Matter Flaps and Foldables

Hunter has recently completed a couple of very cool projects to review his study of matter:

This flip-flap book from Simply Skilled in Second was a lot of fun, and a fantastic way to review the three states of matter that we've studied so far!  It's recommended for grades 2-5.

Here's a look at the completed book.  

Underneath each flap there's space for information.  This flap asks "What is matter?" and "What are the three states of matter?"  (I asked Hunter if he remembered how many states of matter there are, and he promptly answered "five".  I was surprised considering we only went over this once, quite a long time ago!)

This flap has an awesome flask on which to label the states of matter.

On this flap, Hunter wrote about the properties of a gas and drew four examples, as well as illustrations of the particles in a solid, a liquid, and a gas.

Here he wrote about the properties of a liquid and drew examples, and also an explanation and illustration of how a liquid can change it state.

On the final page, he did the same for solids.  

I loved this resource.  Not only is it an impressive-looking finished product that my son is very proud of, it's packed with great information and opportunities for Hunter to really show what he knows.  (Check it out here!)

Another great activity he completed was this States of Matter lapbook from Lita Lita:

I liked that it shows so clearly how one state of matter can change to another, and reviews the associated vocabulary.  It really helped Hunter commit some of the tougher words to memory.

Each miniature flap book opens up into thirds.  Underneath the first flap are an example of a solid, liquid, or gas, and a place for the child to illustrate the particles.

Underneath that flap are some notes about the properties, and another example.

This product came with options to differentiate and make it a little more challenging, as well as a Spanish version!  Take a look!

Chemistry For Kids

In science class this year we'll be studying chemistry. Quite an intimidating subject to try to teach, in my opinion. Luckily I've found some great books and resources, and I've determined exactly what I want to cover at this early age. I'm taking a pretty organic approach to this subject; I don't really have lesson plans at this time. I'm just going to start exploring the books we've chosen with my son, and add in activities and experiments when they seem appropriate.

Here are the books we'll be using:



At first glance, I thought Basher Science: Chemistry: Getting a Big Reaction would be too childish and simplistic for our use.  I was completely unfamiliar with the Basher Science series, but luckily I took the time to check this book out of the library and look through it.  I immediately realized it would be a wonderful resource for us, and I ordered a copy from Amazon.com.  (Click on the image or the link to check it out.)
I also used Amazon's "Look Inside the Book" function to peek at this one:



I'm very excited about using it, and so is my son.  He's a huge fan of trading card games like Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon, and this book presents each element as it's own trading card character, with attributes and characteristics.  I think this will be an excellent way for Hunter to commit a lot of this information to memory; it's right up his alley! (Again, click on the image to take a look inside for yourself.)



DK Eyewitness Books: Chemistry has a ton of great information, and fantastic photos and illustrations of just about everything Hunter might get curious about.  I'm sure we'll be using this daily as a reference. 

Rader's CHEM4KIDS (http://www.chem4kids.com/index.html) is a great website for all young chemistry students; the information is clear and divided up into concise categories with quizzes.  If you're teaching chemistry and unsure about where to start or how to proceed, I recommend starting here. 

Most of our experiments this year will be done with everyday household substances, but we did order a few products for fun:



We have already used some of our Be Amazing Jiggly Jewels, and they were awesome!  I saved most of them, and plan to have Hunter take notes the next time we use them.  I want him to note the time, describe how the jewels feel before we put them in the water, what they look like, etc.  I'll then have him check on the jewels periodically and repeat this process for his science notebook.
We also bought Be Amazing Lab-in-a-Bag Test Tube Wonders, which we haven't opened yet.  I'm hoping we'll be as happy with it as we were with the Jiggly Jewels.  I'm unsure how educational this product will actually turn out to be, and how exactly I'll tie it in to our chemistry lessons, but I'm certain my son will enjoy it.