Teacher's+Guide

=Welcome to the 4 States of Matter Wikispace!=

Overview and Rationale
Thank you for being a part of the "4 States of Matter" vidoeconference project. During our connections, your students will learn more about the four states of matter through sharing and investigation. Each class will be teaching the other groups about one of the states of matter and directing an experiment to help us better understand the properties of solids, liquids, and gases. In our final videoconference, Dr. Andrew Zwicker of the PPPL, will be meeting with students to discuss the fourth, lesser known state of matter: plasma.


 * Essential Question:** How are the four states of matter unique?

__**Before the Videoconference:**__ Classes will be assigned one state of matter. They will be responsible for learning about that state of matter and preparing a presentation and hands-on experiment to share their knowledge with the other classes. Site coordinators will collect all the materials needed for classes to participate in each of the experiments. (See experiment pages for materials needed.)

__**Videoconference 1 (May 1 @ 12:45)****:**__ Our classes will meet via videoconference and teach each other about three states of matter. During this 1 hour session, each class will have 15 minutes to present about the properties of their state of matter and direct a simple experiment to engage us in investigating those properties. After each presentation, classes will each get to ask one question of the presenting team. Time left at the end of the session will be used to draw conclusion and sum up what we've learned. (Moderator for this session will be Sue Calvin.)

__**Videoconference 2 (May 12 @ 12:45):**__ Classes will once again meet via videoconference. This time Andrew Zwicker will be joining us live from the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab in Princeton, New Jersey. Dr. Zwicker will be teaching students about the fourth state of matter, plasma, and guiding us through some demonstrations using plasma balls and other tools he has in his lab. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions of our expert and each class will get a plasma ball to experiment with at their site. (Questions may be sent in to Dr. Zwicker in advance. Please e-mail them to Lauri Graybill by May

**Objectives**
1. Students will identify the properties of each of the four states of matter. 2. Students will apply the scientific method to investigate states of matter. 3. Students will use effective presentation skills to share what they've learned about matter.

Key questions
1. What makes solids, liquids, gases, and plasmas different? similar? 2. Is toothpaste a solid or a liquid? 3. What happens when a solid dissolves in a liquid? 4. What is surface tension and how does it keep water together on a surface like a penny? 5. What is plasma and where might we find plasmas in our world?

**Videoconference Session Plan**

 * Videoconference 1**
 * **Time** || **Task** || ** Activity ** ||
 * 5 min. || Introductions || Our moderator will give a brief overview of today's activities and each class will have 30 seconds to introduce their class to the group. ||
 * 8 min. || Solids Presentation-Part I || 2nd graders at Hallowell Elementary will share their knowleddge of solids and lead us in **Part I** of an experiment to decide whether toothpaste is a liquid or a solid. ||
 * 15 min. || Liquids Presentation || 3rd graders at Stonybrook Elementary will share their knowledge of liquids and lead us in an experiment to see how many drops of water can fit on the head of a penny. Classes will also make lemonade to see water dissolve a solid! ||
 * 15 min. || Solids Presentation || Mrs. Carpenter, from Pocono Mountain School District will teach us more about gases through a few exciting demonstrations. ||
 * 8 min. || Solids Presentation - Part II || 2nd graders at Hallowell Elementary will lead us in Part II of our toothpaste experiment. ||
 * 10 min. || Wrap Up || Classes will have time to ask questions and Mrs. Calvin will wrap up our session with a sneak peek of what's to come in session two. ||

**Materials and Resources**
Please navigate this site and the information provided in the videoconference for all materials needed.

[|Science Unleashed: States of Matter Game] (upper elementary) – This interactive game involves the placement of various characteristics under the headings solid, liquid, or gas. The game involves catching the characteristics under the right category without letting them hit the ground. This activity requires an updated flash player.

[|Scholastic Study Jams: Solids, Liquids, & Gases] – Great site! Watch a three minute video about states of matter, sing karaoke about matter, learn vocab and take a quiz. Try using the teachers guide and lesson plans.

[|BBC School Science Clips: Changing State] – Perform an interactive online experiment to investigate the effects of cooling and heating on water. Then take an interactive quiz to check your understanding.

[|FOSS Web: Solids and Liquids] – Learn about the characteristics of solids and liquids in this colorful FOSS site. Click on "Change It!" to observe the effects that different temperatures have on a variety of everyday objects. A photo gallery, movies and much more are offered here as well.

Assessment
See Record Sheets.

A. Recognize basic concepts about the structure and properties of matter. ·  Describe properties of matter (e.g., hardness, reactions to simple  chemical tests). ·  Know that combining two or more substances can make new materials with different properties. ·  Know different material characteristics (e.g., texture, state of matter, solubility).
 * PA Science and Technology Standards:**

Teachers are encouraged to use the student record sheets and observation of student participation as assessment.