Understanding+Matter+–+Through+Literature,+Poetry,+and+Cartoons

= Title: Understanding Matter - Through Literature, Poetry and Cartoons=

**Authors:** Nicole Laura and Joyce Pixley **Grade Level:** 1

//For additional free online lessons integrating media literacy and critical thinking into the curriculum, go to www.projectlooksharp.org.//

**Summary:** These seven complete lessons will introduce 1st grade students to matter: solid, liquid and gasses. Through hands-on activities, literature and poetry students will understand different types of matter. Students will then identify accurate and inaccurate properties for liquid and gas as represented in animated (//Spiderman//) cartoons.


 * Standards: **

Science: - Observe and describe properties of materials, using appropriate tools. - Identify features of an object that help or hinder the performance of the object - Use appropriate inquiry and process skills to collect data

Reading: - Responding to literature: - Make connections between self, text, words - Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally through other media. - Describe people, places, things and events with relevant details expressing ideas and feelings clearly

Speaking and Listening: - Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally through other media. - Describe people, places, things and events with relevant details expressing ideas and feelings clearly

Writing: - With guidance and support from an adult, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer questions


 * Vocabulary ****:** Matter, solid, liquid, gasses, properties, Five Senses: hearing, seeing, tasting, feeling, smelling,

**Materials:**
 * Video clips:
 * **Spiderman/Hydroman:**
 * []
 * (4:30-7:34 large clip)
 * [[file:Student Responses to Clip 1.docx]]
 * [[file:Student Responses to Clip 3.docx]]
 * [[file:comic assessment.pdf]]
 * [[file:IntroPowerpoint.pptx]]

**Lesson 1: What is Matter?**
• Understand that all things are made of matter. • Describe matter using the five senses. • Understand that matter has properties (color, hardness, odor, sound, taste, etc.) that can be observed, described and/or measured (length, width, volume, size, shape, mass or weight, temperature, texture, flexibility, reflectiveness of light). • Describe matter using descriptive words such as size, shape, width etc.
 * Objectives: **

**Lesson Steps:**
 * 1) Students should be sitting together on a carpet or in a circle when beginning this lesson. The poem "Matter Really Matters" (found in the [[file:matter poetry(1).pdf]]) should be where all can see it, to read it. The teacher should have the pictures of the five senses visible to all. The teacher should also have an orange, a block, and a balloon where they can be easily used.
 * 2) Begin with an introduction: "Today we are going to be talking about matter. Does anyone know what matter is? We have a poem here that might help us understand what matter is."
 * 3) As a class, read the poem together. After reading the poem, the teacher should go back and re-read each paragraph and discuss what the poem is trying to say. The main idea, for the students to understand, is that all things are made of matter.
 * 4) Ask the class, "if you have to describe something to a friend, how would you do that?" Have students share ideas while looking at the pictures of the five senses. Name the five senses. The teacher should record the key words that the children mention: words like color, size, length, shape, etc.
 * 5) "We have three things here that we are going to describe. Who can tell me what this one is? We are going to pass it around the circle and after you have a chance to look at it closely, you are going to think of a word that describes it."
 * 6) Do this will all 3 of the objects (orange, block, balloon).
 * 7) After completely this activity, students should practice independently by locating a favorite food out of a magazine, cut it out, and write three properties of that food. Have students share their findings.
 * 8) For more exercises, have students bring in their favorite stuffed animal to describe, or compare and contrast two images from a magazine using a Venn diagram.

**Materials:**
 * Magazines
 * Scissors
 * Glue
 * [[file:matter poetry(1).pdf]]
 * An Orange
 * Block
 * Balloon
 * Picture cues of the five senses

**Lesson 2: The Phases of Matter - Solids**
**Objectives:**
 * Define phases of matter.
 * Identify the state of a solid.
 * Understand that solids have a defined shape and a fixed amount of matter.

**Lesson Steps:**
 * 1) Children should be sitting together on a carpet or in a circle when starting this lesson. Each child should have their own copy of the poem "Solids" (from the [[file:matter poetry(1).pdf]]) and a copy should be where all can see it to read together. Each child should have their highlighter with them.
 * 2) Intro: "Today we are going to learn about one phase of matter called solids. A state is how we observe matter: solid, liquid, or gas. Can anyone tell me what they think a solid is?" Teacher should record responses.
 * 3) "We are going to read a poem today that will help us learn more about what solids are."
 * 4) After reading the poem, ask the students what they learned from the poem about solids (doesn't change shape, can't move around, stays in one place).
 * 5) Have students highlight this information in their own copy of the poem. Teacher should model this in the large version as well.
 * 6) "Knowing that a solid doesn't change shape, they can't move around on their own and they stay in one place. Let's look at a few things to see if they are solids." The teacher will then examine the block, basket, feather, stuffed animal, chairs, etc. to see if they fit the criteria for being a solid. Demonstrate that an object may have flexibility or roll, but that it still has the same defined shape and the same amount of matter.
 * 7) Given the recording sheet, students will go on a "solids hunt" in the classroom and write down solids they find. Have the children share their findings.

**Materials:**
 * [[file:matter poetry(1).pdf]]
 * Highlighter
 * Examples of solids: Block, basket, feather, stuffed animal, chairs, etc.

**Lesson 3: Solids in //Goldilocks and the Three Bears//**
**Objectives:** • Identify the properties of a solid: solids have a defined shape and a fixed amount of matter. • Predict the strength of different objects. • Observe and describe properties of materials, using appropriate tools. • Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. • Respond to Literature. • Make connections between self, text, words. • Describe people, places, things and events with relevant details expressing ideas and feelings clearly.

**Lesson Steps:**
 * 1) Yesterday we learned about solids. Who can tell me what the properties of a solid are? (//Doesn’t change shape, can’t move around, stays in one place//).
 * 2) Today we are going to read the story of //Goldilocks and the Three Bears// and we are going to pay special attention to how strong different items are.
 * 3) The teacher will read the story aloud and stop to discuss when Goldilocks uses the bear’s items that are solids, but have different qualities.
 * 4) What do you think Goldilocks learned while at the bears' house? How does Goldilocks feel about the furniture? When she buys furniture for her house, what will she remember about this experience? Can you think of any other fairytale that the materials they made things out of made a big difference? (//The Three Little Pigs//)
 * 5) Discuss this fairytale and compare and contrast to Goldilocks.

**Materials:**
 * Story: //Goldilocks and the Three Bears// by Jan Brett

**Lesson 4: the Phases of Matter: Liquids**
**Objectives:** • Review the properties of a solid: (//Doesn’t change shape, can’t move around, stays in one place//). • Observe and describe properties of materials (liquids), using appropriate tools. • Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. • Respond to literature. • Make connections between self, text, words. • Describe people, places, things and events with relevant details expressing ideas and feelings clearly.

**Lesson Steps:**
 * 1) Who remembers the first property of matter we learned about yesterday and the day before? (//solids//). What form is this ice cube in right now? (//Solid//). We are going to put this ice cube right here on this plate and we are going to check it in 15 minutes. Teacher will set the timer for 15 minutes.
 * 2) If I said the word liquid, what do you think of? Teacher will scribe what the children share. If we were to describe the word liquid to a kindergartner, how would we do that? Teacher will scribe answers.
 * 3) Liquids are another form of matter and we have a poem that will share what the properties of a liquid are. Who would like to read our poem about liquids today?
 * 4) After reading the poem (found in the [[file:matter poetry(1).pdf]]) together: What properties of a liquid are mentioned in our poem? (//can move smoothly, flows, quick, not shape of its own//) With the teacher modeling, have children highlight these key facts in their own copy of the poem. The teacher will then conduct the experiments:
 * 5) Experiment: 1 Melting ice
 * 6) When the timer goes off for the ice cube, have students record what it looks like on their recording sheet. Set timer again for 15 minutes.
 * 7) Experiment 2: Liquids Race
 * 8) On a large piece of cardboard the teacher will have drawn two lines down the cardboard to show 3 equal parts. The teacher will put a drop of honey in one column, a drop of ketchup in the second and a drop of cooking oil in the last. What will happen to the liquids when I lift the end of the card board? (//the liquids will run down to the bottom//). Which liquid will get to the bottom first? Why? Teacher will then lift up the one end of the card board and students will observe the liquids. Which liquid reached the bottom first? (//oil//) Why? (i//t’s not as thick, heavy//). Why did the liquids travel down like they did? Students will record their results on their experiment sheet.
 * 9) Check on Experiment 1 and record results.
 * 10) What is happening to our solid ice? (//It’s melting, becoming a liquid//) Why is that happening? (//Because it is warmer in here and causing it to melt//)
 * 11) Set timer for 15 more minutes:
 * 12) Experiment 3: Liquid takes the shape of the container it is in because it has no shape of its own.
 * 13) A small plastic cup is filled half way with water and the teacher has 3 different size containers that are empty. The teacher will discuss with the students what shape the liquid is in the cup. The students will record this on their experiment sheet. Then a student will come up and pour the cup of water into a tall thin vase. Students will discuss what happened to the shape of the water and record their findings. They will do the same thing with two more different shaped containers and record what shape the water moves to.
 * 14) Questions: What happened to the water when we poured it into the different containers? (//it took the shape of the container it was in//) Why? (//because liquids have no shape of their own//)
 * 15) Check on Experiment 1 and record results
 * 16) Leave the melted ice on the plate in the classroom where it will not be disturbed to be used with gases.

**Materials:**
 * [[file:matter poetry(1).pdf]]
 * highlighter
 * Honey
 * ketchup
 * cooking oil
 * water
 * small cups
 * 3 various sized vases or containers
 * cardboard
 * collection bin
 * ice cube
 * plastic plate
 * Recording sheets for experiments
 * Optional activity: Magazines, Scissors, glue stick, copy of the poem for each child

**Lesson 5: Liquids in //Spiderman vs Hydroman//**
**Objectives:** • Identify the properties of a liquid: liquids do not have a shape of their own, liquids take the shape of the object they are in, liquids do have mass and take up space. • Identify if the properties of liquid are being represented correctly or incorrectly in an animated cartoon. • Observe and describe properties of materials, using appropriate tools. • Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. • Respond to literature. • Make connections between self, text, words. • Describe people, places, things and events with relevant details expressing ideas and feelings clearly.

**Lesson Steps:**
 * 1) Yesterday we learned a lot about liquids. Who can share what they learned about the properties of liquids? (T//hey take the shape of what they are in, they have no shape of their own, it flows//).
 * 2) Today, we are going to watch a short clip of Spiderman. As you know, Spiderman usually has a character that visits his city. In this clip, his visitor is Hydro-man. Let’s watch the clip and see what happens.
 * 3) Watch the video clip. (4:30-7:34 large clip)
 * 4) Our visiting character to Spiderman’s city is Hydro-man. Who thinks they know what Hydra-man means: (//he is made out of water//). Yes, hydra means water. Can you think of an object, that a fireman might need to use, that has the word hydra in it? (//fire hydrant//). We are going to watch the video again and this time I want you to look at how they use water.
 * 5) Questions: What did the water do in that clip? With what we've learned about matter & liquids, what are some ways that the water changed? (//it was a puddle, it had no shape, it moved up and made a shape, it went into a solid//) What things could happen? Why? (//Puddle, no shape//) What couldn't happen? Why? (//Solid form, shape, water moving up, arms changing into water--water with force//) What happened to his arms? Is that possible? Why? Could they change back? Why not?
 * 6) “Now that we’ve watched this, what can we say about these characters?” (//Fiction/Non-Fiction//) What are some things that happened in our video that couldn’t really happen? What are some things that could happen? Why would they show something if it wasn’t possible? Why do you think this cartoon was made? (//entertainment, fun//) Do you think it had a purpose? Was the purpose to teach us about science?

**Materials:**
 * Spiderman/Hydroman clip (4:30-7:34)

Lesson 6: the Phases of Matter: Gasses
**Objectives:** • Identify the properties of a gases: gases do not have a shape of their own, gases spread evenly to fill the space they are in. • Identify air as a gas. • Identify if the phases of gases is being represented correctly and incorrectly in an animated cartoon. • Observe and describe properties of materials, using appropriate tools. • Ask and answer questions about key details in a text. • Responding to literature. • Make connections between self, text, words • Describe people, places, things and events with relevant details expressing ideas and feelings clearly.

**Lesson Steps:**
 * 1) We have learned about two phases of matter so far. Who can name them? (Solids and liquids).
 * 2) Today we are going to discover the last phase of matter: gases. Here is a poem about gases. Who would like to read it?
 * 3) A volunteer will read the poem aloud (found in the [[file:matter poetry(1).pdf]]). Based on this poem what are some properties of gases? (Air is a gas, can’t see //it, sometimes can feel it//).
 * 4) Teacher will model highlighting these phrases in the poem while the children highlight their own.
 * 5) We are going to look at our experiment from a couple of days ago and see how our water looks. What do you see? (//nothing//) Why? (should know from previous units that the water evaporated) Yes, when the water evaporated, it turned into a gas. Where is this gas? (//in our room//).
 * 6) We are going to watch a little more of Spiderman today and I want you to watch what is going to happen to Hydro-man.
 * 7) Questions: 6:45-7:00 (water heating up and turning to steam) How did the water change? What happened in the environment that Hydro-man was in? How did the properties of the water change? (//Steam//) What did the steam look like? (//waves//) Does it follow what we know about the properties of gases? Why or why not?
 * 7:12-8:10 (Water evaporating in the sun) What was happening to Hydro-man? What chemical changes are occurring? And why? Could that really happen? Could it happen that fast?

**Materials:**
 * [[file:matter poetry(1).pdf]]
 * highlighters
 * Experiment 1 from lesson 3a
 * Spiderman/Hydra-man video clip
 * Shortened clips of Spiderman/Hydra-man video clip (Clip 3) 6:45-7:00 (water heating up and turning to steam) 7:12-8:10 (water evaporating in the sun)

**Lesson 7: Matter Can Change**
**Objectives:** • Observe and describe how matter can change. • Observe and describe properties of materials, using appropriate tools. • Ask and Answer questions about key details in a text. • Respond to literature. • Make connections between self, text, words. • Describe people, places, things and events with relevant details expressing ideas and feelings clearly.

**Lesson Steps:**
 * 1) Take a clean sheet of paper out: Who can describe this object? (//Thin, flat, rectangle, color, smooth, it’s a solid etc.//)
 * 2) Then crumple the paper up into a ball. Has the object changed? (//Yes, it is in the shape of a ball, it’s rough//). Is it still paper? (//Yes//). What if I tear the paper? (//The paper is small pieces, bumpy from being wadded up//). Is it still paper? (//Yes//). Is it still a solid? (//Yes//).
 * 3) Have a ball of play dough ready to share. I have some play dough with me today too. Who can describe it for me? (//The play dough is smooth, has a smell, it’s a solid//). What if I tear into two sections and roll them each into a ball? (//it’s still play dough, a solid//). That’s right. The play dough is still made out of the same as it was before and it looks a little smaller, but it’s still play dough.
 * 4) Put [[file:London Jewelry Store Images.docx]] on the smart board screen. Show them which building is the jewelry store. What do you see when you look at this jewelry store? (It’s smaller than the building next to it, it has bright blue on the front, you can see the jewelry in the window and it looks like there was a lot, students may identify what the building walls are made of, they may describe it as a solid etc.).
 * 5) There was a bad fire at the jewelry store, nobody got hurt and I’m not sure how it got started, but I want you to look at the building shortly after the fire and describe what you see. Show the second image of the building after it burned. Students will describe that the walls are gone, the pretty blue front of the building is gone, discussion around what happened to the jewelry may occur-what was the jewelry made of? (//Gold and silver//). If the fire was that hot what happened to the gold and silver? (//It melted//) may even need to look back at the first picture to really understand which building was the jewelry store.
 * 6) While looking at the picture of the burnt building; Did the phase of matter, in this case, the building, change? And if so, how? (//The building is now ashes//). Why were these pictures taken? (//to show how much damage there was, to show what fire can do//). Who would benefit from looking at these pictures? (//The owner so they could remember what their store looked like so they could rebuild, kids-so they don’t play with fire because they can see how dangerous it is//).

**Materials:**
 * Play dough
 * Paper
 * [[file:London Jewelry Store Images.docx]]

**Final Assessment**
**Assessment:** Use the worksheet. Students will read the comic strip (or have it read to them) and answer the accompanying questions, applying their knowledge of matter concepts and media literacy into their response.

**Materials:**
 * [[file:comic assessment(2).pdf]]

This lesson was p//roduced during 2011-2012 as part of a collaboration between Project Look Sharp at Ithaca College and four NY State BOCES School Library Systems. The initiative brought together pairs of secondary science teachers and school librarians to develop models for integrating critical thinking and media literacy into secondary science content. The project was supported by federal LSTA funds awarded to the NY State Library by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services.// //To view additional lessons from this series go to: www.projectlooksharp.org.//