Amazing Expanding Ice
Activity - Classroom
Grades2, 3, 4, 5Science, Mathematics
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Provided by Universities Space Research Association
What it is
- This experiment demonstrates that as water changes from a liquid to a solid, its density decreases by comparing the level of water in a cup before and after freezing.
- In addition to the experiment, students will engage in a class discussion that gauges prior knowledge, analyze the experiment's results, and record their findings in a journal.
Teaching tips
Positives
- This experiment is relatively easy to administer.
- This experiment does not involve any dangerous chemicals.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should already know the states of matter, as well as the terms density and volume.
- Teachers should click the "Jump to this Activity" button in the upper right-hand corner to access the experiment's instructions.
Differentiation
- The Ice Investigator Journal is better suited for older students to use independently. Younger students can use it with the help of an adult, sentence stems, or dictation.
- This experiment pairs well with a lesson on sea ice cover, what's happening to it globally, and why it matters.
- Teachers can use this experiment as a conceptual introduction to the molecular structures of different states of matter.
- This experiment can supplement a classroom discussion about the state change that occurs when water boils.
- This experiment can enhance a classroom discussion on common state changes that happen in nature.
From the scientist review
This resource is from the CLEAN collection. “The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness.”
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