Vocabulary

These words were introduced in previous grades. Therefore, 4th graders should have mastery of them (or at least some schema about them): magnetism, matter, physical property, states of matter, temperature, mix mixture, physical property, separate

This is new vocabulary for this grade level: buoyancy, mass, volume, dissolve, solution

Physical Properties

The student know that matter has measurable physical properties and those properties determine how matter is classified, changed, and used:

4.5A The student is expected to measure, compare, and contrast physical properties of matter, including mass, volume, states (solid, liquid, gas), temperature, magnetism, and the ability to sink or float

Other Lesson Ideas

Properties at Work:

Gather various types of balls. Encourage students to bring some to the virtual class that day. Together, fill out a google doc (by sharing your screen) to document observations that compare the mass and volume of different types of balls and their properties.

Questions to you can ask and discuss:

1. How do those properties help the balls’ purpose? (For example, bowling balls have more mass in order to knock down the pins.)

2. Make observations about the materials and textures of the balls. How do those properties help the balls’ purpose?

Properties to Withstand the Wind:

For a live class meeting/demonstration, gather items such as: pipe cleaners, craft sticks, straws, yarn, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, tissues, tape, and a box fan. Ask the students what materials you should use to to create a structure at a certain height (like 15 centimeters or 8 inches) that will stand up to intense wind.

2. Put students into groups (breakout groups online) and have them decide on materials and a design.

3. Create and test their designs for them by placing each structure in front of a box fan one at a time and observe what happens.

4. Have students document the physical properties of the materials that are desirable and which are not desirable to build a structure that stays upright.

5. Encourage students to try this challenge at home and document it (with pictures or a video) with a Flipgrid or upload it on Seesaw.

Properties of Nature:

1. Go on a nature walk and gather various things around your house/yard/school that display different properties of matter.

2. Together, observe and discuss the properties of the various items you found. Be sure to focus on the buoyancy, and absorbency of natural objects. These are new vocabulary words for our fourth graders, so you will want to talk about what they mean.

3. Have students do their own walk/find, and document what they found around their environment and what properties the items have

Mixtures

The student know that matter has measurable physical properties and those properties determine how matter is classified, changed, and used:

4.5B The student is expected to compare and contrast a variety of mixtures, including solutions

Other Lesson Ideas

Separation:

1. Gather various materials and tools for students to see how mixtures might be separated. Ideas for tools are toothpicks, magnet, coffee filter, fork, tweezers, etc. The mixtures (which include solutions could be: water and salt, water and pepper, milk and food coloring, a bucket of different beads, rice and veggies, etc) Find things around your house.

2. Demonstrate the differences between mixtures and mixtures that are considered a solution.

3. Then you will show them different ways they could try to separate these mixtures. If it isn’t easily done, they are considered a solution.

Solubility:

1. Gather three clear containers of water and a solid that will dissolve in the water (salt, sugar, etc).

2. Demonstrate how when the solid is added to the water, it changes it's property.

3. Show was happens if too much of a solid is added to a

STEM at Home

Students could upload labeled diagrams and plans, pictures of projects, and final designs to Seesaw or to Flipgrid.