and equations, as well as,
orally, in writing, and through extended discussions. Scientists and
engineers employ multiple sources to obtain information that is used to
evaluate the merit and validity of claims, methods, and designs.
b) 1.PS.1 Characterize materials as solid, liquid, or gas and investigate their
properties, record observations and explain the choices to others based
on evidence (i.e., physical properties).
F) TEACHER CONTENT KNOWLEDGE: In order to teach this lesson, as teachers
we need to have a working knowledge of liquids, how they interact with one
another, the differences between liquids and solids, and the basis of matter. We
also need to understand how matter changes state, in case we need to gear up.
We will define liquid as “flowing freely but of constant volume” and our example
will be water. We will define matter as a “physical substance... that occupies
space”
G) UNIT CONTENT PROGRESSION: This lesson will begin by reviewing the
previous lesson over solids by having students yell out solid or liquid during the
initial read aloud, even though they will not already know about liquids, I am only
using this to gauge where students are at. This will connect this lesson to the
previous one and activate what they learned and prior knowledge. This lesson
relates to the next lesson because it prepares them to understand the qualities of
a liquid, which they need to know in order to compare the root beer and ice
cream. They also will be learning descriptive words that they can use to defend
their opinion.
H) MATERIALS -- Asterisk (*) = any materials that may be a safety concern.
a) “Green Eggs and Ham”
b) KWL Chart
c) White Board and Markers
d) Water
e) Pyrex containers of different shapes, bowls, or plates
f) Oil
g) Juice
h) Pop
 i) “Solids, Liquids, and Gases at the Beach”
j) “What is a liquid”
k) Worksheet for Stations
I) HANDOUTS/JOURNALS

This worksheet will be used to cumulate their observations as they move from
station to station, and they will write the claim on the back of their worksheet at
the end.
 J) REFERENCES - List ALL
a) https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-
instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=matter+definition
b) https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-
instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=liquid%20definition

Lesson 3: In the case of Solids v. Liquids (Learning the similarities and

differences between solids and liquids and how they interact)

A) Learning Objective: Students will learn about the differences and similarities
between solids and liquids and how objects can change state. Students will
demonstrate an understanding of this objective by filling out a worksheet of the
root beer float experiment.
B) Description of the Lesson:
a) Engage(Launch) (Focus Question) What are the primary differences and
similarities between solids and liquids and how do they interact?
i) Teacher will bring out both solids and liquids KWL charts that were
used in the two prior lessons. The teacher will ask students what
they remember about solids and ask them to look around the room
and give examples (my chair, my book, a pencil…)
ii) Then the teacher will ask to look for liquids around the room and
give examples (water in the water bottle, teachers coffee…)
 iii) The teacher will then ask if they know any examples where both
solids and liquids interact (boat on water, you in a pool…)
iv) Then the teacher will ask if the students know of anything that we
eat that is both a solid and a liquid and to give examples (cereal in
milk, noodles in soup…)
v) The teacher will then explain the lesson. Today we will be
experimenting with solids and liquids and we will observe their
interactions.
b) Explore(Investigation) We will be learning about the differences and
similarities between solids and liquids by making root beer floats. The
floats will be made in clear cups so that the students will be able to see
the liquid (Root Beer) and solid (Ice Cream) interact. The students will
have worksheet where they will keep track of their observations,
predictions and conclusions. They will be asked what ingredient is a solid
(ice cream) and which ingredient is a liquid (root beer). The students will
be asked to observe the ingredients interactions. They will be in small
groups with a group instructor (teacher). Half of the students will put in the
ice cream before the root beer and the other half will put in the root beer
before the ice cream. Then the small groups will split in half to conduct
another experiment. The other experiment will be dropping a block of
wood into a cup of root beer. The students will observe and compare how
each solid and liquid interacted with each other. Worksheet is as follows:
c) Explain(summary)scaffold-ClaimEvidienceReasoning
We will reconvene as a whole class and discuss their observations we will
also take this time to develop a claim to our focus question. Claim: What
are the primary differences and similarities between solids and liquids and
how do they interact?: a solid doesn’t take the shape of a container, a
liquid does, some solids can turn into liquids and some liquids can turn
into solids. To demonstrate an understanding of solids and liquids
students will fill out a worksheet throughout their investigation and
observations. Evidence: The scientific data that supports our claim can be
found on the student's observation sheets.
d) Elaborate/Evaluation (Answer the FQ )
To evaluate we will have the students use Reasoning: The students will
use their observation data to discover that a liquid will not always change
a solid (wood keeps its shape in root beer) , a solid can change a liquid
(root beer melts ice cream). To elaborate we have a read aloud where we
will read “Change It! Solids, Liquids, Gases and You” by Adrienne Mason.
C) ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION (the 5th “E”)
We will assess student knowledge both orally during our class discussion at the
end of our observations and through written assessment by collecting their
observation worksheets.
D) DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION
a) Trouble with the Science Content/ideas:
● Gear Down: If students are struggling to connect the concepts, I will
model observing solids and liquids, and discuss the properties of liquids
and solids with them as a class. If this does not help, one of the other IU
teachers or myself will work with them individually.
● Gear Up: If this is not challenging enough for them, we will discuss more
complicated properties of solids, liquids, and see if they can differentiate
between solids and liquids and discuss their interactions.
b) Trouble with Process Skills and/or Attitudes Conducive for Science
Learning: If students are struggling to make connections, I will model for
their station how to observe a property of another liquid and solid
interacting. For example, I would put a dry sponge (solid) in a small
amount of water (liquid) and discuss how the liquid changes the properties
of the solid. If students are having trouble using the manipulatives
effectively I will put ground rules in place and even possibly remove the
manipulatives to ensure that students are getting valuable information and
not being distracted.

E) STANDARDS--- see http://www.doe.in.gov/standards/science

a) SEPS.8 Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information: Scientists
and engineers need to be communicating clearly and articulating the ideas
and methods they generate. Critiquing and communicating ideas
individually and in groups is a critical professional activity. Communicating
information and ideas can be done in multiple ways: using tables,
diagrams, graphs, models, and equations, as well as, orally, in writing, and
through extended discussions. Scientists and engineers employ multiple
sources to obtain information that is used to evaluate the merit and validity
of claims, methods, and designs.
b)
● 1.PS.1 Characterize materials as solid, liquid, or gas and
investigate their properties, record observations and explain the
choices to others based on evidence (i.e., physical properties).
● 1.PS.2 Predict and experiment with methods (sieving) to separate
solids and liquids based on their physical properties.
F) TEACHER CONTENT KNOWLEDGE
In order to teach this lesson, as teachers we need to have a working knowledge
of liquids and solids, how they interact with one another, the differences between
liquids and solids, and the basis of matter. We also need to understand how
matter changes state. We will define liquid as “flowing freely but of constant
volume” and our example will be root beer. We will define a solid as “firm and
stable in shape; not liquid or fluid; not hollow or containing spaces or gaps.” Our
solids will be ice cream and our wooden block. We will define matter as a
“physical substance... that occupies space” Our matter will be our ingredients for
this activity.

G) UNIT CONTENT PROGRESSION: For this lesson we decided to have students

compare solids and liquids, because this can help them reinforce the things they
learned in the previous lessons and also help them dig deeper into their
knowledge of these two states. We did this because, we think that before they
can decide if something is a solid or a liquid and defend their opinion, they need
to compare and contrast. But we did this after the first two lessons because they
need to have a good working knowledge of solids and liquids before they can
compare.
H) MATERIALS -- Asterisk (*) = ****In case there are any allergies.
a. 1 gallon of Ice Cream **
b. 2. 2L. Of Caffeine Free Root Beer **
c. 25 Clear Cups
d. Sponge
e. 25 Wooden Blocks
f. Ice cream scooper
g. Worksheets
h. Book “Change It! Solids, Liquids, Gases and You” by Adrienne Mason
i. 25 spoons
j. 6 plastic table cloths
k. Gloves (food safety)

I) HANDOUTS/JOURNALS (see above handout under Explore)

J) REFERENCES - List ALL

Indiana Department of Education. (2015). Mathematics. Retrieved from

http://www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/standards/mathematics/2014-07-18-
math-g1-architecturewith-front-matter_br.pdf
 Mason, A., & Dávila, C. (2006). Change it!: Solids, liquids, gases and you.
Toronto: Kids Can Press.

Lesson 4: Defendin’ Your Opinion (Deciding if something is a solid or liquid and

being able to explain by referencing their properties)

A) Learning Objective: Students will learn how to defend their opinion on whether
something is a solid or a liquid. We will have students write an explanation for an
object.
B) Description of the Lesson:
a) Engage(Launch) - In order to get the kids thinking about how they can
use evidence to defend their opinions, we will play a game called 4
corners. In this game, there are 4 corners in a room labeled as
“STRONGLY AGREE, Agree, Disagree, and STRONGLY DISAGREE”.
The instructor will give different statements like “A brick is a liquid.” and
the students will go to the corner that they think best applies to the
statement. Once students are in a corner, they can discuss with the
people in that corner why they think they are correct. Then the different
corners can debate why they think they are correct. Students will be
expected to defend their position using the description words they’ve
learned throughout the unit. Focus Question: Why is this a solid/liquid?
b) Explore(Investigation) - We will separate the students into groups and
give each group several objects to identify as either a solid or a liquid. The
students will be expected to justify their classification using the description
words they’ve learned.The students will record their observations on a
blank sheet of paper. The groups will have three objects: a solid, a liquid, and
an object like playdough that can be argued to be either a solid or a liquid.
Seeing the students give their opinion on the third object will allow us to see if
they can defend their opinion appropriately with facts
c) Explain(summary)- We will have a class discussion sharing the students
opinions on their questionable objects by having them stand on on either
the solid or liquid side of the line. The students will hopefully realize that
their claims have a great deal to do with the connections they make to
their evidence using reasoning.
d) Elaborate/Evaluation- As a class we can revisit the focus question and
encourage the students to reflect on the activities that took place in the
explore and explain phases. As a class we will discuss how our
understanding of defending our claims has changed and improved from
further reasoning and evidence.
 C) ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION (the 5th “E”) In order to assess the students
understanding of how to classify an object based on facts we can revisit our
Solid/Liquid vocab chart used in the previous two lessons. If the students realize
that some objects can be classified as a solid even though they have qualities of
a liquid and vice versa, then the students understand. This would give the
students a precursor to the next lesson about oobleck.
D) DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION
a) 1) Trouble with the Science Content/ideas–
● Gear Down: If the students don’t understand then we can put up the fact
chart and ask them to identify as a class which descriptive words describe
the object at hand This will help the students be able to see and
remember their previous explorations of solids and liquids.
● Gear Up: If the lesson is too easy, we will amp up the lesson by giving the
students more abstract objects that could be classified as either a solid or
a liquid. We might even introduce the concept of gasses.
b) 2) Trouble with Process Skills and/or Attitudes Conducive for
Science Learning– It is important that our students understand the
importance of observation, a skill necessary to be successful in academic
science. In order to ensure the students see the value in the skill of
observation, our lesson is designed to exemplify its importance. In order
for the students to correctly classify an object as solid or liquid they must
use their observation skills. They also must use their observations in their
reasoning/defense.

E) STANDARDS--- see http://www.doe.in.gov/standards/science

a) ● 1.PS.1 Characterize materials as solid, liquid, or gas and investigate
their properties, record observations and explain the choices to others
based on evidence (i.e., physical properties).
b) ● SEPS.8 Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information:
Scientists and engineers need to be communicating clearly and
articulating the ideas and methods they generate. Critiquing and
communicating ideas individually and in groups is a critical professional
activity. Communicating information and ideas can be done in multiple
ways: using tables, diagrams, graphs, models, and equations, as well as,
orally, in writing, and through extended discussions. Scientists and
engineers employ multiple sources to obtain information that is used to
evaluate the merit and validity of claims, methods, and designs.
F) TEACHER CONTENT KNOWLEDGE
As teachers we will have to prepare and understand the difference between the
states of matter. The students will be giving arguments and we will need to be able to
say if they are correct in their understanding or explanation. Since the students are in
first grade and will just be learning how to explain with reasoning and evidence. We will
need to prepare by rephrasing what students say into simple language and so other
students can gain understanding from each student response.
G) UNIT CONTENT PROGRESSION - The fourth lesson has the students making
arguments and developing explanations from what they have learned in the past
three lessons, in order to explain their knowledge and come to conclusions. We
did this because we wanted them to still remember the comparisons from the
previous lesson, but we also wanted them to practice defending their opinion
before being presented with an object that could be classified as either a solid or
liquid.
H) MATERIALS --
a) Signs (Agree, Disagree, Strongly Agree, Strongly Disagree)
b) Tape for the agree/disagree line
c) Various Solids, Liquids, and Unknowns
d) KWL Chart (from lesson 1 and 2)
I) HANDOUTS/JOURNALS- None
J) REFERENCES - List ALL
Indiana Department of Education. (2015). Mathematics. Retrieved from
http://www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/standards/mathematics/2014-07-18-math-g1-
architecturewith-front-matter_br.pdf

Lesson 5: Apply Your Knowledge from Prior Knowledge (Defending their opinion
on an object like Oobleck which is both a solid and a liquid)

A) Learning Objective and Criteria for Determining if Objectives are Met:

a) Students will investigate oobleck and use prior knowledge to compare and
contrast characteristics of liquids and solids as they apply to oobleck. To
demonstrate an understanding of this objective each student will need to
write a prediction and record their evidence on a worksheet.
b) Students will create their own claim and come to a conclusion on whether
they think oobleck is a solid or a liquid. To demonstrate an understanding
 of this objective each student will need to write their claim on the
worksheet and talk about their reasoning during a class discussion.
B) Description of the Lesson:
a) Engage(Launch)*Focus Question-the what and how!
i) To get students interested in the lesson, we will be reading the first
part of Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss. This will get the
students excited about having the opportunity to investigate
oobleck and determine whether they believe it is a solid or a liquid
based on their knowledge of characteristics from the previous
lessons. During this engagement, students will begin to come up
with a hypothesis on what they believe about the oobleck. After
reading the book we will state the focus question, “What type of
matter is oobleck and why?”
b) Explore(Investigation)-wksht
i) Students will be given time to play with and explore oobleck on their
own and talk with their table groups about their ideas as they
investigate. This will help the students to see both sides of the
argument (solid vs liquid), how oobleck falls into both categories
and help them gather evidence to solidify their thinking. Students
will be given a worksheet where they will make a prediction about
what type of matter they think oobleck is and record their
observations which will lead them to write their final claim.
c) Explain(summary)scaffold-CER framework
i) After the students have had a chance to explore and investigate
oobleck and write their evidence and claim on the worksheet, we
will ask the students to quietly stand up. Without talking, we will
have the students who believe oobleck is a solid to go to one side
of the room and the students who believe oobleck is a liquid to go
to the other side of the room. We will let each side talk about their
evidence for why they believe it is either a solid or a liquid.
d) Answer the FQ Elaborate/Evaluation-assessment for each individual
To answer the focus question,“What type of matter is oobleck and why?”,
after the class discussion, we will tell the students that both sides of the
class are right- oobleck has attributes of both solids and liquids! Students
will be using what they have learned in the previous four lessons to
explore oobleck on their own and create their own claim based on what
they know about solids and liquids.
C) ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION (the 5th “E”)
a) The worksheet that the students will be filling out during the lesson will
provide a space for their final claim (or conclusion) of whether they think
 oobleck is a solid or liquid. We will collect these worksheets and assess
their understanding by looking at the evidence, characteristics, and key-
words they use in their explanations.
D) DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION
a) 1) Trouble with the Science Content/ideas–
i) Gear up: If students are understanding the material and need a
challenge, we will ask the students to come up with other ways in
which they could test oobleck to see if it is a solid or a liquid. They
would need to use their prior knowledge of matter in order to come
up with ideas.
ii) Gear down: If students are having a hard time remembering,
understanding, or explaining the characteristics of each type of
matter, we will give them a sheet with the list of key-words we have
discussed throughout the unit. They may use this sheet to circle
words that they believe describes the oobleck.
b) 2) Trouble with Process Skills and/or Attitudes Conducive for
Science Learning–
i) Before the lesson begins, we will make sure to go over the rules for
handling and exploring oobleck and make sure the students
understand the procedures; not to throw the oobleck or play with it
in an inappropriate manner. Since this lesson is fun and hands-on
the students may need reminders to stay focused and on task. If a
student is misbehaving or repeatedly not staying on task, the
student will not get to handle the oobleck any more and will just
have to observe his or her classmates instead. If the students have
trouble with communicating their ideas, we will guide them in
discussion and ask probing questions to understand their thinking.
E) STANDARDS--- see http://www.doe.in.gov/standards/science
a) 1.PS.1 Characterize materials as solid, liquid, or gas and investigate their
properties, record observations and explain the choices to others based
on evidence (i.e., physical properties)
b) SEPS.8 Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information: Scientists
and engineers need to be communicating clearly and articulating the ideas
and methods they generate. Critiquing and communicating ideas
individually and in groups is a critical professional activity. Communicating
information and ideas can be done in multiple ways: using tables,
diagrams, graphs, models, and equations, as well as, orally, in writing, and
through extended discussions. Scientists and engineers employ multiple
sources to obtain information that is used to evaluate the merit and validity
of claims, methods, and designs
F) TEACHER CONTENT KNOWLEDGE
a) As teachers, we must have a complete understanding of the different
types of matter and characteristics of solids and liquids. We not only have
to understand this information ourselves, but we have to also be able to
clearly teach and explain it to the students in a way that they can grasp
the content. We must also be able to clearly explain how oobleck can be
classified as both a liquid and a solid based on evidence gathered and
why.
G) UNIT CONTENT PROGRESSION
a) After completing the four prior lessons, students will know the attributes
and characteristics of solids and liquids. They will also be familiar with
identifying these different types of matter. This lesson connects to the
previous lessons because it is asking the students to apply their
knowledge to something unfamiliar. Since this is the last lesson of the unit,
they will not be learning any content, but instead using the content they
already learned to carry out the oobleck investigation.

H) MATERIALS -- Asterisk (*) = any materials that may be a safety concern.

a) Bartholomew and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss
b) Pre-made oobleck (one container per table)* (*can be messy)
c) Paper towel
d) Worksheets
e) Containers
I) HANDOUTS/JOURNALS
 a)

b)

J) REFERENCES - List ALL

a) Seuss, D. (1949). Bartholomew and the Oobleck (pp. 1-10). New York,
New York: Random House.
b) Sharp, T. (2012, July 11). How to Make Oobleck | Fun Science Projects.
Retrieved October 19, 2015, from http://www.livescience.com/21536-
oobleck-recipe.html
c) Theisen, C. (2014, September 23). Investigating Matter, Solid or Liquid:
Bartholomew and the Oobleck. Retrieved October 19, 2015, from
http://serc.carleton.edu/sp/mnstep/activities/26393.html