Objective

By the end of this lesson, the student will understand the concepts of solid and liquid through the fun experience of watching ice cream melt. They will learn what happens to ice cream when it gets warm and how it changes from solid to liquid.

Materials and Prep

• Ice cream (any flavor)
• Two bowls (one for solid ice cream, one for melted ice cream)
• A warm place (like a sunny spot or near a heater)
• Optional: A timer or clock to track melting time

Before the lesson, make sure to choose a flavor of ice cream that the student likes. Set up the bowls in a warm area where the ice cream can melt safely.

Activities

• Ice Cream Observation:

  Start by showing the student the solid ice cream in the bowl. Let them touch it and feel how cold it is. Ask them questions like, "What does it feel like?" and "Is it hard or soft?"

• Time to Melt:

  Place the bowl of ice cream in the warm area and set a timer. Every few minutes, check on the ice cream together. Ask, "What do you see happening?" as the ice cream starts to melt.

• Liquid vs. Solid:

  Once the ice cream has melted, pour it into the second bowl. Ask the student to compare the two bowls. "What happened to the ice cream? Is it still solid or is it a liquid now?"

Talking Points

• "This ice cream is solid. Can you feel how hard it is?"
• "Look! The ice cream is melting! What do you think is happening?"
• "Now it’s a liquid! That means it can pour! Can we pour it into another bowl?"
• "When ice cream melts, it changes from solid to liquid. Isn’t that cool?"
• "What do you think will happen if we put the melted ice cream back in the freezer?"