Science
States of Matter
This half term, our Science learning comes from Developing Experts and focuses on States of Matter.
We will build on children's previous learning about materials and their properties before developing their understanding of solids, liquids and gases. Children will have opportunities to investigate, observe, predict, explain and draw conclusions from practical activities.
🔍 What will we learn?
🧊 Solids, liquids and gases
We will develop our understanding that water exists in three different states of matter:
- Solid – ice
- Liquid – water
- Gas – water vapour
Children will explore the characteristics of solids, liquids and gases and think about how materials can change from one state to another.
We will use diagrams and scientific vocabulary to help us explain what is happening.
🌡️ Investigating temperature
We will investigate the effect of temperature on drying washing.
Children will consider questions such as:
- Does temperature affect how quickly water evaporates?
- What happens when the temperature increases?
- How could we make a fair comparison?
- What evidence can we collect?
- What does our investigation tell us?
This will give children an opportunity to develop their scientific enquiry skills and use evidence from an investigation to support their conclusions.
💧 Dissolving and diluting
We will explore what happens when substances are dissolved and diluted.
Children will investigate how substances interact with water and develop their understanding of what happens when a substance dissolves.
They will use observations from practical activities to describe and explain what they notice.
☀️ Evaporation
We will investigate evaporation and consider how temperature can affect the rate at which evaporation happens.
Children will explore everyday examples, such as:
- Wet clothes drying
- Puddles disappearing
- Water changing into water vapour
We will think scientifically about why these changes happen rather than simply observing that they happen.
☁️ Condensation
We will also learn about condensation.
Children will explore what happens when water vapour cools and changes back into liquid water.
We will connect this learning to familiar examples and use scientific vocabulary to explain the changes we observe.
🌧️ The Water Cycle
Our learning about evaporation and condensation will lead into understanding the water cycle.
Children will explore how water moves around our planet and will learn to identify and explain the different stages of the cycle.
They will be expected to understand and label a water cycle diagram, linking together:
Evaporation → Condensation → Water → Movement through the water cycle
🧪 Separating mixtures
We will investigate ways of separating simple mixtures of substances.
Children will explore how different materials can be separated and consider which methods are appropriate for different mixtures.
This will encourage children to think carefully about the properties of materials and how these properties can be used when carrying out scientific investigations.
🧠 Scientific Enquiry
Throughout the unit, children will be encouraged to work scientifically.
They will have opportunities to:
🔎 Observe – carefully look at and describe what happens.
❓ Ask questions – think about what they want to find out.
💭 Make predictions – suggest what they think might happen.
🧪 Investigate – carry out practical activities and tests.
📊 Collect evidence – record what they observe and find out.
💬 Explain – use scientific vocabulary to describe what has happened.
✅ Draw conclusions – use evidence from their investigations to answer questions.
📝 By the end of the unit...
Children should be able to:
- Identify and describe solids, liquids and gases.
- Explain that water can exist in different states of matter.
- Explain what happens during evaporation.
- Explain what happens during condensation.
- Describe the water cycle.
- Explain how temperature can affect the rate of evaporation.
- Understand dissolving and diluting.
- Explore ways of separating simple mixtures.
- Use scientific vocabulary when explaining their ideas.
🏠 How can you help at home?
There are lots of everyday opportunities to talk about states of matter!
💧 Water: Ask your child what happens when water is put into a freezer.
🧊 Ice: What happens when ice is left somewhere warm? Why?
👕 Washing: Why does wet washing eventually dry? Would it dry faster somewhere warm?
☁️ Condensation: Look for examples of water droplets forming on cold surfaces.
🍳 Cooking: Talk about how heating and cooling can change materials.
💬 Most importantly, encourage your child to explain why something happens using scientific vocabulary rather than simply telling you what they can see.
Key vocabulary:
solid • liquid • gas • state of matter • temperature • evaporation • condensation • water cycle • dissolve • dilute • mixture