Matter Teaching Resources
Teaching about matter in your science classes? Explore activities, experiments, worksheets and more teacher resources created to help you with your lesson plans and help primary students understand what matter is and what it's made from!
Aligned with both TEKS and the NGSS curriculum, the science teaching resources in this collection offer everything you need to explain the changing states of matter and how it's classified, plus activities that help students better understand the makeup of different molecules.
Whether it's your first year teaching about matter or you just need a handy guide to save time on lesson planning, we've got you covered! Read on for a primer from our teacher team, including a way to explain what matter is to your science classes.
What Is Matter? A Kid-Friendly Definition
So what, exactly, is matter? Here's a helpful explanation from our teacher team that you can use with your class:
Matter can be defined as anything that has mass and occupies space. It's literally the stuff that makes up everything in the universe, including our bodies!
What Is Matter Made Up Of? How to Explain This to Kids
This may sound like a bit of an existential question, but bear with us! Learning what matter is made of can help our students to understand the different properties and behavior of the various types of matter.
Let's break down all that matter is made of for kids:
- Atoms — All matter is made up of atoms. This is the word we use to describe tiny particles. They're so tiny the human eye can't even see them. Atoms are like the building blocks of matter.
- Molecules — When 2 or more atoms come together and form a bond, you get a molecule. The different combinations and arrangements of atoms and molecules create the various substances and materials we see, breathe, feel and use every day.
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What's the Matter?
A 60-minute lesson designed to activate students' prior knowledge of solids, liquids, and gases.
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Working Scientifically Knowledge Check
An assessment task in which students will demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of how to work scientifically.
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And Further On - Research Into the Environmental Impact of Certain Materials
A 60 minute lesson in which students will be introduced to a research task for them to undertake about a material of their choosing.
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Now I Understand - Building a Solid Conclusion for an Experiment
A 60 minute lesson in which students will learn how to build solid scientific conclusions for experiments.
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Science Experiment - Suck It Up!
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate materials and their absorptive properties through a scientific investigation.
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What's the Use? - Developing a Hypothesis to Investigate
A 60 minute lesson in which students will learn how to develop an effective hypothesis for scientific investigations.
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Freedom of Choice - Developing Scientific Lines of Questioning
A 60 minute lesson in which students will learn how to develop scientific lines of questioning to initiate a scientific investigation.
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Fake Plastic Trees - A Demonstration Comparing Properties of Natural and Processed Materials
A 60 minute lesson in which students will compare the properties of natural and processed materials through a demonstration.
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Plastic and Concrete - How Do People Use Processed Materials?
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate the ways humans produce and use processed materials.
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Natural Science - How Do People Use Natural Materials?
A 60 minute lesson in which students will investigate the use of natural materials by humans throughout history.
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Living in the Material World - Examining Natural and Processed Materials
A 60 minute lesson in which students will examine and understand the differences between natural and processed materials and their uses.
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Making Monsters
A 60-minute lesson in which students design and create a three-dimensional monster using materials with different properties.
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Keep Me Dry
A 60-minute lesson in which students investigate materials to determine how water resistant they are.
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Give Me Some Shade
A 60-minute lesson in which students investigate materials to determine how much shade they each provide.
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What Works Best?
A 60 minute lesson in which students develop an understanding of the suitability of certain materials for different purposes.
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Let's Sort!
A 60 minute lesson in which students identify the material objects are made of and sort them in various ways.
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Diving Into Description
A 60 minute lesson in which students will explore the properties of materials and develop vocabulary to describe them.
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Water Experiments for Kids That Are a Big Hit in the Classroom
Teach kids about density, refraction of light, and more with these fun water experiments for kids that are easy to create in the classroom.