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3rd grade · Science · Unit 1 of 12

Matter & Particles

Everything is made of particles

What your child practices

All matter is made of tiny particles. How particles are arranged in solids, liquids and gases, and how heating and cooling cause melting, freezing, evaporation and condensation.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) teks student expectation: 3.6(B); 3.6(C) · solids, liquids and gases, and changes of state from heating and cooling

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. All matter is made of tiny particles.
  2. Solid: packed tightly, wiggling in place. Liquid: close but sliding past. Gas: far apart and moving fast.
  3. Heating causes melting and evaporation. Cooling causes freezing and condensation.

Example: Liquid water turns into a gas. What is that called? Heat makes the particles move faster and spread out. Liquid to gas is evaporation. Answer: evaporation

Matter & Particles in Texas

In the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), this is unit 1 of 12 in 3rd grade Science, before Pushes, Pulls & Forces.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Texas Education Agency (TEA)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Heating makes particles move…

    🔥
    • slower
    • faster
    • not at all

  2. Question 2

    Why does a gas spread out to fill a whole balloon?

    🎈
    • a gas has no particles
    • its particles move in every direction
    • its particles are packed tightly

  3. Question 3

    Butter melts in a hot pan, then turns solid again in the fridge. This shows that changes of state can…

    🧈
    • never be undone
    • only happen to water
    • be undone

  4. Question 4

    A pot of cold water is heated on the stove. Put what happens in order.

    • ♨️the water boils and bubbles
    • 🔥the water warms and its particles speed up
    • 💧cold water sits in the pot
    • 💨water vapor rises into the air

  5. Question 5

    Is this change caused by heating or cooling?

    Sort into: 🔥 heating · ❄️ cooling

    • ☀️a puddle dries up in the sun
    • 🍧juice becomes a frozen pop
    • 🕯️melted wax hardens
    • 🍫chocolate goes soft in the sun
    • 🪟drops form on a cold window
    • 🧈butter melts in a pan

  6. Question 6

    You put juice in the freezer. What change happens?

    🧃
    • it starts to boil
    • it freezes into a solid
    • it turns into a gas

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