In this activity, students use water to explore its properties as a solid, liquid or gas.
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
- identify one or more characteristics of water in its solid state (ice)
- identify one or more characteristics of water in its liquid state (water)
- identify that gas is also a state of matter.
Download the Word file (see link below) for:
- introduction/background notes
- what you need
- what to do
- extension ideas
- student handout.
Related content
Written for teachers, but with young students in mind, these science articles below explore several concepts:
- Water – looks at its importance and its unusual characteristics.
- Solids, liquids and gases – uses water as the context to explain states of matter.
- Melting and freezing – how changes of state involve the addition or removal of heat energy.
Alternative conceptions about water’s states of matter matches common alternative conceptions with accurate science concepts. It includes suggested teaching points to help make conceptual changes occur.
