What’s the Matter?
Overview:
What is matter made of? How can students create a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen? Are these unseen particles moving freely about in space? Is a solid really solid—or are there spaces between its moving particles? How can students use a model to show that the structure and behavior of these microscopic particles can account for observable phenomena? In this investigation, students will engage in various online simulations and activities to learn and understand the particle theory of matter and will develop models to describe this understanding.
Lesson Concept:
Matter of any type can be subdivided into particles that are too small to see, but even then the matter still exists and can be detected by other means. A model showing that gases are made from matter particles that are too small to see and are moving freely around in space can explain many macroscopic observations, including the inflation and shape of a balloon and the effects of air on larger particles or objects. Models can also explain the macroscopic observations of ice melting, sugar dissolving in water, and liquids evaporating.
NGSS Alignment:
5-PS1-1. Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen.
Crosscutting concepts: Scale, Proportion, and Quantity:
Natural objects exist from the very small to the immensely large.
Phenomena that can be observed at one scale may not be observable at another scale. (6th grade)
Background Knowledge on Scale: When we look around, we see (with the naked eye or with a magnifying glass) objects with sizes that belong to a limited range known as the macroscopic scale (insects, grains of sand, and clouds). The material world which our eyes cannot observe is known as the microscopic scale of observation (cells, atoms, molecules). The macroscopic phenomena that take place in nature are determined by the microscopic phenomena of which they are made. Solids, liquids, and gases (macroscopic phenomena) behave the way they do because of their atomic structure (microscopic phenomena). http://htwins.net/scale2/
Science and Engineering Practice: Developing and using models.
ISTE Standards:
1. Creativity and Innovation: Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues.
2. Digital Citizenship: Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity.
Cyberinfrastructure Tools:
http://www.strangematterexhibit.com/
http://htwins.net/scale2/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/science/chemical_material_behaviour/particle_model/activity/
http://www.mheducation.ca/school/applets/bcscience7/particle/
http://www.chem.purdue.edu/gchelp/atoms/states.html (iPad)
http://study.com/academy/lesson/states-of-matter-solids-liquids-gases-plasma.html (iPad)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/9_10/gases.shtml
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/science_up_close/501/deploy/interface.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/science/chemical_material_behaviour/behaviour_of_matter/activity/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndw9XYA4iF0 (iPad)
https://www.brainpop.com/science/matterandchemistry/statesofmatter/ (iPad)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/10_11/rev_irrev_changes.shtml
http://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/sugar-dissolve/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-2EoyDYamg (iPad)
https://www.google.com/drive/ (Google Drawings)
http://www.gingerlabs.com/ (Notability app)
These cyberinfrastructure websites can be viewed on individual student laptops, by utilizing a computer lab or mobile lab, or be done as a whole group lesson using a projection tool. While many of these resources are Flash based and will not work on iPads, “iPad friendly” resources are also listed as less desirable options.
Lesson Activities
ENGAGETeacher Does / Student Does
1. Teacher presents the crosscutting concept to the class: Natural objects exist from the very small to the immensely large.
Teacher asks: What evidence can you give to support this claim?
Teacher records students’ ideas on flip chart or board. (The aim is for words like matter, atoms, particles, etc. If a student says atoms, teacher may query, “What are atoms?” The students may have many misconceptions which are expected. Through the course of this learning sequence, their misconceptions will be addressed.)
2. Teacher directs students to “Strange Matter” website where they will explore the “ZOOM inside Stuff section only: http://www.strangematterexhibit.com/
(If this is being done whole class, the teacher can make decisions to focus on the information that is more relevant to the lesson. Here the students will be exploring scale—from a macroscale or macroscopic scale to a microscopic scale. There are ten horizontal white lines like “rungs” of a ladder representing the length scale, from 100 m (or 1 meter) to 10 -10 m where atoms are visible! Each one contains information when clicked on. More relevant information is found on 10-1 m (1/10 m or 10 cm), 10-5m (width of a human hair), 10-6m (or 1 micrometer), 10-8m, 10-9m (or 1 nanometer), and 10-10m or one ten-billionth of a meter or a million times smaller than a human hair or 1 Angstrom.)
3. A whole class discussion is held to debrief the information learned. The teacher asks the students to support the statement, Matter that can be observed at one scale may not be observable at another scale, with information from the simulation. The teacher charts this information including questions that the students have. / Students Think-Pair-Share their ideas and evidence to support the claim, “Natural objects exist from the very small to the immensely large.”
Students share evidence with class.
Students go to Strange Matter website on computers or teacher projects it for the whole class. The students will “zoom into” a soda can to see the structure “inside” the aluminum.
Students see the macroscale (or macroscopic scale) where matter is visible to the naked eye or with a magnifying glass. They should venture down to the microscale or microscopic scale (virus, bacteria, atoms) seen by powerful electron microscopes and watch short video clips from material scientists.
Students share the information from the simulation supporting the statement, Matter that can be observed at one scale may not be observable at another scale. Students should start to understand that when viewing in the macroscopic scale, matter is visible to the naked eye or with a magnifying glass. When viewing in the macroscopic scale, matter in the microscopic matter will not be visible. Powerful microscopes are needed to see very small scale things.
EXPLORE :
Teacher Does / Student Does
Scale: Macroscopic to microscopic and beyond
As questions arise as to scale, teachers may choose to use this activity and resource to have their students explore scale.
1. Teacher refers back to the Engage lesson and the questions that the class had. Present the crosscutting concept generalization: Natural objects exist from the very small to the immensely large.
Teacher asks: What are some examples of very small things and very large or immense things?
2. Teacher distributes Scale of the Universe handout and says: Today you may have a chance to find out how big or how small some of those objects are. And to see what scale they are in.
Teacher directs students to access this website: http://htwins.net/scale2/
With your group or partner, try to find some of the objects you listed. In addition, find at least one example of an immense thing and three examples of very small things. Record each object’s name, size and scale.
(Note: Students need to know that 102m or 100 meters is written as 10^2m because of the font limits of the website. If they are recording the sizes by hand, they should use the exponent form. If recording on an iPad, they will use the ^ key.
Note: This amazing website allows its viewers to see the sizes of various natural phenomena. Viewers can zoom in and out from the largest scales in the universe to scales many times smaller than an atomic nucleus. For example, this site shows the extent of the macroscopic scale (that which is visible to the human eye: objects 10-4 m or larger) to the microscopic scale, including what is visible using an optic microscope (10-5 to 10-7 m) and what is visible using an electron microscope (down to 10-11 m). Clicking on an image reveals the size (and its size in meters) and some information sprinkled with little humor.
3. Teacher debriefs exploration:
What objects did you find that were macroscopic?
About how big is the smallest thing that humans can see (macroscopic)? (10-4 m or larger)
What were some objects that can be seen with an optical microscope? About how big is the smallest thing that can be viewed with an optical microscope? (10-5 to 10-7 m)
What were some objects that can be seen only with an electron microscope? About how big is the smallest thing that can be viewed with an electron microscope? (down to 10-11 m) / Students record the names of some very small objects and some very large objects. They share their ideas with their partners/teams and then briefly with class.
Students share devices to access website to find some familiar objects. They will also find at least one example of an immense thing and at least three examples of very small things. They record each object’s name, size and scale.
Students take part in whole class discussion to debrief.
EXPLAIN
Teacher Does / Student DoesScale: Macroscopic to microscopic and beyond
Teacher asks, “Why might objects that are visible at one scale not be observable at another scale? Explain giving examples from today’s lesson.”
If this question is problematic for some students, rephrase it as, “Why are microscopic objects invisible?” / Students write in science journal, either on paper or digitally using Google Drawings (computer) or Notability (iPad).
EXPLORE
Teacher Does / Student DoesParticle model: The particle model of matter suggests that the macroscopic matter that we can see consists of microscopic particles. (Note: The term particle is used instead of molecules or atoms.)
1. Teacher directs students to websites.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/science/chemical_material_behaviour/particle_model/activity/
(This interactive site has audio and has subtitles so that the students can read along with the audio. The students are able to push plungers and tip simulated water into another container. If the mouse doesn’t work or the students get stuck, they can press the forward button. They can also pause or rewind to play again. At the end, there is a 6 item quiz.)
http://www.mheducation.ca/school/applets/bcscience7/particle/
(This website explains a model and the particle model of matter. The students should interact ONLY with the first two pages. The third page has the particle model and solutions which they explore later.)
2. Teacher: Now that you know what the states of matter look like at the microscopic scale, draw, label, and explain a model for each state of matter.
Additional iPad friendly resources are listed below that might be used to replace the above sites:
http://www.chem.purdue.edu/gchelp/atoms/states.html
(This iPad friendly site will allow the students to read about the states of matter and see microscopic models of solids, liquids, and gases)
http://study.com/academy/lesson/states-of-matter-solids-liquids-gases-plasma.html
Although it is not from a free site, you are able to use it for free. It gives a bit more information and is slightly more advanced. Students will not be able to take the quiz as it requires signing up for a free trial to take it. / Students share devices and use websites to learn about the particle model of matter to understand the states of matter at the microscopic scale.
Students will use Google Drawings (computer) or Notability (iPad) to draw and label their own models of solids, liquids and gases, showing the structure of their particles. They should also include written explanations of their models.
EXPLAIN
Teacher Does / Student DoesParticle model
Teacher holds up a clear bowl and some soap and asks: If I put some solid soap into a bowl, why doesn’t the soap take the shape of the container? Write a scientific explanation in your science journal. (You may want to sketch what the soap particles look like at the microscopic scale to help you with the scientific explanation.) / Students write in science journal, either on paper or digitally using Google Drawings (computer) or Notability (iPad). They should explain that since this soap is a solid, it retains its shape because its particles are tightly packed and they don’t move past each other.
EXPLORE :
Teacher Does / Student Does
Changes in States of Matter
1. Teacher: Now that you know about the particle structure of the states of matter, today you will start to figure out what causes them to change states. We’ll start at the macroscopic level.
Teacher distributes handout and directs students to first website:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/9_10/gases.shtml
(Note: They are to do the simulation activity. To replay, they may reload the page or click the blue back arrow. In addition, there is a quiz that they can take and a Sorter game where they sort the macroscopic views of solids, liquids, and gases.)
2. Teacher start a class discussion by asking the following question from the activity: When the liquid evaporated, why did it go into the other beaker? Imagine or predict what it looked like at the microscopic level. Talk with your team/partner. Then share with the class.
Teacher continues to ask the following questions, encouraging them to imagine what was happening on the microscopic level to give a scientific explanation based on particle structure:
When the gas was cooled, why did it appear in both beakers? Imagine what it looked like in the microscopic scale.
What happened when you lifted the lids when they contained gas? Why? Imagine what it looked like in the microscopic scale.
This is a phenomenon or event that can be explained by what’s happening at the microscopic level.
Teacher continues class discussion by asking, “What did you notice? How does matter change state?
3. Teacher says: In the next websites, you will be able to see the matter change in both the macroscopic and microscopic view! You’ll see the observable matter but also see the unseen particles! Later you will draw a particle model to show what’s happening during these changes in the microscopic scale.
Teacher presents the following websites for the students to explore.
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/science_up_close/501/deploy/interface.html
(Heat makes the difference, This site has both audio and text for the students to read.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/science/chemical_material_behaviour/behaviour_of_matter/activity/
(This interactive site has audio and has subtitles so that the students can read along with the audio. The students are able to heat and cool matter and tip simulated water into another container. If the mouse doesn’t work or the students get stuck, they can press the forward button. They can also pause or rewind to play again. At the end, there is a 6 item quiz.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndw9XYA4iF0
(An excellent, rather advanced, iPad friendly video that shows the macroscopic scale and microscopic scale of matter along with other amazing information. Although it’s iPad friendly, it’s ideal for showing whole class on a projection system.)
Additional iPad friendly site:
https://www.brainpop.com/science/matterandchemistry/statesofmatter/
An animated video from Brain Pop that has all five states of matter.) / Students follow the directions of the simulation, heating liquids and cooling vapors or gas. They record their ideas and macroscopic observations on the handout.
Students Think-Pair-Share. They may use their handouts and notes from previous learning and the website itself to replay the scenario described by the teacher. (Some students may understand that when it evaporated, it became a gas. The particles in a gas are far apart and move rapidly. The gas particles flowed easily and traveled through the tube to the other container. Other won’t, but they will learn it when they explore other website in the next part of the lesson.)
Students Think-Pair-Share: They should have noticed that adding or removing heat (cooling) causes state change. They should say that steam (a gas) was formed when the liquid water was heated. When they cooled the gas, it turned back into a liquid.
Students explore websites sharing devices seeing macroscopic events or phenomena and their corresponding microscopic view. They may take notes as they deem appropriate.
EXPLAIN