Magnolia Fifth Graders Studying Matter

Fifth graders at Magnolia are discovering that the weight and mass of matter do not change when its state changes.  Students found the mass of shortening, gummy candy, chocolate, and butter as solids, liquids, and then again as solids at the matter resolidified.  According to their teacher, Ryan Hook, at the start of the unit, many students predicted that the weight and mass would decrease when the solid changed to a liquid, so this has been a big "a-ha" moment for students!

Grade 5 content standards provide students with opportunities for investigation, observation, and explanation of a variety of scientific phenomena. 

Matter and Its Interactions Standard 1:
Investigate matter to provide mathematical evidence, including graphs, to show that regardless of the type of reaction (e.g., new substance forming due to dissolving or mising) or change (e.g., phase change) that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total weight of the matter is conserved.