Properties of Matter

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Matter is anything on the earth that takes up space.

You are matter, the puppy in the picture is matter, your favorite toy is matter, and even your favorite food is matter! Since everything on the earth is matter, scientists have come up with ways to describe matter.

You were asked how you would describe the puppy in the picture. You could talk about the puppy's size, weight, color, and texture.

During this lesson, you will learn how to describe the properties of matter.

One way to describe matter is to talk about its size.

• What are some words you could use to describe something's size?

The words below relate to size:

• small
• big
• thin
• thick
• short
• long
• fat
• skinny
• huge
• tiny

These are just some examples of ways you can describe the size of matter.

Point to the pumpkin below that is small:

The pumpkin on the right is small, and the pumpkin on the left is big!

Another way to describe matter is to focus on its weight. A good way to describe something that weighs very little is to say it is light. A way to describe matter that is weighs a lot is to say it is heavy.

• Which picture shows something that is heavy?

The box in the picture is heavy. You can tell because the man carrying it looks like he is struggling! The picture on the right shows a feather. Feathers are light.

Another way to describe matter is to talk about its color. For example, you could say the man in the picture above is wearing a red bowtie. You can use color to describe any type of matter you see.

Look at the colorful rainbow below.

• Can you name the colors of the rainbow?

Say each color of the rainbow while pointing to each stripe in the picture below:

Texture is another property of matter. Read this list of texture words:

• soft
• hard
• smooth
• bumpy

These are some ways you can describe the texture of something.

Look at the alligator below.

• Is the alligator smooth or bumpy?

That's right! The alligator has bumpy scales on its body.

• What about the baby bird on the right?
• How would you describe the texture of the baby bird?

A great way to describe the baby bird is to say it is soft.

• Do you understand the four different ways to describe matter?

These are the main ways people describe the properties of matter.

You can also describe matter by focusing on its shape, taste, and smell.

In the next section, you will be using the new describing words you learned to describe different pictures.