{"id":1667,"date":"2009-09-07T14:36:32","date_gmt":"2009-09-07T19:36:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/openwidelookinside\/archives\/1667"},"modified":"2009-09-07T14:36:32","modified_gmt":"2009-09-07T19:36:32","slug":"teaching-physical-science-with-childrens-literature-what-is-the-world-made-of-all-about-solids-liquids-and-gases-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/openwidelookinside\/2009\/09\/07\/teaching-physical-science-with-childrens-literature-what-is-the-world-made-of-all-about-solids-liquids-and-gases-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Teaching Physical Science with Children’s Literature: What Is the World Made Of? (All About Solids, Liquids, and Gases)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"what-is-the-world-made-of.jpg\"<\/a>\u00a0<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

What Is the World Made Of? (All\u00a0About Solids, Liquids, and Gases)<\/a>\u00a0by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld, and illustrated by Paul Meisel, is a great resource to use when exploring matter.\u00a0 The book begins by explaining what matter is in terms children can readily understand.\u00a0 “Walls and blocks, dolls and socks.\u00a0 Milk and lemonade.\u00a0 Rocks and trees.\u00a0 All these things are made of matter”\u00a0(page 6).\u00a0 After reviewing the basic\u00a0definition of matter, the book goes on to discuss the three different states of matter; solid, liquid and gas.\u00a0 Zoehfeld does an excellent job making matter understandable to children.<\/p>\n

“Liquids have no shape.\u00a0 You pour a glass of milk for your little sister, and the milk takes on the shape of the glass.\u00a0 If she knocks it over, the milk spreads out on the tabletop…Milk is not round or square-it has no shape” (page 12).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

After thoroughly explaining each state of matter, the book\u00a0discusses how matter can change states (ie: from liquid to gas, liquid to solid).\u00a0 The book provides examples of changes in states of matter,\u00a0making the subject understandable for the elementary school reader.<\/p>\n

Curriculum Connections<\/strong>
\nWhat Is the World Made Of? <\/em>is appropriate for use in the kindergarten and second grade curricula.\u00a0 The entire book would be a great tool to use when discussing that water occurs in three states; solid, liquid and gas (SOL K.5 a).\u00a0 What Is the World Made of? <\/em>can also be used at a more advanced level, when students study matter in greater depth.\u00a0 Pages 9-16 provide a clear and concise explaination of the basic properties of solids, liquids, and gases (SOL 2.3).\u00a0 <\/em>Additionally,\u00a0pages 19-27 tie in perfectly when discussing processes involved with changes in matter from one state to another (SOL 2.3 b).\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Additional Resources<\/strong><\/p>\n