The Secret Life of Matter

Lily and Sam sat on the green grass. They had a big box of things to study. Today, they were tiny scientists. They wanted to learn about matter. Matter is everything around us. It is the air we breathe. It is the juice we drink. It is even the toys we play with. Everything we see is made of matter.

First, Lily picked up a big gray rock. The rock was very hard and heavy. It did not change its shape when she moved it. Lily tried to squeeze the rock, but it stayed the same. "This is a solid," Lily said with a smile. Solids stay the same shape. They do not flow like water. Sam felt the rock with his fingers. It felt rough and bumpy.

Next, Sam poured some cold water into a glass. The water moved and splashed. It took the shape of the round glass. If he poured it into a square bowl, it would look like a square. "Water is a liquid," Sam told Lily. Liquids can flow and pour. They do not have their own shape. They take the shape of the cup they are in. The water was clear and wet.

Then, the kids looked at a bright red balloon. Lily blew air into the balloon. The balloon grew bigger and bigger. The air went inside and pushed out on the sides. "The air inside is a gas," Lily said. You cannot always see a gas, but it is there. Gas fills up all the space it can find. It can move around very easily and quickly.

They looked at more things in the yard. They found a soft yellow feather. It was very light and fuzzy. They found a smooth blue marble. It was shiny and round. Every object had its own color and feel. These are called properties. Scientists look at properties to know what things are. Looking at properties helps us group things together.

The sun was warm on their faces. They were happy to learn so much. Matter was everywhere they looked. They saw solids in the tall trees. They saw liquids in the small pond. They felt the gas in the blowing wind. Being a scientist was a lot of fun. They could not wait to find more matter tomorrow.