Activity Overview
After students understand the different states of matter, it's important that they understand how the states change between each other. In this activity, students will create a storyboard that illustrates the particle arrangement for each state of matter and describe the changes between each state. Use this activity at the beginning of the lesson to provide students with a foundation of knowledge or at the end to see what they've learned.
An increase in thermal energy increases the average kinetic energy of the particles in a system. This can either increase the temperature of the system or can cause the state to change. The change will be from a solid to a liquid or a liquid to a gas. Conversely, a decrease in thermal energy will decrease the average kinetic energy of the system. This change will cause a change in state from a gas to a liquid or a liquid to a solid.
This can also be an interesting place to introduce your students to sublimation. Sublimation is the process in which a substance goes from the solid to the gas state without becoming a liquid. Carbon dioxide (CO2), or dry ice, is an example of a material that does this. The opposite of sublimation is known as desublimation deposition.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Illustrate the particle arrangement of the different states and identify and describe the different state changes.
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Use shapes to draw particles into the containers and arrange them for a solid, liquid, and gas.
- Using text, label the arrows with the names of the different state changes.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient 17 Points | Emerging 9 Points | Beginning 0 Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EM spectrum categories | All of the parts of the EM spectrum are put in the correct order and spelled correctly. | Most of the parts of the EM spectrum are in the correct order. | Some of the parts of the EM spectrum are in the correct order. |
| Properties | The wavelength and frequency ranges are listed correctly for every part of the EM spectrum including units. | The wavelength and frequency ranges are listed for most parts of the EM spectrum including units. | The wavelength and frequency ranges are listed for some parts of the EM spectrum including units. |
| Uses | There are a range of uses listed for each part of the EM spectrum. | There are some uses listed for nearly every part of the EM spectrum but there are a few parts missing. | There are some uses listed for some parts of the EM spectrum. There are many parts with no uses listed. |
| Dangers | There are a range of dangers listed for each part of the EM spectrum. | There are some dangers listed for nearly every part of the EM spectrum but there are a few parts missing. | There are some dangers listed for some parts of the EM spectrum. There are many parts with no dangers listed. |
| Vizualizations | The visualizations clearly represent examples of uses and dangers for each part of the EM spectrum. | There are visualizations for the dangers and uses of each part of the EM spectrum but they are not clear and sometimes muddled. | There aren't visualizations for the dangers and uses of each part of the EM spectrum. |
| Evidence of Effort | Work is well written and carefully thought out. | Work shows some evidence of effort. | Work shows little evidence of any effort. |
Activity Overview
After students understand the different states of matter, it's important that they understand how the states change between each other. In this activity, students will create a storyboard that illustrates the particle arrangement for each state of matter and describe the changes between each state. Use this activity at the beginning of the lesson to provide students with a foundation of knowledge or at the end to see what they've learned.
An increase in thermal energy increases the average kinetic energy of the particles in a system. This can either increase the temperature of the system or can cause the state to change. The change will be from a solid to a liquid or a liquid to a gas. Conversely, a decrease in thermal energy will decrease the average kinetic energy of the system. This change will cause a change in state from a gas to a liquid or a liquid to a solid.
This can also be an interesting place to introduce your students to sublimation. Sublimation is the process in which a substance goes from the solid to the gas state without becoming a liquid. Carbon dioxide (CO2), or dry ice, is an example of a material that does this. The opposite of sublimation is known as desublimation deposition.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Illustrate the particle arrangement of the different states and identify and describe the different state changes.
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Use shapes to draw particles into the containers and arrange them for a solid, liquid, and gas.
- Using text, label the arrows with the names of the different state changes.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient 17 Points | Emerging 9 Points | Beginning 0 Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EM spectrum categories | All of the parts of the EM spectrum are put in the correct order and spelled correctly. | Most of the parts of the EM spectrum are in the correct order. | Some of the parts of the EM spectrum are in the correct order. |
| Properties | The wavelength and frequency ranges are listed correctly for every part of the EM spectrum including units. | The wavelength and frequency ranges are listed for most parts of the EM spectrum including units. | The wavelength and frequency ranges are listed for some parts of the EM spectrum including units. |
| Uses | There are a range of uses listed for each part of the EM spectrum. | There are some uses listed for nearly every part of the EM spectrum but there are a few parts missing. | There are some uses listed for some parts of the EM spectrum. There are many parts with no uses listed. |
| Dangers | There are a range of dangers listed for each part of the EM spectrum. | There are some dangers listed for nearly every part of the EM spectrum but there are a few parts missing. | There are some dangers listed for some parts of the EM spectrum. There are many parts with no dangers listed. |
| Vizualizations | The visualizations clearly represent examples of uses and dangers for each part of the EM spectrum. | There are visualizations for the dangers and uses of each part of the EM spectrum but they are not clear and sometimes muddled. | There aren't visualizations for the dangers and uses of each part of the EM spectrum. |
| Evidence of Effort | Work is well written and carefully thought out. | Work shows some evidence of effort. | Work shows little evidence of any effort. |
How Tos about Changes in States of Matter
Create an engaging states of matter demonstration using household items
Capture your students’ attention by showing how matter changes state with items found at home or in the classroom. Visual, hands-on experiences help students understand abstract concepts more concretely.
Gather simple materials like ice, water, and a kettle
Collect ice cubes, a clear glass, water, and an electric kettle (or pot and hot plate) before class. Having materials ready ensures a smooth demonstration and keeps students focused.
Demonstrate melting, evaporation, and condensation step by step
Show ice cubes melting into water, then heat the water to create steam, and finally capture condensation on a cool surface. Highlight each change by asking students to describe what they observe at every stage.
Ask students to predict and explain each state change
Engage students by prompting them to predict what will happen before each change of state. Encourage reasoning and connect their observations to the concepts of energy and particle movement.
Connect the demonstration to students’ daily experiences
Relate the demonstration to real-life moments, like ice melting in a drink or steam from a shower. Making connections helps reinforce understanding and shows the relevance of science in everyday life.
Frequently Asked Questions about Changes in States of Matter
What are the different changes in states of matter?
Changes in states of matter include melting (solid to liquid), freezing (liquid to solid), evaporation (liquid to gas), condensation (gas to liquid), sublimation (solid to gas), and deposition (gas to solid). Each involves particles gaining or losing thermal energy.
How does thermal energy affect state changes in matter?
Thermal energy influences state changes by altering the average kinetic energy of particles. Increasing thermal energy can cause solids to melt or liquids to evaporate, while decreasing it leads to condensation or freezing.
What is sublimation and can you give an example?
Sublimation is when a substance changes directly from solid to gas without becoming a liquid. A common example is dry ice (solid carbon dioxide), which turns into gas at room temperature.
How can students visually model state changes of matter in the classroom?
Students can draw or create storyboards that show particle arrangements in solids, liquids, and gases, and use arrows to label each state change. This helps visualize how particles move and rearrange during each change.
What’s the difference between melting and evaporation?
Melting is when a solid turns into a liquid, usually by heating. Evaporation is when a liquid changes into a gas, often at the surface and below boiling point. Both require energy but involve different state transitions.
More Storyboard That Activities
States of Matter
- Blue ice • Moyan_Brenn • License Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
- Steam • 1lenore • License Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
- water drops • technicolor76 • License Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
Testimonials
“By using the product, they were so excited and they learned so much...”–K-5 Librarian and Instructinal Technology Teacher
“I'm doing a Napoleon timeline and I'm having [students] determine whether or not Napoleon was a good guy or a bad guy or somewhere in between.”–History and Special Ed Teacher
“Students get to be creative with Storyboard That and there's so many visuals for them to pick from... It makes it really accessible for all students in the class.”–Third Grade Teacher
© 2025 - Clever Prototypes, LLC - All rights reserved.
StoryboardThat is a trademark of Clever Prototypes, LLC, and Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
