Middle School Science Blog

Updated Dec. 2018

I added a 16th term to the Venn Diagram and new handout to go with it.

Materials:

• Google Slides (Public) – this slide presentation will show the answers for the activity
• Handouts: (PDF) Includes blank venn diagram, slips to cut apart, and answer key
• Optional Videos:
  • BrainPOP: States of Matter
  • BrainPOP: Matter Changing States
  • Crash Course Kids: Matter Matters
• Statements: Different ways to use the 16 statements, or facts, about Solids, Liquids, and Gases:
  • give each group 2-4 facts to discuss and place into the Venn Diagram
  • give each group all 16 facts to discuss, then ask each group to place one fact into the diagram
    • this is the versions I use, see below for details
  • give each student or pair of students only 1 fact
  • give every student all 16 facts and have them glue it into their Venn diagram
  • give every student all 16 facts and have them ‘dry fit’ the statements then handwrite them into their Venn diagrams (you can laminate and reuse the statements for each class) (I prefer to have the students write the facts into their Venn diagrams.)

How to use this version of the activity:

Whole class activity

1. Discuss what we know about Solids, Liquids, and Gases.
2. Give each student one of the 16 facts. They are not to share their facts with the class until it was their turn to present.
3. They may or may not know the answer to their fact, and we discussed this first. I told them I would give them clues if they needed help and not to worry too  much about getting the answer ‘wrong’.
4. After a minute or so to think about it, ask the person with Fact #1 to stand and read their fact to the class. The rest of class will think about the fact and where it might go into the Venn Diagram, but not share their answers.
5. The person with Fact #1 will guess where the fact fit into the Venn Diagram. Once they give the correct answer, click on the Google Slide and the answer will pop up on the screen.
6. Everyone will write fact #1 into their notes.
   • Optional:
     • Using a blue colored pen or pencil, the students will fill in the phrases related to the states of matter and their characteristics, such as definite shape or volume.
     • Using a red colored pen or pencil, they can write in the phase changes, such as evaporation. They will notice that all of the phase changes are placed where two states of matter overlap.
       • For example, evaporation is placed where liquids and gases overlap.
7. Then ask the person with Fact #2 to read their fact to the class, and so on until all 15 facts are posted.
8. We would discuss each fact and any questions they might have.
9. If you have more than 16 students, you can have them work with a partner and guess together.

Cooperative Groups

1. Instead of each student having only one fact, you can have the class work in cooperative groups and give one set of the 16 facts to a group of 4 students.
2. The students will discuss/share their facts within their group and come to an agreement on where it should go.
3. They will place the facts on top of the Venn Diagram where they think it is the best fit.
4. Once each group has had a chance to discuss their facts, you can go over the answers as a class.
5. Starting with #1, have the first group tell the class where they think it belongs in the Venn diagram and why.
6. If their answer is correct, show the answer in the Venn diagram and have each student write that fact into their notes.
   • Optional: Using a blue colored pen or pencil, the students will fill in the phrases related to the states of matter and their characteristics, such as definite shape or volume.
   • Using a red colored pen or pencil, they can write in the phase changes, such as evaporation. They will notice that all of the phase changes are placed where two states of matter overlap.For example, evaporation is placed where liquids and gases overlap.
7. If it in incorrect, go to the next group and have them share where they think it belongs.
8. Ask the next group for fact #2, and repeat the steps above until all 16 facts have been placed into the Venn diagram and each group has had a chance to place a fact into the Venn Diagram.

Independent Seat Work, or as part of a Station/Center/Review

1. You can also do this activity where each student will cut out all 16 facts and work independently to figure out where each fact would go in the Venn Diagram. They will then write in the facts as each answer is discussed.
2. As a station/center activity/review, you can have a blank laminated Venn Diagram, a laminated answer key, and laminated facts. Students can guess where each fact goes into the diagram, then check their work with the answer key and write the answers into their worksheet

Older Version:

This is an interactive/SmartBoard activity to show the relationship between the phases of matter and phase change.

Materials:

• Venn Diagram – States and Phases Triple Venn Diagram Notes (pdf)
• SMART Board – Venn diagram SMART Board notebook file (link)
• Red and Blue colored pencils