Grade Four Science Planner
@apollo
INQUIRY STAGES
Term 3 – 2014
Curriculum
Links / ideas
SCIENCE LESSON SUMMARY
Melting Moments _ HOMEWORK TASK
TEACHER
BACKGROUND
INFORMATION
Home Task requirements
Students will need to choose four substances to observe, and record the following information
about each of them on their ‘Changing States” worksheet.

Prior to adding heat or freezing, complete a scientific drawing or take a photograph of
the substance/item/object and label it.

After adding heat or freezing, complete a scientific drawing or take a photograph of the
substance/item/object and label it.

Describe the changes that were observed as the substance/item/object changed state.
The purpose of the task is to find out what the students currently know, and to tune them in to
observing objects and substances and the different ways that their state can change they need
to be aware of.
Engage
The Engage phase is
designed to spark
students’ interest,
stimulate their curiosity,
raise questions for
inquiry and elicit their
existing beliefs about the
topic.
Team leader to check if any
student is allergic to psyllium.
What’s the matter?
W1. L1 Mysterious Matters
Purpose:
- explore different materials
- vote and explain their ideas on whether they think the materials are solids, liquids or gases.
- contribute to the start of a class science chat-board
1.Introduce the containers and explain that you will be asking students to investigate the contents of each
container and vote on whether they think each one is a solid liquid or gas.
2. Show students on the TV’s ‘Voting Matters’ and model how to vote by placing a tally in the appropriate
column. Discuss the second section of the resource sheet and explain that students will write and/or draw the
properties or what helps them decide if something is a solid, a liquid or a gas.
3. Allow time for students to examine each container, vote for whether they think each is a solid liquid or gas,
and then write the properties that help them determine each state.
Safety: Remind students not to small or eat things without permission. However it is safe to smell these things.
Introduce
cooperative
teams
Explain the
roles of each
members
Make a space
to a word wall
WTM Primary
Connections p.
8-10
Do not taste them.
Prepartation
Equipment:
Container 1: stones
Container 2: icing sugar
Container 3: play-doh
Container 4: elastic bands
Container 5: cooking oil
Container 6: honey
Container 7: air
Container 8: psyllium gel
4. Ask students to reveal their vote for each material in each container. Tally students’ votes as a grade.
5. As a grade discuss the results. Discuss challenges they encountered. Explain to students that as they learn
more about solids, liquids and gases they might wish to change their votes and they will be able to do so at the
end of the term.
6. As a grade discuss the properties of the contents of each container that helped students decide if it is a solid,
liquid or gas. Introduce the large sheet of paper titled ‘solid’, ‘liquid’ and ‘gas’ on the science chat board.
7. Ask students to record any questions they have about solids, liquids and gases on the chat board.
Preparation:
Create a mess scene for the
students to examine:
1. Salt in a glass of water with
open salt container beside it
2. Melted chocolate
3. Burnt chocolate (heat the
chocolate beyond melting point
until it takes on a crusty texture,
burnt appearance and stronger
smell)
4. Ice-poles melting in their
clear wrappers
5. A glass full of bubbles from
sodium bicarbonate and tartaric
acid next to it
6. Frozen milk in carton
7. A burning candle
8. A perfume bottle tipped over
(or vinegar if students have
allergies)
- glass of water with a fizzing
tablet, for example antacid
tablets
Preparation:
Collection of liquids eg
lemonade, milk, water, fruit
juice, cooking oil, vinegar,
washing up liquid.
Read a class novel about
crime scenes
Explore the differences
between taking photographs
for information and taking
photographs for artistic
expression. Explore artistic
and informative photos.
Change Detectives
W1. L2 Mess scene Investigation
Purpose:
- observe and record information and some common changes to materials
- share and discuss observations
CD Primary
Connections p.
3-4
1. Organise students
2. Introduce the ‘Mess scene’ and invite students to become “Change detectives’, for example, observing the
scene and using evidence to investigate what they think has happened.
3. In co-operative groups students take pictures of the evidence with a digital camera.
4. Allow students to explore the ‘Mess scene’ and ask questions such as:
* What can you observe about each example?
* What changes have occurred to the original objects and materials?
* Do you think the changes can be reversed? Why? How? Why not?
5. In cooperate teams students share their observations. Discuss what you think has happened at the scene and
create a team summary of ideas in each team members.
6. Each speaker to share some key points from each team’s summary.
Website: Liquids
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/
scienceclips/ages/8_9/science
_8_9.shtml
9. Add words to the word wall.
What the matter?
W2. L1 See how they run! – Looking at liquids
Purpose:
- explore and record in a table the properties of different liquids
- identify properties that are shared by liquids
- discuss how liquids flow and take the shape of the container
WTM Primary
Connections p.
19
Maths: Volume
1. Review previous lesson (mysterious matters) and chat board in particular their ideas about liquids. Ask
students to brainstorm as many liquids as possible. List the responses on the display device.
2. Ask students to think of words that describe the properties of liquids.
* Are there any liquids that don’t have water in them? Name them?
* What are some liquids that are thick, and some that are thin?
3. Introduce the collected liquids and powered laundry detergent. In groups you will be exploring all f the
substances to decide which are liquids. Ask teams to think of three or more things that help them decide which
are not liquids.
4. Discuss the types of things that students might look at or do to help their decision, such as: turning the
container upside down; shaking the container; using the magnifying glass to look carefully at each material;
tipping the container and seeing how long the substance takes to flow to the other end; pouring the substances
into a new cup and observing what happens as they flow into the cup.
5. Allow time for the students to conduct investigation and record results. Ask students to record claims.
6. Ask speaker to share results. “Our claim is that __________ is not a liquid. Our evidence is: _____________.
7. Ask other students to use the sentence starter questions to ask each team about their investigation.
8. As a grade record finding about what they have found out about liquids.
The common properties of liquids that we found are: ___________________.
Some of the things that are different between liquids are: ___________________.
We had difficulty describing __________ because ____________.
Explore
The Explore phase
provides students with
hands-on experiences of
the topic’s and science
phenomena. Students
explore ideas, collect
evidence, discuss their
observations and keep
records.
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/
gamesactivities/gases.html
http://resources.woodlandsjunior.kent.sch.uk/revision/sci
ence/changingmaterials.htm#
2
Maths:
Time
Tables
Graphing and results – Which
is the best way to graph
information
What the matter?
W2. L2 See how they run! – Runny races
Purpose:
- explore and record in a table the properties of different liquids
- identify properties that are shared by liquids
- discuss how liquids flow and take the shape of the container
1. Review previous lesson. Focus the students attention on their ideas about liquids.
2. Introduce the containers of cooking oil, water and honey. Ask students to observe the liquids in the three jars.
* What is the same about the liquids?
* What is different about the liquids?
3. Introduce the term ‘viscosity’ and discuss what it means (a liquids resisitance to flowing).
* Do all students have the same viscosity?
4. How could we measure the viscosity of the liquids. Ideas may include;
- Put a hole in the bottom of a polystyrene cup and time how long it takes the liquid to come out.
- Time how long it takes for the liquids to run down the incline.
- Turn the bottles upside down and time how long it takes for the liquids to run the length of the bottle.
5. Ask students to order the liquids from the least to the most viscous.
6. Ask teams to investigate the viscosity of liquids. Discuss how to keep the investigation fair.
7. How could you record these results? Model using a table to record the results.
8. Teams conduct the investigation and record their results. Using ‘Science question starters’ to ask each team about
their investigation.
9. As a grade draw a conclusion about the results. Update the liquids section of the class slideshow. Review our
questions.
Preparation:
Collection of solids soap, chalk,
play-do , a stone, a block of
wood, a sponge, jelly snake,
elastic band, marbles, flour,
laundry powder, rice.
* Digital mircoscopes
* magnifying glasses
Technology Skills
Creating a table in excel or
numbers.
What’s the matter?
W2. L3 Solid Studies
Purpose:
- explore the properties of different solid materials
- record their observations in a table
- identify properties that are shared by solids
- identify that powders are solids based on their observable properties
1. Review the previous lesson focus students’ attention on their ideas about properties of materials.
2. Ask students to describe some of the properties of the samples.
3. Introduce ‘Solid Science’ Explain that students will be in cooperative teams to explore some of the properties
of the materials that the objects are made from and compare them with the properties of the liquids. Students
will record what happens to each material for each test.
4. Brainstorm other tests that students may perform. Discuss what students could look at to help gather
evidence on whether powders are solids or a liquid (use digital microscopes).
5. Model how to complete an entry for one of the materials.
6. Discuss with students their understanding of the word ‘hard’. Discuss that scientists consider hard to mean
how easily a substance or worn away. For example, the hardest substance in the world is a diamond, and it can
only be scratched by another diamond. Explain that in this investigation students will sue the scientific definition
of hard.
WTM Primary
Connections p.
26-27
7. Allow time for teams to complete investigation and record results.
8. Speaker to share teams findings.
9. Discuss investigation as a grade. Questions could include;
* What do the different solids have in common?
* What is different about them?
* Are powered solids? How do we know? What properties do they have in common with other solids?
10. Update the ‘Solids’ section of the class science chat-board. Review our questions.
We use annotated drawing to
show an idea or object.
An annotated drawing
included a picture and words
or descriptions about the idea
or object.
What’s the matter?
W3. L1 What a gas!
Purpose:
- identify that air is made up of gases and that it takes up space
- work in collaborative learning teams to change one variable in a fair test investigation about air
- compare air and water and discuss how gases spread out to fill their container
Lesson
1. Ask students to give examples of any common gases. Introduce the balloons filled with air. Discuss what is in
the air and how it is a combination of several different gases including nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide.
2. Ask the students if the balloon is a solid or a liquid and why they think that. Discuss how the gas in the balloon
is bounded by the balloon, which is a solid. Ask students if they can think of other examples where gas is
bounded by a solid. Eg, Gas in an exhaust pipe, air in a basketball, air in a bicycle tube.
3. Introduce the transparent cup and ask students if they think there is anything inside it. Tip the cup upside
sown and repeat the question.
4. Explain that students are going to work in collaborative teams to explore the properties of gas.
5. Introduce the enlarge copy of ‘Tissue in a cup’
6. Ask students to complete an annotated drawing to show what happened. Discuss the purpose and features of
an annotated drawing.
7. Complete investigation
8. As a class discuss what conclusions can be drawn from the investigation. For example ‘The tissue stayed dry
because air takes up space between it and the water.
9. Ask questions, such as:
* Where would air go if I opened this balloon.
WTM Primary
Connections p.
32 -33
* Where would the water go?
Predict: Record one of the
predicted ways the ice cube
melt the fastest, for example
wrap in a towel or a blanket.
Reason: Ask for reasons to
support the precictions and
record. Eg. A blanket makes
things warm so I think it will
melt the ice cube fastest.
Change detectives
W3. L2 Purely physical – Mostly melting
Purpose:
- test whether melted or frozen objects can be returned to their original state
- observe and record the factors that make an ice cube melt the fastest
1. Review students first thoughts recorded on the melted chocolate and the frozen milk.
2. Introduce the non-melted chocolate button and the glass of milk to the class and ask students to describe the
chocolate button and milk.
Observe: Explain that teams
will observe an ice cube
melting for each prediction
and record their results for
each prediction. For example:
- Wrapped in a towel – after
30mind the ice cube still
hasn’t melted much.
- in the sun – the ice cube
melted in 10 mins.
- in their mouths – the ice
cube melted in 5 minutes
3. Explain to the students that in cooperative learning teams to test their ideas about how the melted chocolate
and the frozen milk can be returned to their original state and that the students observed.
Explain: Ask teams to
compare their predictions with
their observations and explain
why the results did or did not
match their predictions, for
example ‘My results did not
match may predictions
stopped the ice cube from
melting. This might be
because it stopped the warm
air from getting on the ice
cube.
7. Invite teams to brainstorm ways to quickly melt an ice cube, for example, wrap it in a towel or blanket, put it in
the Sun or put it in their mouth.
4. Explain that the team manager will collect a melted chocolate button and a frozen milk cube for each team.
5. Allow time for the teams to discuss how to return the melted chocolate bud and the frozen milk to their original
state.
NOTE: the investigation might take some time.
6. Explain the students will continue to work in their cooperative team to explore how they can make the ice
cube melt as fast as possible.
8. Invite each teams’ speaker to share their team’s ideas. Tally the number of times each idea is suggested.
Select the three most suggested ideas and explain that each cooperative learning team member will investigate
on of the ideas and discuss the results with their team members.
9. Model how to use the Predict, Reason, Observe, Explain (PROE) strategy. Record the investigation question
‘How can we make the ice cube melt fastest?’ Use TV to display.
NOTE; Do not correct predictions or reasons as the purpose is for the students to record their predictions and
challenge these with the observed results.
10. Ask the teams how are they going to keep the test fair, asking questions such as;
* What will each team measure?
* When will each team start recording?
Complete the ‘Predict” and ‘Reason’ sections of the PROE strategy.
CD Primary
Connections p.
10-12
11. Invite speakers to share their teams’ results with the class. During the discussion, focus students’ attention
on the fact that heat energy makes solid melt. Discuss other substances that melt, for example, metals melt in
very hot fires, such as bushfires and butter melts on hot toast. Discuss how different substances melt at different
temperatures.
12. Ask teams to discuss what has happened to their melted chocolate button and their ice cube. Compare them
with the chocolate button and glass of milk. Describe what has happened to weach item and if it has changed
back to original state that students observed.
13. Ask students to summarise what they have learned about melted chocolate, frozen milk and ice cubes in
their original and melted states. Ask students to use sentence started such as;
- What I have learned about changes is …
- I know this because…
- I want to know more about…
- My final report might include information about…
A table is used to organize
information so that it can be
accessed more easily. It
consists of a title, columns
with headings, and
information organised under
the appropriate headings.
Change detectives
W3. L3 Purely physical - Playing particles
Purpose:
- represent what happens when a solid melts
1. Review students first thought regarding the frozen milk, melted chocolate and melted ice poles.
2. Introduce the frozen ice poles and the melted ice poles. Ask questions such as;
* Are these things the same object Why? Why not?
* Are these made of the same things?
* how do you get one from the other?
* What are the similarities between these items?
* What are the differences between these items?
3. Record your answers in a table. Discus the purpose and features of a table.
4. Introduce the terms ‘substance’ and ‘particle’. Ask students to describe what they think substances and
particles are. Explain that scientists think that substances are made of particles.
5. Explain that scientists think that particles in a solid like a frozen ice pole are all packed together and only
wobble around in a fixed position, whereas a liquid, they have more energy and can more freely and slide over
each other. When the particles gain heat energy they move more energetically.
6. Ask students to use the idea of particles to represent what they think is happening when an ice cube melts.
Several different modes of representation can be used, for example;
- Role play: to be explained further
7. Discuss the limits of the models used to represent solids and liquids, for example, particles might look or act
like marbles or people. Particles are much smaller – too small to see even with a microscope. Explain that using
models also helps scientists explore ideas.
8. Discuss ways of representing chocolate melting, for example label the marbles or themselves ‘chocolate
particles’ instead of ‘water particles’.
9. Summarise what you have learned in their science journals. Use words and images.
Change detectives
W4. L1 Purely Physical - Evocative evaporation
Purpose:
- discuss why they can smell evaporated liquids
- observe and record the factors that make a liquid evaporate the fastest
describe what happens when a liquid evaporates
Lesson;
1. Review Lesson 1, focusing students’ attention on the perfume bottle and review students’ first thoughts
recorded in the class science journal. Review Sessions 1 and 2, focusing students’ attention on the
representations they used to describe melting and particles.
2. Produce a small, sealed bottle of perfume, vinegar or an essence. Explain that you are going to open the
bottle and pour some out onto a surface. Ask students to spread out around the room.
3. Open the bottle and pour a very small puddle (about half the size of you palm) on a sheet of plastic on a flat
surface. Ask students to spread out around the room.
4. Ask students to raise their hand when they smell the perfume. Wait for all students to be able to smell the
perfume. Ask questions such as:




Why couldn’t we smell it when the bottle was sealed?
Which people in the room could smell the perfume first? Why do you think they smelled it first?
Where is the smell coming from?
What do you think is happening?
5. Discuss students’ ideas of how the smell gets to their noses. Ask questions such as:




Could you tell me more about that?
Well, if that is right, what about…?
Do others agree with that idea?
Scientists think that smell is particles getting into our nose. What do you think?
CD Primary
Connections
p.17


Remember you find it difficult to smell if your nose is blocked or the container is sealed shut. How
does that fit with your idea? How does that fit with the ideas that scientists have about smell?
Discuss food smells, odours at home, natural body odours and outdoor smells, for example, gum
leaves.
6. Optional: Look at the puddle. Ask questions such as:
 Is the puddle the same size as it was before?
 Where are the perfume/essence particles that used to be there?
 Where do you think the perfume/essence particles are going?
 What size do you think the puddle will be in an hour?
Ask students to draw a picture of what they think they would see if they looked at the edge of the puddle through
an (imaginary) super-strong microscope. Record in their science journals.
7. Explain that students will be working in their cooperative learning teams to explore how they can make 10mL
of water evaporate as fast as possible.
8. Review the PROE strategy from Lesson 2, Session 1. Record the investigation question ‘How can we
evaporate the water the fastest?’ and review each step of the PROE strategy.
9. Form teams and allocate roles.
10. Ask teams to complete the ‘Predict’ and ‘Reason’ sections of the PROE strategy in their science journal.
Discuss ways they could measure and record the water evaporating.
11. Ask managers to collect team equipment. Ask teams to observe the water evaporating over time and record
their results. Allow time for students to complete the ‘Observe’ and ‘Explain’ sections of the PROE strategy.
12. Ask speakers to share their team’s results with the class and record findings in the class science journal.
Discuss the similarities of things melting and things evaporating. Focus the students’ attention on the fact that
heat makes liquids evaporate. Ask students why they think evaporation occurs, referring them to the role-play in
Session 2.
13. Blow bubbles with a straw into a glass of water. Ask students what they think is inside the bubbles (air). Ask
students what they think a gas is. Explain that scientists think a gas is made of particles (such as water, oxygen,
carbon dioxide) that have lots of energy and are bouncing off each other all the time.
Optional: Students create a role-play representation like that used in Session 2, Lesson step 6, to represent a
puddle of water drying up in the Sun.
14. Ask students to summarise what they have learned in their science journal. Update the word wall with
words and images.
Change Detectives
W4. L2 Slippery Solutions – Delightful Dissolving
Purpose
- observe salt dissolving in water
- devise and conduct tests to retrieve the salt in its original form
Lesson
1. Review Lesson 1, focusing students’ attention on the salt container in the bucket of water. Review students’
first thoughts recorded in the class science journal.
2. Explain that students will be working in cooperative learning teams to investigate how much salt can be
dissolved in 100mL and 200mL of water.
3. Discuss how students will measure how much salt will dissolve, for example, by measuring with half
teaspoons. Ask students how they will know if the salt is no longer dissolving and discuss the importance of
proceeding slowly in stirring and waiting for the salt to dissolve.
4. Introduce the enlarged copy of ‘Salt dissolving table’ (Resource sheet 1). Review the purpose and features
of a table (see Lesson 2, Session 2). Discuss how to complete the table to record observations.
5. Ask students to give reasoned predictions about how much alst can be dissolved in each glass of water and
record their predictions and reasons in their science journals.
6. Form teams and allocate roles. Ask managers to collect team equipment.
7. Allow time for students to dissolve the salt, and complete the resource sheet. Ask teams to reflect on
questions such as:
 Is the salt still there when you dissolve it? How do you know? (You can taste it, if you evaporate the
water again you can see it.)
 Where do the salt crystals go? (The salt particles go in between the water particles.)
 How do you know when the salt is no longer dissolving? (It remains on the bottom of the container.)
Remind students that they should only taste things that you indicate are safe.
8. Ask speakers to share their team’s results and thoughts about the questions asked. Record each team’s
results in the table in the class science journal (see ‘Preparation’). Model how to calculate the average values
for each volume of water. Ask questions such as:
 What advantage is there in analyzing the results from all groups? (Comparing groups allows us to
know if the result is consistent.)
 Why are the different groups’ results not all the same? (Some sources of error might be sampling error,
for example, small difference in the amount of salt per half teaspoon or slightly different water quality,
or observation error, for example, one group didn’t notice that the salt had stopped dissolving.)
CD Primary
Connections
p.22

How does the average help us? (It should provide us with a value which is closer to the real value.)
9. Ask students to explain what they think is happening. Ask questions such as:
 Why does the salt stop dissolving? (The water cannot hold any more salt particles.)
 Why is it cloudy when you mix the final solution instead of clear like before? (Because there are solid
particles of salt being swirled around.)
 Which holds more salt, 200mL of water or 100mL of water? Why?
10. Ask students to suggest ways to get the salt (and/or water) back.
11. Optional: Ask students to conduct fair tests of their suggestions.
12. Ask students to represent what they think is happening when the salt dissolves in the water, by representing
particles as in Lesson 2, Session 2, lesson step 6. For example, half the class moves slowly around in a
designated space (representing particles of water in a container). The other students represent particles of salt
that disperse among the water particles when added.
13. Ask students to summarise what they have learned in their science journal. Update the word wall with words
and images.
Change Detectives
W5. L1 Slippery Solutions - Gas Bags
Purpose
- Observe and record what happens when a sodium bicarbonate solution mixes with tartaric acid solution.
Lesson
1. Review what students have learned about dissolving in the previous session. Review what they learned
about gases in Lesson 2, Session 3.
2. Review Lesson1, focusing students’ attention on the glass full of bubbles in the ‘Mess scene’. Review
students’ first thoughts recorded in the class science journal.
3. Ask students when they have seen bubbles in liquids, for example, soft drinks.
4. Explain that students will be working in cooperative learning teams to investigate the glass full of bubbles, by
investigating what happens when combinations of water, sodium bicarbonate and tartaric acid are mixed.
5. Ask students to predict what they think would happen if they combine water, sodium bicarbonate and tartaric
acid. Discuss how students can test their predictions and how they can keep the test fair while investigating.
6. Introduce an enlarged copy of the ‘Fizzing Investigation’ (Resource sheet 2) and discuss the purpose and
features of procedural texts.
CD Primary
Connections
p.26
Literary focus:
A procedural text is used to describe how something is done. It includes a list of materials needed to complete
the task, and a sequence of instructional steps. It might also include annotated sketches.
Read through the enlarged copy of ‘Fizzing Investigation’ (Resource sheet 2).
7. Encourage students to reflect on the procedure by asking questions such as:



Why do you label the bottles? (To keep track of each since the solutions are all clear and colourless.)
Why do you label the balloons? (To keep track of each since the powders are both white.)
Why do you put powder in the balloons? (To make sure that the powders are added at the same time,
after the balloon is upended.)
 Why do you wipe the funnel each time? (So you don’t accidentally add some powder to the wrong
bottle.)
 Why do you discard the paper towel? (To make sure you don’t accidentally wipe powder onto the
funnel.)
Optional: Ask students to devise their own procedure rather than ‘Fizzing Investigation’ (Resource sheet 2).
8. Discuss the different combinations listed and ask why such a variety is needed. Introduce the idea of a fair
test and the need for a control. Ask students what things they might need to keep the same to ensure that it is a
fair test, for example, the same size bottle and amount of ingredients in each bottle.
9. Ask students to write their predictions for each bottle in their science journals. Discuss predictions as a class.
10. Explain that students are going to use observation (focusing carefully on one aspect of an event to be able
to notice precisely what is happening) and record the results.
11. Draw students’ attention to the sodium bicarbonate, the tartaric acid powder and the water on the equipment
table.
Remind students to be careful when handling unknown chemicals. Ask students for suggestions of safety
measures to take in these circumstances.
Remind students not to ingest or inhale the sodium bicarbonate and tartaric acid powders or get them in their
eyes.
12. Form teams and allocate roles. Ask managers to collet team equipment and allow time for students to
complete their investigations.
13. Ask teams to record their observations and discuss their findings. Remind students to use note-taking to
record the information.
14. Ask speakers to share their team’s findings and conclusions. Encourage students to think about the
bubbles created in Bottle 4, by asking questions such as:


What are the bubbles? (A gas.)
Do the bubbles come from the sodium bicarbonate? Why do you think that? (No because then they
would appear when the sodium bicarbonate dissolved.)
 Do the bubbles come from the tartaric acid? Why do you think that? (No because then they would
appear when the tartaric acid dissolved.)
 When do the bubbles appear? (When both solutions are mixed together.)
 Why do you think that they only appear then? (Because all three substances are needed for the
reaction.)
 Optional: Predict what will happen if you mix Bottle 2 and Bottle 3.
Record answers in the class science journal.
Ask students what they think has inflated the balloon. Explain that the bubbles are a gas called carbon dioxide
and discuss what students might already know about carbon dioxide (for example, fizzy drinks have carbon
dioxide bubbles, and animals breathe out carbon dioxide). Explain that the gas is mixing with the air at the top
of the bottle and is taking up space which is why the balloon is inflating.
15. Ask students to summarise what they have learned in their science journal. Update the word wall with
words and images.
Change Detectives
W5. L2 Candle Capers
Purpose
- observe candles and their separate parts
- investigate how candles need air (oxygen) to keep burning
Lesson
1. Review Lesson 1, focusing students’ attention on the burnt chocolate. Review students’ first thoughts
recorded in the class science journal. Ask questions such as:


Is the chocolate melted? What makes you say that?
How do you know the chocolate has been burnt? (It now has black charcoal.)
2. Introduce the intact candle, the melted candle and the candle stub (see ‘Preparation’). Explain that all three
candles were originally identical. Ask questions such as:
 What has happened to this candle? Why do you think that?
 Why is there only a stub left? Where has the wax gone?
 What do I need to light the intact candle?
Record answers in the class science journal.
3. Introduce the intact candle to the class and ask questions such as:
CD Primary
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 What do you need for a candle to burn?
 Where does the wax go when the candle is burning?
 What happens when a candle is burning?
Write the questions on the board or in the class science journal.
Remind students that fire is a potential hazard. Ask students to suggest safety measures to be put in place to
avoid danger.
4. Light the candle and ask students to carefully observe the candle burning and discuss possible answers to
the questions in Lesson step 3.
5. Introduce the separate wick, the wax, a candle and a jar and ask students to record, in their science journal,
their predictions and supporting reasons about:



What will happen if I light this wick?
What will happen if I light this wax?
What will happen if I put a jar over a lighted candle?
6. Ask students to observe closely as you:



Light the wick without wax.
Light the wax without a wick.
Place a lighted candle under an inverted glass jar.
7. Pose the question: ‘What things will affect the time the candle stays alight?’ Record students’ suggestions in
the class science journal. Introduce the term ‘variables’ as things that can be changed, measured or kept the
same in an investigation.
8. Explain that students will be working in cooperative learning teams to conduct an investigation into the effect
of the amount of air on the time the candle stays alight. Discuss and record in the class science journal what
teams will:



Change: the size of the jar
Measure/Observe: how long the candle stays alight
Keep the same: the size of the candle, the wax of the candle, the air around.
Discuss how to make it a fair test, by only changing one variable and keeping all others the same.
Optional: Ask teams to plan their own investigation if they are familiar with the process.
9. Discuss how to measure how much air is contained in each jar, for example, by measuring the amount of
water each jar holds.
10. Draw attention to the equipment available for each team. Ask teams to wipe the inside of the jars clean
before beginning the investigation. This is important to remove any water residue that might be inside the jar.
11. Form teams and allocate roles. Ask managers to collect team equipment.
12. Optional: Ask students to conduct replication trials and calculate the average time it takes for the candle to
go out. Discuss why conducting replication trials helps provide more reliable results (see Lesson 6, ‘Teacher
background information’). The jars need to be flushed after each trial to remove the carbon dioxide.
13. Allow time for students to complete the investigation. Ask teams to observe their jars carefully and draw
and describe what they see in their science journal.
14. Ask team speakers to share their findings with the class. Discuss the purpose and features of a line graph.
Create a class line graph using the data from the teams and record in the class science journal.
Literary Focus
A graph organizes, represents and summarises information so that patterns and relationships can be identified.
Graphs have a title (which includes the names of the variables plotted) and each variable is labeled on the graph
axes, including the units of measurement. Graph types include picture, column and line graphs.
Ask students to use the graph to predict how long a candle will burn under a 400mL jar. Note: In order to use
the graph to make this prediction the intervals on the x axis need to be equal (see the sample graph). It is best
to have at least three experimental data points to make an accurate prediction (see Appendix 5).
15. Discuss why the candle goes out under the jar, and why the candle takes longer when the jar is bigger. Ask
questions such as:




Why do you think that?
Tell me more about the word ‘air’.
Well, if that is right, what about…?
Scientists say that oxygen in the air is used by fires to help them burn. How does that fit with your
idea?
16. Discuss where the wax might have gone (changed into carbon dioxide and water). Ask students to describe
what they discovered inside the jar after burning candles there (water droplets). Ask questions such as:




I hadn’t thought about it like that before. Where did you get that idea?
What do you mean by that?
I wonder what would happen if…?
Here’s another ideas about that: scientists think that the wax turns into a gas and combines with the
oxygen when there is heat, and that this becomes water and carbon dioxide (this reaction produces
more heat). What do you think?
17. Ask students to summarise what they have learned in their science journal. Update the word wall with
words and images.
Explain
In the Explain phase
students discuss and
identify patterns and
relationships within
observations and
develop scientific
explanations.
Change Detectives
W6. L1 Classifying Changes
Purpose
- discuss descriptions of physical and chemical changes
- classify changes as physical or chemical changes
Lesson
1. Review the unit using the class science journal. Discuss the different changes that students have
investigated.
2. Discuss why categorization is important in science. Ask questions such as:


Why classify things? (To help us make sense of the world, and recognize the similarities and
differences between things.)
What if we didn’t classify things? (We would have difficulty communicating, since simple words like
‘tree’ are a classification.)
3. Explain that as ‘Change detectives’ students will group the changes they have investigated. Explain that
students will be working in cooperative learning teams to group the different changes using a card sort.
4. Introduce the set of cards produced from the enlarged copy of ‘Changes card sort’ (Resource sheet 3, see
‘Preparation’). Discuss how to represent classification, for example, by placing the cards in a Venn diagram.
Discuss the purpose and features of a Venn diagram.
Literary Focus
A Venn diagram is a visual representation of information in intersecting circles. Items with properties unique to
a set are recorded in separate circles, while items with shared properties are recorded in the space where the
circles intersect.
5. Form teams and allocate roles. Ask students to decide on categories, for example, students might decide to
put all changes producing gas into one group, and all the non-gas producing changes in another group. As
teams are deciding on their categories ask questions such as:


Could you tell me more about that?
I hadn’t thought about it like that before. Where did you get that idea?
CD Primary
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 Well, if that is right, what about…?
Note: It is important to allow students to select their own category titles and to give reasons for their choices.
6. Ask speakers to share their team’s categorisations with the class.
7. Discuss how classifying all things into categories can be difficult. For example, if a librarian had a section
called ‘History’ and another called ‘Science’, where would they put a book called ‘History of Science’?
8. Optional: Ask a guest speaker to talk to the class about the importance and difficulties of classifying in their
jobs (see ‘Preparation’).
9. Explain that some scientists group changes into physical and chemical changes. Explain the common
generalization used to differentiate these two changes (see ‘Teacher background information’). Add the words
to the word wall.
10. Explain that students are going to work in their teams to classify the changes on the cards using these new
categories. Ask students to provide reasons and evidence for their choices.
11. Reform teams and ask students to complete the card sort using the new categories.
12. As a class, discuss each team’s classifications. Discuss whether the descriptions of physical and chemical
change are adequate to reflect the real world.
13. Optional: Students search their houses for other changes, and report on whether they are physical or
chemical.
14. Ask students to summarise what they have learned in their science journal. Update the word wall with
words and images.
Factual Text
We use a factual text to
inform, teach or persude
someone reading it. We can
read a factual text to collect
information. A factual text
include a title , text and
pictures.
Whats the matter?
W6. L2 Sort it out
Purpose:
- discuss claims about solids liquids and gases
- work in teams
Lesson
1. Review previous lessons. Focus on what the students recorded about solids, liquids and gases.
2. Ask students to write each description of each of the terms – solid, liquid and gas. Write the descriptions on
one piece of paper. Encourage students to think about what they have learnt about solids, liquids and gases so
far during this unit. Speaker to share cooperative groups’ description of a solid, liquid and gas.
3. Introduce the description “Solids hold their shape and do not flow”. Discuss how this compares with each
teams’ definition. Discuss whether the collected evidence supports this claim.
4. Introduce the description “Liquids are runny and flow to take the shape of the container” and discuss whether
the collected evidence supports this concept. Discuss how it is not the speed at which something flows but the
fact that it does flow that defines a liquid.
5. Introduce the description “Gases take up space and fills up the container that they are in” and discuss
whether the evidence collected supports this concept.
6. Students to read the factual text provided. Explain features of a factual text.
7. Ask the students in cooperative teams to brainstorm the key points and record them in their science journal.
8. As a grade discuss teams findings.
* What have we learnt about materials?
* Does this change your ideas about solids, liquids and gases? Why?
9. Discuss the containers from previous lesson where students voted on whether they thought each was a solid,
liquid or gas. Explain that in teams to classify the eight containers from lesson 1 as solids, liquids or gases to
provide reasons for their classification.
10. Ask students questions such as;
* Why do you think that powder is a solid and not a liquid?
* What test did you do to decide that honey was a liquid?
11. Speakers to share their team’s classifications with the class. Ask to state whether they have changed their
original vote and if so why. Use scientific language to provide reasons.
12. As a class, discuss what properties of the collected materials made it more difficult to identify whether the
materials were solids, liquids or gases.
Elaborate
In the Elaborate phase
students plan and
conduct an open
investigation to apply
and extend their new
conceptual
Change Detectives
W7. L1 Fizz Wizz
Purpose
- formulate a question for investigation
- plan and set up an investigation to determine factors that affect the rate of reactions
- observe, record and share results
Lesson
1. Review Lesson 1, focusing students’ attention on the glass of water with a tablet fizzing in it. Ask if any
students have ever taken a medicine or vitamin supplement which fizzed in water.
CD Primary
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understanding in a new
context.
2. Discuss what kind of change a tablet fizzing in water is. Discuss why the tablets are designed to fizz.
3. Explain that as ‘Change detectives’ students have been asked to provide some additional evidence for the ‘Mess
scene’ investigation. Crime detectives need to know whether the state of the tablet (fully dissolved, half dissolved or
not dissolved) can be used as a reliable indicator of when the crime was committed.
4. Explain that students will be working in cooperative learning teams to investigate the rate of reaction of a tablet
fizzing in water.
5. Ask students to brainstorm what things (variables) might affect the rate of this reaction, such as:
 Size of the tablet
 Surface area of the tablet
 Type of tablet
 Temperature of the liquid the tablet is in
 Amount of liquid
Record the students’ answers in the variables grid (see ‘Preparation’).
6. Model how to use the variables grid to plan a fair test by only changing one variable and keeping all others the
same. For example, if they investigate the effect of water temperature on the rate of the reaction, students might:



Change: the temperature of the liquid
Measure/Observe: how long the tablet fizzes
Keep the same: the size of the tablet, the amount of liquid, the type of liquid, the type of tablet, the type of
container, the size of the container and the surface area of the tablet.
Display this information in the classroom for easy student reference.
7. Discuss why replication is necessary to produce reliable results and list possible reasons for variation (for example,
the tablets are not identical). Ask questions such as:



Do you think it will happen the same way every time?
How will that affect the result?
How will that affect what we think?
8. Introduce students to the process of writing questions for investigation (see ‘Preparation’). Model the development
of a question, for example ‘What happens to the rate of the reaction when we change the temperature of the liquid?’.
Ask questions such as:


What do we want to know?
How can we find this out?
9. Introduce the enlarged copy of ‘Tablet investigation planner’ (Resource sheet 4). Discuss the ‘Results’ section of
the planner and explain that each team will conduct a test using liquids of each temperature. Each team will then join
with two other teams to discuss their results and calculate and plot their averages on the graph in the ‘Presenting
results’ section of the ‘Tablet investigation planner’ (Resource sheet 4). Review the purpose and features of a graph
(see Lesson 4) and how to construct a line graph (see Appendix 5).
10. Form teams and allocate roles. Ask team managers to collect a role badge and a copy of ‘Tablet investigation
planner’ (Resource sheet 4) for each team member.
11. Ask teams to plan their investigation on the ‘Tablet investigation planner’ (Resource sheet 4).
12. Ask team managers to collect team equipment and allow time for students to conduct the investigation, record
their results, discuss them with two other teams and present them in the ‘Presenting results’ section of the ‘Tablet
investigation planner’ (Resource sheet 4).
Remind students of the safety precautions for handling hot water and unknown chemicals.
13. Analyse and compare graphs as a class and look for patterns and relationships, asking questions such as:





What is the story of your graph?
Do the data in your graph reveal any patterns?
When did the tablet fizz for the shortest time?
At which temperature did the chemical reaction go fastest?
Can you use the graph to make predictions?
14. Ask students to reflect on the investigation and respond to the questions in the ‘Explaining results’ and ‘Evaluating
the investigation’ sections of the ‘Tablet investigation planner’ (Resource sheet 4).
15. Review the ‘Mess scene’ and ask students to use their understanding of the tablet fizzing to discuss what they
know about the scene. Ask questions such as:



What did you observe about the tablet in the ‘Mess scene’?
What do you think the tablet can tell us about when the perpetrator left the scene?
Why do you think that? What reasons and evidence can you give to support your ideas?
16. Ask students to summarise what they have learned in their science journal. Update the word wall with words and
images.
Maths: Measure the
circumference of objects and
order them according to size
What’s the Matter?
W7. L2 Hot Stuff
Purpose
- identify that air is a gas and that it takes up space
- work in collaborative learning teams to change one variable in a fair test investigation about air
- discuss how the volume of a gas depends on the temperature
Lesson
1. * What have we learnt about solids/ liquids/ gases?
* Do you think those properties always stay the same?
WTM Primary
Connections p.
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* How do you think you could change the properties of a material?
2. Introduce the bottles with a balloon on top.
* What is inside the bottle?
Ask students to predict what will happen when you submerge a bottle in hot water, provide reasons for their
prediction.
3. Submerge one bottle and ask students to compare it with the non-submerged bottle. Ask students to compare
the predictions with their observations. Ask them to explain why they think the balloon inflated.
4. Discuss why you had a non-submerged bottle (to be able to see what would have happened if you had not
submerged the bottle, to check that the balloon, the temperature of the water, the shape of the balloon, the size
of the container, the amount of water it is pushed into.
5. Ask students what things might affect whether the balloon inflates. Brainstorm variables that students could
change, such as the size of the balloon, the shape of the balloon, the size of the container, the amount of water
it is pushed into.
6. Students work in collaborative teams to conduct a fair test. Introduce the balloon investigation planner. Ask
students what variable they are going to change, and write the question for investigation. Identify the variables
they will need to keep the same to make it a fair test. Remind students to provide reasons for their predictions
and to ensure they have a ‘control’.
7. Complete investigation.
8. Students to record their observations by taking photos, drawing labeled diagrams or measuring the hgeight
and circumference of the balloon.
9. * Did your results match your predictions? Why do you think that happened?
* What variable changed what happened to the balloon? Why do you think that is?
* Does our evidence support the claim that ‘the balloon inflated because air takes up more space when it is
heated?’
10. Explain that the amount of space which a gas takes up depend on its temperature: it is a property that
changes with the temperature. Explain that is why balloons can shrink if put into a freezer or bottles with fizz can
explode in hot weather.
11. * What have we learned about the properties of gaseous materials?
* What challenges did you experience doing this investigation?
* How might you overcome them next time?
* Can you think of ways to change or improve the investigation next time?
* Do you have any ideas for other investigations about the how the properties of gases, liquids or solids change
with temperature?
Evaluate
In the Evaluate phase
students reflect on their
learning journey and a
create literacy product to
re-represent their
conceptual
understanding.
What’s the Matter?
W8. L1 Mind your matters
Purpose:
- Create cards to use in a card game about solids, liquids and gases
- reflect on their learning during the unit
Lesson
1. * What are the properties of solids/ liquids /gases?
* What are similar about powders and liquids?
* What happens to a gas when it is heated?
2. Explain to the students that they will be creating cards to show what they have learned about solids, liquids
and gases to join with other students’ cards to play a game.
3. Explain that one card will have an illustration of a solid, liquid or gas, and its matching card a description of
whether it is a solid, liquid or gas and three properties of the object, material or substance. Model how to
complete two cards.
4. Explain that students will complete illustrations and text on two solids, two liquids and two gases. Discuss that
students might choose materials that they have investigated during the unit or other materials that they think of.
5. Ask students to reflect on their learning throughout the unit. Ask questions such as:
* What did you think about … at the start of the unit?
* What did we want to find out about…?
* What have you leaned about…? Whay do you think that now?
* How did you find out about…?
* What activity did you enjoy most of all? Why?
* What activity did you find the most challenging? Why?
* What are you still wondering about?
6. Allow time for students to join with other class members to use their cards to play card game such as
‘Concentration’ and ‘Snap’.