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Hydromania's States of Matter Unit
and Washington's Essential Academic Learning Requirements

The following chart travels through the States of Matter unit, tying it to the Washington Essential Academic Learning Requirements 2000 (this will link you to the State of Washington's Education Reform website) that are addressed by that unit. Sometimes only parts of a particular benchmark will be applicable to a Hydromania unit, but we thought it best to cite the entire benchmark for easier reference to these state goals. Please note also that because a lesson can be taught and expanded on at many levels of thoroughness, benchmarks were included assuming the most thorough coverage of the topic. Therefore, each teacher will want to review the listed benchmarks in order to see for her/himself which ones are in agreement with their plans. Hopefully you will find this to be a helpful and timesaving tool as you help students rise to the challenge of meeting these goals.

Curriculum Topic Essential Academic Learning Requirement Subtopic (if applicable)/
Grade 4 and 7 Benchmarks
Topic VII:
States of Matter 		Science:
The student understands and uses scientific concepts and principles.
To meet this standard, the student will use properties to identify, describe, and categorize substances, materials, and objects, and use characteristics to categorize living things.		 Earth/Space Science: Nature and properties of earth materials:
  • Grade 4:
    > observe and examine physical properties of earth materials such as rocks and soil, water (as liquid, solid, and vapor) and the gases of the atmosphere.
Science:
The student understands and uses scientific concepts and principles.
To meet this standard, the student will recognize the components, structure, and organization of systems and the interconnections within and among them.		 Systems:
  • Grade 4:
    > identify the parts of a system, how the parts go together, and how they depend on each other.
  • Grade 7:
    > describe how the parts of a system interact and influence each other.
Physical Science: Energy sources and kinds:
  • Grade 4:
    > understand that energy keeps things running and comes in many forms.
  • Grade 7:
    > understand that energy is a property of substances and systems and comes in many forms, including stored energy, energy of motion, and heat energy such as heat, light electrical, mechanical, sound, nuclear, and chemical.
Physical Science: Energy transfer and transformation:
  • Grade 4:
    > know that energy can be transferred between various forms.
  • Grade 7:
    > determine factors that affect rate and amount of energy transfer; associate a decrease in one form of energy with an increase in another.
Physical Science: Structure of matter:
  • Grade 4:
    > know that matter is made of small particles.
  • Grade 7:
    > understand that all matter is made up of atoms, which may be combined in various kinds, ways, and numbers.
Physical Science: Physical/chemical changes:
  • Grade 4:
    > know that matter can undergo changes of state such as evaporation, condensation, or freezing and thawing.
  • Grade 7:
    > understand physical and chemical changes at the particle level, and know that matter is conserved.
Life Science: Structure and organization of living systems:
  • Grade 4:
    > know that living things are composed of parts made of cells.
  • Grade 7:
    > know that specialized cells within multicellular organisms form different kinds of tissues, organs, and organ systems to carry out life functions.
Science:
The student understands and uses scientific concepts and principles.
To meet this standard, the student will understand how interactions within and among systems cause changes in matter and energy.		 Life Science: Life processes and the flow of matter and energy:
  • Grade 4:
    > recognize that living things need constant energy supplied from food or light and that, in ecosystems, substances such as air, water, nutrients, and the chemicals in food are continually recycled.
  • Grade 7:
    > understand that individual organisms use matter and energy for life processes, and the mechanisms accomplishing these processes are complex, integrated, and regulated.
Science:
The student knows and applies the skills and processes of science and technology.
To meet this standard, the student will develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.		 Questioning:
  • Grade 4:
    > ask questions about objects, organisms, and events in the environment.
  • Grade 7:
    > generate questions that can be answered through scientific investigations.
Designing and conducting investigations:
  • Grade 4:
    > plan and conduct simple investigations, using appropriate tools, measures, and safety rules.
  • Grade 7:
    > design, conduct, and evaluate scientific investigations, using appropriate equipment, mathematics, and safety procedures.
Explanation:
  • Grade 4:
    > use data to construct reasonable explanations.
  • Grade 7:
    > use evidence from scientific investigations to think critically and logically to develop descriptions, explanations, and predictions.
Communication:
  • Grade 4:
    > record and report observations, explanations, and conclusions using oral, written, and mathematical expression.
  • Grade 7:
    > communicate scientific procedures, investigations, and explanations orally, in writing, with computer-based technology, and in the language of mathematics.
Science:
The student understands the nature and contexts of science and technology.
To meet this standard, the student will understand the nature of scientific inquiry.		 Intellectual honesty:
  • Grade 4:
    > understand that all scientific observations should be reported accurately even when they contradict expectations.
  • Grade 7:
    > understand the operational and ethical traditions of science and technology such as skepticism, cooperation, intellectual honesty, and proprietary discovery.
Dealing with inconsistencies:
  • Grade 4:
    > explain why similar investigations may not produce similar results.
  • Grade 7:
    > provide more than one explanation for events or phenomena; defend or refute the explanations using evidence.
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