This resource accompanies our Rethink 2nd Grade Science Matter- Properties & Change unit. It includes ideas for use, ways to support exceptional children, ways to extend learning, digital resources and tools, tips for supporting English Language Learners and students with visual and hearing impairments. There are also ideas for offline learning.

This unit was created by the Rethink Education Content Development Team. This course is aligned to the NC Standards for 2nd Grade Science for Matter-Properties & Change.

In this activity, students are introduced to water and its three phases - solid, liquid, vapor. Students will use their senses to observe, taste, feel, and describe water, and their imaginations to understand the concepts of water's phases.

In this activity, students investigate the concept that air takes up space by experimenting with a tub full of water and an empty cup. Students turn the cup upside down and lower it into the water so that they can observe what happens. Students also try this with a crushed paper towel inside the cup to illustrate that the air prevents water from entering the cup.

This is an introductory activity / lesson for a larger investigation into the properties of air. Students build a equal arm balance from simple materials to demonstrate that air has mass.

With this resource, students will use a knowledge check table to analyze their background knowledge about atoms.

In this lesson, students investigate the chemical and physical changes that occur in matter by participating in activities involving dry ice and root beer. Students will first explore release of carbon dioxide from carbonated beverages. Students will then view several teacher-led experiments with dry ice to demonstrate the sublimation process, including the production of root beer. In the final part of the lesson, students will create their own root beer, using multiple recipes, and compare and contrast their products. Associated resources include student worksheets, root beer recipes, and supplemental reading texts.

Students define a molecule and list the basic components and structure of the atom. They will also understand how engineers use their knowledge of atomic structure to design new technologies.

CK-12 Physical Science Concepts covers the study of physical science for middle school students. The 5 chapters provide an introduction to physical science, matter, states of matter, chemical interactions and bonds, chemical reactions, motion and forces, and the types and characteristics of energy.

In this activity, students will learn that there is a finite amount of carbon on earth, which moves around in the environment, from one place to another.

Working in teams of three, students perform quantitative observational experiments on the motion of LEGO MINDSTORMS(TM) NXT robotic vehicles powered by the stored potential energy of rubber bands. They experiment with different vehicle modifications (such as wheel type, payload, rubber band type and lubrication) and monitor the effects on vehicle performance. The main point of the activity, however, is for students to understand that through the manipulation of mechanics, a rubber band can be used in a rather non-traditional configuration to power a vehicle. In addition, this activity reinforces the idea that elastic energy can be stored as potential energy.

This resource is an activity in which students answer the question, "What happens to the mass of water when it freezes?".

With this resource, students will view a demonstration of the different phases of matter in relation to water .

Both suggested learning activities in this lesson will help students understand the relationship between the weight of reactants and the weight of the products involved in chemical reactions. In the first activity students will combine borax and glue, and in the second activity they will combine vinegar and cream.

Through this activity students will understand that there is conservation of mass and energy when matter is transformed.

In these activities, students will work with simple materials (legos, ice, and water) to demonstrate the law of conservation of mass. Physical change should also be discussed as part of the lesson.

In this chemistry field lab, students will determine the density, pH and water content of 4 types of soil; 1) prairie soil, 2) transition soil, (where the prairie meets the trees) 3) woods soil, and 4) riverbed soil at various locations in and around the Fergus Falls area. Students will compare class data and write a lab report describing their results. A detailed lab report format will be provided. Students will also analyze their findings and report on the various differences and similarities found in their soil samples.

This article provides several simple, fun experiments for elementary students to investigate what happens to solids, liquids, and gases when they are heated.

The students will be able to identify concepts that guide scientific investigations, recognize and analyze alternative explanations and models by the end of this activity.