Splish, Splash, Kerplunk!

Overview:

The students and teacher will go on a walk around the schoolyard/community to collect a variety of natural objects. A further collection of items from the classroom will augment this. The sorting activity and discussion that follow this shared experience will begin an inquiry into liquids and solids. After gaining knowledge of the characteristics and properties of liquids and solids, students will be asked to design and build a solid that floats in a liquid.

Grade Level: 2

Strand and Topic: Understanding Matter and Energy: Properties of Liquids and Solids

Inquiry Focus:

What is a liquid?

What is a solid?

How do liquids and solids mix together and with each other?

How do liquids and solids remain in a constant state and change states?How can the students use this knowledge to make informed choices when designing and building a structure (solid) that meets a specific purpose, such as floating in a liquid?

Big Ideas:

  • Materials that exist as liquids and solids have specific properties.
  • Liquids and solids interact in different ways.

Overall Expectations:

Science and Technology

  1. Investigate the properties of and interactions among liquids and solids.
  2. Demonstrate an understanding of the properties of liquids and solids.

Language: Oral Communication

  1. listen in order to understand and respond appropriately in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes
  2. use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes

Language: Reading

  1. read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of literary, graphic, and informational texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning
  2. recognize a variety of text forms, text features, and stylistic elements and demonstrate understanding of how they help communicate meaning

Language: Writing

  1. generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience
  2. draft and revise their writing, using a variety of informational, literary, and graphic forms and stylistic elements appropriate for the purpose and audience

Language: Media Literacy

  1. demonstrate an understanding of a variety of media texts

Mathematics

-collect and organize categorical or discrete primary data and display the data, using tally charts, concrete graphs, pictographs, line plots, simple bar graphs, and other graphic organizers, with labels ordered appropriately along horizontal axes, as needed

The Arts: Visual Arts

  • D1. apply the creative process (see pages 19–22) to produce a variety of two- and three-dimensional art works, using elements, principles, and techniques of visual arts to communicate feelings, ideas, and understandings

Specific Expectations:

Science and Technology

  • 2.1 follow established safety procedures during science and technology investigations
  • 2.2 investigate the properties of liquidsand solids
  • 2.3 investigate, through experimentation, interactions that occur as a result of mixing and/or dissolving liquids and solids, liquids and liquids, and solids and solids
  • 2.4 use scientific inquiry/experimentation skills to investigate liquids and solids in terms of their capacity for buoyancyand/or absorption
  • 2.5 use technological problem-solving skills and knowledge acquired from previous investigations, to design, build, and test a structure that involves interactions between liquids and solids
  • 2.6 use appropriate science and technology vocabulary in oral and written communication
  • 2.7 use a variety of formsto communicate with different audiences and for a variety of purposes
  • 3.1 identify objects in the natural and built environment as solidsor liquids
  • 3.2 describe the properties of solids
  • 3.3 describe the characteristics of liquid water and solid water and identify the conditions that cause changes from one to the other
  • 3.4 identify conditions in which the states of liquids and solids remain and conditions that can cause their states to change
  • 3.5 describe some ways in which solids and liquids can be combined to make useful substances

Specific Expectations:

Language: Oral Communication

  • 2.2 demonstrate an understanding of appropriate speaking behaviour in a variety of situations, including paired sharing and small- and large-group discussions
  • 2.3 communicate ideas, opinions, and information orally in a clear, coherent manner using simple but appropriate organizational patterns
  • 2.4 choose a variety of appropriate words and phrases to communicate their meaning accurately and engage the interest of their audience
  • 2.7 use a few different visual aidsto support or enhance oral presentations

Language: Reading

  • 1.1 read some different literary texts, graphic texts, and informational texts
  • 1.2 identify several different purposes for reading and choose reading materials appropriate for those purposes
  • 1.3 identify several reading comprehension strategies and use them before, during, and after reading to understand texts
  • 1.4 demonstrate understanding of a text by retelling the story or restating information from the text, with the inclusion of a few interesting details
  • 1.5 use stated and implied information and ideas in texts to make simple inferences and reasonable predictions about them
  • 1.6 extend understanding of texts by connecting the ideas in them to their own knowledge and experience, to other familiar texts, and to the world around them

Language: Writing

  • 1.1 identify the topic, purpose, audience, and form for writing
  • 1.2 generate ideas about a potential topic, using a variety of strategies and resources
  • 1.3 gather information to support ideas for writing in a variety of ways and/or from a variety of sources
  • 1.5 identify and order main ideas and supporting details, using graphic organizers
  • 1.6 determine whether the ideas and information they have gathered are suitable for the purpose, and gather new material if necessary
  • 2.1 write short texts using several simple forms

Language: Media Literacy

  • 1.1 identify the purpose and intended audience of some simple media texts

Specific Expectations:

Mathematics

-demonstrate an ability to organize objects into categories, by sorting and classifying objects using two attributes simultaneously (page 51)

The Arts: Visual Arts

  • D1.1 create two- and three-dimensional works of art that express feelings and ideas inspired by activities in their community or observations of nature
  • D1.2 demonstrate an understanding of composition, using principles of design to create narrative art works or art works on a theme or topic
  • D1.3 use elements of design in art works to communicate ideas, messages, and understandings
  • D1.4 use a variety of materials, tools, and techniques to respond to design challenges

Key Concepts:

Solids, liquids, gas, mixtures, state, matter

Prior Skill Sets:

-respectful listening and speaking skills during the knowledgebuilding circle discussions;

-observation skills, recording skills, and sorting skills (also needed during the consolidation activity) during the exploration and investigation of liquids and solids;

-cutting/fastening skills during the hands-on activities in order to be successfully engaged in this inquiry.

Prior Knowledge:

Students will need to have prior knowledge of:

  • fair tests (changing only one variable in order to test how it performs) and experimental procedures (Science and Technology, Specific Expectation 2.3 and 2.4);
  • poster formats, if they are completing one of the additional ideas (Writing, Specific Expectations 1.1 and 2.1).

Materials and Equipment:

  • solids (pinecones, stones, sticks, leaves, feathers, blocks, pencils, manipulatives, water, liquid glue, food colouring, various drinks, ice cubes, salt, sand, rice, flour (gluten free), oatmeal, ect.)
  • liquids water, cooking oil, juice, glue, food colouring, liquid glue, etc.)
  • containers for explorations (some of these need to be identical and others need to be of different shape/size)
  • paper towels
  • ice cube tray
  • kettle
  • ledger paper
  • newspaper/magazines
  • scissors
  • construction paper
  • paper cups
  • craft sticks
  • reusable materials (boxes, paper tubes, etc.)
  • glue
  • tape
  • modeling clay
  • coins, blocks or masses
  • Non-fiction storybooks on liquids and solids; multi-media resources; computer access

Related Background Resources and/or Links:

Science and Technology Resources:

STAO “Connecting to the Natural World” (ideas for taking students outside; general ideas even though it is Junior)

Experiments with Solids, Liquids, and Gases

Salvatore Tocci

Children’s Press, c2001

ISBN 0516273523

The Facts about Solids, Liquids, and Gases

Rebecca Hunter

Smart Apple Media

ISBN 1583404503

Freezing and Melting

Robin Nelson

Lerner, c2003

ISBN 082254590X

The Science of Liquids & Solids

Krista McLuskey

Gareth Stevens Pub., c2001

ISBN 0836827899

Liquids and Solids

Ellen Lawrence

Bearport Publishing, 2015

ISBN 9781627243117

Solids & Liquids

Peter Riley

Smart Apple Media, c2008

ISBN 9781599200293

Solids, Liquids, and Gases

Angela Royston

Heinemann Library, 2001

ISBN 1588102459

Solids, Liquids, and Gases

Julie Murray

ABDO Pub., c2007

ISBN 9781596798304

States of Matter

Suzanne Slade

Group’s PowerKids Press, 2007

ISBN 1404234160

Indigenous Resources:

For Print Resources:

First Nations owned bookstore and publishing house that offers a variety of authentic resources

Aboriginal Perspectives: The Teacher’s Toolkit:

The toolkit was developed by the Ontario Ministry of Education to support elementary teachers in integrating First Nation, Metis, and Inuit histories, cultures, and perspectives. Available at

toolkit.html and

Additional Resources:

queensu.ca/webedu/grad/aboriginal.pdf

Aboriginal science and technology society -

Assembly of First Nations -

Holistic learning modules-

Safety:

Teachers need to follow the safety procedures referenced in the STAO Elementary Safety resource (

  • general safety, pages 7-9, 21, 25-33, 35-40
  • materials safety, pages 62-64
  • designing, building, and testing constructions safety, pages 73-76
  • equipment safety, pages 77-78
  • nature study safety, pages 96-97

Teachers need to follow established school and board safety procedures in order that all activities areconducted in a safe manner.

Students should be able to use safe practices to ensure their personal safety and that of others in a variety of situations.

Be knowledgeable about established safety procedures for the use of solids and liquids in experimentation (i.e., no tasting of any liquid or solid).

Be knowledgeable about established safety procedures for the use of scissors and fastening materials when building the project.

Use established procedures for maintaining a well-organized work space.

Instructional Planning and Delivery:

The time required to complete this inquiry will depend upon student background, student skill sets, level of student interest, and any additional time necessary for the completion of student work. Estimated time of inquiry completion is approximately twelve to fourteen instructional periods.

Engage (I SEE):

This stage is designed to create student interest and curiosity, and enables teachers to begin to assess prior knowledge of the students. This is a teacher-led activity to engage students and provide a shared experience from which to draw on later in the inquiry process. See Resource list for general ideas about taking students outside.

Take the students outside for a walk in the schoolyard or community to collect natural items; after a rainy day, puddle water and water dripping off leaves could be collected in containers as well. During this activity, students may have comments and questions about what they are doing. Record these on an iPad, camera, or clipboard for later reference. Take advantage of any teachable moments to discuss related topics, such as which items are natural as opposed to human-made, why it is easier to collect solid items in your hand as opposed to liquid items (which need a container), why there are more solids than liquids in the natural world than in the classroom, etc. Students sort these natural items once inside and explain their reasons for sorting in that manner.

Questioning (I WONDER):

The traditional storytelling/talking circle/knowledge building circle includes the concept of “group talk” where formal and informal conversation (think/pair/share, brainstorming, jigsaw, etcetera) takes place. This includes the sharing of information in a safe manner with agreed upon rules of respect and responsibility (which are posted nearby).A “talking stone”,which signifies the speaker,can be passed around the circle from student to student; the circle is complete when all have had a chance to speak and be heard respectfully (can set a time limit but must have opportunity to resume); all are sincerely thanked for their respectful participation. The use of kinesthetic activities to confirm understanding of information shared (clap, look at a friend and smile, okay symbol, thumbs up, etc) is included. This begins as a teacher-led circle until the students are familiar with the process. Then the students are able to take a more active role in which teacher and students co-lead, eventually leading to the stage when students are able to initiate the discussion and information-sharing with independence.

In a knowledgebuilding circle (inside the classroom or outside), small groups or partners, the students are asked open-ended questions to inspire their own questions for further inquiry. This is also the time to reference the comments and questions given during the walk to collect natural items and build them into the discussion by using chart paper or a word wall. This is a safe place to allow students to gradually take more initiative in the inquiry process as teachers are able to gauge when students are ready to move from more teacher-directed instruction to teacher-student co-led inquiry and, eventually, to student-initiated inquiry.

Teacher-led / Student-led
What do you notice about the items that we collected outside?
What do you notice about the items that we collected inside?
How might we sort all of these items?
What do you now notice about the items and how we have sorted them (what is the same/different)?
What does this make you wonder about? / Possible questions may include the following:
Why were some objects easy to pick up and others needed a container?
Why are some objects dry and others wet?
Why are more natural objects solid?
Why is the only natural liquid water?

Explore / Inquiry activity (I DO):

Liquid and Solid Collection:

Students are asked to gather items from around the classroom to add to the collection of natural items that they collected outside on their walk. In a knowledge building circle, small groups, or partners, these items are sorted into similar groups by the students with reasons given as to why they sorted in that way. If they have not already done so, ask students if they can group these items into like groups with the natural items that have already been sorted. Discuss their observations, explanations, and further questions.

Assess Prior Knowledge: Have students record what they know about liquids and solids, either in words or pictures or a combination in a learning log, visual arts project, photo essay, or performance. This will provide an initial assessment of where individual students are in their understanding of liquids and solids, and will allow the teacher to plan next steps to support their students’ learning.

Liquid Exploration:

Tell the students that they will be exploring various liquids to find out more about what makes them a liquid. In a knowledgebuilding circle or similar whole group discussion, help students design a series of experiments to help define liquids and what they can do. For example:

  • Pour liquids from one container to an identical container; what happens?
  • Pour liquids from one container into a different size/shape container; what happens?
  • Put a plastic block in the liquid; what happens?
  • Put a coin in the liquid; what happens?
  • Put a piece of paper towel in a container of liquid; what happens?

Student’s record what they predict will happen as well as what actually happens and why they think that happens. Observations, explanations, whether their predictions were correct or not (and why), and questions will be discussed in a knowledgebuilding circle, in small groups, or elbow partners, and will help teachers to gauge student understanding of liquids. Ask what they think may change the properties of these liquids. (Add heat or take heat away; i.e.: boiling or freezing water – this would need to be a teacher demonstration only.) This is also an opportunity to ask open-ended questions and record anecdotal observations.

  • Why do you think this happened?
  • What else might we do to find out?
  • Was there something that surprised you? Why?

Those students ready for more independence may have further questions to investigate about liquids (i.e., what would happen if…?) which can be done by similar experimentation (teacher guidance as needed).

Explain: Students record what they think makes a liquid a liquid (i.e.: the definition of a liquid) at the bottom of their experiment recording sheet, in a discovery journal, in storytelling, visual arts picture, etc

Solid Exploration:

Tell the students that they will be exploring various solids to find out more about what makes them a solid. In a knowledge building circle, help students design a series of experiments to help define solids and what they can do. They can use the same basic experiments that they designed for exploring liquids. For example: