Learning from the Beginning

The Reading/Writing Equation
Reading and writing exist only in relation to each other. Writing is to reading as waking is to sleeping, as giving is to receiving. The one act presupposes the other act. Together, the two acts are one act, and yet each remains a separate act, at the same time. Literally, to write and read, we must give and receive.

Listening, speaking, reading, and writing, the four modes of language, are inextricably related. In particular, listening/speaking and reading/writing are interdependent pairs, the latter being a clever human extension of the former. If ability in half of a communications pair languishes, so does ability in the other half. To comprehend our perceptions and communicate forcefully, then, we would do well to speak in response to what we hear, and write in response to what we read.
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The knowledge of the different states of matter and their properties is fundamental for students to observe and comprehend their world.

These activities are designed to give students the tools they need to categorize substances between solids and liquids, applying property names to them. The goal is for students to come away with not only conceptual understanding, but real life experiences with the states of matter.

Materials for Teaching Solids and Liquids
Materials for these lessons include: Vinyl squares, blue cotton cloth, clear plastic bags, metal screws, baskets, 1 basin, 2 sets of liquids in bottles, plain water, colored water, corn syrup, liquid hand soap, graphic organizers, worksheet matching picture of solid to its vocabulary term.
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