Mrs. Ayzin’s second-grade class at Cheder Chabad Girls of Long Island has been learning all about matter in science class. The girls now know that matter is anything that takes up space and has mass — they can even use a pan scale to measure and compare the masses of various items! Matter comes in many shapes and forms. It could be a solid, a liquid, or a gas. The students practiced using descriptive language and their five senses to describe the properties of matter, which they could do even if they couldn’t see the item.
After listening to and discussing a great read-aloud book about the scientific method, the second grade made Oobleck using a simple recipe of water, corn starch, and food coloring. The girls took turns describing the strange material in their hands and tried to figure out if it has properties of a solid or a liquid — only to realize it has some of both! When they pushed or squished the Oobleck, it kept its shape and took on the properties of a solid. When they let go of the Oobleck or moved their hands through it slowly, it acted more like a liquid and took the shape of its container. Everyone enjoyed getting a little messy while learning new things!
