Second grade physicists will learn that everything in our universe if made up of one thing: MATTER. Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space and can be found in a solid, liquid, or gas state. Students will learn that solids have observable properties including color, size, shape, and texture. Liquids on the other do not have a shape, therefore the students will find properties to identify liquids as well. Our young scientists will study the effect of heat on matter and how heat energy from the sun influences the water cycle. Lastly, students will conduct experiments understanding the difference between physical and chemical changes.
What You Can Do at Home
Activities
1. You and your child keep a separate list and choose objects around your home, neighborhood, or nearby park and list their properties only. Include color, size, shape, and texture of the object on your lists. Compare your lists when you complete this activity and discuss the properties that you and your child found that you had in common. Which properties did you find were different.
2. Prepare dinner with your child and study mixing or changing matter. Start by noting all the ingredients in your recipe. Identify each ingredient as a solid or a liquid. Follow your recipe and start mixing the ingredients . As you mix the ingredients note how you are mixing and changing matter. Ask your child while you are mixing if they see any physical changes. Ask your child to describe the physical changes. Observe what happens when you cook your ingredients. Ask how the cooking processes causes the food to change chemically.
Websites
Scholastic Studyjams: Properties of Matter-Watch the video to learn more about the properties of matter.
http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/matter/properties-of-matter.htm
Games for Kids: Solids, Liquids, and Gases. Sort and classify pictures into solids, liquids, and gases.
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/gases.html
Suggested Reading
Air Is All Around You by Franklyn M. Branley. This book shows that air is in everything, even water.
Solids and Liquids by David Glover. This book examines the strength and composition of both solids and liquids.
For a list of science nonfiction books, please click on the link titled Favorite Links and Books to Read. Click on the sublink Grades K-2 Science Nonfiction Books, where you will find a detailed list of books related to many different topics in science.
What You Can Do at Home
Activities
1. You and your child keep a separate list and choose objects around your home, neighborhood, or nearby park and list their properties only. Include color, size, shape, and texture of the object on your lists. Compare your lists when you complete this activity and discuss the properties that you and your child found that you had in common. Which properties did you find were different.
2. Prepare dinner with your child and study mixing or changing matter. Start by noting all the ingredients in your recipe. Identify each ingredient as a solid or a liquid. Follow your recipe and start mixing the ingredients . As you mix the ingredients note how you are mixing and changing matter. Ask your child while you are mixing if they see any physical changes. Ask your child to describe the physical changes. Observe what happens when you cook your ingredients. Ask how the cooking processes causes the food to change chemically.
Websites
Scholastic Studyjams: Properties of Matter-Watch the video to learn more about the properties of matter.
http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/science/matter/properties-of-matter.htm
Games for Kids: Solids, Liquids, and Gases. Sort and classify pictures into solids, liquids, and gases.
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities/gases.html
Suggested Reading
Air Is All Around You by Franklyn M. Branley. This book shows that air is in everything, even water.
Solids and Liquids by David Glover. This book examines the strength and composition of both solids and liquids.
For a list of science nonfiction books, please click on the link titled Favorite Links and Books to Read. Click on the sublink Grades K-2 Science Nonfiction Books, where you will find a detailed list of books related to many different topics in science.