Physical Science · Matter & Materials
Air Is Matter: It Takes Up Space & Can Push
Use balloons, cups, bags, and syringes to gather evidence that invisible air takes up space and can push on objects.
Lesson plan
Air Is Matter: It Takes Up Space & Can Push
A step-by-step guide to help you teach this lesson.
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Lesson overview
What students will learn
- Use observations to show that air takes up space even when we cannot see it.
- Use evidence to explain how trapped air can push back when it is squeezed.
Key science ideas
- Air usually cannot be seen, but we can observe what it does.
- Air takes up space. A balloon gets larger when more air moves inside.
- Trapped air can push back when it is pressed into a smaller space.
Lesson at a glance
- Grade 2
- 40 min
- ~10 min prep
- 8 materials
What’s included
- Lesson Plan
- Investigation
- Teacher Slides
- Printable Worksheet
- Teacher Answer Key
- Interactive Activity
- Vocabulary