Core Skills Analysis
Science
Rosalie observed that dry ice changed from a solid into a gas without becoming wet and learned that this change is called sublimation. The activity connected a visible change of state with the idea that matter can transform without first becoming a liquid. Rosalie practiced using a scientific term to describe an observation. This introduced the distinction between sublimation and the more familiar melting process.
Tips
Tips Build on Rosalie’s observation by comparing sublimation with melting: invite Rosalie to draw and label how an ice cube changes into water and how dry ice changes directly into gas. Use a simple state-of-matter chart to sort examples as solids, liquids, or gases, then talk through the changes between them. Rosalie could also keep a short science journal with sketches and sentences describing observations of everyday changes, such as a puddle drying or an ice cube melting. Handle dry ice only with appropriate adult supervision and protective equipment.
Book Recommendations
- What Is the World Made Of? All About Solids, Liquids, and Gases by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld: An accessible introduction to the states of matter and how materials can change.
- A Drop of Water: A Book of Science and Wonder by Walter Wick: Photographs and clear explanations explore water and its changing forms.
- Matter: See It, Touch It, Taste It, Smell It by Darlene R. Stille: A child-friendly introduction to matter and its observable properties.
Try This Next
- Draw a before-and-after diagram showing dry ice as a solid and then as a gas; label the change sublimation.
- Create a three-column sorting worksheet for examples of solids, liquids, and gases.
- Ask: “How is sublimation different from melting?” Invite Rosalie to answer with a drawing or one sentence.