Lesson Plan

St. Thomas the Apostle School

October and November 2007

Grade: 2

Teacher: Miss Kimberly Miller

Subject: Science, Language Arts, Mathematics

Unit: Properties of Matter

Science Standard: The Physical Setting

Standard 3: Matter is made up of particles whose properties determine the observable characteristics of matter and its reactivity.

Students:

· observe and describe properties of materials using appropriate tools.

· describe chemical and physical changes, including changes in states of matter.

Science Process Skills: Reading Skills:

· infer Ÿ draw conclusions

· observe Ÿ Important Details

Language Arts Standards:

Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.

Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and appreciation.

Math Standards:

Geometry 4: Group objects by like properties

Measurement 2: Use a ruler to measure standard units

(including whole inches and whole feet)

Measurement 4: Recognize mass as a qualitative measure (Which is heavier? lighter?)

Measurement 5: Compare and order objects, using the terms lighter than and heavier than

Description of Unit:

This seven week unit integrates science, language arts, and mathematics. We will use the Scott Foresman Science textbook as our primary source of information. Classroom discussion, informational handouts and trade books, and one video about matter will be other sources of information. Students will participate in a variety of directed inquiries, guided inquiries, and experiments as ways to learn about properties of matter, states of matter, and how matter can be changed. Instruction will take place in both the second grade classroom and the science lab. Students will learn to write simple notes and answer lesson checkpoint questions in their science notebooks. Students will be encouraged to research to find answers to questions that they have about matter. Unit vocabulary will be developed. A separate "mini-unit" about apples will take place during this larger unit about matter.

Assessment:

Daily teacher observation during instruction will take place. Student notebooks and lab sheets will be assessed by looking for an increased use of unit vocabulary and understanding of lesson concepts. One vocabulary quiz will be given when it is determined that the majority of the class is ready. One unit test will be given at the end of the unit.

Report Card: Science: Daily Work 45% Participation 15% Testing 40%

Homework Assignments and Help from home:

Written science homework will be assigned during this unit as needed with at least one review sheet being assigned. Completed class work will be sent home in the science notebook and science folder for parents to view. Parents are asked not to remove anything from the notebook or folder, but to return them to school the next day. Parents are also welcome to ask their child to bring home the hard-covered Science textbook. Family discussion and interest in this topic will enhance learning. The public libraries have a wealth of information; the second grade web page has literature suggestions and links. I have included a tentative schedule of topics and vocabulary list with this unit plan.

You can contact me at: sta2miller@yahoo.com

http://www.homestead.com/millergrade2 - click on matter

Second Grade - Matter

Week of October 8: What is matter?

New Vocabulary:

Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass.

Mass is the amount of matter in an object.

A property is something you can observe with your senses. Some properties of matter are color, shape, and size. Mass is a property of matter. How something feels is a property of matter.

Week of October 15: How do you know matter takes up space?

Week of October 22: Apple Unit and What are the states of matter?

New Vocabulary:

A solid is matter that has its own size and shape.

A liquid is one kind of matter that does not have its own shape. A liquid takes the shape of its container. The amount of space a liquid takes up is called volume. The volume of a liquid does not change when you change its container.

A gas is another kind of matter that does not have its own shape. A gas takes the size and shape of its container.

Week of October 29: Continued exploration of What are the states of matter?

How can matter be changed?

New Vocabulary:

A mixture is something made up of two or more kinds of matter. Matter in a mixture does not change when mixed. This is a harder concept; one that is introduced in second and further developed in other grades. A mixture can be separated back into its parts because no chemical change has occurred. Granite, concrete, sand, and soil are examples of solid mixtures. Air is an example of a gaseous mixture.

Week of November 5: How can cooling and heating change matter?

Heat can change solids to liquids through a process called melting.

Heat can change liquids to gases through a process called evaporation.

Liquids water can change into solid water through a process called freezing.

Week of November 12:

Chapter/Unit Review and Test (Marking period ends.)

Week of November 19:

Making butter and cornbread - 2 last matter activities