Grade 3 Matter Lesson Plan

Matter in Earth Science: Assessment Review

Matter | Assessment Review

Grade 3 Earth Science Matter Assessment Review Challenging Professional 8 Views
Lesson Plan Ready
Click Print / Save as PDF. In print settings, turn off Headers and footers.
All Lesson Plans
Matter in Earth Science: Assessment Review
Professional Lesson Plan

Matter in Earth Science: Assessment Review

Matter | Assessment Review

GradeGrade 3
SubjectEarth Science
TopicMatter
Duration60 Minutes
Lesson TypeAssessment Review
DifficultyChallenging

Lesson Overview

Students review key Grade 3 Earth science ideas about matter through discussion, sorting, modeling, and quick practice tasks. The lesson focuses on identifying matter, describing its properties, and connecting matter to Earth materials such as rocks, water, air, and soil.

Learning Objectives

  • Define matter as anything that has mass and takes up space.
  • Identify examples of matter in Earth science, including rocks, water, air, and soil.
  • Describe matter using observable properties such as color, texture, shape, and state.
  • Sort and classify Earth materials based on their properties.
  • Explain how matter can be found in different forms in the natural world.

Materials Needed

  • Chart paper or board
  • Markers
  • Matter picture cards or classroom objects
  • Rocks, soil, water in a clear container, or images of each
  • Student notebooks or recording sheet
  • Exit ticket slips
  • Pencils

Vocabulary

TermDefinition
matterAnything that has mass and takes up space.
massHow much matter is in an object.
volumeThe space an object or material takes up.
propertyA characteristic that describes matter, such as color or texture.
solidMatter that keeps its shape.
liquidMatter that flows and takes the shape of its container.
gasMatter that spreads out to fill a space.

Lesson Sequence

Warm-Up Review10 minutes
Teacher Actions

Display 4-5 Earth science items or pictures. Ask students to quickly name which ones are matter and explain why.

Student Actions

Students respond orally, using the words mass, space, or property when possible.

Direct Review and Guided Practice15 minutes
Teacher Actions

Review the definition of matter and model how to describe one Earth material using observable properties. Ask focused questions to check understanding.

Student Actions

Students repeat key ideas, share examples, and help describe materials from the classroom or images.

Partner Sorting Activity15 minutes
Teacher Actions

Give students cards or pictures of Earth materials. Model a sort by state of matter or by properties, then have pairs complete a second sort and justify their choices.

Student Actions

Students work with a partner to sort items, discuss reasons, and record one or two explanations.

Challenging Review Questions10 minutes
Teacher Actions

Read higher-level review questions such as: Why is air matter even though we cannot always see it? How are rocks and water different as matter?

Student Actions

Students answer in complete sentences and use evidence from the lesson.

Independent Practice5 minutes
Teacher Actions

Ask students to complete a short written review: define matter, list two Earth materials that are matter, and describe one property of each.

Student Actions

Students work independently to show what they know.

Closure5 minutes
Teacher Actions

Lead a quick recap of the main ideas and invite students to share one thing they can now explain about matter.

Student Actions

Students state one new or important idea from the lesson.

Support

  • Provide picture supports and sentence frames such as '_____ is matter because _____.'
  • Allow students to sort with fewer cards before moving to more challenging examples.
  • Pair students strategically for discussion support.
  • Preteach or review vocabulary with gestures and examples.
  • Accept oral responses or pointing for students who need reduced writing demands.

Challenge

  • Ask students to compare two Earth materials using at least two properties.
  • Have students explain how matter can change state using water as an example.
  • Challenge students to identify whether air in a balloon, water in a cup, and a rock are all matter and defend each answer.
  • Invite students to create their own sort rule and explain why it works.

Checks for Understanding

  • Listen for correct use of matter vocabulary during partner talk.
  • Use thumbs up/down after each review question to gauge understanding.
  • Observe sorting accuracy and reasoning during the partner activity.
  • Review written responses for accurate definitions and examples.
  • Ask individual students to justify one classification before moving on.

Closure

Summarize that matter is anything that has mass and takes up space, and that Earth materials such as rocks, water, air, and soil are all matter with different properties. Ask students to complete one final oral statement: 'One example of matter in Earth science is ____, and I know because ____.'

Homework

Have students find three examples of matter at home or outside, draw one of them, and write one property for each example.

© AcharyaCenter.com