Melting, Dripping, and Squishing: The Three States of Matter

Materials Needed

• Ice cubes
• Clear cup or bowl
• Water
• Small saucepan or heat-safe container
• Adult supervision and a safe heat source
• Large bowl or tray for oobleck
• 1 cup cornstarch
• About 1/2 cup water
• Optional: a few drops of food coloring
• Spoon
• Towel or washable table covering
• Paper and crayons

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, the child will be able to:

• Name three kinds of matter: solid, liquid, and gas.
• Describe what happens when ice gets warm.
• Tell that water can change into steam when it gets very hot.
• Explore how oobleck can feel like a liquid or a solid.
• Use simple words or drawings to explain what happened during the experiments.

Success Criteria

Learning is successful when the child can:

• Say or point to a solid, a liquid, and a gas.
• Explain, “Heat melts ice into water.”
• Explain, “Very hot water makes steam.”
• Show what oobleck does when it is touched slowly and quickly.

Important Safety Note

An adult must handle the hot water, saucepan, and steam. The child should watch from a safe distance and never touch hot containers or steam. Oobleck is for exploring, not eating. Wash hands after the activity.

Introduction: Matter Detective Hook

Say: “Today we are matter detectives! Matter is the stuff that things are made of. Can you find something that is hard? Can you find something that can pour? Can you see the air around you?”

Show the child an ice cube, a cup of water, and the space around them.

Introduce the three states:

• Solid: It keeps its shape. Ice is a solid.
• Liquid: It can flow and takes the shape of its container. Water is a liquid.
• Gas: It spreads out in the air. Steam is a gas.

Tell the child: “First, I will show you how heat changes ice and water. Then we will make a funny substance called oobleck. At the end, you will show me what you discovered.”

Activity 1: Ice Changes into Water

I Do: Adult Demonstration

1. Place an ice cube in a clear cup or bowl.
2. Ask the child to look at it and touch it briefly if safe.
3. Say, “The ice is cold and hard. It is a solid.”
4. Place the cup in a warm area or hold it while observing.
5. Watch the ice slowly become smaller and form a puddle.

Explain: “Heat makes the ice melt. The solid ice changes into liquid water.”

Ask:

• “Is the ice hard or runny?”
• “What happened when the ice got warm?”
• “What did the ice change into?”

We Do: Temperature Detective Talk

Invite the child to compare two ice cubes. Place one in a warm room and one in a cooler place, such as a refrigerator or shaded area.

Make a prediction together:

“Which ice cube will melt first? Why?”

Check the ice cubes after several minutes. The child may draw the ice cube before and after it melts.

You Do: Tell the Ice Story

Ask the child to complete this sentence:

“When ice gets warm, it ______ into ______.”

Expected response: “melts into water.”

Activity 2: Water Changes into Steam

I Do: Adult Demonstration

1. Pour water into a saucepan or heat-safe container.
2. Use a safe heat source to warm the water.
3. Keep the child at a safe distance.
4. Point out the moving vapor above the hot water.

Say: “The water is getting very hot. Some of the liquid water changes into a gas called steam. Steam rises and spreads into the air.”

Do not ask the child to touch or lean over the steam.

We Do: Change-of-State Motions

Use body movements to act out the changes:

• Solid: Stand still like an ice cube.
• Liquid: Wiggle and move slowly like water flowing.
• Gas: Stretch arms wide and move around the room like steam spreading out.

Call out “solid,” “liquid,” or “gas.” The child acts out each state.

Quick Check

Ask:

• “What is ice?” Solid
• “What is water in a cup?” Liquid
• “What can hot water make?” Steam, a gas

Activity 3: Make Oobleck

We Do: Mix the Oobleck

1. Place 1 cup of cornstarch in a large bowl or tray.
2. Add a small amount of water and stir.
3. Keep adding water slowly until the mixture feels thick but can still move.
4. Add food coloring if desired.

Say: “This is oobleck. It is made from cornstarch and water. It acts in a surprising way!”

You Do: Slow Touch and Fast Tap

Let the child explore with hands or a spoon.

1. Ask the child to slowly press a finger into the oobleck.
2. Ask the child to quickly tap or poke it.
3. Have the child pick up a little oobleck and squeeze it.
4. Ask the child to open their hand and watch it drip.

Talk about what happens:

• When touched slowly, oobleck flows more like a liquid.
• When pushed or hit quickly, oobleck can feel hard, like a solid.
• When released, it can drip and spread again.

Ask:

• “Does oobleck always feel the same?”
• “What happens when you touch it slowly?”
• “What happens when you tap it quickly?”
• “Would you call it mostly hard, mostly runny, or both?”

Simple explanation: “Oobleck is a special mixture. It can act like a liquid when it moves slowly and like a solid when it is pushed quickly.”

Choice Activity: Matter Hunt

Let the child choose one of these options:

• Home Hunt: Find one solid, one liquid, and one gas at home.
• Drawing: Draw ice, water, and steam.
• Acting: Pretend to be a solid, liquid, and gas while an adult guesses.
• Sorting: Sort safe household objects into “keeps its shape” and “can flow.”

Formative Assessment: Check Along the Way

Use these questions during the lesson:

• “What state is ice?”
• “What does heat do to ice?”
• “What happens to water when it gets very hot?”
• “How does oobleck feel when you push it quickly?”
• “Can you show me a solid with your body? How about a liquid and a gas?”

Give specific feedback such as:

• “You noticed that the ice became water. That is a change from a solid to a liquid.”
• “You tapped the oobleck quickly and noticed it felt hard. You made a careful observation.”

Summative Assessment: Matter Scientist Demonstration

Invite the child to demonstrate or explain the following:

1. Point to or name a solid, liquid, and gas.
2. Show with hands or words how heat changes ice into water.
3. Explain that very hot water can become steam.
4. Demonstrate what happens when oobleck is touched slowly and quickly.

Child-friendly rubric:

• Ready: I can name the three states and describe at least two changes.
• Almost ready: I can identify some states with help.
• Keep exploring: I can notice what happens but need more practice using the words solid, liquid, and gas.

Differentiation and Adaptations

For a Child Who Needs More Support

• Use only two choices at a time: “Is ice a solid or a liquid?”
• Use gestures: still hands for solid, flowing hands for liquid, spreading arms for gas.
• Repeat the same sentence frame: “Heat makes ice ______.”
• Allow the child to answer by pointing, acting, drawing, or speaking.

For a Child Ready for More Challenge

• Ask the child to predict which ice cube will melt first and explain why.
• Test oobleck with a spoon, toy, or gentle tap and compare the results.
• Ask, “Can you think of another solid that can melt?”
• Invite the child to make a three-part drawing showing a solid changing into a liquid and then a gas.

Digital or Limited-Materials Option

If hands-on materials are unavailable, use drawings or safe household examples. Pretend to place ice in a cup, act out melting, and use body movements for steam. A digital camera or voice recording may be used for the child to explain the three states.

Conclusion: Matter Recap

Gather together and say:

“Today we learned that matter can be a solid, liquid, or gas. Ice is a solid. Heat melts ice and changes it into liquid water. Very hot water can change into steam, which is a gas. Oobleck is special because it can feel like a liquid or a solid.”

Ask the child to finish these sentences:

• “Ice is a ______.”
• “Water is a ______.”
• “Steam is a ______.”
• “Oobleck feels ______ when I tap it quickly.”

End with a celebration: “You were a wonderful matter scientist!”

Optional Cleanup and Follow-Up

• Let the oobleck dry before placing it in the trash. Do not pour it down the drain.
• Wash hands and wipe the work surface.
• Look for more changes in everyday life, such as butter melting, water freezing, or wet clothes drying.