Human Matter Activity

Lesson Objective

• I can demonstrate the movement of particles in various states of matter.

Directions

After learning about energy and matter, students will become particles of matter and move about the classroom representing different states of matter.

• Students should all stand and be in a space that will allow all students to move about the room freely.
• The teacher controls the energy level of the particles by instructing students to move about in response to different states of matter and increasing or decreasing energy levels.
• Students should huddle close together in groups to represent the close particles of a solid.
• Instruct students to add more energy, start moving more, but still be in solid form, very close together.
• Instruct students to add more energy, changing state to become liquid. Students should begin breaking apart from their solid shape and flowing around each other still remaining in close contact.
• Instruct students to add more energy, starting to move more, but still remain in liquid form, close together but flowing around each other.
• Instruct students to add more energy, changing state to become a gas. Students should break apart from their liquid form and move freely around the room, filling the space of the room.
• As the teacher, announce different energy levels or states of matter for the student particles to represent. After going through the changes from solid particles to gas particles, students should have an idea of how they should be moving around the room. You may wish to have students react to cooling or warming temperatures and relate that to energy levels of the particles.

Consider talking to students about moving around the room and acting safely, preventing injuries from fast moving human gas particles (students) colliding in the classroom causing an injury.