Nicole Volpi

March 6, 2015
8:20
Room 17
Lesson Plan: Ooblek, Liquid or Solid?
Rationale: The students have been introduced to a unit involving States of Matter. In order to
have a more in depth understanding of the states of matter, they need to know that matter
changes, and could possibly be in two states at once. In the students daily lives, they will
encounter a variety of matter in the different states. This lesson is also cross curricular. It is Dr.
Seuss week, and the book Bartholemew and the Ooblek by Dr. Seuss is a great way to kick off
this lesson, introducing the substance we are investigating. In math we are currently learning
how to graph, so graphing at the end whether students think it is a solid, or a liquid will tie in
what we are currently doing in math to this science lesson.
Standard: 5.2.2.A.2 Matter exists in several different states; the most commonly encountered
are solids, liquids, and gases. Liquids take the shape of the part of the container they occupy.
Solids retain their shape regardless of the container they occupy.
Objectives: Students will be able to.
make predictions and compare their predictions with actual happenings
compare the properties of solids and the properties of liquids
determine whether their mixture is solid or liquid
Materials: Bartholemew and the Ooblek by Dr. Seuss, worksheet, ooblek(corn starch, water and
green food coloring), Ziploc bags, chart paper, SMART board
Lesson Procedure:
1. Lesson Introduction:
Boys and girls in s cience we have been talking about matter. Before we begin
our lesson for today I want to review the different states of matter. We are going
to be using what we know about the states of matter to determine what state a
substance is later on.
2. Beginning
a. Can anyone tell me the three states of matter? Right a liquid, solid and gas.
b. On the SMART board create a chart with the three states of matter.
c. What are the properties of a solid? How does it look, feel, whats its shape?
REPEAT FOR LIQUIDS AND GASSES
d. Pose the question Do you think there could be other forms of matter?
e. Ok boys and girls its Dr. Seuss week so I am going to be calling you to the mat
row by row to listen to a Dr. Seuss story.
f. Call students rows to the mat

g. The title of the book we are going to read today is Bartholomew and the Ooblek
by Dr. Seuss. Look at the cover, turn and talk to a partner what you think this
story might be about. Choose someone to share what they think it will be about.
h. Read the story
3. During
a. Stop occasionally to ask questions/clarify what words may mean.
b. Ask students what they think the ooblek in the story may be
c. After the book is finished I have brought some ooblek with me today and you
will have the chance to explore it when you go back to your seats. I want to
remind you we are in the classroom and this is a tool not a toy. I want you to have
fun exploring the ooblek but I want you to remember the rules we have in the
classroom and to follow them. If you cannot work appropriately your ooblek will
be taken away. While you are working at your desks you can talk but please keep
it to a whisper.
d. Dismiss students back to their desk
e. Pass out worksheet/prediction card
f. Before you do anything I want you to predict what you think the substance is
write your prediction on the card that is on your desk."
g. Once you have to ooblek you will use this worksheet to guide your exploration.
For the first two questions you are doing exactly what it says to make your
observations. After that take the ooblek out and play around with it. Keep in mind
the properties of the different states of matter. Our goal here is to discover what it
is, a solid or a liquid, or possibly both.
h. Pass out ooblek
4. Ending
a. Once students have had the opportunity to investigate the ooblek and fill out their
worksheet call students back to the mat.
b. So what are some things that you noticed or that happened with the ooblek?
Generate a list on the SMART Board.
c. Go over the worksheet
d. In math we have been working on creating graphs. I want to take a vote and
create a graph on what we think ooblek is, the options are solid, liquid or both.
e. Take students votes and create a bar graph based on the data.
5. Closing
a. Although we have different answers on our graph, the answer is ooblek can be
both a liquid and a solid. In what ways did you observe it as a liquid? In what
ways did you observe it as a solid? Ooblek is made out of corn starch and water.
Water and corn starch do something strange when mixed together. The substance
they form pours like a liquid, but when you squeeze it or jab at it, it becomes
solid. When a substance acts like both a liquid and a solid, it is called a discrepant
substance. Ooblek is a discrepant substance.
b. Now that we have determined what ooblek is I want you to flip the prediction
card over and complete the exit slip.
6. Assessment
a. An exit card will be given to students to assess their understanding.

7. Differentiation
a. A checklist will be given to lower level students that contain the properties of
liquids and solids. They will be able to check off the properties that the ooblek
has. For higher level learners, I will encourage them to make predictions as to
what they think would happen to the ooblek when it is exposed to different
temperatures.