Welcome to "Power Surge: The Matter Mystery Adventure"! This interactive, online educational adventure is designed to engage students in exploring the fascinating world of the properties of matter. Set against the backdrop of Mount Etna, Italy, students will journey through various stations to uncover clues related to matter's characteristics, such as its states, mass, volume, texture, and more. As students work through the adventure, they will encounter challenges and solve puzzles that reinforce their understanding of the scientific concepts.
To support your teaching, we’ve provided a comprehensive suite of resources, including standards-based vocabulary cards, an instructional video that aligns with the online adventure, a detailed lesson plan, teaching dialogue, an answer key, and much more. These resources are designed to help you guide your students through the learning experience, assess their progress, and ensure they gain a solid understanding of the material. The lesson can be completed in one hour or less, and students will have the opportunity to use the adventure as both a learning tool and a fun, interactive experience.
Student Link:
https://excavatingadventures.com/blogs/adventures/12-matter-mystery
Lesson Plan: Power Surge - The Matter Mystery Adventure
Grade Level: Elementary (Grades 3-5)
Subject: Properties of Matter
Topic: Exploring Matter through its Properties (Solid, Liquid, Gas, Mass, Volume, Texture, etc.)
Duration: 1 Hour or Less
Learning Objectives:
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
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Identify the three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas.
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Understand the basic properties of matter, including texture, mass, volume, and luster.
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Recognize that materials are made of different substances, each with unique properties.
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Apply their knowledge to solve interactive challenges in an online escape room, reinforcing their learning about matter.
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Demonstrate an understanding of the properties of matter through the completion of the escape room puzzles and the use of supporting resources like vocabulary cards.
Materials:
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Interactive Online Educational Adventure (Power Surge: The Matter Mystery Adventure)
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Standards-based Vocabulary Cards for reference (provided as a downloadable resource)
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Instructional video (aligns with the online adventure)
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Lesson plan
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Teaching dialogue and answer key
Relevant Vocabulary:
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Matter – Anything that has mass and takes up space.
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Property – A characteristic that can describe matter (e.g., color, texture, size, hardness).
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Density – The amount of mass in a given space; helps determine if objects sink or float.
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States of Matter – The forms matter takes: solid, liquid, and gas.
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Mass – The amount of matter in an object.
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Volume – The amount of space matter occupies.
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Texture – The feel or surface characteristics of an object.
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Luster – The way light reflects off an object, describing its shininess or dullness.
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Material – The substance something is made of.
Lesson Outline:
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Introduction (10 Minutes)
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Begin with a brief introduction to the topic of matter and its properties.
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Introduce the vocabulary words to students and provide examples (e.g., solids, liquids, and gases) in everyday life.
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Show the instructional video that explains the properties of matter, focusing on the vocabulary and examples.
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Main Activity: Interactive Online Escape Room (30 Minutes)
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Students will begin the online adventure titled Power Surge: The Matter Mystery Adventure.
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During the adventure, students will navigate various stations like "Power Core Lab," "Insulator Isle," and "Resistor Ridge," solving puzzles and identifying properties of matter.
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As students progress through the adventure, they will use their vocabulary cards as reference tools to help them answer questions and solve challenges.
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Encourage students to focus on how different materials and substances interact with each other, helping them apply the vocabulary to solve problems.
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Assessment and Engagement (15 Minutes)
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As students move through the escape room, assess their understanding by checking their progress on solving puzzles related to matter's properties.
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Allow students to log their adventure and reflect on the concepts they learned by completing the final puzzle, which will help reinforce the key lesson objectives.
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Use the Trading Cards provided for additional learning support, guiding students through the review of key terms and concepts.
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Wrap-Up and Reflection (5 Minutes)
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Conclude the lesson by reviewing the main concepts: matter, properties, and the importance of understanding how materials and substances behave in different environments.
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Allow students to share their favorite parts of the adventure and discuss any questions or insights they gained from the experience.
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Assessment:
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Formative Assessment: Observe student engagement and participation in the online escape room.
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Summative Assessment: Completion of the escape room with accurate answers to the puzzles, reflecting understanding of matter and its properties.
Additional Teacher Resources:
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Vocabulary Cards: Provide students with cards for reference as they work through the adventure. Each card includes the vocabulary word, its definition, and examples.
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Answer Key: Use the provided answer key to check the students' responses to questions and puzzles within the adventure.
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Teaching Dialogue: Utilize the suggested teaching dialogue to explain concepts and facilitate discussions.
Teacher Reference Guide: Power Surge - The Matter Mystery Adventure
In this lesson, students will explore the fascinating world of matter and its properties by embarking on an interactive online adventure titled Power Surge: The Matter Mystery Adventure. As students journey through the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe in Shoreham, New York, they will learn about the different states of matter (solid, liquid, and gas), the properties that define matter (such as texture, luster, and density), and how various materials are identified and classified based on their unique characteristics.
The adventure introduces students to the concept that matter is anything that has mass and takes up space. They will learn that matter exists in three states: solid, liquid, and gas. Properties are characteristics like color, texture, and size, which can be used to compare and classify different materials. Students will also explore how the density of an object determines whether it will float or sink in a liquid, and how mass and volume are essential measurements for understanding the amount of matter in an object. The adventure also includes hands-on elements that reinforce learning, such as identifying luster, which refers to how light reflects off a material, and understanding texture, the physical feel of an object’s surface.
Throughout the lesson, students will use Trading Cards with definitions and examples of the vocabulary words as a reference. These cards will help them answer puzzles and questions that challenge them to apply what they’ve learned about matter's properties. The interactive online escape room will guide students through various stations, such as the Power Core Lab, Insulator Isle, and Resistor Ridge, where they will engage with challenges and apply their knowledge of matter. The instructional video will provide a foundational overview of matter and its properties before the students dive into the adventure, ensuring they have the necessary context to succeed in the escape room.
To complete the lesson, students will solve puzzles related to the states of matter, density, mass, volume, and other important properties, reflecting their understanding through the completion of the final puzzle. Teachers will use the answer key to assess student progress and ensure the learning objectives are met. Students will also have the chance to reflect on their adventure and discuss the concepts they’ve learned. By the end of the lesson, students will have a strong grasp of the core concepts of matter and will have applied that knowledge in an exciting, hands-on, interactive environment.
Answer Sheet for Teacher Reference
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What is the flow of electric charge called?
Answer: Electricity -
What kind of material stops electricity from flowing?
Answer: Insulator -
What slows down the flow of electricity?
Answer: Resistance -
What lets electricity flow easily?
Answer: Conductor -
What device stores and supplies energy for electrical circuits?
Answer: Battery -
What object attracts iron and has invisible forces?
Answer: Magnet -
What kind of electricity is caused by rubbing and buildup?
Answer: Static Electricity -
What is the name for the flow of electric charge in a wire?
Answer: Current -
What do you need to complete to power a light or fan?
Answer: Circuit