Learn on PengiAmplify Science (California) Grade 5Chapter 1: Why aren’t the jaguars and sloths growing and thriving?

Session 1: The Definition of Matter

Key Idea.

Section 1

What is Matter? (Macro View)

Key Idea

Look around the rainforest. Everything you see—from the heavy jaguar to the water in the river, and even the invisible air filling the space between trees—is made of "stuff." Scientists call this physical stuff matter.

Two rules help us identify matter: it must have mass (weight) and it must take up space. Whether it is a living sloth or a non-living rock, if it takes up space and has mass, it is matter. This means the entire ecosystem is built from the same fundamental material.

Section 2

What is Matter Made Of? (Micro View)

Key Idea

If you could zoom in closely on a sloth’s fur or a leaf, you would see that matter is not one smooth piece. Instead, it is made of billions of tiny particles, too small to be seen with just your eyes. These microscopic building blocks are called molecules.

Think of molecules like tiny Lego bricks. Different types of molecules fit together to build different things. The air, the water, and the animals are all just huge collections of these tiny molecules packed together.

Section 3

Living and Non-Living Things Share Matter

Key Idea

It might seem strange that a breathing jaguar has anything in common with a stone or a puddle of water. However, because they are all made of molecules, they are all matter.

This creates a connection between living organisms and non-living objects. The matter in the air (non-living) can become part of a plant (living), and the matter in water (non-living) becomes part of an animal's body. In an ecosystem, matter is constantly interacting between living and non-living things.

Lesson overview

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Section 1

What is Matter? (Macro View)

Key Idea

Look around the rainforest. Everything you see—from the heavy jaguar to the water in the river, and even the invisible air filling the space between trees—is made of "stuff." Scientists call this physical stuff matter.

Two rules help us identify matter: it must have mass (weight) and it must take up space. Whether it is a living sloth or a non-living rock, if it takes up space and has mass, it is matter. This means the entire ecosystem is built from the same fundamental material.

Section 2

What is Matter Made Of? (Micro View)

Key Idea

If you could zoom in closely on a sloth’s fur or a leaf, you would see that matter is not one smooth piece. Instead, it is made of billions of tiny particles, too small to be seen with just your eyes. These microscopic building blocks are called molecules.

Think of molecules like tiny Lego bricks. Different types of molecules fit together to build different things. The air, the water, and the animals are all just huge collections of these tiny molecules packed together.

Section 3

Living and Non-Living Things Share Matter

Key Idea

It might seem strange that a breathing jaguar has anything in common with a stone or a puddle of water. However, because they are all made of molecules, they are all matter.

This creates a connection between living organisms and non-living objects. The matter in the air (non-living) can become part of a plant (living), and the matter in water (non-living) becomes part of an animal's body. In an ecosystem, matter is constantly interacting between living and non-living things.