Models as a Means to Instructional Success - CTools … as a Means to Instructional Success An Action Research Project December 6th, ... introduced to condensation, sublimation, and

Models as a Means to

Instructional Success An Action Research Project

December 6

th, 2012

University of Michigan-Dearborn

Emily Bianchi, Melissa McKinney, and Jacquelyn Kennedy

What impact does our teaching have on student understanding of physical states of matter when models are used?

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Abstract:

In order to gain an understanding of student misconceptions about characteristics of

solids and liquids and changes of states of matter, precise research was conducted on a second

grade classroom in Wyandotte, MI. To identify and correct these misconceptions we

administered a pre-assessment, taught two inquiry-based lessons with the incorporation of

models, and analyzed post-assessment data. We found students had the most severe

misconceptions when identifying characteristics of solids and liquids and distinguishing between

models and targets. Based on our method of instruction we improved student understanding of

descriptions by an increase of 75% for solids and 70% for liquids. By incorporating models into

our lesson plans we improved students’ ability to distinguish between models and targets by

34%. Our post assessment results yield 100% proficiency on seven of ten questions; the other

three questions yield a minimum proficiency of 81%. It is clear when instruction is student-

centered and models are used misconceptions can be corrected.

Introduction:

Imagine you are sitting on a beach. You scoop a handful of sand and pour it into your

souvenir container. Based on your definition of solids and liquids, would you classify this sand

as a solid or a liquid? Varying definitions of solids and liquids is the reason many students have

misconceptions pertaining to states of matter that carry into adulthood. Through our action

research, we intend to address common misconceptions elementary school students hold.

Through our use of models and an inquiry based teaching method, our goal is to alter students’

mental models about states of matter. Inquiry based teaching focuses on the phases of engage,

explore, explain, extend and evaluate. This student-centered approach promotes collaborative

learning and hands-on investigation encouraging knowledge acquisition. The question will we


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answer through this action research project is: What impact does our teaching have on student

understanding of physical states of matter when models are used?

The pre and post-assessment and two lessons we will be presenting, based upon the

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) (2000), will focus on describing common physical

changes in matter such as size and shape and melting and freezing. Last year, Garfield

Elementary followed the Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs) (Michigan Department of

Education, 2007); this is the first year they follow CCSS. In first grade these students developed

an understanding of several different states of matter such as solids, liquids, and gases and that

each state has its own physical properties. Additionally, they understand water as a solid keeps

its own shape and water as a liquid takes on the shape of its containers. In the elementary grades

following second grade, students will extend their understandings of the changes of the physical

states of matter by learning about evaporation and dissolving. In middle school, students will be

introduced to condensation, sublimation, and thermal expansion and contraction.

The use of models will be used throughout our teaching and in the pre and post

assessments. A model is defined in Model Based Science Teaching (Gilbert, 2011) as any system

that represents another system in a different medium. Models, of course, do not have to be

physical or 3-D but can also be in the form of a picture or mental image. Models can be

employed through all phases of an inquiry based lesson "as a framework for building science

literacy" (Gilbert, 2011, p. 1). Although we include only pictorial and mental models in our

research, there are several other categories of models to assist in conducting inquiry and

explaining science. Other types of models include concrete, mathematical, verbal, simulation,

and symbolic. In the engage phase, models are used as an anticipatory set; something to grab the

students' attention and get them excited about learning science. The explore phase is a time to


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investigate and examine through hands-on activities; students can use, build, or draw models. In

the explain portion, students are asked to analyze data and discuss. Their models from the

explore phase will help with this description or explanation. We find the use of models to be

important in teaching because, through them, we can gain an understanding of student

misconceptions, effectively teach for understanding, and assess knowledge acquisition.

Other forms of models are difficult to incorporate with this subject content because

simply stated a solid is a solid and a liquid is a liquid. In attempting to answer our research

question, we will be providing students with a demonstrative model during our pre-assessment to

show how the shape of a liquid can be altered in its original state, but a solid cannot. Connected

to the “big idea” of models, we are also expecting our research question will allow students to

gain a more secure understanding of which characteristics make a model or to distinguish

between a model and a target.

In order to complete successfully an action research project, we looked into research done

by others. This allows us to assess what misconceptions students already have on the topic of

physical states of matter and how we can correct these misconceptions using models.

Researching articles similar to our research topic, we came across an interview study

done by Nakhleh and Samarapungavan in 1994. While our research question is to find what

impact our teaching has on student understanding of physical states of matter when models are

used, this article is simply an interview of 15 students chosen by teachers before any formal

instruction. The students, grades first to fourth, were interviewed on their understanding of states

of matter (solid, liquid, gas) and phase transition and dissolving. Our research will build upon

this because instead of an interview style of assessment, we will provide students a pre-

assessment (to gain knowledge of student understanding), two lessons, and a post-assessment (to


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check for understanding and knowledge gained). For Nakhleh and Samarapungavan, the

objective was to study knowledge acquisition without giving students formal instruction. We

intend, with our research, to see what students learn, using models, about physical states of

matter.

In this study, each child was interviewed individually; we will be working with 17

students together. These students were given descriptive questions and explanatory questions.

The questions asked dealt with properties of solids, liquids, and gases (ex: toothpick, copper

wire), phase transitions (ex: liquid water to ice), and dissolving (salt in water). This article was

helpful in understanding how some students in this age group think about states of matter.

Students had trouble with solids that had no apparent softness or granularity; it was hard for them

to conceptualize it being composed of molecules. When given a toothpick, copper wire, water

and helium, some of the students described them as being composed of “one big piece” instead

of containing molecules and atoms (Nakhleh & Samarapungavan, 1999, p. 781). Some students

were asked why salt disappears in water but not on paper and some of them responded liquids

shrink salt. Another misconception presented was the idea molecules are “little, little, pieces of

water” (Nakhleh & Samarapungavan, 1999, p. 798). Our goal is to use models to prevent this

difficult transition from elementary to middle school as their scientific knowledge progresses.

In an article by Nakhleh, Samarapungavan, and Saglam (2005), the researchers

investigate how “macroscopic and microscopic understanding of the particulate nature of matter”

changes during the transition from elementary to middle school levels of education (p. 581).

Similar to the previous article, this study focuses on particles of states of matter as well as

physical characteristics. This article is closely similar to our research in the framework of their

assessment. Although Nakhleh, Samarapungavan, and Saglam’s (2005) method of assessment is


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different, some of our assessment questions are closely related, only altered for grade level

purposes. For example, their study asked questions about qualities of water such as what happens

if one puts water in the freezer. Through their investigation, Nakhleh, Samarapungavan, and

Saglam found students have trouble understanding particles as they “transition from

macroparticulate to microparticulate explanations of matter” (p. 585). This research will be

helpful to address misconceptions of our younger students. In addition, we can build on this

study by using models during our research to build a stronger base of previous knowledge for

students so in future grades the transition between levels of knowledge will be better connected.

Our research will compliment this study by taking a closer look at what misconceptions appear

in the younger grades and possibly understanding the root of students’ misconceptions.

The relationship between context and content differ between this study and the study we

will be doing in a few ways. Contextually, the data in this study was collected by performing 30-

45 minute personal interviews; we will be administering individual, written, pre-assessment tests.

We will then teach two lessons and re-evaluate students’ knowledge with an identical post-

assessment. In addition, the students in this study were eighth grade students; we will be working

with second grade students. This study only involved nine participants; we will be observing the

knowledge of 17 students. Similar to the students we are working with; this study involved

predominately white students. Referring to content our study focuses on the physical properties

of states of matter, rather than particulate natures of matter.

Doran (1972) studied students in grades second to sixth and their misconceptions on

various science concepts. During this study, Doran provided a concept subtest, eight

misconception subtests, and a misconception test. One concept tested was states of matter. Our

project will expand on this research because we intend to focus solely on physical states of


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matter. Doran presented tests to understand student misconceptions; these tests were shorter in

length in order to provide desired reliability but there were many of them. We also provide a test

to get an understanding of student misconceptions. We present this as a pre-assessment and hope

to correct any misconceptions through two lessons.

Doran (1972) presents some misconceptions about matter for students in grades second to

sixth. He found students showed on their misconception test “matter is continuous” (Doran,

1972, p. 129). When asked about the make-up of solids, liquids, and gases, students seem to

employ a strategy (practical application or memory or recall of facts, for example) to answer the

question not always yielding a correct, confident response. Students had a higher tendency of

employing such a strategy for solids and liquids than for gases. Doran also shares

misconceptions such as “there is no spacing between particles of matter” and “particles of matter

do not move” (p. 129). Looking at these misconceptions, we understand this topic can be

difficult and if we chose to include information about particles and the make-up of states of

matter, we will provide models to help with student understanding. Our research will contribute

to this study because we focus only on second grade students (compared to second to sixth) and

physical states of matter (compared to various science concepts). Doran has learned his concept

subtest is more reliable than his misconception subtest but both are more reliable than the

misconception test. We will employ only one, short pre-assessment so we gain an understanding

of what students do and do not know and can apply it to lessons taught.

Numerous articles were found containing research on the misconceptions students have

on the states of matter. Kind (2004) supports her claims with research done by Hayes in 1979,

Stavy and Stachel in 1985, Russell, Harlen, and Watt in 1989, and Piaget and Inhelder in 1972.

Hayes’s study (as cited in Kind, 2004) was conducted on students who ranged from 5 to 12 years


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of age who had a “naïve” view of matter. Students believed there are not only solids and liquids,

but also powders, paste, jelly, slime, paper-like, etc; this is a result of varying definitions of

solids and liquids students are introduced to. Stavy and Stachel’s study (as cited in Kind, 2004)

found students view solids as objects that are hard and rigid such as wood and metals. Therefore,

objects that are non-rigid, such as dough, sand, and sponges are not solids. Stacy and Stachel

suggest students justify this thinking by assuming “the easier is it to change the shape or the state

of the solid, the less likely it is to be included in the group of solids” (p. 418). In addition, they

found students view water as the “standard liquid” and compare water to other possible liquids.

Children often use the term “wetness” to describe liquids; if a liquid, such as a powder, does not

have the “wetness” sensation, then it is not a liquid. Based upon the previous misconceptions

reported, it will be important for the students to understand clearly and thoroughly what makes a

solid a solid and what makes a liquid a liquid. Throughout the two lessons we teach, students

will be introduced to various types of solids and liquids and will be given the opportunity to

observe the characteristics of each. The study by Russell and the study by Piaget and Inhelder (as

cited in Kind, 2004) found students believed when matter can no longer be seen, then it no

longer exists. Russell asked students ages 5 to 11 to explain why the water level of a large tank

had decreased after being in the sun. He reported about 45% of the students focused more on the

water left in the tank and did not find it necessary to explain what happened to the ‘missing’

water. This supports his claim students believe matter ceases to exist if it is not visible to the eye.

Based upon the misconceptions Kind (2004) discusses, students will be introduced to different

ways solids and liquids change shape and size by either melting or freezing. It will be important

for us to help students understand although a solid can melt and become a liquid, the solid itself


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still exists and vice versa, when a liquid becomes a solid, students will understand the liquid does

not just disappear and no longer exists.

In a similar article, Tatar (2011) surveyed 227 fourth-year elementary school teachers in

Turkey regarding states of matter. Every teacher was asked to respond to an open ended question

regarding the differences between three states of matter—solids, liquids, and gases. The results

of the survey aligned with the same misconceptions students have regarding solids and liquids in

Kind’s article (2004). Tatar found 90% of the teachers believe “all solids have a definite shape,”

35% believed “solids are hard matters” and 15% believed “the shape of solids does not change”

(p.199). Students have the same misconceptions as reported by Kind (2004). In addition, Tatar

found 25% of the teachers believed “matters that can be poured from one container to the other

are liquids” and 25% believed “when solids are put into a container they cannot be transformed”

(p.199). This article will help us, as educators, to consider any misconceptions we may have

about solids and liquids before we teach lessons to the students. If we have any misconceptions

we must resolve them before teaching or risk passing them on to 17 new students who may carry

the misconception with them into adulthood.

Method:

Our study was performed with second grade participants at Garfield Elementary School,

part of the Wyandotte School District in Wyandotte, MI. This classroom consists of 17 students;

nine males and eight females. After giving our pre-assessment, one female student moved out of

the district. Because our pre and post-assessment data is given as a percent, this did not affect our

results. The students are seated in groups of four with an equal number of boys and girls (except

for one table which has an additional boy.) The teacher’s desk is located in the back of the room.


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In reference to socio-economic status, all but two students receive free or reduced lunch and all

receive free breakfast.

Three students in the class are below reading level. To address this concern we will read

aloud directions and questions during pre and post assessments, as well as any written directions

while lessons are taught. One student is a high achiever; his behavior issues often disrupt

classroom instruction. The special education specialist has implemented a personal behavior

program for him, which we will support. We will use her strategies in order to maximize learning

and keep focus; assigning him helping tasks, calling on him to answer questions, and creating a

hands-on lesson to keep him engaged.

We met with the cooperating teacher and observed a math lesson. The students were

working on their Math Mats and Question, Info, Strategy, Work, Answer (QuISWA). On the

Math Mat, the students were working with clocks, money, and place value. The teacher-directed

QuISWA lesson involved reading a math work problem and using the question, information,

strategy, work, and answer boxes to complete. The cooperating teacher asked us to teach

students about physical states of matter. We plan to discuss the changes that occur in the

different states of matter; change in shape and size due to freezing or melting. Garfield

Elementary typically uses pre-prepared kits to teach science; we will, instead, be using lessons

prepared by us in order to address misconceptions. Based on this teacher-directed math lesson

these science kits do not prepare school staff to teach inquiry based lessons.

Our research process first includes a classroom observation focusing on teaching

methods, student demographics, and classroom management. We will then administer a pre-

assessment to gain a better understanding of students’ prior knowledge and possible

misconceptions of both states of matter and models. We will then be teaching two inquiry based


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lessons; one lesson about states of matter and one lesson about the big idea of models. After

lessons have been taught students will take a post-assessment allowing us to analyze knowledge

acquisition.

Our pre-assessment was created as a group. Students will be given a paper assessment

that requests both written explanations and drawings. Questions one and two ask students to

briefly describe and draw changes of state (melting and freezing). For question three, students

are asked to describe and draw two specific states of matter, solid and liquid; this is completed in

chart form. Question four asks students to classify models and targets based on four photos;

students then justify their classifications in a brief explanation. For the last two questions, we

demonstrate the movement of a solid and a liquid from container A (circular) to container B

(rectangular) using water and an orange. We then ask students to answer whether or not solids

and liquids change shape, based on this demonstration, with a yes or a no.

Although we created our pre-assessment questions as a group, we based some questions

off the misconceptions we researched because we wanted to learn whether the students with

whom we were working had these same misconceptions. The research done by Nakhleh,

Samarapungavan, and Saglam’s (2005) used questions regarding melting and freezing to

understand misconceptions students have about particles of matter and physical characteristics.

We used the same topics of melting and freezing in two questions making them appropriate for

the second grade level. We hope we, too, can understand the misconceptions students have

regarding melting and freezing through their answers of what happens to ice cubes when put into

the freezer and what happens to ice cream when it is left on the counter. Our third question,

dealing with describing solids and liquids and drawing an example of each comes from the

research done by Tatar (2011) and Stavy and Stachel (as cited in Kind, 2004). Their studies show


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students and teachers have varying definitions of solids and liquids. We will use question three to

learn what students know about solids and liquids through their descriptions and examples. In

question four, our goal is to determine if students have an understanding of models. On the first

day of our science class, our professor provided students with a list of items and asked us to

decide whether they were models and explain our answer. After analyzing the data from another

section of the science class, we found many college students had misconceptions about models.

Because of these findings, we decided to use this same approach with the students to gain an

understanding of their definitions of models; we gave them four pictures of familiar objects (two

of which are models and two of which are targets) and asked the students to circle the models

and justify their choice. In our last two questions, students use what they saw in our

demonstration to answer the questions of “Do solids change shape?” and “Do liquids change

shape?” This question was solely used to assess student knowledge on whether or not changes in

states of matter occur.

When analyzing our data we will observe student responses based on whether or not

those responses are correct or incorrect. From the first two questions we expect to identify

whether or not students understand the processes that occur and the physical changes that occur

as properties change between states of matter. Once students complete the table describing solids

and liquids we will be able to determine any misconceptions students have about properties of

solids and liquids and whether or not they can classify certain materials into the correct state of

matter based on their own prior knowledge. By asking students to circle which photo is a model

and which photo is an actual image we will be able to determine whether students can identify

objects and classify them as a target or model. By students’ description as to how they classified

the photos we will be able to determine the type of mental model students have created in terms


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of models and the qualifications necessary to be classified as a model. Based on the simple yes or

no response requested of students after our demonstration, we will only be able to determine if

students believe a solid or liquid is able to change shape.

We made one minor modification to our post-assessment. After analyzing our pre-

assessment data and teaching both of our lessons, we found students could correctly tell us

descriptions of solids and liquids but when probed for a description on our pre-assessment,

students did not yield a correct response. On our pre-assessment, we feel the students did not

understand what “description” meant. Therefore, on our post-assessment, we changed the word

description in the table for question three to the word describe in hopes the students will have a

better understanding of what we are asking them to do.

Results:

The purpose of our analysis was to determine what second grade students at Garfield

Elementary school know about states of matter, specifically solids and liquids. Our pre-

assessment focused on freezing, melting, description and drawings of solids and liquids, and

distinguishing between models and targets. We originally intended to teach our lesson primarily

on melting and freezing, but after analyzing our pre-assessment data we found students had

many misconceptions about what a solid or liquid is, their characteristics, and transitions

between states of matter.

Question one which asked students to describe what happens when water is put in the

freezer was answered correctly by 82 % of students who stated the water freezes or turns to ice.

Incorrect responses included: “pop is spilling,” “turns to water,” and “it will leak.” Based on our

findings only 18% of students would benefit from a lesson which focuses on freezing. For this


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reason, we will include freezing in an explain portion of our lesson, but will not base our lessons

on this concept.

Question two, which asked students to describe what happens when ice cream is left on

the counter, was answered correctly by all but one student. The incorrect response was “they are

drinking pop.” The student who answered with the incorrect response is also the same student

who responded to question number one with “pop is spilling.” Based on our findings, only one

student would benefit from a lesson which focuses on melting. For this reason, similar to our

plan for freezing, we will address this concept along with melting in the explain portion of our

lesson.

Question three asked students to describe properties of solids and liquids and to draw one

example. Most students were unable to describe solids and liquids, but instead gave examples

such as “bus,” “lava”, “soap,” etc. This was our most eye-opening pre-assessment question. We

found students have misconceptions in thinking all solids must be hard and all liquids are

“watery” and can be consumed. We also found students misunderstand the difference between a

description of a liquid or solid and an example. The concept of describing solids and liquids,

identifying when states of matter can change shape and identifying if solids and liquids have

transitioned from one state to another will be the main focal point of our lessons.

Question four focused on distinguishing between models and targets. We asked students

to circle the models and then explain why they made their choice. When analyzing results we

decided in order to count the question correct, we expected students to identify both models

correctly. We made this decision because we feel if students can correctly distinguish between a

model and its target the model provided should not matter. We found 59% of students circled the

correct photos of models; however, only 35% could correctly justify why they made their choice.


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For this reason, we suspect students were either guessing or looking at their peers’ choices.

Students’ reasons for being models included: “they are fake” or “some are the real thing.”

Incorrect answers included: “they are big,” “they are both illustrations,” and “they are both

round.” Misconceptions are all models must be bigger than the target, they cannot be an

illustration, and they must be round. For this reason, we will incorporate the characteristics of

what makes a model and the purpose of models into our lessons.

Based on our demonstration in question five, 82% of students were able to determine

liquids do change shape as they move from one container to another and 94% of students were

able to determine a solid does not change shape. For this demonstration we used an orange as our

solid and water as our liquid. Only 6-18 % of students would benefit from a lesson that focuses

on this concept; we would like to introduce students to the idea some solids such as sand are

“pourable” and can change shape when moved from one container to the next. For this reason,

we feel it would be beneficial to address the concept solids can change shape and remain a solid.

The misconception all solids cannot change shape is one we would have liked to address in our

pre-assessment, but did not consider this until analyzing our pre-assessment data.


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We found in our pre-assessment students are unable to describe solid and liquid

properties. Most students provided examples of solids and liquids in place of descriptions. These

data were mainly extracted from question three. The main misconception from question three we

will be addressing is all solids are hard and all liquids must be “watery.” We would also like to

address from question five the idea some solids, such as sand, do change shape based on their

container. In addition, we would like to address that although solids can change shape, such as

play dough, they still remain a solid. Lastly, we will focus on the concept of scientific models

and distinguishing between a model and its target. Once students are confident with this concept

we will be able to incorporate the use of models more effectively in our lessons.

We propose to teach properties of solids and liquids through a hands-on approach. In our

first lesson, students will explore in groups the classification of liquids and solids. Students will

be engaged by describing the characteristics of a stuffed animal; for example: color, texture, size,

and shape. This will refresh students about what it means to describe something. In the explore

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

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States of Matter Pre-Assessment Data

Percent Correct Percent Incorrect


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phase students will be given 10 items, some solid and some liquid, to describe and classify.

Through this exploration students will learn the common properties of solids and liquids. Based

on the items we choose, students will understand not all solids must be hard, but do have a

definite size and shape. In addition, students will understand not all liquids are “watery.”

Our second lesson will deal with changing the shapes of solids and liquids and models.

Students will be engaged by looking at a real apple and a model of an apple. They will be asked

to identify which one a model is and how they know. This will help students understand what

models are and how they are different from their targets. Students will then explore various

solids and liquids and decide if and how they can change the shape of that state of matter. The

students will listen to a book about solids and liquids. Lastly, the students will be asked to draw a

picture of their favorite food so another friend could identify what type of food it is. Again, this

will allow students to explore models and understand models can also be drawings or

illustrations.

In order to assess knowledge acquisition, a post-assessment was given in the identical

format of our pre-assessment. We wanted to assure a positive impact was made from teaching

our inquiry based lessons which incorporated models. After analyzing our post-assessment data,

we found the lessons we taught corrected student misconceptions about physical states of matter,

specifically solids and liquids. In our pre-assessment data we did not find it necessary to teach a

lesson focusing on melting and freezing. However, after whole-class discussion about changes in

states of matter, 100% of students are now able to describe these processes. We found the

greatest improvement in question three (describing and drawing a solid and liquid) and question

four (identifying and justifying models). Eighty-one percent of students correctly described a

solid. Some of the incorrect answers included: “you can squeeze it” and “they can melt.” Eighty-


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eight percent of students correctly described a liquid. Some of the incorrect descriptions

included: “they can freeze,” “they are fluffy,” and “watery.” The same person who said solids

melt answered liquids freeze. We believe the student was thinking back to our lessons and was

describing a certain solid or liquid they saw melt and freeze. Every student was able to draw an

example of a solid and a liquid. For question four, 94% of students correctly identified both

models. However, 100% of students correctly justified how they identified their choice. Some of

the correct answers included: “they are fake,” “they are models of a real tire and model of

Earth,” and “the globe is too small to be the real Earth and the big tire is too big to be a real tire.”

Based on data, our inquiry based lessons proved to be beneficial for student understanding in

terms of solids and liquids changing shape when transferred from one container to another. One-

hundred percent of students answered question five correctly for both solids and liquids.

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States of Matter Post-Assessment Data

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Conclusion:

After our analyzing our data, we asked ourselves: “Did our teaching have an impact on

student understanding of physical states of matter when models were used?” Based upon our

post-assessment data, through the use of models, student misconceptions about physical states of

matter were corrected. One misconception we addressed was identifying characteristics of solids

and liquids. In our pre-assessment one student described solids as “pop” and in the post-

assessment the same student described solids as “doesn’t change shape.” When identifying

characteristics of liquids in the pre-assessment one student described liquids as “medal” and in

the post-assessment the same student concluded liquids “can pour.” Another misconception we

addressed was distinguishing between a model and its target. In our pre-assessment one student

correctly identified the models but reasoned by stating “they’re both round.” In our post-

assessment the same student correctly identified the models and justified her choice by stating

“they are not the real thing, the tire is not that big, and the globe is not as big as the Earth.” Our

post assessment data shows only three students still have trouble describing a solid in

comparison to 16 in our pre-assessment. Only two of students still have trouble describing a

liquid in comparison to 14 in our pre-assessment. Our post-assessment data shows only one

student could not distinguish between a model and its target compared to seven students in the

pre-assessment. Absolute success was achieved among the following concepts; describing the

processes of freezing and melting, correctly drawing an example of a solid and a liquid,

justifying reasoning for chosen models, and determining whether or not solids and liquids change

shape. In an article by Nakhleh, Samarapungavan, and Saglam (2005), researchers study how

“macroscopic and microscopic understanding of the particulate nature of matter” changes as

students move from elementary to middle school levels of education (p. 581). In our action


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research we chose to explore microparticulate examples of matter, such as sand, in order to

prevent this difficult transition from elementary to middle school as their scientific knowledge

progresses. By correcting the misconception, solids cannot pour, we are confident students will

be able to describe similarities and differences among microscopic and macroscopic natures of

matter.

Reflections:

Emily Bianchi:

When we first began our action research project we decided on the topic of physical states of

matter. We intended for students to be able to describe processes such as melting and freezing

and describe characteristics of solids and liquids. We also incorporated the use of models and

intended for students to be able to distinguish between a model and its target. Evidenced in our

pre-assessment, students used a certain set of words to describe solids and liquids. When writing

our lessons this is something we discussed as a group. During teaching, students began resorting

to these words by saying a jolly rancher, a piece of wood, and a bar of soap was “hard”. In order

to get students to think about these objects in different ways I scaffolded students to use more in-

depth descriptive language. Students then began thinking about if we threw, cut, bit, or smashed

these objects; this allowed them to describe these objects during discussion as “easily broken” or

“can break with our teeth.” The post-assessment results show students could accurately describe

solids and liquids after these lessons with an increase of 75% for solids and 70% for liquids.

When first beginning this action research I thought it would be beneficial to refresh my mind on

solids and liquids. Our own personal definitions of these states of matter help us to classify them

correctly. I also found the benefit of incorporating inquiry based lessons into the classroom; the

students showed knowledge acquisition with the explorations we designed. Along with thinking


20

about states of matter I reviewed articles written about similar research done. I found many of

these articles performed a type of assessment on students but did not follow through with a

lesson to teach misconceptions. From these articles we focused on misconceptions students had

and created a pre-assessment. Using an assessment has taught me the importance of

understanding what students do and do not know. After understanding their knowledge we found

teaching two lessons to be critical in their learning. This allowed us to narrow our lesson to

misconceptions students had rather than re-teaching known material. For future teaching I saw

the benefits of getting to know students and their knowledge before teaching the content. This

saves on wasted classroom time and ensures lessons are more effective.

The school context did not negatively affect our action research lessons. The cooperating

teacher allowed us to bring in materials including a hot plate and make use of the smart board

and elmo. This was actually beneficial to our lessons because we were able to introduce students

to inquiry based learning and present material in a variety of ways. When first discussing our

research we had a different idea about what we may teach students through our lessons.

Performing a pre-assessment with these students we were able to get an understanding of their

knowledge and misconceptions. The content of states of matter was possible to teach effectively

with the resources we had available. We created two explorable lessons in which students were

exposed to many types of solids and liquids.

When planning our lessons we wanted to use as much inquiry as we could staying away from

a lecture based, text based, or worksheet based lesson. This was important for us because we

wanted to effectively teach the material in a way students would remember the information. We

found it important to use our pre-assessment as a way to understand the students and their

knowledge and misconceptions; this was our most beneficial tool in creating our two lessons. In


21

the explore phases of our lessons we exposed students to many solids and liquids as well as

solids and liquids changing shape or state. The importance of this was to get students to have a

better understanding of and definition for different solids and liquids rather than “hard” or

“watery”.

At first we thought it may be difficult to incorporate models into a lesson on solids and

liquids. We used models in our first lesson to get students to start using descriptive language. On

their chart worksheet we included pictures of the items in which they were working and

explained how these pictures were models of the real items. In our second lesson we began

showing students a model apple and a real apple to get students engaged about solids and liquids.

We also asked students in this lesson to draw a picture of their favorite food and asked them to

describe why this model of their favorite food is different than the real thing; this allowed

students to see drawings cannot be eaten or shared like a target.

In order to select an effective teaching model one must have an understanding of students

and their knowledge. In the future I will implement pre-assessments in my classroom to ensure

my lessons are teaching knowledge students do not have and only refresh on material already

known. Before teaching science concepts I will be aware of the school setting and context. For

example, I won’t expect inner city students to have a mental model for the ocean or types of

animals. In cases such as this it would be beneficial to show material in a variety of ways to

assist in knowledge acquisition.

Jacquelyn Kennedy:

The participants of this action research project were second graders in Wyandotte, MI.

We focused on the scientific concept of physical states of matter; more specifically we wanted

students to be able to: accurately describe the characteristics of solids and liquids, describe how


22

solids and liquids act when undergoing the processes of melting and freezing, and determine

whether or not solids change shape. We wanted students to be able to distinguish between

models and targets in order to accurately create a concrete mental model of what solids and

liquids are and how they act. We have significant evidence that students’ learned and succeeded

in all of these objectives from our instruction. In our pre-assessment we found that not only were

students unable to provide accurate descriptions of solids and liquids, but the meaning of

“describe” was misunderstood by students. Rather than provide descriptions, students were

providing examples. The few descriptions we did receive on the pre-assessment included:

“solid,” “hard,” and “can’t put your finger in it.” Although hard is an accurate description, we

wanted students to be able to use a variety of words to describe solids, not only hard. After

instruction our post-assessment provided evidence that students are now able to do this. Some

students answered with phrases, instead of single words: such as, “you can squeeze it” and “they

can melt.” This shows that students could describe physical characteristics as well as describing

transitions between states. The statement “you can squeeze it” shows that one student corrected

their misconception that “you can’t put your finger in it.” In addition, students learned how to

distinguish between models and their targets. Even the two students, who were unable to identify

the models we provided, were able to provide an accurate justification describing how to

recognize a model. Student justifications improved significantly in terms of complexity,

especially being that our participants are second graders. For most justifications in our pre-

assessment we received answers such as “they are fake” and “they are models.” Clearly “they are

models” is not a justification. However, after our instruction students answered with statements

such as “the globe is too small to be the real Earth and the big tire is too big to be a real tire.”

Based on our data it is clear students learned. From our pre-assessment data, not one question


23

was answered with 100% proficiency; however, after our two lessons were taught using models

seven questions out of ten were answered with 100% proficiency.

I learned numerous ways models are helpful for instruction during this action research

project. Until now I was unaware of how useful models can be in teaching. I learned that models

are useful for the instruction of all subjects, not just science. We incorporated the use of mental

models, illustrations, and tangible models. Specifically, we used models to show students what

models are. We used a globe, plastic apples, a stuffed animal fish, illustrations of animals, and

photos to provide students with tangible objects that are models. In addition we discussed with

students the difference between these models and their targets. From this project, I learned that

when using models students are able to recollect prior knowledge more easily and knowledge

gained can be more accurate and memorable.

This experience taught me how useful a tool models can be. In the future I will

incorporate good models into my lessons and instruction whenever possible. I use the word

“good” because I have learned from this project that not all models are accurate, simplified,

related to the topic, or easily interpreted by students. In addition, good models should easily

enrich the lesson; they should not be too far-fetched so that students cannot make connections

between the model and their target. For example, we used a photo of a very large tire and wanted

students to identify it as a model. However, if students have not seen this tire in real-life this

photo may not be a very good model because the photo makes it look smaller than it actually is,

so it looks more like its target. If this photo were discussed or shown in a video it might make

more sense. This action research project has taught me how helpful pre-assessments can be when

creating lesson plans. This research project was cumbersome in its totality, but I have learned

similar research can be done in a more simplified way. Without writing an entire research project


24

pre-assessments can be administered and analyzed to acquire accurate data about what students

know or do not know. By incorporating some form of pre-assessment before a lesson

misconceptions can be identified and addressed. Then rather than re-teaching information that

students may already know, the lesson can be narrowed to correct misconceptions and

knowledge can be gained where necessary. This project has educated me about how important

the act of reflecting can be for teachers. Without the reflection teachers are less likely to modify

lessons in order to improve student comprehension and understanding. We reflected on every

aspect of this project. Was our pre-assessment accurate and detailed enough for students? What

misconceptions do students have about physical states of matter based on our pre-assessment?

Did students learn based on our post-assessment data? How can we improve these lessons in the

future?

Our lessons were affected by classroom context in terms of individual student behavior.

We had a couple students that were hard to keep on tasks and for this reason we tried to design a

lesson in which students could work collaboratively with hands-on activities keeping students

engaged. In addition, being second grade students, they had not been subjected to inquiry-based

science experiences before. So, we tried to design a simple lesson, so students could get their feet

wet with inquiry. The socio-economic status and student gender diversity did not have an impact

on our lessons. We were confident that all students could learn regardless of socio-economic

status or gender and our post-assessment data shows we were correct. The school context

affected our lesson because the school usually instructs science lessons using prepared science

kits. These kits are not typically student-centered so students had never participated in an

inquiry-based lesson before. We focused our lessons on areas of lacked knowledge and concepts

of misconceptions. We found right away students were not familiar with the word “description.”


25

Although this does not relate to science content directly, it was affecting how students

performed. We found students had misconceptions about solids not being pourable and solids

never being able to change shape. For this reason we showed students how solids can be

pourable, with sand as an example. No, solids do not change shape unless something is done to

make them change. We incorporated flexible solids such as play dough into our lesson. This

exemplified how solids can change shape if something is done by someone or the environment.

We found some students had the misconception that all models are round. To correct this

misconception we introduced students to models which are not round.

When planning our lesson we first focused on the data found in our pre-assessment. We

wanted to make sure we were not re-teaching information students already knew. I have

experienced this myself and I know how boring this can be for students. In addition, we wanted

to evaluate student misconceptions in order to prevent these misconceptions from transitioning

with students as they progress through their educational journey. In prior research we found

students continue to hold scientific misconceptions through middle school or even high school

and we wanted to stop this from happening to the students we taught. We wanted to make sure

our lessons were student-centered. We wanted students to participate in an experience that

exemplified inquiry-based learning. By doing this, we felt students would gain a memorable

experience during their acquisition of knowledge and would be able to retain more information.

Lastly, we strongly considered how the use of models would affect our instruction. We thought

this would be difficult because states of matter are hard to model. A solid is a solid. However,

after discussion we found other ways to incorporate models into our lesson.

The “big idea” for this course was models. We incorporated models into our lesson by

first teaching students how to identify models and how to distinguish these models from their


26

corresponding targets. We also used models when teaching students what it means to describe

something. In the chart we provided students we demonstrated how illustrations can be pictorial

models of the real thing. When we asked students to explain what happens when ice cubes are

taken out of the freezer or what happens if ice cream is left out on the counter we were showing

students how mental models can be used to explain different phenomena. We asked students to

draw their favorite food on paper. We taught students drawings can be models too. In each

instance we discussed how models are different from their targets and why we use models in life.

In the future I will select a teaching method based on school and class context as well as

content knowledge among students. From this project I have learned each individual student

brings something different to a lesson. By analyzing each student’s abilities and ideas from pre-

assessment data or other formal or informal assessments, a more beneficial, individualized lesson

can be created. In the future I will take into account the schools location, economic status, and

available resources when deciding the methodology by which I will teach. It is important when

choosing a methodology to consider each students previous experiences and prior knowledge.

Some examples or lessons may be applicable to some students or areas, but not others. For

example, when I lived in St. Croix almost none of the students I worked with had been to a zoo.

So, it would not make sense for me to use the zoo as a reference or to assume that a mental

model of animals at the zoo would be applicable in my teaching. If student content and context is

made the focal point of each lesson learning will be achieved.

Melissa McKinney:

Completing this action research project has been a very proud moment for me and my

group members. At the beginning of this project, we intended to teach the students about melting

and freezing. After talking with the classroom teacher, we were under the impression that the


27

students were familiar with the physical states of matter from first grade and would be learning

about melting and freezing in the second grade. However, after analyzing our pre-assessment

data, we found that students had a difficult time describing solids and liquids. With that said, it

would be difficult to teach melting and freezing without the students understanding what a solid

and liquid are. It appeared to us, from the pre-assessments, that students did not understand what

the word “description” meant. In the boxes where descriptions were to be written, we instead

were given examples of solids and liquids (some that were not even correct examples). We saw

the most improvement in student knowledge of physical states of matter on this question. On the

pre-assessment, we received descriptions of solids such as: “pop,” “fur,” “liquid,” “round,” and

“something that is in the freezer.” Liquid descriptions included: “apple,” “flat,” “Gatorade,”

“snow,” and “soap.” These answers showed us that students were unable to describe solids and

liquids. After much discussion, we decided that our goal was for students to be able to describe

one solid, not all solids. During our lesson, we made sure to thoroughly describe the materials we

were using and whether or not they were a solid or a liquid. On the pre-assessment, student

descriptions of solids included: “hard” and “can’t change shape.” Descriptions of liquids

included: “pours,” “can change shape,” “can drip,” and “flows.” Three students were unable to

correctly describe a solid and four students could not describe a liquid; this was a huge

improvement compared to the pre-assessment answers.

The most important thing I learned from this Action Research project was to understand

where the students are first before planning our lesson. As stated earlier, we had planned on

teaching about melting and freezing. However, that plan failed when we found that students were

unable to describe solids and liquids. Students need a clear understanding of what a solid and a

liquid are before they can be introduced to melting and freezing. Although the first grade


28

standards dealt with introductions to the states of matter and second grade was changes in matter

such as melting and freezing, we had to take a step back and re-teach solids and liquids. As a

teacher, I know that my students ‘should’ be at a certain level in every subject before they walk

into my classroom. However, that may not be the case. You can’t teach addition and subtraction

without number sense. We felt that teaching melting and freezing to students who were unclear

on what solids and liquids were would only add to their misconceptions and misunderstandings.

Teachers always have a plan; however, obstacles appear every day that throw that plan off. It is

important for teachers to be able to overcome that obstacle in order to make sure each and every

student is successful. Additionally, I learned how useful a pre-assessment can be to learn what

students already know about a topic, what they don’t know, and what misconceptions they may

have. Pre-assessments do not always have to be pencil and paper assessments; discussions,

drawings, and concept maps can all be used to assess where students are.

One advantage that my group had was our school context. We had a small classroom size

of only 17 students. The students’ desks were already assigned to groups and the students were

familiar with how to work in groups and group expectations. Additionally, with the small class

size, we had four groups and three teachers; this allowed for a lot of one on one time. There was

always one teacher to a group and the groups were visited often by all of the teachers. This

allowed the teachers a chance to see how each student was exploring in the lesson and their

thinking of the science topics. It also allowed the students to extend their learning different ways

from each of the teachers. Another advantage was that we had all English speakers. The only

accommodations that we needed to make during our lessons were for three students who were

low readers; the students had the directions and questions read to them one on one from a teacher

when a worksheet was given.


29

When planning our lessons, one factor we had to consider was what the students already

knew. Our pre-assessment gave us a clear understanding of what they knew and this helped

guide us in writing our lesson. We had to be sure that the students would understand the terms

used and would be able to reach the objectives of the lessons. Another factor we considered was

what we wanted the students to learn from this lesson. There were many times where we had

great ideas that we thought the students would enjoy; however, after writing them into our

lesson, we found that the students who have a difficult time understanding why we were doing

this part of the lesson and how it related to states of matter. In addition, we had to be sure that we

were not including too much in each lesson. Lessons that are crammed with new material make it

hard for the students to create a clear understanding of what they are supposed to be learning and

what they learned at the end. Lastly, we wanted to make sure that the lessons actively engaged

each and every student in the classroom. We included materials for them to explore that they

were familiar with and could relate to their everyday life. During the lessons, we made sure that

each group member was participating in the group and encouraged the students to stay together

as group; no one should be left behind on a question and no one should go ahead on a question

until all group members are ready.

The scientific theme of “models” was incorporated into our lesson in many ways. Our

pre-assessment included four pictures—a globe, Earth, a real tire, and the big tire found off of I-

94. We asked students to identify which of the two pictures were models and justify their

choices. While all four of the pictures were in fact models because they were illustrations of the

real thing, we wanted students to understand the globe is a model of the Earth and the big tire is a

model of a real tire. In our first lesson, we engaged the students by holding up a stuffed animal


30

fish and asking them to describe it. We asked students to think of questions that would tell

another person what the fish looked like, what it felt like, what it smelled like, and what it

sounded like. Our second lesson included a real apple and a fake apple. We asked students if we

were able to change the fake apple the same way we changed the real apple. Additionally, later

in the lesson students were asked to draw pictures of their favorite food using precise detail so

that another student could guess what that picture was; their drawings are models are the real

food.

In the future, before starting a unit I will use a pre-assessment to assess where students

are in their learning. Using a pre-assessment will allow me to skip parts of a lesson where

students already have an understanding of that material and focus more on the misconceptions

that students have on the topic. It is important to spend more time in the areas where students are

having difficulty and less time in the areas were students have a clear understanding of the

content. In addition, this would leave more time for areas of more difficulty. It is important for

teachers to be knowledgeable about the content they are teaching; therefore, I will make sure that

I have a clear understanding of what I will be teaching my students. This will prevent me from

passing down any misconceptions I may have had to my students. I am a firm believer in

discovery learner and will be sure to make time for this learning in my classroom. I think it is

important for students to be actively involved in the learning process. However, there are many

different factors that can affect the way a teacher teaches science such as class size, availability

of materials, and student behaviors/learn disabilities. An inquiry lesson plan would be difficult

for teacher with 30 students and materials that are not available to them in the classroom.

Something as simple as water is not easily accessible in classrooms these days, making science

teaching more difficult for students. Additionally, the amount of teaching that takes place each


31

day greatly affects how long teachers spend on each subject. I believe that as a future teacher I

will try my hardest to teach inquiry because students learn best when they are learning in their

own ways and collaborating with classmates.


32

References:

BrainPOP Jr. (Producer). (2012). Solids, liquids, and gases. [Web Video]. Retrieved from

http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/matter/solidsliquidsandgases/

Doran, R. L. (1972). Misconceptions of selected science concepts held by elementary school

students. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 9(2), 127-137.

Gilbert, S. W (2011). Models Based Science Teaching. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.

Kids' guide to states of matter. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.onlineschools.org/

library/kidsmatter/

Kind, V. (2004). Beyond appearances: Students’ misconceptions about basic chemical ideas.

Arizona State University. Retrieved from

www.rsc.org/images/Misconceptions_update_tcm18-188603.pdf

Michigan Department of Education (2007). Science Grade Level Content Expectations. (2007).

Retrieved from www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/Complete_Science_GLCE_12-12-

07_218314_7.pdf

Nakhleh, M. B., & Samarapungavan, A. (1999). Elementary school children's beliefs about

matter. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 36(7), 777-805.

Nakhleh, M. B., Samarapungavan, & A., Saglam, Y. (2005). Middle school students’ beliefs

about matter. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 42(5), 581-612.

Tatar, E. (2011). Prospective primary school teachers’ misconceptions about states of matter.

Educational Research and Reviews, 6(2), 197-200. Retrieved from

http://www.academicjournals.org/ERR/PDF/Pdf%202011/Feb/Tatar.pdf

Zoehfeld, K. (1998). What is the world made of? New York, NY: HaperCollins Publishers Inc.

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/Complete_Science_GLCE_12-12-

http://www.academicjournals.org/ERR/PDF/Pdf%202011/Feb/Tatar.pdf


33

Appendices:

Appendix A: Action Research Timeline

Research Task Date Performed

Meet with Cooperating Teacher September 11, 2012

Classroom Observation September 17, 2012

Research Previous Work on the Subject September 27, 2012-October 20, 2012

Pre-Assessment October 15, 2012

Analyze Pre-Assessment October 16, 2012-November 2, 2012

Create Lesson #1 November 3, 2012

Teach Lesson 1 November 12, 2012

Create Lesson #2 November 15, 2012

Teach Lesson 2 November 19, 2012

Post Assessment November 20, 2012

Analyze Post-Assessment November 21, 2012-November 26, 2012

Present Research December 13, 2012


34

Appendix B: Pre-Assessment

1) Draw a simple picture to show what happens to water when you put it in the freezer?

Describe your drawing in words.

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

2) Draw a simple picture to show what happens if you left ice cream out on the counter?


________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

3) Use two words or short phrases to describe liquids and solids. Then, draw an example of

each. Tell us what your drawing is by labeling your picture.

Solid Liquid

Description: Description:

Description: Description:

Drawing: Drawing:

4) Circle the illustration that shows a model.


35

What makes the illustrations you chose models?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Now check out this demonstration on liquids and solids! Circle the correct answer.

Do liquids change shape?

Yes or No

Do solids change shape?

Yes or No


36

Appendix C: Lesson #1

Grade Level: Second Grade

Science Concept: States of Matter: Solids and Liquids

Lesson Objectives:

Students will be able to define solids and liquids using descriptions.

Students will be able to classify solids and liquids based on their physical properties.

Students will be able to identify solids and liquids in their daily routine.

Common Core State Standards (CCSS):

Elementary K-2: Describe common physical changes of matter-size and shape; melting

and freezing.

Materials:

Sand

Candies

Wood

Play dough

Bars of soap

Juice

Shampoo

Lotion

Shaving cream

Paint

Small containers for liquids

Cotton swabs

Classification handout (attached and created by us)

Video: http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/matter/solidsliquidsandgases/

Magnifying glasses

Safety:

Students will be advised to not consume any items provided to them. Students will be advised to

not throw any items. Cotton swabs will be used to touch all liquids in case of possible allergies

(there are no allergies in our class that we know of). Students will be advised to use cotton swabs

only for the purpose of exploration. If anything spilled, it should be cleaned up immediately. All

liquids will be thrown away after exploration and all solids will be collected by the teacher.

Cotton swabs will be thrown away.

Engage:

Students will observe a stuffed animal fish. In order to activate prior knowledge about what

description means we will ask students to describe this item to us as if we were on the phone.

Teacher will ask: If I were talking to you on the phone what words could you use to describe this



37

fish to me? Explorable Question: How can we describe these items so that another group knows

if the items are liquids or solids?

Explore:

Students will be given five solids and five liquids to explore among groups. Students will be put

into groups of four. They will be given wood, sand, play dough, candies (jolly rancher), and a bar

of soap for solids. They will be given colored water, liquid soap, lotion, shaving cream, and

paint. Students will explore in groups the properties of these items. Students will be given a chart

with an illustration of each item in the first column. Students will be provided with magnifying

glasses to closely observe the size of the particles. In the second column students will have to

write a description of each item. In the third column will ask students to classify as solid or

liquid based on their description.

Explain:

A whole class discussion will be held to analyze data found in students’ exploration. Based on

students’ descriptions we will come to a class agreement about the definition of a solid and

liquid. We want students to understand that solids have a definite size and shape where liquids

do not and take the shape of their container. Teacher will use student ideas to help create an

adequate class definition of what solids and liquids are. Teacher will initiate discussion about the

sizes of particles found in liquids and solids. This will be helpful for students to understand why

sand has flowing properties even though it is a solid. Teacher will re-visit the descriptive words

used to describe the fish in the engage. Teacher will then ask students based on these words to

visualize what the fish looks like. Teacher will explain how this vision is a mental model based

off of their descriptions. We will then reinforce these ideas and concepts through a video from

BrainPopJr.com. This video can be found at:

http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/matter/solidsliquidsandgases/.

Extend:

Students will now be asked to list the solids and liquids they use to eat cereal for breakfast and

brush their teeth in the morning. Examples of solids we are looking for include: bowl, spoon,

cereal, and tooth brush. Examples of liquids we are looking for include: milk, water, and

toothpaste. This will help students visualize a connection between the knowledge they have

learned and their real-life experiences. Teacher will ask students to draw a model of a liquid or

solid so that someone else could identify whether the object is a solid or liquid.

Evaluate:

An informal evaluation of student understanding will be observed throughout lesson during the

different inquiry phases. Whether or not students are able to define and describe solids and

liquids will be observed through whole class discussion. Whether or not students are able to

classify solids and liquids will be observed through their written work from the classification

handout. Whether or not students can identify these objects in their daily routine will be observed

through class discussion about eating cereal and brushing their teeth.



38

Name: _________________________________________________________________

Classification of Objects

Directions: After looking at your items write as many descriptive words

as you can. Next circle whether you think the item is a solid or liquid. Object Description Classification

Sand

Solid Liquid

Shampoo

Solid Liquid

Play dough

Solid Liquid


39

Lotion

Solid Liquid

Wood

Solid Liquid

Jolly Rancher Candy

Solid Liquid

Shaving Cream

Solid Liquid


40

Bar of Soap

Solid Liquid

Juice

Solid Liquid

Paint

Solid Liquid


41

Appendix D: Pictures taken during first lesson


42

Appendix E: Lesson #2

Grade Level: Second Grade

Science Concept: States of Matter: Solids and Liquids change shape and states of matter

Lesson Objectives:

● Students will be able to describe how states of matter can change shape.

● Students will be able to recognize that when a substance changes from one state of matter

to another that the shape also changes.

● Students will be able to distinguish between models and their targets.

● Students will be able to use descriptive words to explain the difference between solids

and liquids.

● Students will be able to classify solids and liquids they are exploring.

● Students will predict what will happen to water when it is heated up.

Common Core Science Standards (CCSS):

● Elementary K-2: Describe common physical changes of matter-size and shape; melting

and freezing.

Materials:

Grapes

Scissors

Plastic Knives

Apples

Ice cubes

Trays

Water

Ice cube trays

Play dough

Paper

Hot plate

Beaker

Book: What is the World Made Of? All about solids, liquids, and gases. By: Kathleen Zoehfeld

Safety:

Teacher should advise students to be careful when using plastic knives and scissors when

breaking apart solids. Teacher will be the only person to operate hot plates. The process of

boiling will be a demonstration performed by teacher. Students will not touch hot beakers, hot


43

plate, or dispose of boiling water. Teacher will also be aware of how close the students are to the

hot plate to avoid being burned by splatters from boiling water.

Engage:

Teacher will show students a cluster of grapes and ask students to think back to our prior lesson:

Are these grapes a model? Why or why not? Teacher will then show students plastic pretend

grapes: Are these grapes a model? Why or why not? Teacher will instruct students to take a one

minute think aloud and brainstorm in groups about how these sets of grapes are alike or different.

Teacher will then show students two clusters of grapes. One cluster will have remained at room

temperature and one cluster has been put in the freezer. Teacher will ask: What do you think the

insides of each grape will look or feel like? How might the insides be alike or different? Teacher

will then cut the grapes open and allow students to observe and feel how they are alike and

different. Teacher will show how one grape will produce liquid (grape juice) and the other will

have a solid (frozen) inside. Teacher should prompt students to think about how this happened.

This demonstration is aimed to engage students about the explorable question: How can we

change the shape and states of matter of different solids and liquids?

Explore:

Students will be put into groups of 4. Students will be advised to inform the teacher when they

are ready to cut open the grapes. Students will be given a before and after chart in order to

explore the changes of shape and states of matter of the objects being explored. Teacher will ask

students to discuss and determine if the objects are solid or liquid before any change occurs.

Then teacher will ask students to explore how they can alter the object. Afterwards, teacher will

ask students to discuss and determine if the object remained in the original state of matter or

changed to a different state of matter. Teacher will ask students to briefly explain what they did

to the object and how this caused the object to change. For safety reasons, the teacher will

conduct the exploring of the boiling water. Once all students have completed the worksheet, the

teacher will direct their attention to the front of the classroom. Teacher will place the beaker full

of water on the hot plate and ask the students to predict what will happen to the water. Students

will write down on their worksheet what is happening to the water and how it is changing.

Explain:

Teacher will revisit the idea about real grapes and model grapes. Teacher will ask students to

explain whether or not the objects they used to explore are models? How do you know? Teacher

will explain to students the characteristics and uses of models. Teacher and students will discuss

what happened to the different objects they explored as they underwent a change in shape or

state of matter. For example, the ice cube (solid) changed to water (liquid) because of change in

temperature from freezer to classroom room temperature. Teacher will use What is the World


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Made Of? by Kathleen Zoehfeld about solids, liquids, and gases to explain the changes in states

of matter and properties that solid, liquids, and gases undergo and hold.

Extend:

Students will be asked to draw a model of their favorite food. What makes this a model? Could

they eat their model of their favorite food? What is the purpose of their model? The purpose of

this extend is for students to relate how models are used in their daily lives and how they are

helpful to aid in their learning and ideas. Teacher should reiterate that even their drawing is a

model of their mental idea of models.

Evaluate:

What a crazy world this would be! Teacher will re-read the page in the expository text that talk

about living in a crazy world. In order to evaluate if students understand the properties of states

of matter, how they change shape, or how they change properties students will be creating their

own stories. They can use any of the three topics: describing liquids or solids, how liquids or

solids change shape, or how liquids or solids change states of matter to create their story. The use

of written language and drawn illustrations is encouraged.


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Appendix F: Pictures taken during second lesson


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Appendix G: Post-Assessment

1) Draw a simple picture to show what happens to water when you put it in the freezer?


________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

2) Draw a simple picture to show what happens if you left ice cream out on the counter?


________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

3) Use two words or short phrases to describe liquids and solids. Then, draw an example of

each. Tell us what your drawing is by labeling your picture.

4) Circle the illustration that shows a model.

Solid Liquid

Describe: Describe:

Describe: Describe:

Drawing: Drawing:


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What makes the illustrations you chose models?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Now check out this demonstration on liquids and solids! Circle the correct answer.

Do liquids change shape?

Yes or No

Do solids change shape?

Yes or No

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