C. Matter and Energy · Properties of Liquids and Solids

Solids and Liquids All Around Us

C2.1 C2.2 A1.1 A1.5About 30 minutes

Learning goals

I can tell if something is a solid or a liquid.
I can find solids and liquids in nature (the natural environment).
I can find solids and liquids that people make or use (the built environment).
I can sort things in a chart and share what I found.

Words to know

matter
Anything that takes up space. Rocks, milk, you and even air are all matter.

solid
Matter that keeps its own shape. A rock, a spoon and an ice cube are solids.

liquid
Matter that flows and takes the shape of its container. Water, milk and juice are liquids.

natural environment
The world made by nature, like forests, lakes, rocks and rain.

built environment
The things and places people make, like houses, roads, cars and shampoo.

container
Something that holds things, like a cup, bottle, bowl or box.

Let's start with breakfast

It is a cold January morning. You pour milk on your cereal. The milk splashes and spreads all around the bowl. Then you pick up your spoon. The spoon stays the same shape in your hand.

Outside the window, long icicles hang from the roof.

The milk, the spoon and the icicles are all matter. But they are different kinds of matter. Let's find out how!

Long icicles hanging from a snowy roof edge on a sunny winter day. — Icicles are solid water. Each one keeps its own pointy shape as it hangs from the roof. AI-generated image

Matter is everywhere

Matter is anything that takes up space. Your toys, your food, the water in the bathtub and even you are made of matter!

In this unit we will learn about two kinds (or states) of matter:

A solid keeps its own shape. You can pick it up and hold it. It does not flow. A block, a book and a rock are solids.
A liquid flows (it moves and pours). It takes the shape of its container. You cannot hold it in your hand, because it drips through your fingers. Water, milk and juice are liquids.

There is a third state of matter called gas, like the air we breathe. You will learn about air in another unit.

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Solids: a rock, an ice cube, an apple, a brick and a spoon. Each one keeps its own shape.

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Liquids: water, milk, juice and honey. Each one flows and takes the shape of its container.

Two questions to ask

When you want to know if something is a solid or a liquid, ask:

Does it keep its own shape? If yes, it is a solid.
Does it flow and take the shape of its container? If yes, it is a liquid.

Natural or built?

Scientists also ask where they found the matter.

The natural environment is made by nature: lakes, rivers, rain, rocks, trees, sand and snow.
The built environment is made by people: houses, roads, juice, shampoo, bricks and toys.

We can find solids and liquids in both!

	Solid	Liquid
Natural environment (made by nature)	rock, sand, tree trunk, ice on a pond, snow, pine cone	rain, lake water, river water, maple sap
Built environment (made by people)	brick, bike, toy car, spoon, wooden table	juice, shampoo, dish soap, cooking oil, paint

Solids and liquids are found in nature and in places people build.

Worked example

Let's sort the kitchen

Sort these kitchen things into solids and liquids: an apple, milk, a spoon, orange juice, an ice cube, honey.

Apple: Does it keep its own shape? Yes. It is a solid.
Milk: It pours and takes the shape of the glass. It is a liquid.
Spoon: It keeps its own shape. It is a solid.
Orange juice: It pours and takes the shape of the cup. It is a liquid.
Ice cube: It keeps its own shape (until it melts). It is a solid.
Honey: It flows slowly, but it does flow, and it takes the shape of the jar. It is a liquid.

Solids: apple, spoon, ice cube. Liquids: milk, orange juice, honey.

Worked example

Let's go on a nature walk

On a spring walk, Amir sees a puddle, a rock, maple sap dripping into a bucket, a pine cone and a pile of melting snow. Which are solids and which are liquids? Are they natural or built?

All of these were made by nature, so they are part of the natural environment.
Puddle water flows and spreads out on the ground. It is a liquid.
Rock keeps its shape. It is a solid.
Maple sap drips and flows. It is a liquid.
Pine cone keeps its shape. It is a solid.
Snow is made of tiny pieces of ice. You can pack it into a snowball that keeps its shape. It is a solid. When it melts, it turns into liquid water.

Solids: rock, pine cone, snow. Liquids: puddle water, maple sap. All are part of the natural environment.

Scientists share what they find

When you find out something, share it. You can tell someone, draw a picture or make a chart. Use science words like solid, liquid, natural and built. This is how scientists communicate!

Just for fun

Why did the ice cube feel so proud?

It knew how to keep its shape, even under pressure!

Hands-on activity

Solid and liquid hunt

You need: paper, a pencil, and a grown-up.

Draw a chart with two columns: Solids and Liquids.
Walk through your home with a grown-up. Find 5 solids and 5 liquids. Write or draw each one in the chart. (Look, but do not open bottles of cleaners or medicine. Point to them and let the grown-up tell you what they are.)
Now go outside, or look out the window. Find 2 solids and 1 liquid in nature. Add them to your chart with a star ⭐ to show they are natural.
Look at a picture book or a nature book. Can you find more solids and liquids in the pictures? This is how scientists research!
Share your chart. Tell your grown-up one thing that surprised you.

What to look for: every solid keeps its shape, and every liquid can flow or pour.

Your turn

Is a rock a solid or a liquid? How do you know?

Is orange juice a solid or a liquid? How do you know?

Name two liquids you might find in a bathroom.

Is a lake part of the natural environment or the built environment?

Is an ice cube a solid or a liquid?

Sort these: maple syrup, a toque, rain.

Name one solid in the built environment.

More practice: warm-up

Is a brick a solid or a liquid?

Is milk a solid or a liquid?

Is a pencil a solid or a liquid?

Is rain a solid or a liquid?

Is a bike natural or built?

More practice: on your own

Name one solid and one liquid that you can find in nature.

Mia says, "Snow is a liquid because it melts into water." Is she right?

Sort these into natural or built, and solid or liquid: maple sap, a wooden table, dish soap, a pebble.

How could you check if something is a liquid?

A juice box has juice inside. Which part is a solid and which part is a liquid?

Challenge

Name a food that has a solid and a liquid together.

A glass of water has 3 ice cubes in it. List every solid and every liquid you see.

Is a snowman part of the natural environment or the built environment? Explain.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which one is a liquid?

A solid...

Which one is a solid?

Which one is part of the natural environment?

Which one is a liquid found in the built environment?

Why can't you hold milk in your hand?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: All matter takes up space. A solid keeps its own shape; a liquid flows and takes the shape of its container (Ontario expectations C2.1 and C2.2). Children also learn to name where they found the matter: the natural environment or the built environment.

How to help: Play "solid or liquid?" at meals, in the bath and outside. Always ask "How do you know?" A good answer uses the clues keeps its shape or flows / takes the shape of its container.

Research skills (Strand A): The hunt and the picture-book search are a simple research process: look, record, use a source, share. Let your child write or draw; spelling does not matter here.

Common difficulties:

Thinking thick liquids (honey, syrup, shampoo) are solids. Tip the jar slowly. If it flows, it is a liquid.
Calling snow a liquid because it melts. Snow is solid until it melts. Melting is a change of state (coming in later lessons).
Forgetting containers are solids too. Ask, "What about the cup?"

Safety: Children should look at, not open, bottles of cleaners or medicine during the hunt.