Matter Explore Lab
First Grade
Biblical Introduction: God created all kinds of matter. Solids which include wood
and stone were created on Day 3. Water and air were created on Day 2 of creation
week. God designed these different forms of matter to benefit our daily lives.
Imagine if we had no water, no oxygen or no solid rock on which to stand. We would
be unable to go about our daily lives. God also created the sun which causes snow
and ice to melt or change from a solid to a liquid. He created weather which causes
things to freeze at a certain temperature, meaning they can change from a liquid
to a solid. Even though things in our environment change states of matter, the
Bible says that God never changes. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday and today, yes and forever.”
Today we are going to experiment with four of God’s creations: solids, liquids,
gases, and slime. Did you know that your very own body contains solids, liquids and
gases? Our cells, bones, skin etc., are all made of solids. Our blood and saliva are
liquids. The air we breathe in and out is made of gas. We have all three types of
matter in our very own bodies! We will also discover an unusual state of matter
called slime!
Today’s lab experiments will be performed together in small groups. We will not
rotate centers.
Vocabulary Words to be presented by Lab Coordinator:
Solid – solids keep their size, shape and can be seen. Examples are rocks, pencils,
trees, and books.
Liquids – change their shape according to the container they are in. Most liquids
are visible. Examples are water, milk, and rain.
Gases – are invisible and they change shape easily. Examples are helium, oxygen,
neon and hydrogen.
Some matter changes from one state to another depending on the temperature.
What would heat do to solids? What would colder temperature do to water?
Mystery Box (Teacher Presentation)
The mystery box will be used in the introduction to help students identify a
solid, liquid and a gas.
The dry ice and candle experiment can be used to illustrate how dry ice is
unusual, because it changes from a solid directly to a gas, bypassing the liquid
stage.
Experiment One: Ice cream in a bag
Items needed:
½ cup of milk per child, 1 tablespoon of sugar per child, ¼ teaspoon of vanilla per
child, chocolate syrup, strawberry topping, 6 tablespoon of rock salt per child, 1
pint size and 1 quart size zipper freezer bags, plastic cups and spoons.
Objectives:
1. Student will observe a liquid changing to a solid.
2. Students will predict what will happen when all items are mixed together.
Procedure
1. Add ingredients to a pint size sipper freezer bag and zip shut.
2. Place that bag in a larger quart size zipper bag, and add ice to outside bag
until bag is half way full.
3. Add about 6 tablespoons rock salt to the outer bag.
4. Zip outer bag shut, and shake, turn, toss and mix the bag.
5. In about 5-10 minutes you will have cold hands and yummy ice cream.
6. The lab coordinator will lead a discussion on what happened while the
children eat their ice cream.
7. Notice that two solids (salt and ice) can make a liquid.
Experiment two: Melting ice
Items needed: large amount of ice cubes, glass mason jars, portable burner,
microwave, measuring devices, candle and match, stopwatches, prediction sheets.
Objectives:
1. Student will see an example of a solid, ice.
2. Students will brainstorm as to how they could cause ice (a solid) to change to
a liquid.
3. Student will predict what will happen when the ice is placed under heat, in
the microwave, under a candle or just left out to room temperature.
4. Student will predict which method of melting is the fastest and slowest.
5. Student will predict the amount of liquid they will obtain after melting their
solid.
Procedure:
1. Lab coordinator will ask the question: “If I gave you each one of these bags
of ice and asked you to make it a liquid, how would you do it?” Children will
brainstorm ideas.
2. Each group will have a bowl of ice.
3. Each group will then be assigned a different method of changing their solid
to a liquid. The four methods will be microwave, electric heat, candle heat,
and room temperature. As a group, they will predict how much liquid they will
receive from their solid ice.
4. Then they will melt their ice and time how long it takes to melts. Also, they
will measure their liquid, and record the findings.
5. After each group is finished, we will discuss the findings as a group and
compare results.
Experiment Three: Balloons with a difference
Items needed: 4 plastic bottles (small coke type), 4 plastic funnels, baking soda
(box), vinegar (large bottle), and balloons (4 for each class).
Objectives:
1. The student will observe how a liquid and a powder make a gas.
2. The student will predict what will happen to the balloon when the gas is
formed.
Procedure:
1. Inflate the balloon a couple of times to stretch it before starting this
experiment.
2. Roll the end of the balloon over the end of the funnel. Add the baking soda
(2 tablespoons) to the funnel. Shake the funnel so the soda fills the balloon.
3. Now pour the 5 tablespoons of vinegar into the bottle. Roll the end of the
balloon over the bottle top, being careful not to spill the baking soda into it.
4. Ask, what will happen when we pour this baking soda into the liquid?
5. Shake the baking soda into the bottle. As soon as it reaches the vinegar the
mixture will begin to fizz, and the gas produced will inflate the balloon.
6. Discuss the gas filling the balloon and how you can not see gases.
7. Notice how we made a gas by combining a solid and a liquid.
Experiment #4 Slime
Slime is sometimes referred to as the fourth state of matter. In this experiment
Mrs. Kahue will show the students how to make slime. Each student will take home
a small bag of slime.
Recipe For Slime
What you need:
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2 cups white glue (Elmer's or just white craft glue. Please make
sure glue used is water soluble)
2 cups Water
Food colorings
1 tsp. Borax
In a bowl, mix the glue, 1 1/2 cups of the water and food coloring. In a
separate bowl, dissolve the borax in 1/2 cup of water. Add to the glue
mixture. You will get a very thick clump of Slime where the two mix.
Now, get your hands in it! With clean hands, knead the Slime to get it to
mix. This will take about 10 minutes or so, and is not very difficult as the
Slime easily separates between your fingers. For a more slimy texture,
add a bit more water and knead it in.
Parents,
We use the Scientific Method in Explore Lab. Ask the
students guided questions that enable them to think and
explore.
The Scientific Method
1. Ask a question
2. Gather information through observation
3. Make an educated guess or hypothesis about the answer to your
question
4. Design an experiment
5. Evaluate the results