After the fizzing experiments we conducted in the first weeks of Term 3, it’s been time to begin a little bit of theory behind the fizz!

Grade 1

In our Bend It Stretch It unit, students have begun looking at different states of matter including solids, liquids and gases, and how some of these can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching. We investigated this with playdough, and then we have also investigated how foods can change when we heat it. We looked at and described uncooked spaghetti and then cooked spaghetti – we touched and felt the substances and then wrote down words to describe the differences. Before completing the investigation, the children were able to come up with the statement “heating food makes it change”

Grade 2

Grade 2 have also been looking at different substances or ‘states of matter’ and what makes these different.

Solids - Solids have a fixed shape. This means that the shape of a solid will only change if a force is applied. This may include pushing, squeezing, or bending. Solids have a fixed volume. This means that the amount of space taken up by a solid always stays the same. The particles in solids are linked by strong bonds. This pulls the particles tightly together.

The particles vibrate in place, but they are too close together to change position. They cannot slide past each other. The particles in solids have low energy. This means that solids cannot flow.

Liquids - Liquids do not have a fixed shape. They will take the shape of the container they are poured into. Liquids have a fixed volume. This means that the amount of space taken up by a liquid always stays the same. The particles in liquids are linked by weaker bonds than solids. There is more space between the particles. The particles are able slide past each other and change position.

The particles in liquids have high energy. This means that liquids can flow easily.

Gases - Gases do not have a fixed shape. They will spread out in the container or space they are in. Gases do not have a fixed volume. This means that the amount of space taken up by a gas can change. The bonds holding the particles in gases together are very weak. There is lots of space between the particles.

The particles can move freely and spread out within a container or space.

The particles in gases have high energy. This means that gases can flow very easily.

Grade 2 students have also investigated how foods can change when we heat it. We looked at and described uncooked spaghetti and then cooked spaghetti – we touched and felt the substances and then wrote down words to describe the differences. Before completing the investigation, the children were able to come up with the statement “heating food makes it change”

Grade 3

Students have established that matter can be classified as solid, liquid or gas. They have had the opportunity to submit any questions they have about these states of matter for exploration as the term goes on. Some of the questions have included:

What state of matter is fire?

Are humans' solids, liquids or gases?

How do people put gas in a bottle for balloons or soda stream?

How is smoke a solid?

I wonder if liquids can float?

Is magma a solid or not?

Is a wet page a solid or a liquid?

I wondered if a piece of paper gets burnt, it turns into ashes – well how can the ashes fly up into space?

How are bubbles created?

Is steam why we have foggy days?

Are there more things (states of matter) than liquids, solids and gases?

Why do bubbles pop so easily?

How big are the little particles?

Why is smoke always grey no matter that the original colour?

Why does steam only come when food is hot?

How tiny can a molecule be?

How fast can gas travel?

Can gases ever be tightly packed?

Why is it that when you blow into a balloon it doesn’t float but when you put helium in a balloon it does float?

As you can see – we have some great questions to investigate and answer!

Grade 4

Grade 4 students have also been explaining and exploring their understanding of solids, liquids and gases by voting on what they think a number of different substances (matter) are. They rotated around the room looking at 8 containers with different substances in them – stones, cooking oil, icing sugar, honey, uncooked pasta, air, elastic bands and a mystery substance! (psyllium husks combined with water to create a gel) In the coming weeks, we will look at how heating or cooling changes matter from one state to another and can this be reversed?

Grade 5

To capture students’ interest and find out what they think they know about changes that occur to materials in their everyday lives, students became change detectives. It became their job to observe a number of ‘mess scenes’ (spilt perfume, melting candles, melting chocolate, fizzy water, spilt salt and salty water, a fizzing tablet, melting icy poles and frozen milk) Students needed to write about what they observes (for example at the salty water scene - A salt shaker, some salt spilt on the table and a glass of salty water - there is some salt at the bottom of the glass) What changes had occurred to the matter (Salt has been added to the water and mixed to dissolve some of the salt make a glass of salty water) and did they think the change could be reversed? (in the case of salty water – no not easily because the salt dissolved into the water, so cannot separate. Over time, the water might evaporate, and there would be a salt residue left in the glass, but not as the result of separation) We will use the information the students collected later in the term after we have learned more about the different states of matter.

Grade 6

Like Grade 4 students, Grade 6 students have also been explaining and exploring their understanding of solids, liquids and gases by voting on what they think a number of different substances (matter) are. They rotated around the room looking at 8 containers with different substances in them – stones, cooking oil, icing sugar, honey, uncooked pasta, air, elastic bands and a mystery substance! (psyllium husks combined with water to create a gel) In the coming weeks, we will look at how heating or cooling changes matter from one state to another and can this be reversed? Grade 6 students also had to write a definition of what they think solids, liquids and gases are.

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