Kids' Web Classroom: Material Properties and
Change
This section provides kid-appropriate sites that
you might want to let your students explore on
their own, or with your guidance.
The pH Factor
The Miami Museum of Science designed this
visual site to help young learners explore the
concept of pH through clickable activities that
use everyday items such as lemons, baking soda,
vinegar, and water to promote understanding. The
pages are equally useful for students and
teachers. Make the Teacher's Guide your first stop
on the site, as it explains how to use the site to
the best advantage.
Compounds and Mixtures Movie
The friendly animators at BrainPOP use the tasty medium of
brownies as a jumping-off point to explain the difference
between compounds and mixtures. The movie images are very
helpful in illuminating these sometimes-tricky
concepts.
Buoyancy Movie
Simple examples and visuals help to explain what buoyancy is
and how it works in this animated BrainPOP movie.
States of Matter Movie
This animated mini-movie from BrainPOP explains solids,
liquids, gases, and plasma using language and everyday
examples that would be easy for young learners to understand
and follow.
Density Lab: Float or Sink?
Users can drop different objects into a pail of liquid, a
graduated cylinder of liquid (to measure displacement), or
weigh them on a scale. By using the tools to investigate the
density of the objects, you can predict whether the objects
will float or sink in the pail of liquid. Dropping the
objects into the pail is fun even if you don't do the
calculations, and could be useful to launch a discuss of
liquids; solids; comparing and measuring; and balancing and
weighing. Requires Shockwave.
Floating Log Activity
By manipulating mass, density, and other variables, you can
find out how much weight can be put on it without sinking.
While the math will be more advanced, you can easily adapt
this site to relate to themes of solids, liquids, and
weighing. Requires Shockwave.
Matter
Using simple and accessible language, this site
walks you though the basics of understanding
matter, its properties, and the states of
matter.
Mixtures
This useful
page uses simple examples (tap water, concrete, and salt
water) to explain the basics of mixtures.
What is Matter?
Written for kids, this page explains the special
properties of and the differences between solids, liquids,
and gases, using familiar examples.
Measure It!
These
online measurement activities are perfect for young learners
to go online and develop their measuring skills. With
difficulty levels ranging from "easy" to "super brain," kids
can practice reading centimeters and inches.
