{"id":379,"date":"2016-10-12T16:03:42","date_gmt":"2016-10-12T20:03:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/horizon-research.com\/wp-test\/?page_id=379"},"modified":"2025-10-29T19:18:52","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T23:18:52","slug":"matter","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/ASSET\/matter\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting Started: Small Particle Model of Matter"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 class=\"collapseomatic  colomat-close\" id=\"id69e0b130ecd63\"  tabindex=\"0\" title=\"The Science Content\"    >The Science Content<\/h3><div id=\"target-id69e0b130ecd63\" class=\"collapseomatic_content \">\nWe designed this resource for teachers who want to help their students learn about the small particle model of matter\u2014that is, the idea that:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol>\n<li>all matter is made of particles that are too small to see, even with a microscope;<\/li>\n<li>there is empty space between those particles; and<\/li>\n<li>the particles are in constant random motion<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This content aligns with disciplinary core idea <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nextgenscience.org\/pe\/5-ps1-1-matter-and-its-interactions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PS1.A (Structure and Properties of Matter) at the 5<sup>th<\/sup> grade in the NGSS<\/a> (NGSS Lead States, 2013).\u00a0 The particles we refer to are atoms and molecules, but these terms are not introduced to students at this age (see &#8220;Student Language and Teacher Language&#8221; below).<br \/>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"collapseomatic \" id=\"id69e0b130ecdef\"  tabindex=\"0\" title=\"Driving Question Pathways\"    >Driving Question Pathways<\/h3><div id=\"target-id69e0b130ecdef\" class=\"collapseomatic_content \">\nThe resource is organized into Driving Question Pathways, which are structured in a sequence based on principles of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/aim\/wp-content\/uploads\/Banilower-Effective-Science-Instruction.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">effective science teaching (Banilower, Cohen, Pasley, &amp; Weiss, 2010)<\/a>.\u00a0 Each pathway begins with a driving question designed to cause students to wonder about some phenomenon (e.g., What happens to the water in a puddle when it disappears?\u00a0 What happens when you stir salt into a glass of water?). \u00a0The driving question should be recorded in a science notebook or somewhere else prominent that can be referred to as students engage with the pathway. \u00a0The student experiences within the pathway (see below) engage students with phenomena (e.g., salt dissolving in water) and give them opportunities to answer the driving question by drawing on the small particle model, and in doing so, students have opportunities to learn the model itself.\u00a0 Teachers can use any number of pathways.\u00a0 Any one of them will expose students to the small particle model, but each pathway highlights different facets of the model, so the more pathways students experience, the better. \u00a0Although we don&#8217;t prescribe a specific order for the pathways, the first three help introduce key ideas about particles that will likely be helpful for students while engaging with the other three pathways. \u00a0More information can be found in &#8220;Connections to Other Pathways&#8221; within each Driving Question Pathway.<\/p>\n<p>Each pathway begins with an opportunity for students to express their initial thinking and concludes with an opportunity for students to revisit their initial thinking.\u00a0 We recommend that teachers ask students to keep a record of their initial thinking, for example in a science notebook, so they can compare with their thinking at the end of the pathway.<\/p>\n<p>Click on the image below to view the components of a driving question pathway.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/ASSET\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/DQP-graphic.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-932 size-medium aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/ASSET\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/DQP-graphic-300x225.png\" alt=\"DQP graphic\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/ASSET\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/DQP-graphic-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/ASSET\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/DQP-graphic-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/ASSET\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/DQP-graphic.png 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"collapseomatic \" id=\"id69e0b130ece56\"  tabindex=\"0\" title=\"Student Experiences\"    >Student Experiences<\/h3><div id=\"target-id69e0b130ece56\" class=\"collapseomatic_content \">\n<p>Each pathway has a sequence of 4\u20136 \u201cstudent experiences,\u201d which are well-developed ideas for instructional activities, along with practical guidance for teachers, including:<br \/>\n\u2022 the purpose of each student experience;<br \/>\n\u2022 class discussion questions;<br \/>\n\u2022 relevant aspects of student thinking, such as common misconceptions; and<br \/>\n\u2022 implementation tips.<\/p>\n<p>The information provided about student thinking is intended to alert teachers to ideas (both correct and incorrect) their students may have or things to look for in their students\u2019 work\/responses.<\/p>\n<p>Within a pathway, student experiences should be done in the sequence presented unless one is marked as optional. The sequence is designed to make students curious and then give them experiences to answer the driving question.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"collapseomatic \" id=\"id69e0b130ecea7\"  tabindex=\"0\" title=\"Student Language and Teacher Language\"    >Student Language and Teacher Language<\/h3><div id=\"target-id69e0b130ecea7\" class=\"collapseomatic_content \">\n<p>Each pathway includes content background for the teacher. Sometimes this information mentions atoms and molecules, and although these terms are appropriate for teachers, they are probably not appropriate for students. The student experiences and pathways do not attempt to introduce students to atoms and molecules, instead focusing on \u201cparticles that are too small to see.\u201d Students may know the terms \u201catom\u201d and \u201cmolecule,\u201d but they probably do not understand their significance. Specifically, an atom is the smallest piece of an element, and a molecule is a combination of two or more atoms. Students should not be discouraged from using the terms, but teachers should not read too much into their use.<\/p>\n<p>The same is true of words like evaporation and condensation, which are used in these resources. Students may, for example, know the word \u201cevaporation\u201d but use it to refer to a liquid disappearing, without understanding the process. We encourage teachers to probe for understanding when students use such words rather than assuming the students understand their meaning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"collapseomatic \" id=\"id69e0b130ecef0\"  tabindex=\"0\" title=\"&#039;Super Strong Glasses&#039;\"    >'Super Strong Glasses'<\/h3><div id=\"target-id69e0b130ecef0\" class=\"collapseomatic_content \">\n<p>The particles that matter is made of are too small to see even with a very powerful microscope, so students are asked several times to <strong>imagine<\/strong> what they would see with <strong>\u201csuper strong glasses\u201d<\/strong> that are more powerful than any microscope. We suggest having a microscope or a strong magnifying glass on hand so you can make the point that the particles are too small to see even with these instruments.<\/p>\n<p>Some teachers try to help students engage with imagination by having them cut out and even decorate their own cardboard super strong glasses using cardstock paper <a href=\"\/ASSET\/References\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">(Loughran, Mulhall, &amp; Berry, 2004)<\/a>. Then, anytime an activity calls for students to imagine what they would see with such glasses, the teachers ask students to put them on. We\u2019ve included a template for the cardstock cutouts <a href=\"https:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/ASSET\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/superstrong-glasses-template.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>. Alternatively, if you have a class set of safety glasses\/goggles, you can ask students to wear them and pretend they have \u201csuper strong\u201d magnification.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/ASSET\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/orange-glasses.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-796\" src=\"https:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/ASSET\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/orange-glasses-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"orange-glasses\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/ASSET\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/orange-glasses-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/ASSET\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/orange-glasses-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/ASSET\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/orange-glasses-1024x768.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"collapseomatic \" id=\"id69e0b130ecf56\"  tabindex=\"0\" title=\"Computer Simulations\"    >Computer Simulations<\/h3><div id=\"target-id69e0b130ecf56\" class=\"collapseomatic_content \">\n<p>The pathways make frequent use of computer simulations that are easy to access via the Internet and are designed for upper elementary students. The simulations are crucial for helping students visualize what they can\u2019t actually see, but we encourage teachers to use them at the appropriate time and not jump ahead to them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h3 class=\"collapseomatic \" id=\"id69e0b130ecfa3\"  tabindex=\"0\" title=\"Electronic Scale\"    >Electronic Scale<\/h3><div id=\"target-id69e0b130ecfa3\" class=\"collapseomatic_content \">\n<p>Some of the student experiences involve weighing, and it\u2019s important that the process be both straightforward and accurate. We have found that an inexpensive electronic kitchen scale works well. The one we used (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.etekcity.com\/product\/100257.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.etekcity.com\/product\/100257.html<\/a>) sells for about $13 and is available from a wide variety of retailers, including Amazon and Wal-mart.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"http:\/\/horizon-research.com\/ASSET\/matter\/driving-questions\/\">Go to the Driving Question Pathways<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Go to the Driving Question Pathways<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-379","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/ASSET\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/379","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/ASSET\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/ASSET\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/ASSET\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/ASSET\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=379"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/ASSET\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/379\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2792,"href":"https:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/ASSET\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/379\/revisions\/2792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.horizon-research.com\/ASSET\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}