Solid Writing is a Gas

It was the perfect way to end the week. The journal writing assignment was an effort to determine what they had learned about matter while providing a writing platform. They need only to choose one thing to provide as an example of matter, identify its state, and offer proof. As I read the students work, I could sense the spreading of the warm fuzzy feeling. The one pictured says, "A puddle is a liquid because it can stretch out until it can't any more. Steam is water vapor (language of a scientist we discussed) because it can fill the whole entire room." On the back it continued..."A mug is a solid because it can not change its shape. Matter is real cool." Another student wrote,"A brick is a solid because it won't break unless something does something to it." I found out that "Milk is a liquid that comes from cows." and "An ice cube is a solid because it is hard and won't change its shape." If this wasn't enough, I could also sense their pride in thinking like scientist. Woohoo!