In Properties of Matter, students examine the phenomenon that matter, the “stuff” of which everything is made, exists in many forms. Students practice sorting and grouping materials by characteristics called properties and investigate how the properties of different types of matter make them useful for different tasks. Students will be introduced to the practice of taking measurements, which permit simple comparisons. They will explore matter, including the distinction between physical and chemical properties and changes, in Grade 5 Unit 1 Investigating Matter.

Children are exposed to describing objects by color, shape, and size from a young age. However, they might not have been invited to examine the materials that make up different objects. A closer look at objects reveals that they are made of a diverse range of materials. These materials are also made up of parts that can be assembled, disassembled, and reassembled in a variety of useful ways.

In exploring phenomena about matter, students investigate, describe, and classify materials by their observable properties, including changes brought about by heating and cooling. They recognize that certain materials have properties that make them suited for intended purposes. Students learn how materials, based on favorable properties, are used to make up parts that can be assembled, disassembled, and reassembled in a variety of useful ways.

Engineers and engineering designers use knowledge of the properties of matter as they use materials in design solutions to make things that are useful to people. This series of lessons incorporates learning goals that support the principles and practices of engineering design, such as defining problems, testing materials, and evaluating possible solutions.