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Science · Ages 8–10 · 55 minutes

Solids, liquids and gases

Children sort materials into solids, liquids and gases using their properties, and observe ice melting as an example of a change of state.

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Success criteria

  • I can describe how solids, liquids and gases behave
  • I can sort tricky materials and explain my choice
  • I can describe melting as a change of state

Key vocabulary

  • solid
  • liquid
  • gas
  • state
  • melt
  • freeze
  • pour
  • shape
  • volume
  • change of state

You will need

  • ice cubes in small pots
  • a plastic bottle of water
  • a balloon
  • a sponge
  • sand
  • a jug
  • small bowls
  • paper towels
  • sorting hoops
  • timers

Curriculum links

  • Year 4· England

Practice sheets

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The lesson at a glance

55 minutes in all. Timings are a guide: follow your class.

  1. Step 1: Starter

    On each table: a pot of ice, a bottle of water and a blown-up balloon.
    7 minutes

  2. Step 2: Teach

    Introduce three questions children can ask about any material: "Does it keep its own shape?" "Can you pour it?" "Does it spread out to fill whatever it is in?" Model with the three tables' objects: "Ice keeps its shape.
    10–15 min

  3. Step 3: Guided practice

    Ice melt race. Each group puts identical ice cubes in four places they choose: in a gloved hand, on a sunny windowsill, in the shade, wrapped in a paper towel.

  4. Step 4: Independent practice

    While the ice melts, children use the practice buttons.

  5. Step 5: Plenary

    Check the ice race results together.

  6. Step 6: Assessment for learning

    Do children use the three tests, not just a list they remember?

  7. Step 7: Differentiation

    Support: sort picture cards of familiar things (stone, milk, steam from a bath) with a partner, using just the "keeps its shape?" test.

  8. Step 8: Common misconceptions

    "Gas is nothing." Air has weight and takes up space.

  9. Step 9: Home link

    Put two ice cubes in different places at home and see which melts first, then talk about why.

Most children can say "ice is a solid and water is a liquid". The hard part is the in-between cases: sand pours, a sponge squashes, and air seems to be nothing at all. This lesson builds three simple tests children can use on anything, then watches ice change state without any heating.

1.Starter

7 minutes

On each table: a pot of ice, a bottle of water and a blown-up balloon. Ask: "What is the same and what is different about the water in these three things?" Some will spot that the balloon contains air, not water. Accept it and ask, "Is air something?" Squeeze the balloon near a child's hand to feel the air rush out when you let a little go. Seven minutes.

2.Teach

10–15 min

Introduce three questions children can ask about any material:

  1. "Does it keep its own shape?"
  2. "Can you pour it?"
  3. "Does it spread out to fill whatever it is in?"

Model with the three tables' objects:

  • "Ice keeps its shape. That's a solid."
  • "Water takes the shape of the cup, but it stays at the bottom. You can pour it. That's a liquid."
  • "The air in the balloon spreads out to fill the whole balloon. That's a gas. Gases are usually invisible, but they are still there."

Then show the tricky ones. Pour sand from a jug: "It pours, so is it a liquid?" Let them look closely with a hand lens: each grain keeps its shape, so sand is lots of tiny solids. Squash a sponge: it is a solid with air in its holes.

  • snow
  • rain
  • cloud
  • balloon
Water as a solid, a liquid and a gas: and a balloon full of air.

The rest of the plan

Guided and independent practice, the plenary, assessment for learning, differentiation, common misconceptions and the home link are free with a Crayonbird account.

  1. Guided practice
  2. Independent practice
  3. Plenary
  4. Assessment for learning
  5. Differentiation
  6. Common misconceptions
  7. Home link
See the whole plan, free

Learning Wiki

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