Meet Icy our ice man who helped to exhibit the ability of water to undergo reversible change as well as the difference between liquid and solid. When I taught "big kid" school we also used this fun experiment to show the entire water cycle. (we ended by boiling our ice man's puddle away--a bit morbid, but the kiddos LOVED it and therefore REMEMBERED it!!)
So, how to start? We started by discussing liquids and solids and followed up with a picture sort. I like to use real-world objects so that the kiddos understand that what we are talking about can be readily applied. For some quick images to sort, click the link below.
We then talked about how to change a liquid to a solid. We did a couple of different things that involved cooking (chemical change/irreversible). We made cupcakes this year, but I have done pancakes in a regular classroom on a griddle. Fast, easy, and so much fun! What kid doesn't remember cooking?! You can do the entire scientific process together with each of these. For older students, see my scientific lab report on TPT.
Of course at the tender age of 4 we talked about prediction and outcomes and threw around some terminology, but that was not the focus of this unit. Our aim was to create a strong understanding of the difference between liquids and solids and their properties. To end our unit of study, we used our science journals to record how snow (a solid) can change to water (a liquid). These are simple entries but the kiddos are actually enjoying WRITING because it's about our fun science experiments! That is a huge accomplishment in a classroom that is predominately 4 year old, rough and tumble boys!
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