Science Enrichment

Properties of Matter Unit 

Guiding Questions 

  • Why is it important to understand what things are made of?
  • What is matter?
  • How do scientists classify matter?

Important Vocabulary 

matter, materials, property, solid, liquid, gas, shape, color, texture 

Work-At-Your-Own-Pace Learning  

  •  Lesson 1:  Log on to Science A-Z and read the assigned book How Things Are Different (Science A-Z book)  Next, please answer the following question in your science notebook:

    • Why does the author include questions in the introduction?

    • What is matter?

    • The author says that when you study matter there are two words that are important to know. What are the words? Why are they both important?

    • What different properties can be used to describe matter?

    • What are the three different types of matter? What are the characteristics of each?

    • What are common examples of solids, liquids, and gases? 

  • Lesson 2:  Think about the book you read in Lesson 1, How Things Are Different.  You can go back and reread it if you need ideas when answering the following questions in your science notebook:

    • How does the shape of things help it do what it was made to do?

    • How does the color of things help it do what it was made to do?

    • Texture is used to describe how something feels. What words can be used to describe the texture of a material? How does the texture of a material help it do what it was made to do?

    • What are other properties of matter?  Why are they important?

  •  Lesson 3:    Properties- Classifying Objects *If you do not have a printer, you can complete this activity in your science notebook.
    • You will be sorting, or classifying, 12 different objects by their properties (ways they can be described).  You can use the object cards in the link above, or you can find your own 12 objects around your house. In this lesson you are going to mostly be using your eyes to observe the properties of these objects (unless you're using objects from home). Scientists use their senses to help them observe matter.  Please complete one properties card for each object (you can choose which of the two types of cards you want to use). 

Play With Matter

Let's experiment with matter online! Click here to investigate.