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Phases of Matter
Examples of Student Work

8th Grade Performance Task
Contributed by: New York State Education Department (NYSED)
NYS Alternative Assessment in Science Project (1996)

Student #3


Task:

To determine if students can apply content knowledge to observations and problems from everyday life.

Directions:

Answer the following questions using your knowledge of the phases of matter. Be sure to use the correct vocabulary such as solid, liquid, gas, condense, evaporate, freeze, or melt. Explain each response in detail.

1. A kernal of popcorn contains a small amount of water and when heated the popcorn pops.

How can you explain this to someone?

2. Explain why a hot shower "fogs" up a bathroom mirror.

3. You inhale and exhale a lot of air and moisture. Explain why you can "see your breath" when you are outside on a cold day.

4. Dryers are used to dry your hands or clothes. Explain how they use heat to dry.

5. During the winter, snow often sits on a roof of a house. Houses that are poorly insulated will often have icicles hanging from the ends of the roof. If the water starts out as a solid phase in snow on the roof, explain how icicles form that are hanging over the edge.

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