**Before completing this reflection, I answered my own reflection questions and then proceeded

to make changes as I saw fit. See answers to reflection questions at the end of the lesson plan! **

Ali Hicks
Unit: Matter Date: 11/14/2013
Lesson: Solid/Liquid/Gas with Ice Cream Review Time: 20 Minutes

PA Academic Standards:
Standard - 3.2.4.A1: Identify and classify objects based on their observable and
measurable physical properties. Compare and contrast solids, liquids, and gases based on
their properties.

Assessment Anchors:
Assessment Anchor - S4.C.1: Structure, Properties, and Interaction of Matter and Energy
o Anchor Descriptor - S4.C.1.1: Describe observable physical properties of matter.
Eligible Content S4.C.1.1.1: Use physical properties [e.g., mass, shape,
size, volume, color, texture, magnetism, state (i.e., solid, liquid, and gas),
conductivity (i.e., electrical and heat)] to describe matter.

Motivational Device: Students will be asked about favorite desserts with a small discussion on
desserts and then they will be told that we are making ice cream as part of the lesson. I would
make sure to emphasize that we will be learning about solids, liquids and gasses within the
making of the ice cream.

Instructional Objectives:
Given the lesson, students will be able write the state of matter for the ingredients of the
ice cream and the materials with 100% accuracy.
Given the name of an item, students will be able to say which state of matter the item is
with 100% accuracy.
Given the summary of the solids, liquids and gases, students will be able to write a
definition of these key terms in their own words with 100% accuracy.

Materials Needed: whole milk, sugar, 2 baggies per group, 1 gallon baggie per group, one
plastic shopping bag per group, salt, ice, worksheets, cups, spoons, vanilla extract, and towel

Technology Needed: document camera, PowerPoint software

Lesson Type: direct instruction/cooperative learning

Lesson Outline:
1. Motivational Device
2. Learn terms solid, liquid, gas through PowerPoint. Provide more specific definitions and
explanations so that more students have the opportunity to understand. The PowerPoint
would include examples of each state of matter as each one was taught that would be
similar to the ones in the short activity to follow.
3. View pictures of moving molecules & classify random items as solid, liquid or gas
through PowerPoint
4. The activity where each table classified the items one at a time took too long the first
time and was not interactive enough. In place of this, I would provide each table with
either a physical object or a picture of something that represented each state of matter. I
would allow the table to discuss which one was which and then ask each table to hold up
their example of the solid. Each table would then share their item that was a solid with a
whip around. While I think that this would just as much time, it would be more
interactive which would be a better use of my time.
5. Make ice cream
a. Explain that this is really exciting but that everyone must be on their best
behavior
b. Have students pour salt into the bag with ice and stir
c. I made all the flavors of ice cream to be vanilla. I should have provided at least
one other option, like chocolate so that the students would have a choice.
d. Have students place small baggie into another small baggie. (I would be sure to
say this because I did not when I presented the first time. Without the double
bagging, there is a risk for salt to get into the ice cream causing an unpleasant
flavor.
e. Place the double small baggie into the bag with ice putting the baggie in the
middle of all the ice. I would make sure to emphasize that the whole bag is
placed in the ice, not to dump the contents of the bag into the ice.
f. Put the gallon bag with the ice into a shopping bag and tie it shut
g. Shake for five minutes
i. Each student shakes for 1 minute with one student shaking twice
1. I would have everyone that is shaking be sitting at another table.
Many of the college aged students were distracted by the ice
cream bag being at the table, so clearly fourth graders would be
even more distracted. Although moving tables would take more
time, I think the students doing the worksheets would actually be
able to concentrate better and complete them in the time allotted.
ii. Students will be completing a worksheet if they are not shaking.
h. Open all the bags and distribute ice cream into the small cups. Each cup should
get two spoons worth.
6. Go over worksheets. I would have had one person that completed the worksheet come up
and put it on the document camera so that every person could check their answers. I
would talk about the answers if time permitted but then the next day we would go over
all the answers in great detail if time ran out.
7. Closure
a. Exit card
b. Say: Wanted to keep this lesson simply about solids, liquids and gases because
we just learned it but tomorrow we will be learning about the chemical reactions
that happened and why this was possible.



Comment [o1]: Standard: Reflective Practice
this is an example of where I majorly changed part
of my lesson after teaching it the first time. I wanted
the students to be involved and realized that was
not the case with the first activity that I had
planned. I explained why and how I changed the
lesson.
Comment [o2]: Standard: Motivation and
ManagementThis is an example of where I
decided to change things around after teaching the
lesson to better manage the class and create a
learning environment to keep students focused.
Key Questions:
1. What are the three types of matter?
2. What is the difference between a gas and a liquid?
3. What is the difference between a solid and a liquid?

Closure: Students will write one thing they learned from this lesson.

Differentiated Learning Activities:
Tier 1: Have students paired with lower tiered students so that during lesson they can
provide assistance
Tier 2: These students will be able to function in the classroom with little to no help from
the teacher.
Tier 3: These students would be given note cards with the definitions of solid liquid and
gas so that they can complete worksheets correctly.

Formative Assessment:
1. Teacher will be walking around the room assessing working.
2. Students will be writing what they learned on an exit slip.

Homework: Students will be asked to write down a list of 10 solids, liquids and gases.

Reflection:
1. Were all students engaged the whole time?
a. No, during the activity with the PowerPoint pictures, only one table was active at
a time. Something could be fixed to improve this so that all tables are actively
participating at one time.
2. Did I explain solid, liquid and gas well enough?
a. For some people I explained these concepts well enough, in my opinion. I feel
that I provided many different pictures to help explain the molecular differences
but I could have explained in words better the general physical properties of the
states of matter.
3. Was making the ice cream beneficial in showing the states of matter or not?
a. I think so, which is why I do not want to change that aspect of my lesson. I think
that the worksheet really reinforced the concepts of solid, liquids and gasses by
having students demonstrate their understandings in many different ways.
(Example- pictures, writing in own words, etc.)
Comment [o3]: Standard: Reflective Practice
After teaching my lesson, I went back and answered
these questions before making changes to my
lesson. I did this so that I could grow professionally
and make my lesson better.