Earth & Space
The three states of matter and how to tell them apart by the way they behave.
⏱ Whole lesson ≈ 44 min · pick a tier in the bar, or leave on "All"
New topic. Recap Year 3 work on materials and their properties.
Name two materials in this classroom.
Sort three classroom objects by a property you choose. What did you use?
Show the three states; agree the key properties.
A solid keeps its own shape and volume. A liquid keeps its volume but takes the shape of its container. A gas spreads out to fill any space it is in.
Which keeps its shape?
Give an example of a solid, a liquid and a gas.
Why does a gas fill the whole room but a puddle does not?
Teacher models. Watch, then pull out the three key properties.
Swap the clip: change the ID after /embed/ (now 02qBuiqe7qI).
Sort familiar things by state together.
🧱 brick 💧 water 🫧 the air we breathe 🥛 milk 🎈 helium in a balloon 🪵 wood
Play the animation. Bust: solid materials can never change shape.
The solid keeps its block shape; the liquid settles to the jar's shape; the gas spreads to fill the jar.
Watch for: thinking all solids are hard and unchangeable, and thinking a liquid's amount changes when you pour it.
Quick true/false to check the properties have stuck.
On your own. Sort each thing, then write at your tier.
Tap a card to sort it…
Sort the cards. Then finish: A solid keeps its ____.
Sort them, then write one property of a solid, a liquid and a gas.
Sort them, then explain how you can tell a liquid from a gas.
Answer at your tier, then hand it in.
Explain the difference between a solid, a liquid and a gas.