Investigating Solids, Liquids, and Gases with Toys: States of Matter and Changes of State - Activities for Middle and High School Grades

Innovative investigations like these will empower middle and high school students to explore the states of matter and changes of state - using inexpensive toys and common household items like balloons, paper bags, Silly Putty®, facial tissues, and plastic Easter eggs. Classroom-tested and proven effective, these activities draw students in with toys, gadgetry, fun-to-do experiments, and observations of scientific phenomena in everyday events. Students will see solid rock candy form as a sugar solution evaporates; inflate a balloon using dry ice; and use the BedBugs® game to learn about the behavior of solids, liquids, and gases. You'll find 24 motivating, reproducible projects in all - ready to use and clearly referenced to the National Science Education Standards, with comprehensive materials lists, procedures, content review, and extension activities included. Teaching Science with TOYS is an activity-based, discovery-oriented approach developed by National Science Foundation-funded teacher training programs at Miami University of Ohio. The programs promote toys and household items as ideal science materials because they're already a user-friendly, everyday part of a young person's world.