Solids, Liquids and Gases: Banana hammers and soft nails

Supports National Curriculum, Key Stages 1 and Units 2D, 3C, 4D, 5C, 5D, 6D

Suitable for years 4,5 and 6.



The time for whole session is about 1 hour. This can be varied by taking shorter paths through the material. Choices may depend on the apparatus available or the particular needs of the class.



Outline of content



Aims to:



* establish what the children already know, through a class activity

* develop an appreciation of the difference in temperature between 0C and 30C

* extend their understanding of high and low temperatures so that they understand the liquid nitrogen is very cold indeed

* find out about changes from liquids to gases

* find out that cooling materials can cause them to change

* find out about changes from liquids to solids

* discover that some changes are reversible changes



Points to note:

Liquid nitrogen is hazardous. When planning this visit, contact your local source of liquid nitrogen and ask for a practice session with an experienced user. Please read the notes about safety and agree the assessment with the teacher before the session! Children should be at least two metres from the demonstrations and must not sit on the floor for this presentation.



* Detailed instructions for the activities are provided.

* Apparatus details are listed and linked to the relevant sections.

* Pictures are provided for the rope activity.

* A temperature range summary is provided in a PowerPoint file for projection or it can be drawn onto a black or white board.

* There is a video animation for use with activity 5.

* Vocabulary: The presentation uses mainly expressions included in the KS 1&2 strategies



Misconceptions to be corrected:

* Liquids cannot be very cold

* True gases (like air) cannot be liquefied.

* Boiling can only occur at hot temperatures.

* Temperatures can be lowered indefinitely.



Feedback from teachers after the trial visits:

“The material and methods used engaged the pupils in highly productive learning which was vivid and relevant to the QCA schemes of work followed.”



“The pupils were challenged appropriately in this imaginative, effective and thought provoking session.”



“The children were interested and engaged throughout the session.”



“The session enabled them to grasp the basics of the subject and develop a greater understanding, thereby gaining a higher grade in the end of unit test.”

Link to:

* Activities

* Apparatus List

* Safety Notes

* Download images for Rope Temperature Scale Activity

* Download Temperature Range Summary

* Download water on a hotplate video file

* Download Overview, Activities, Apparatus List and Safety Notes as a combined Word document for ease of printing



Source: www.iop.org/activity/outreach/Resources/Physicists_and_Primary_Schools_Project/Topics/Solids%20Liquids%20and%20Gases/page_8785.html

1. Physics in Primary Schools: Electricity - Robots and electric eels
2. Physics in Primary Schools: Forces & gravity
3. Physics in Primary Schools: Forces and Magnets
4. Physics in Primary Schools: Sound
5. Physics in Primary Schools: Solids
6. Physics in Primary Schools: Light
7. Physics in Primary Schools: Solids, liquids and gases
8. Physics in Primary Schools: sunlight and space travel
9. Physics in Primary Schools: Forces and springs
10. Physics in Primary Schools: Earth & the solar system

This site is for physicists - to interest children in physics. The material covers topics suitable for use when visiting primary schools. A joint venture triggered by the Institute of Physics Women in Physics Group. Material is provided by a team from the University of Sheffield with EPSRC funding.



Aims



* to enthuse young children with the enjoyment and excitement of physics.

* to support the primary school teachers with the extensive Key Stage 1 and 2 science curricula involving numerous abstract concepts.



Topics

* Electricity

* Forces and Gravity

* Forces and Magnets

* Sound

* Solids

* Light

* Solids, Liquids and Gases

* Sunlight and Space Travel

* Forces and Springs

* Earth and Solar System

* Electricity Generation Part 1

* Electricity Generation Part 2



Young children love science and enjoy doing practical work, your scientific expertise will be greatly appreciated and the children will have lots of questions for you to answer. You may be surprised to find how much you enjoy it.

The Sheffield team: Professor Gillian Gehring, Professor David Mowbray, Dr Susan Cartwright, Dr Richard de Grijs, Dr David Lidzey, Ann Marks.