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Grade Three
How can matter be measured?

Matter can exist in different states - liquids, solids, and gases. We use many different tools to measure the properties of matter. Use these web pages to find answers to your questions.
 
 

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Title: How Tall am I?
Description: Register your class for this measuring challenge and analyze the online results! Students can design their own way to measure and then evaluate and analyze their results. This can be easily be added to your Family Science or Math Night!
URL: http://scithon.terc.edu/howtall/index.cfm

Title: NASA KIDS
Description: This site has two excellent exploration activities. There is also a link entitled Astronauts Living in Space, on which students can access aerospace scientists' biographies and descriptions of career options.
URL: http://kids.msfc.nasa.gov/

Title: Dirtmeister's Science Lab on Matter
Description: Students create colloidal suspensions in the lab.
URL: http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=763 ...

Title: Exploring the
Description: Play with this unknown substance and chart its various properties.
URL: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/lessonplan.jsp?id=72

Title: Measure It!
Description: FunBrain will show you a ruler with a red bar above it. Click on the length of the red bar and see if your answer is correct. This online quiz can be taken using centimeters or inches and has various levels of difficulty.
URL: http://www.funbrain.com/funbrain/measure/

Title: Liquid Rainbow
Description: Can you create a rainbow pattern of colors in a test tube?
URL: http://www.sciencenter.org/chemistry/

Title: All Wet!
Description: Do all liquids dissolve in water? Find out with this fun activity.
URL: http://portal.acs.org/portal/fileFetch/C/CSTA_014891/pd ...

Title: Characteristics of Materials
Description: Learn about the Characteristics of different materials as you work you way through this site.
URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/7_8/char ...

Title: Science Projects for Kids: States of Matter
Description: Investigate states of matter with these eight science projects.
URL: http://home.howstuffworks.com/science-projects-for-kids ...

Title: The Structure of Matter
Description: Explore the structure of matter.
URL: http://www.thetech.org/exhibits/online/topics/51a.html

Title: What is Matter
Description: Let the Dirtmeister explain matter to you and provide some examples of how it changes form. Don't forget to try the science lab.
URL: http://teacher.scholastic.com/dirt/matter/whatmat.htm

Title: Grouping & Graphing – PBS Curious George Activity Guide
Description: In this interactive game, kids estimate the height of an object using a variety of non-standard units of measure—tires, for example. Children practice counting and testing a simple hypothesis.
URL: http://pbskids.org/curiousgeorge/games/how_tall/how_tal ...

Title: The Moon
Description: This page gives students and teachers information on the Moon. It contains links to resources, missions, and lunar facts.
URL: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/planets/moonpage.h ...

Title: Finding the Mass of an Object
Description: Here you will find how to determine the mass of an object using a triple-beam balance.
URL: http://www.edinformatics.com/math_science/mass.htm

Title: 4th Grade Science: Matter
Description: Click on chapter one or two for information about matter. After reading, try the review.
URL: http://www.nyu.edu/pages/mathmol/textbook/4gradecover.h ...

Title: My Dissolving Experiment
Description: Use this page as a guide to help you set up an experiment that tests which of four materials are soluble and which are not.
URL: http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/science/dissolving.ht ...

Title: Mass
Description: Find out when to use which unit of measure for mass. Take an online quiz or explore other measurement activities.
URL: http://chalk.richmond.edu/education/projects/webunits/m ...

Title: Using a Ruler to Measure (inches)
Description: This is an easy assessment or practice using inches can be found on this page! The answer key is provided.
URL: http://www.abcteach.com/samples/math.pdf

Title: Glitter Globe
Description: Make something that is pretty and fun to play with. Experiment with liquids that do not mix, watch them flow and learn about polar and nonpolar molecules.
URL: http://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/glitter.h ...

Title: Reading Comprehension: Properties and Changes
Description: Test your knowledge to see how much you know about matter!
URL: http://education.jlab.org/reading/properties_and_change ...

Title: Test Density with a Supersaturated Solution
Description: Do freshwater and saltwater mix? Find out in this experiment.
URL: http://www.amnh.org/ology/features/stufftodo_marine/sal ...

Title: Liquids
Description: Click here to learn the characteristics of liquids and why liquids are known as the “in–between” state of matter.
URL: http://www.chem4kids.com/files/matter_liquid.html

Title: States of Matter
Description: Did you know there are four state of matter? This page defines each state of matter and discusses how compounds can move from one phase to another when special physical forces are present.
URL: http://www.chem4kids.com/files/matter_states.html

Title: Changes in Matter
Description: How can you force a physical change in matter? Make some mystery matter and do experiments with it. Based on your observations, make conclusion about the state of your matter.
URL: http://teacher.scholastic.com/dirt/matter/lab.htm

Title: Going Places: Measuring and Mapping
Description: Going Places: Measuring and Mapping engages students in activities that use Measurement and Geometry. Students connect what they see and do each day with practical uses of mathematics.
URL: http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=U49

Title: Magnificent Measurement
Description: This Unit Plan uses multiple materials—including electronic examples from NCTM’s Principles and Standards for School Mathematics and other Internet resources—to help students explore measurement. Students use objects, pictures, symbols, and books.
URL: http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=U66

Title: Keeping in Balance
Description: This is a PreK-2 lesson from NCTM that allows a student to explore how a balance works using everyday materials. It is solidly based in an Inquiry format allowing students to formulate their own method of testing a balance and then answering the question
URL: http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L183

Title: Balance Tutorial
Description: Have your students practice how to read a balance using this site. An interactive tutorial demonstrates how to use a balance and then provides a chance for students to practice with online feedback.
URL: http://www.ohaus.com/products/education/tutorials.asp?s ...

Title: Earth and Moon
Description: The page has various activities regarding the Moon and Earth and gives extensive facts about the Moon. There is a page dedicated to the Apollo astronauts and an explanation of what protected them from meteoroids while they were on the Moon.
URL: http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/en/kids/cs_earth.shtml

Title: Let's Measure
Description: The activities are designed to encourage all learning styles. These hands-on, minds-on activities will be great for grades 2-4.
URL: http://www.coreknowledge.org/CK/resrcs/lessons/398Measu ...

Title: Area and Volume
Description: Students often need hand-on activities to understand area and volume. This activity will allow for different learning modalities.
URL: http://mathforum.org/paths/measurement/av.html

Title: Assorted Sports
Description: Hook your students with sports. These activities involves your students in inquiry about area and measurement involving playing fields.
URL: http://score.kings.k12.ca.us/lessons/sports.htm

Title: Hot and Cold Colors
Description: How does temperature effect the dispersal of color? Try this activity and find out. It includes assessments, extensions, and links to other resources.
URL: http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.php?DocID=169

Title: Math Cats Balance
Description: In this page there is an interactive balance that allows students to explore how a balance works and how moving the fulcrum will affect how the balance reads. The main characters are a skinny cat and a fat cat and how they related on the balance.
URL: http://www.mathcats.com/explore/balance/balance.html

Title: Animal Locomotion
Description: These lessons in PDF format are designed to help students learn about factors that affect how animals move through fluids. The lessons include the topics of fluids, density, buoyancy, and viscosity.
URL: http://iridescentlearning.org/joomla/images/Curriculum/ ...

Title: Measuring Matter
Description: This resource offers many activities for younger students to explore measurement.
URL: http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/elemsci/gr2uhesc.html

Title: Spinning the Elements: Wallace Carothers and the Nylon Legacy
Description: Learn the story behind polymers at this site, which highlights the development of nylon; its great for teacher background, core content, and historical perspective.
URL: http://www.chemheritage.org/EducationalServices/nylon/n ...

Title: Science Rocks - Water Density
Description: This easy to follow experiment on water density will be a hit with your students and makes a great science fair project. E-mail the results and ZOOM will post them!
URL: http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/

Title: Ocean Float Activity
Description: Build your own ocean float and learn about density!
URL: http://explorations.ucsd.edu/Voyager/Activities/Activit ...

Title: The Moon
Description: Learn about the moon through exploration and hands on activities.
URL: http://www.spacegrant.hawaii.edu/class_acts/MoonDoc.htm ...

Title: Under Pressure: Boiling Water
Description: Is the boiling point of water the same everywhere? Find out with this investigation. When your observations are complete, submit your results and compare your findings with those of others around the world.
URL: http://astro.uchicago.edu/cara/southpole.edu/boil.html

Title: Distance to the Moon
Description: The purpose of this page is to provide a guide for teachers that enables them to teach students how to calculate the distance between two objects, with scale models of the Earth and Moon.
URL: http://ares.jsc.nasa.gov/education/Activities/ExpMoon/D ...

Title: As a Matter of Fact
Description:
URL: http://mypages.iit.edu/~smile/ch9704.html

Title: States of Matter for Gr. K-8
Description: Students observe and classify matter.
URL: http://mypages.iit.edu/~smile/ch9525.html

Title: Some Printable Paper Rulers
Description: Use these printable rulers for students to take home or keep in their science notebooks. The rulers come in various styles, including a one-foot ruler marked with centimeters and inches, color square rules with inches and centimeters marked as squares of color, and even rulers with no markings on them.
URL: http://www.vendian.org/mncharity/dir3/paper_rulers/

Title: Change It!
Description: Can you identify characteristics of a physical change?
URL: http://gk-12.osu.edu/Lessons/4th Grade/Change It matter ...

Title: Discovering Lab Equipment
Description: Use this straightforward activity to introduce students to rulers, balances, beakers and graduated cylinders and what each does. The worksheet is available on page 7 at http://www.msnucleus.org/membership/html/k-6/as/pdf/as3w.pdf.
URL: http://www.msnucleus.org/membership/html/k-6/as/scimath ...

Title: Density Bottle Recipe
Description: Get ready to observe density. All you need is an empty water bottle, water, food coloring, vegetable oil and an Alka Seltzer. Mix and OBSERVE!
URL: http://www.sciencemadefun.net/downloads/bottle.pdf

Title: Ice Cube Fishing
Description: Bury a string in a cup of ice . . . sprinkle some salt. What happens?
URL: http://www.sciencemadefun.net/downloads/cube.pdf

Title: Strange Matter
Description: Discover the secrets of everyday stuff. Go inside a soda can to discover what it is made of. Transform Stuff allows you to transfer raw materials into new stuff. Predict which material will win in the Materials Smackdown!
URL: http://www.strangematterexhibit.com/index.html

Title: The Weight of Water
Description: Students will discover that salt water is more dense than fresh water.
URL: http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/info-books/manatee/ ...

Title: Potato Float
Description: Your kids will be amazed when they see a slice of potato mysteriously float in the exact center of a glass of water. It is not magic; it is an investigation in density. Be sure to check out Liquid Rainbow, a great extension/assessment activity.
URL: http://www.mcrel.org/whelmers/whelm49.asp

Title: The Absorbency of Rock
Description: Can a rock hold liquid? Yes, it can. Prove it for yourself with this rock absorbency experiment.
URL: http://www.seed.slb.com/labcontent.aspx?id=12848&terms= ...

Title: Ponds Freeze in the Winter — Why Doesn't the Ocean?
Description: What happens to a pond in winter? Does the water freeze all the way through? Does ocean water freeze? Click here for information on ponds and an activity that demonstrates the freezing points of salt and fresh water.
URL: http://www.neaq.org/education_and_activities/games_and_ ...