States of Matter Lesson
3rd Grade Energy FUNdamentals
Purpose:
To introduce students to the states of matter (solids, liquids and gases) through hands-on activities,
investigations and demonstrations.
Kit Materials and Handouts:
 Plastic bottles with UV beads
 Alka Seltzer tablets
 Balloons
 Rubber gloves
 Cups – not included
 3 different size bottles (we used 8 oz., 1 L, 2L soda bottles)
 Water cycle handout
 States of Matter handout- jars
 Phases of matter and heat arrows
 States of Matter signs
 Investigating States of Matter handout
Review of Important Ideas
1. “What is Matter?”
 Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass. It is all around you.
 Matter can be found in different states, not like Ohio, but states like solids, liquids and
gases. Air, water, and YOU are matter.
 All matter is made up of atoms, tiny particles. Like there are 26 letters in the alphabet
combining in different ways to form word, there are 117 elements or atoms that combine
to form thousands of molecules (refer to pg. 30 in Elementary Info book). Like water is H20,
which is made up of hydrogen atoms and an oxygen atom. Demonstrate a model of the
water molecule by having 3 students come down in front and link arms. One student
represents the oxygen and 2 represent hydrogen. In fact, YOU are made of the 3 major
states of matter:
o What are examples of solids in you? Bones, some organs
o What about liquids? Blood, water
o What about gases? Air in our lungs, gases in our stomach (air bubbles)
2. Matter can change states with the adding or taking away energy.
 Let’s pretend you are a cube of ice sitting on the counter. What will happen to you if just
hang out there on the counter? Yes, you will melt. Why? You have taken heat energy from
the air and reached your melting point and turn into a liquid.
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Next, you take a trip to the stove and are now in a pan to become tea. How is that going to
happen? You are taking in lots and lots of energy from the stove and you are going to reach
a certain temperature, the boiling point and turn into a gas!
How do I turn you back into a cube again??? I have to take away lots of energy by removing
heat energy. First, let’s turn you back into a liquid, that’s the condensation point. To go
back to a cube, I have to remove even more heat energy, so I’m putting you back in the
freezer! You have reached the freezing point and are now a cube of ice again.
Activities and Demos
1. Bottle/Bead Activity - Let’s review the three states of matter with bottles and beads
representing atoms:
 Solids – atoms in a solid, like this table, vibrate in place but do not move past each other.
Solids have definite shape and volume. Demonstrate and then have the student’s model
with their bottle how the atoms would be moving in a solid.
 Liquids - How do we go from a solid to a liquid? We have to add more heat energy. Those
atoms will be moving around a lot more in your bottles. Liquids take the shape of the
container they are in. The atoms in a liquid move faster and slide past each other.
Demonstrate and then have the student’s model how the atoms would be moving in a
liquid.
 Gases – How do we show a liquid becoming a gas? We have to add a lot more heat energy.
Gases have no definite shape and no definite volume. They also take the shape of their
container. They will spread out in all directions and fill as much space as they are given.
Show me a gas with your bottles - your atoms are going CRAZY!
 Plasma – is the fourth state of matter, and it exists in the universe, but scientists do not
know much about this state of matter.
 Record/draw your observations of the bottle in the chart on “Investigating States of Matter”
handout.
 Demonstrate/show how solids, liquids and gases look using objects in the classroom or from
home:
o Solids – using lots of classroom examples pointing out that all solids have a definite
shape and volume. You can use color, shape, and bendable objects as attributes and
have the kids characterize them.
o Liquids – using three different size plastic bottles, you can measure an exact amount
of liquid (colored water works great) and pour that same amount in the 8 oz. bottle,
1 L and a 2 L bottle. They can see that liquids look different in each container,
reinforcing that liquids take the shape of their container with an indefinite shape
and definite volume.
o Gases – using different sizes balloons and rubber gloves, show the students with an
equal amount of puffs in each of the shapes, that gases have no definite shape or
volume and will fill as much space as possible.
 Summarize the three states of matter in a Venn diagram on your handout. Please see
student handout answer key for Venn diagram.
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2. “Acting Out” the States of Matter
 Before beginning, explain that even in solids, like ice, the atoms have energy. The point at
which the atoms have no energy at all, not even vibrational, is called absolute zero.
 Hold up the states of matter cards plus the absolute zero card and have students use the
bottles to demonstrate the motion of the particles. Get them really going by showing the
words quickly so they have to act fast. You can also use your bodies to act out the three
states of matter.
3. Phase Changes and Energy
 Now, using those same states of matter cards, have students use the word arrows
FREEZING, MELTING, EVAPORATION/BOILING AND CONDENSATION showing what happens
in each scenario between the states of matter word cards.
o Solid to liquid – melting, Energy IN
o Liquid to a gas – evaporation or boiling, Energy IN
o Gas to a liquid – condensation, Energy OUT
o Liquid to a solid – freezing, Energy OUT
 Next, overlay with the red arrows with the words, Energy IN or OUT to show how energy is
a part of each phase change. For example:
SOLID
LIQUID
Melting
Energy IN
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Record your answers on the “Investigating States of Matter” handout under question 3.
4. The Water Cycle - how do all these processes happen in nature?
 Through the water cycle! The water cycle describes the continuous movement of water on,
above and below the surface of the earth.
 Distribute the handout on the water cycle. Have students describe on the “Investigating
States of Matter” handout (using the words from question No. 3) how the water cycle works
in nature.
5. Experiment – the “Mystery Tablet”
 Divide the students into groups and give them a cup and an Alka Seltzer tablet. Have them
fill the cup about a ¼ full with water.
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Have them record on their “Investigating States of Matter” handout what they predict will
happen when you drop the mystery tablet into the water.
Then have them record the properties of the solid and the liquid in the chart.
At one time, ask all the groups to drop the tablet into the water. It starts to bubble up
creating a gas. Ask them to put their hand over the cup so they can feel the gas. What is
this process similar to? Like the bubbles of a soda when you open it!
Draw what happened on their “Investigating States of Matter” handout.
Optional: to show what can happen when a gas is contained, you can take one or several
black film canisters and add about 2/3 water (liquid) and ¼ of an alka seltzer tablet (solid).
Close the lid and wait. The canister will pop due to the formation of gas!
Safety note: the lid on the canister really moves, so make sure the kids are far away from
the canister. The reaction happens very quickly.
F. Other quick activities/Demos
 Challenge students to show all the states of matter in one container. They can come up
with a variety of ways, but an easy one is pebbles and water, leaving some air at the top.
You can also show densities of different liquids like oil, corn syrup and colored water in the
jar or glass as well.
 Have students stand back to back as close as they can to simulate a solid. Next, they move
an arm length away and now represent a liquid. Now, move all around the room and you
have a gas.
 Another quick demonstration of how the particles move in matter is to get some packing
peanuts and put them in a 2 liter bottle. For a solid, the peanuts are close together. For a
liquid, take a hair dryer on low and blow air into the bottle. For a gas, turn the hair dryer on
fast to demonstrate the faster movement of the gas molecules.
 Another great way to show all three states of matter at one time is to blow up a rubber
glove and freeze it. Then take a pan on a hot plate and put the frozen glove on the plate.
They’ll get to see everything happening at one time.
 Start with a cup of vinegar in a 2 liter bottle. Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda and quickly
put a balloon over the bottle and watch the balloon enlarge showing the gas formation in
the bottle. The kids can write and draw a picture before and after adding the baking soda.
You had added a solid to a liquid and produced a gas.
 Making jello is a great way to reinforce the three states of matter. It starts with a solid (the
powder). When you add the water the powder dissolves and it becomes a liquid. The
water is so hot when boiling and produces steam (a gas.) Then after putting it in the
refrigerator, the next day the jello has turned back into a solid.
 As a culmination to the unit, you can host a “What’s-a-Matter” party and make root beer
floats. The ice cream is the solid, the root beer the liquid, and the carbonation in the root
beer is the gas.
*Note: Many of these activities have been adapted from proteacher.org
Energy FUNdamentals materials developed by the Ohio Energy Project