Matter Matters: Particles, Properties, and Purification
Shared by A STEM Educator
Students will be able to describe matter as made of particles too small to see, classify substances by their physical properties, and provide evidence (mass measurements) that matter is conserved during dissolving and phase changes.
Lesson Overview
Students investigate the structure and properties of matter by exploring particle models, phase changes, and dissolving — discovering that matter is conserved even when it seems to disappear. Real-world connections to water purification and lightweight gear engineering anchor every phase.
Materials
- Sugar cubes (1 per group)
- Clear plastic cups (2 per group)
- Water
- Digital balance / scale (grams)
- Ice cubes
- Small zip-lock bags
- Sand, gravel, metal washers, cotton balls
- Whiteboards and dry-erase markers (1 per group)
- Particle spacing model cards (see cardSets)
- Coffee filters
- Plastic syringes or pipettes
- Activated charcoal (optional, for elaborate)
- Sticky notes
- Rulers
- Science notebooks
Scaffolded Task Progression
A) The sugar disappeared and no longer exists.B) The sugar turned into water.C) The sugar broke into particles too small to see but is still there.D) The sugar floated away as a gas. How could you design a test to prove your answer?
Substances: air, liquid water, a metal washer, sand
Label each model: Solid / Liquid / Gas. Then answer: Which state of matter would be easiest to push particles through a filter? Why?
[ Interactive graph / diagram — available in the full lesson ]
Unlock the full lesson
See all 7 scaffolded tasks, the full answer key, warm-up, exit slip, and a print-ready version — free to start.
Create a free accountAlready have an account? Sign in
Like this lesson but want to tweak it?
Make an editable copy and adjust the tasks, warm-up, and answer key to fit your class — no need to start from scratch.