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Using the State Curriculum: Science, Grade 5

Skills and Processes | Earth/Space | Life | Chemistry | Physics | Environmental
Clarifications: Each clarification provides an explanation of an indicator/objective to help teachers better understand the skills and/or concepts.

Standard 4.0 Chemistry

Topic C. States of Matter

Indicator 1. Provide evidence from investigations to identify the processes that can be used to change materials from one state of matter to another.

Objective b. Based on data explain the importance of water's ability to exist in all three states within the temperatures normally found on Earth.

Clarification

The water cycle helps to sustain life on Earth through the constant cycling of water between the atmosphere, the ocean, organisms and the land. Although water continuously changes states from solid to liquid to gas, the amount of water on Earth stays the same. There is as much water now as there was hundreds of millions of years ago. The properties of water in the liquid state are most important to life on Earth. Water’s ability to dissolve nutrients and gases is critical to sustaining life in terrestrial and aquatic environments. Sea water and fresh water provide habitats for many organisms. Water in the gaseous state in the atmosphere is transported to most parts of the Earth. As it condenses and falls to Earth as precipitation, it helps provide a suitable habitat for terrestrial organisms.

Classroom Example

Water exists in three states of matter on Earth. This iceberg--floating on liquid water in the Arctic Ocean--represents water in its solid state. The atmosphere surrounding the iceberg contains water in a gaseous form known as water vapor.
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Resources for Objective 4.C.1.b:
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